English guide
IELTS Part 2 POWER framework: Place/Person/Thing + Origin + Why + Experience + Reflection. 1-min prep, 90-120 sec speaking. 3-5 C1/C2 collocations, mix of grammar, all 4 bullet points.
What this guide covers
Search answer
IELTS Part 2 POWER framework: Place/Person/Thing + Origin + Why + Experience + Reflection. 1-min prep, 90-120 sec speaking. 3-5 C1/C2 collocations, mix of grammar, all 4 bullet points.
Use the P-O-W-E-R framework: Place/Person/Thing (answer what), Origin/Occasion (when/how), Why it matters, Experience/details, Reflection. 1 minute prep to write 15-20 key words on the scratch paper, 2 minutes speaking. Talk for 90-120 seconds — don''t stop until the examiner does.
Introduce what you''re describing with a hook. > "The person I''d like to talk about is my grandmother, Helena."
When and how you encountered this. > "I first really got to know her about five years ago, when I moved in with my grandparents..."
Relevance or significance. > "She taught me that small daily habits shape who you become..."
Specific examples, 2-3 anecdotes. > "For instance, every morning she would..." > "Another time she told me..."
Concluding insight. > "Looking back, she shaped my values in ways I only appreciate now."
Don''t write full sentences. Write 15-20 keywords across the 5 POWER columns:
``` P (who/what): Helena, grandmother O (when): 5 years ago, moved in W (why): taught values, daily habits E (examples): morning routines, bedtime stories, family recipes R (reflection): shaped me, grateful, continues to inspire ```
Glance at prep sheet 1x while speaking. Don''t read from it.
Cue Card: "Describe a person who has influenced you. You should say:
Answer (approx 115 seconds):
> The person I''d like to talk about is my high school English teacher, Mr. Anderson. I met him when I was fifteen, completely unmotivated and struggling with English as a second language. He was my teacher for two years, and honestly, he changed the trajectory of my education.
> Mr. Anderson was unusual for a teacher — he spoke quietly, rarely raised his voice, and genuinely listened to students in a way I hadn''t experienced before. He had this remarkable ability to find something interesting in every student''s work, even when we ourselves thought it was terrible. He''d say things like, "This paragraph has potential — let''s see how far we can push it."
> What really influenced me was his faith in my abilities before I had any faith in myself. He kept telling me I had a writer''s instinct when my grammar was still full of errors. He pushed me to submit writing to school competitions, which I''d never have done alone. Two of my pieces won awards, and that recognition genuinely changed how I saw my future.
> Looking back, he didn''t just teach English — he taught me that confidence comes from people who believe in you, not from your own self-assessment. Which is why, a decade later, I still think of him whenever I take on something intimidating.
Use stall phrases while you think:
These buy 3-5 seconds of natural-sounding pause.
Q: How long should IELTS Part 2 answer be? A: 90-120 seconds. Don''t stop before 90; don''t exceed 2 minutes (examiner will cut you off).
Q: Can I look at the cue card while speaking? A: Yes — you keep the card until the end.
Q: What if I finish all bullet points in 30 seconds? A: Keep talking — add more detail, examples, reflection. Don''t stop early.
Q: Can I use fake examples? A: Yes — examiners don''t care about truth, only language quality.
Q: What happens if I talk >2 minutes? A: Examiner will politely stop you. No penalty for talking a bit over.
Full Part 2 mock with Band 8 feedback: Start free Part 2 mock →