S05: Part 2 explained: the cue card

Part 2 is the "long turn". The examiner gives you a card with a topic, and you speak alone for up to two minutes. For many students, this is the scariest part. Two minutes sounds like forever. But with a simple plan, two minutes passes quickly, and Part 2 can become your strongest part.

Why this matters

Part 2 shows whether you can speak at length, organise your ideas, and use a range of language without help from the examiner. It's a big chance to show fluency and vocabulary.

What the card looks like

Describe a teacher who influenced you.

You should say:

• who this teacher was
• what subject they taught
• what they were like

and explain why they influenced you.

The card always asks you to describe something: a person, a place, an object, an event or an experience. The bullet points are suggestions to help you.

How Part 2 works

1. The examiner gives you the card, a pencil and some paper.
2. You have 1 minute to prepare. Make notes.
3. The examiner asks you to start. You speak for 1 to 2 minutes.
4. After 2 minutes, the examiner will stop you, even in the middle of a sentence. That's normal.
5. The examiner may ask one or two short follow-up questions.

Your goal: keep talking until the examiner stops you

If you stop after 50 seconds, the examiner may wait, or ask you to say more. Speaking for the full two minutes shows fluency. Lessons S24 and S25 show exactly how to fill the time.

A simple plan for any card

1. Start with the main answer. "I'd like to talk about my maths teacher in class 9, Mr Rahman."
2. Cover the bullet points, in any order.
3. Add details and feelings. What did it look like? How did you feel?
4. Finish with the "explain" part. This is often the most important. Spend the most time here.

The "explain" line matters

The last line on the card, "and explain why...", is where you show depth. Many students rush through it in one sentence. Give it 30 to 40 seconds.

Use the past tense correctly

Many cards are about the past: a teacher you had, a trip you took, an event you attended. Bangladeshi students often slip into the present tense while telling a story. Practise telling stories fully in the past tense.

Try it yourself

Look at the teacher card above. Set a timer for 1 minute and make notes. Then speak for 2 minutes and record yourself. Did you reach 2 minutes?

Honest note

It's okay to talk about a real person or event, or to adjust details a little to make your story clearer. The examiner isn't checking if your story is true. They're checking your English.

Your task today

Do the teacher card with the timer. Listen to your recording and note where you paused the longest.