Band 9 Sample for IELTS Speaking Part 2 Topic: Situation When You Had To Be Polite

Band 9 Sample for IELTS Speaking Part 2 Topic: Situation When You Had To Be Polite

Describe a situation when you had to be polite

You should say:

What it was

What did you do to be polite?

Why did you have to be polite?

And explain how you felt about it afterwards

MODEL ANSWER 

(What it was)

I’d like to tell a story of my first interview. It was for a white-collar job in an entertainment
company. Since it was a formal interview, you know, I prepared carefully and tried to be as
professional and polite as I could.

(Why did you have to be polite?)

Obviously, a job interview always turns out to be a serious event, despite the efforts of the
interviewers to make it more comfortable. Hence, keeping a respectful attitude and behaving
politely are important. Aside from that, the company I applied for was pretty renowned in
the entertainment industry, so it just made more sense for me to be as courteous as possible. I mean, the chances of being shortlisted would definitely be higher if I could show my polite
attitude, apart from my experience and all sorts of other stuff.

(What did you do to be polite?)

Because it was my first experience of having an interview, I felt so anxious that I couldn’t
actually sleep the previous night. I didn’t want to squander my chance. I ended up
oversleeping the next day, but thank God I still arrived on time for the interview. As it was a
formal occasion, I put on a white blouse, a black miniskirt, and high heels, like a typical
office woman. Despite my fears, the interview ran smoothly. The interviewers were so nice
and friendly. They showed no rudeness or arrogance and responded to my greetings in a
gentle way. They even made small talk at first, probably to help relieve my nervousness. As
a result, I got calmer and answered all the questions confidently. I couldn’t have a
completely laid-back attitude, and I had to be wary of being too familiar. Still, as the
atmosphere got more pleasant, I managed to stop worrying about using formal words and
expressions, all that stuff, and focused more on speaking my mind.

(What did you do to be polite?)

Because it was my first experience of having an interview, I felt so anxious that I couldn’t actually sleep the previous night. I didn’t want to squander my chance. I ended up oversleeping the next day, but thank God I still arrived on time for the interview. As it was a formal occasion, I put on a white blouse, a black miniskirt, and high heels, like a typical office woman. Despite my fears, the interview ran smoothly. The interviewers were so nice and friendly. They showed no rudeness or arrogance and responded to my greetings in a gentle way. They even made small talk at first, probably to help relieve my nervousness. As a result, I got calmer and answered all the questions confidently. I couldn’t have a completely laid-back attitude, and I had to be wary of being too familiar. Still, as the atmosphere got more pleasant, I managed to stop worrying about using formal words and expressions, all that stuff, and focused more on speaking my mind.

(Explain how you felt about it afterwards)

It was a relief when the interview ended. A week later, I received an acceptance email from the company and was placed on a probation period. I was extremely happy and I felt like I was floating on air for the rest of the day.

That’s my experience of being extremely polite on a particular occasion.

1. to make small talk/to exchange pleasantries

Meaning: to talk in a polite way about unimportant matters such as the weather

Example: I enjoy a serious discussion and I don’t like to make small talk or exchange
pleasantries with others simply in order to be polite.

Meaning: relaxed, not worrying about anything

Example: Our teacher had a laid-back attitude in the classroom, but she was always well-
prepared and committed to her students.

1. to be wary of

Meaning: not completely trusting or certain about something

Example: Consumers must always be wary of the claims made in advertisements, because
such claims are often untrue.

Other Vocab

1.        (to) turn out [phrasal verb]

Meaning: to be discovered to be; to prove to be

Example: The job turned out to be harder than we thought.

2.         renowned [adjective]: famous

Example: That restaurant is renowned for its Southwestern-style food.

3.         (to) shortlist [verb]

Meaning: to put somebody/something on a shortlist for a job, prize, etc