IELTS Speaking Part 2 & 3 Sample – Topic: Describe a photo you have taken

IELTS Speaking Part 2

Describe a photo you have taken
You should say:
• Where you took it.
• When you took the photo.
• What/who is in the photo.
• How you felt about the photo.

Sample Answer:
I am going to talk about a photo that I took some years ago when my family went on holiday in ABC beach. The picture captured the memory of a very happy family. This is a priceless possession to me and I would like to keep it with me for the rest of my life.

I have seen it thousands times and still I look at it with an indescribable delight. In the picture, everyone was smiling cheerfully. My father’s eyes were sparkling and the corners of his eyes crinkled. To tell the truth, it was very rare to see my father’s smile as he always kept a serious facial expression. Needless to say, my mother was standing next to him with warm happiness glowing in her face. My younger brothers and sisters were not really photogenic because they were bursting out laughing for a reason I could not remember clearly.

In the back ground, the sun looked like it was gradually receding into the waters below. The sky consisted of an assortment of shades, a blend of reds, oranges and yellows. The water below was mirroring this effect. The scene was beautiful.

I have to admit that I know very little about the technical aspects of camera and to be honest I take photos from my own preference rather than maintaining aspects a professional photographer would do. Though the photo was not professionally shot, it is still the most treasured photo I could have.

Vocabulary highlights:
• capture: catch
• possession: something that you own
• indescribable: so extreme or unusual it is almost impossible to describe
• delight: a feeling of great pleasure
• cheerfully: in a way that shows you are happy
• sparkle: shine brightly
• crinkle: form a lot of thin folds or lines
• facial expression: a gesture executed with the facial muscles
• photogenic: looking attractive in photographs
• recede: move gradually away from
• an assortment of: a variety of
• mirror: show the image of
• technical: connected with the practical use of machinery

IELTS Speaking Part 3

 Do you like taking photos?
Well, if you asked me this question ten years ago, it would have been a big YES. However, it is now not really my cup of tea anymore. The reason is that as I’ve grown older, I have felt like I don’t want to expose myself to the camera and the public. I really hate when other people judge my appearance through my pictures and underestimate me because of that.

 Why do some people like taking photos, some don’t?
For those fond of taking pictures and crazy about it, I believe the major cause is their desire to become well-known. That is totally true when Facebook and other social networking sites have been enjoying such a boom in popularity over the past few years, which I think reinforces this trend a lot. In terms of those detesting this activity, I suppose that they have a similar feeling of annoyance and irritation when we have to stand still and adjust our facial expressions in order to have such perfect pictures.

 Do you like taking photos with strangers?
Definitely not, it stems from my belief that strangers at times are not safe or friendly. Moreover, taking a picture with someone that I don’t know seems to be quite strange.

 What would you say when you see an undesirable picture?
Although I don’t care much about photography or art, I do have a sense of frustration whenever I see something that is imperfect. So, in the case that I see an unsatisfactory picture, I would certainly delete it and take a new one.

 What kind of picture would you like to hang in your bedroom?
Well, my bedroom is vitally important to me because that is the place I have a rest after intensive working hours. Therefore, I would like to hang several magnificent nature photos including panoramic shots of mountains dimly looming in the thin veil of morning fog, which makes me feel at peace and then fall asleep easily.