IELTS Speaking Part 2 Sample – Topic: A time you borrowed something from your family

Describe a time when you borrowed something from your family or a friend.

You should describe
– What you borrowed
– Who you borrowed it from
– What you borrowed it for
– And explain why it was useful to you

MODEL ANSWER  

(what you borrowed) To be honest, I can recall many occasions when I had to borrow important things from someone else. I’ll talk about when my father lent me 100 USD.

(who you borrowed it from) First, I asked my mother for the loan, but she was on a tight budget. Therefore, I ended up borrowing from my father, who gave me the money as if money was no object.

(what you borrowed it for) After graduating from high school, myself and another friend planned to run a business, which was to sell milk tea. I remember that, last year, I convinced by my friend who came up with the idea of making milk tea to save money for our trip to Singapore. We were struggling with the stall in the beginning. Each day, the store continued on track, and we gradually earned a profit. Within a month, I was able to return the money that I borrowed from my father. The moment he received the money from me, he seemed a bit surprised. I explained to him how we earned it. He told me that he was quite astonished that our little stall eventually saw the light of success.

(and explain why it was useful to you) I was over the moon to tell him how we worked together to make it a success. I also showed my gratitude and mentioned that, if not for his money, I could not have had the chance to fulfill my dream, which was traveling to Singapore. Numerous other times, I borrowed books, laptops, music players, money, CDs, and so on from my friends and relatives. But 100 USD that I borrowed from my father was quite memorable, and I am lucky that I decided to borrow it from my father for a good reason.

USEFUL VOCABULARY FOR IELTS SPEAKING PART 2:

1. Recall (verb): bring (a fact, event, or situation) back into one’s mind; remember.
Example: Do you recall the old days that were together?
2. On a tight budget (expression):  involving a relatively small amount of money for planned spending
Example: He is on a tight budget, don’t ask him to hang out with us.
3. Money was no object (Idiom): used to say that someone is not concerned about the price of things.
Example: She goes shopping every week as if money is no object.
4. Run a business (phrase)
Example: They started to run a small business 2 months ago.
5. Struggle with something (phrase)
Example: He’s struggling with his homework.
6. On track (expression)
Example: Everything was on track until we came into a conflict.
7. Gain profit (expression)
Example: The company started to gain profit after many failures.
8. See the light of success (expression)
Example: Having failed for several times, he finally saw the light of success.
9. Over the moon (idiom): extremely happy
Example: I was over the moon when I heard your news.
10. Memorable (adjective)
Example: The exchange trip was such a memorial experience in my life.

 

IELTS SPEAKING PART 3:

1. What will you do if people do not return the money they borrow from you?
If the amount of money is not too big and the person is underprivileged, I will not ask for a return anyway. However, I will definitely keep asking for the return and bothering him if the amount of money is large. If that person does not seem to want to return the money, I will have to confide in the police.

2. Why are people embarrassed when they borrow money from others?
People feel embarrassed when borrowing money due to some reasons. First, they feel that their financial situation is not as good as others, as a result, the thought of being at a lower level arises. Second, it can be hard for them to ensure when they can return the money, which is another reason why borrowing money may make them feel not comfortable.

3. What do you think of the sharing economy?
I believe that although the sharing economy seems to be working now in the age of technology. However, it is expected that “the gig economy” is going to overtake sharing economy as it is believed to be more sufficient and effective in meeting the demands of customers and raising living standards.

4. Why do some people like to borrow things instead of buying them?
People prefer to borrowing to buying as they believe that the things that they would like to borrow will not be necessary all the time and it is a waste of money to buy them. For example, if one only needs to use a laptop once or twice a month, it is not worth spending a small fortune buying a laptop.

Useful Vocabulary for IELTS Speaking Part 3

1. Underprivileged (adj): not having as many advantages or opportunities as most other people
Example: Children from an underprivileged family background are statistically more likely to become involved in crime.

2. To confide in (phrasal verb): to tell someone a secret or discuss your private feelings with them
Example: She’s nice, but I don’t feel I can confide in her.

3. To arise (verb): to exist or start developing because of something
Example: When a thought arises in the mind, it is not easy to get rid of it.

4. Sufficient (adj): as much as is needed
Example: This recipe should be sufficient for five people.

5. a small fortune (idiom): a large amount of money
Example: You’ll have to spend a small fortune in legal fees if you decide to sue for compensation.