Part 2: plan in 60 seconds, talk for two minutes

You're handed a card with a topic and four bullet prompts. You get one minute to prepare (with paper and a pencil) and must then speak for one to two minutes without interruption. Most candidates either dry up after 40 seconds or ramble with no shape. Both lose marks - the long turn is where Fluency & Coherence is tested hardest, because you have to sustain organised speech entirely on your own.

The method: notes, not sentences

In your 60 seconds, do not write full sentences - you won't have time to read them. Write one or two keywords per bullet, plus a couple of "good words" you want to use. The bullets are your structure: cover each one in order, then keep going.

A reliable spine for "Describe a…" cards:

1. Set the scene - what / who / when / where (turns the first bullet into context).
2. Develop the middle bullets - give detail, an anecdote, sensory description.
3. Answer the "why/how you felt" bullet - this is where bands are won; explain and reflect, don't just state.
4. Round off - a closing thought so you don't stop mid-air.

The last bullet is almost always reflective ("explain why it was important / how you felt"). Spend the most time there - reflection produces the complex grammar and opinion language examiners reward.

Worked example 1 - a place

Card: "Describe a place you like to relax. Say where it is, how often you go, what you do there, and why you find it relaxing."

Notes (what you'd actually scribble):

```

• park near flat / by river
• Sun mornings, weekly-ish
• walk, coffee, read, watch dogs
• WHY: no phone, slows me down, "switch off" ← spend longest here

good words: tranquil, unwind, a breath of fresh air ```

Opening 20 seconds, spoken:

"The place I'd like to talk about is a little riverside park about ten minutes from my flat. I tend to go on Sunday mornings, more or less every week, partly because it's quiet before the crowds arrive…"

Reflective close (the highest-scoring bullet):

"What really makes it relaxing, though, is that I leave my phone in my pocket and just let the morning slow down. After an hour by the water I feel completely unwound - it's my way of switching off before the week starts again."

See how the bullets become a story spine, and the prepped words ("tranquil", "unwind") drop in naturally rather than being forced. The why bullet uses what really makes it… is that…, a cleft structure that lifts Grammatical Range.

Worked example 2 - a person

Card: "Describe a person who has influenced you."

Notes:

```

• my old geography teacher, Mr Bell
• secondary school, ~age 15
• pushed me, lent me books, fair but tough
• WHY: showed me I could do more than I thought ← longest

good words: instil, take an interest, turning point ```

A developed middle + reflective spoken stretch:

"He wasn't the warmest teacher on the surface - quite strict, actually - but he took a genuine interest in the students who tried. I remember him lending me books that weren't even on the syllabus. Looking back, that was a real turning point for me, because he instilled the idea that I could push myself far harder than I'd assumed."

Why it scores: narrative past tenses (took, lending, instilled), the reflective frame Looking back… that was a turning point, and precise lexis (instil, take a genuine interest) - exactly the range the long turn is designed to reveal.

Functional language for the long turn

Opening: I'd like to talk about… · The first thing that springs to mind is… · This is something I remember vividly.

Sequencing/detail: to give you some background… · what stood out was… · on top of that… · the funny thing is…

Reflecting (the band-7 move): Looking back… · what really mattered was… · if I'm honest… · it taught me that…

Keeping going when you run dry

If you reach the end early, extend with a contrast or a hypothetical:

• "That said, it wasn't always like that…"
• "If I had more time, I'd probably go there far more often, because…"

These buy you 20-30 seconds and show range.

Common mistakes

• Writing sentences in prep and then reading them aloud - it sounds flat and robotic.
• Finishing in 40 seconds. Use every bullet; reflect hard on the last one.
• Ignoring a bullet. The examiner notices. Touch all four.
• Listing with no detail. "I do many things there" → instead name them and add colour.
• Staying in one tense. A good narrative naturally mixes past, present and the odd conditional.

Try it

Go to **the Speaking practice room and pick a Part 2 cue card. Take exactly 60 seconds to make keyword notes, then speak for a full two minutes* - record it. Afterwards, check: did I cover all four bullets, did I reach 1:45+, and did the why/how* bullet get the most time and the most reflective language?