Practise this cue card out loudPrepare for 1 minute, speak for up to 2 minutes, then compare with the Band 8 sample and try the Part 3 questions.
Music is notoriously hard to describe, which is why this card rewards good vocabulary: melody, tempo, lyrics, soothing, uplifting. Pick a piece with a personal memory attached, then describe both the music and the feeling. Here is a plan, a Band 8 sample answer about Debussy’s Clair de Lune and the Part 3 questions about music.
How to plan your answer in one minute#
You get one minute and a pencil. Don’t write sentences: note one or two key words per point, plus a detail or two that will make your story vivid. For example:
- what it is: Clair de Lune, Debussy, piano, “moonlight”
- when you first heard it: first heard at about 15, at a school concert
- who introduced you to it: my music teacher played it; later my grandmother loved it too
- explain why you like it: calm, dreamy, slow; I play it before exams; reminds me of home
Practise, then compare: Band 8 sample answers
Record your own answer first, listen back, then compare. Don’t memorise these: examiners spot memorised answers. Borrow the structure and the highlighted vocabulary instead.
Part 2 sample answer (cue card)
Cue card
Describe a piece of music that you like.
You should say:
- what it is
- when you first heard it
- who introduced you to it
- and explain why you like it.
Sample answerShowHide
A piece of music I love is *Clair de Lune* by the French composer Claude Debussy. The title means “moonlight” in French, and it’s a fairly short piano piece, only about five minutes long.
It’s very different from the music I usually listen to, which is mostly pop. It starts extremely softly and slowly, with gentle chords that almost sound hesitant, and then gradually builds into a flowing melody before becoming quiet again. If you’ve heard it, you’ll know it sounds a bit like moonlight on water, which is exactly the image Debussy wanted to create.
I first heard it when I was about fifteen, at an end-of-year concert at my school. Our music teacher, who was a brilliant pianist, played it as the final piece. The hall was noisy before she started, but within a few seconds everyone had gone completely silent. I remember being surprised that something so quiet could hold so many people’s attention.
So, I suppose it was my teacher who introduced me to it, although later I found out my grandmother loved it too, and she used to listen to it on the radio on Sunday mornings.
The reason I like it is mainly the effect it has on me. It’s incredibly calming. Before important exams, including my IELTS speaking practice, I often listen to it with my eyes closed for five minutes, and it slows my breathing down. It’s also connected with home and family for me. And I like that it isn’t showy: there’s no dramatic ending, it simply fades away. It taught me that classical music doesn’t have to be serious or difficult to enjoy.
Useful language:gentle chordsbuilds into a flowing melodyhold people’s attentionincredibly calmingslows my breathing downisn’t showysimply fades away
Part 3 sample answers
Why is music important in people’s lives?
Sample answerShowHide
Music affects our emotions very directly. It can calm us down, motivate us when we exercise, or help us express feelings we can’t put into words. It’s also part of almost every important occasion, from weddings to funerals, and it connects people to their culture and their past.
Useful language:affects our emotionsput into words
Should children learn to play a musical instrument?
Sample answerShowHide
I think it’s very beneficial. Learning an instrument develops concentration, patience and coordination, and there’s research linking music education with better performance in other subjects. However, it shouldn’t be forced, because children who are made to practise against their will often give up and end up disliking music.
Useful language:coordinationagainst their will
How has the way people listen to music changed?
Sample answerShowHide
Streaming has changed everything. People now have access to millions of songs for a monthly fee, so they rarely buy albums. Listening has become more individual, with people on headphones rather than listening together, and playlists and algorithms often decide what we hear next.
Useful language:for a monthly feeplaylists and algorithms
Is traditional music still popular among young people in your country?
Sample answerShowHide
It’s less popular in everyday life, but it hasn’t disappeared. Young people often hear it at weddings and festivals, and some modern artists mix traditional instruments or melodies with pop or electronic music, which has made it more appealing to a younger audience.
Useful language:more appealinga younger audience
Want your own answer scored? With Worddemy Pro, the AI examiner asks you real Part 1–3 questions and gives a band score for fluency, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation.
Why this answer would score well#
- Describes the music itself with precise vocabulary: gentle chords, flowing melody, fades away.
- A vivid first-hearing story (a noisy hall that falls silent).
- Explains the effect on two levels: calming before exams, and connection to family.
- Natural tone and humour (“including my IELTS speaking practice”).
Other ideas you could talk about#
You don’t have to use a true story, and you can adapt one you know well. Other good choices:
- A song from your country that reminds you of home
- A song you associate with a holiday or a friend
- Film or video game music
- A song in English that helped you learn the language
Mistakes to avoid#
- Only saying “the melody is beautiful and the lyrics are meaningful”. Describe what it sounds like.
- Forgetting “who introduced you to it”. Give a name or a situation.
- Confusing song (with words) and piece (any music, often instrumental).
Want more? Practise a random card with the 2-minute timer in the cue card generator, or see every Speaking topic with sample answers.