IELTS Speaking · Part 2 Cue Card
A complete preparation guide: the cue card itself, a 60-second prep framework, a band 7.5 sample answer, topic vocabulary, and likely Part 3 follow-up questions.
Cue card
Describe a positive change in your life.
You should say:
Specific to this cue card — not generic advice.
Read it once for shape, then aloud for rhythm. Don't memorise it — examiners can tell.
The biggest positive change in my life over the past two years has been moving away from a fully remote work setup. During the pandemic I worked from my flat, alone, for almost three years straight, and although I told myself it was efficient, it was quietly making me miserable. I didn't really realise until I started losing interest in things I used to enjoy. The change happened when a friend mentioned a co-working space about ten minutes from my flat. I tried it for a month and ended up keeping the membership. It happened because I finally admitted that productivity isn't the same as wellbeing — I had been measuring my life by output and ignoring everything else. The effect on my life has been bigger than I expected. I'm in better physical shape because I walk to and from the space, I have a small social life again because I run into the same people on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and I've actually become a bit more focused at work — I think because being around other people working creates accountability. It's not a perfect setup; the membership is expensive and some days I'd rather stay home. But on balance it pulled me out of a rut I hadn't fully named.
Phrases used in the sample answer that lift fluency naturally.
fully remote
working entirely from home
in better physical shape
fitter, healthier
run into the same people
see the same people regularly by chance
create accountability
make someone feel responsible for actions
pulled me out of a rut
lifted me out of stagnation
on balance
all things considered
The examiner will move from your story (Part 2) to broader, abstract questions (Part 3). Prepare answers for these.