IELTS Speaking · Part 2 Cue Card

Describe a TV program you enjoy watching

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 TV program you enjoy watching.

You should say:

  • What the program is about
  • When you watch it
  • Who you watch it with
  • And explain why you enjoy it

How to use your 1 minute of prep time

Specific to this cue card — not generic advice.

  1. 1Pick one program, not a genre.
  2. 2Summarise the premise in two sentences.
  3. 3Describe a single character or scene in detail to show real engagement.
  4. 4Avoid 'because it's funny' — name what specifically makes it work.

Sample answer (band 7.5)

Read it once for shape, then aloud for rhythm. Don't memorise it — examiners can tell.

The TV program I enjoy most right now is a Korean drama called 'My Mister'. It came out a few years ago, and despite the unpromising name, it's one of the best things I've watched. It's about an exhausted middle-aged engineer at a construction company and a young woman in her twenties who has been carrying enormous family debt since she was a teenager. They end up working in the same office, and the show is essentially about how they slowly help each other carry their respective burdens, without any romance whatsoever. I watch it in the evenings, usually two episodes at a time, with my wife. We started it last winter and have rewatched it twice. The reason I enjoy it so much is that it refuses to be loud. Most TV is engineered to keep you watching through shock and twists. This one earns your attention through small, very precise moments — a shared bowl of noodles, a long walk home, a scene where someone simply says 'you've had a hard day' to a stranger. I find that more moving than almost any high-stakes plot. It's also very honest about middle age, which most television treats as either a punchline or a tragedy.

Topic vocabulary & collocations

Phrases used in the sample answer that lift fluency naturally.

unpromising name

title that doesn't sound appealing

carrying family debt

burdened with money owed by relatives

engineered to keep you watching

designed to retain viewers

earn your attention

deserve focus through quality

precise moments

carefully observed scenes

high-stakes plot

story with extreme consequences

Likely Part 3 follow-up questions

The examiner will move from your story (Part 2) to broader, abstract questions (Part 3). Prepare answers for these.

  • Are streaming services replacing traditional television?
  • Should children's TV be more strictly regulated?
  • Is the quality of TV better today than 20 years ago?
  • Why are foreign-language TV shows becoming popular?
  • Should governments fund public-service broadcasters?

Common pitfalls on this card

  • Choosing 'I like Netflix' or 'I watch comedy' — too broad.
  • Listing every plot point instead of describing one moment well.
  • Saying 'I enjoy it because it's good' — circular.

Related cue cards

Last updated: 2026-05

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