Ielts speaking strategies

PLACE DESCRIPTION

1. 
   What it is (a shopping mall that/which is)
   
2. 
   Where it is (near, close to, next to, across from, behind, on the corner of, at the end of the street, on X Street).
   
3. 
   When you first go there (I first went there 10 years ago)
   
4. 
   What it looks like (a crowded place -- being descriptive )
   
5. 
   What is it famous for (this place is famous for/ this place is renowned for seafood, noodle, clean streets)
   
6. 
   Why do you visit this place (because it provided me with something (delicious food, information, advice, etc./ I love going to the zoo because this gives me a chance to relax and see animals ( “this” refers to “going to the zoo”) / …because it reminds me of…/ because it lets me escape from daily life routines…./…. because it makes me feel…)
   
7. 
   How do you feel about this place. (My uncle’s house is very important to me because I spend a lot of time there on the weekend/ I found this place very beautiful because it’s so relaxing/ The sounds that you hear coming from the ocean are very soothing/ In fact, when I was there I watched two birds singing to each other….).
   

ADJECTIVES FOR DESCRIBING PLACES

• 
  Enchanting: El Nido has been the most enchanting place I have ever visited
  
• 
  Attractive and enjoyable: We want to make the town a more attractive and enjoyable place for visitors.
  
• 
  Stimulating: The swimming is stimulating .
  
• 
  Cozy = inviting # uncomfortable: This coffee shop is cozy .
  
• 
  Quiet = peaceful # bustling: Sometimes I need a quiet place to escape from my daily life routines.
  
• 
  Vibrant = lively # boring: Art gallery is a lively place.
  
• 
  Hectic: The restaurant is hectic .
  

• Boring = dull # fascinating

• 
  Traditional = old-fashioned # modern
  

• Exhilarating

• 
  Charming
  

• Impressive

QUESTION ANALYSE:

Describe a place that your parent took you to

What sort of place it was (a recreational area, a shopping mall, a restaurant, a cinema, a park, a religious building, a temple, etc.)
How you got there (my family and I took a bus…)
Why your parents took you there (what is the reason: vacation, to visit my uncle; attend my cousin’s wedding… )
Why you would or would not take your own children to this place (if I had children, I’d take them here because I had a lot of fun/ because it’s very beautiful/ because I think they would have as much fun as I did.)

PLACE DESCRIPTION MODEL ANSWER

SAMPLE 1:

Describe a place with a lot of water (such as a river, a lake or the ocean) that you enjoyed visiting.

You should say:

Where this place was What you did there Why you went there
Who you went there with
And explain why you liked this place.

ANSWER:

I would like to talk about a place where my family went on a vacation last summer . It’s called Binh Ba Island, which is located in Nha Trang city and I was really impressed with the beach there. The scenery along the coast was just breathtaking.
When we arrived at this destination, we had to take a ferry from the mainland, a journey which lasted roughly one hour. Fortunately , I was not seasick. When we reached there, surprisingly, the scenery appealed to me a lot, particularly the beach. The beach itself was absolutely breathtaking and the crystal clear water seemed to stretch endlessly to the horizon . Moreover , from a distance, huge waves were crashing onto the shore, which sounded like a melody . I was so excited that I just wanted to jump into the sea immediately.
On the beach, many people were enjoying the scenery, and some were swimming while their children were making sandcastles . My family quickly checked into the hotel, we changed our clothes and joined the people there .
Actually, this vacation provided me a great chance to relax myself and escape from my daily life routines after a long hard time at work. Personally, I hope that I will have more holidays like this in the future.

SAMPLE 2:

Describe a quiet place.
Where it is
How often you visit there What you do there
And explain the reason why you like or dislike the place.

ANSWER:

To me, quiet places mean libraries . But I’m not going to describe the library at my university as I still haven’t visited it yet. The one I’m going to describe is the library at my high school in Sydney.
My school is very large and it consists of four big blocks named A, B, C, and D. The library occupies a small space on the highest floor in block D, and it’s perhaps just about three or nearly four times as large as a normal classroom .
There’s a room used to store books and another for students to read books and self-study.
I spent most of my time in the library when I was in grade 10 . The next two years were filled completely with competitions and extracurricular activities so I couldn’t go to the library as often as before . I had my own favorite spot in the self-study section; it was the cubicle on the outermost row that is near the window, and whenever I visited the library to study or to read some borrowed books, I would choose that spot without any hesitation . I even wrote some words or symbols that I liked on the table; don’t know whether they’re still there now though.
I specifically chose this library to describe because it’s really quiet , compared with some other libraries in Sydney that I’ve been to. It was really suitable for studying, and some students even went there to sleep! I had a great time self- studying in this library back then , I seriously would visit it again if I ever had a chance.

MODEL SENTENCES FOR PLACE DESCRIPTION

….Decoration style is classy and upscale ….
….Atmosphere is cozy and comfy ….
….Food is tasty and flavourful ….
….The service is hospitable and speedy . All orders can be served in 10 minutes
….
….The hotel was designed and constructed by the architects from South Africa , and took approximately ten years to complete….
….Food prices are affordable ….
….Its location is convenient . It is easy to find a parking space ….
….A customer can feel very comfy in such an environment….
….The restaurant is spacious . We can have different options when choosing a seat, and it also leaves some privacy for talking ; it is pretty customer-oriented
….
….The most impressive part about this spectacular building is its distinctive shape , which gives everyone an impression that a boat is sailing on the sea….
….What impressed me most was the hotel we stayed at….
….The hotel is definitely a unique symbol for Dubai….
….When I actually saw the hotel, I was totally amazed by it ….
….The hotel gave us an impression that a boat was sailing on the sea….
….It makes the hotel iconic and unique … .
….The library is situated in the center of the campus….
….The coffee house is located on a quiet street with a lot of trees planted on both sides….
….It is on the opposite side of my university….
….You can see a huge collection of books of different kinds : journals, academic books, magazines, newspapers….
….There is a cozy cafe on the top floor. It is great to sit down, enjoy the lovely campus view , and taste my favourite cappuccino while reading the book ….
….When I was little, the room I loved the most was my bedroom….
….All the walls were painted light yellow, which made the room look elegant and subtle ….
….My parents even hung a lot of photos of my family on the walls ….
….This park is also a popular place for walking, jogging , flying a kite, playing hide-and-seek, having a picnic, dog walking, fishing…
….The scene is so spectacular when all the cherry blossoms are in full blossom in spring….
….The water is wonderfully clear ….
….The most amazing scene is the time when cherry blossom petals fall down all over the river like snowflakes….
….It is the greatest place for relaxation ….
….I love this park not only because of the park itself, but also because of the atmosphere I can soak up in the park….
….The room was equipped with central air-conditioning, satellite TV and internet access, which was very convenient ….
….This place is quite private … .
…. This is a lively, fashionable and cosmopolitan place …..
….A lot of public events and private parties are held in this place as well….
….The restaurant I would like to talk about is called Pizza Hut, which is a western-style restaurant, specializing in pizza and spaghetti . It is one of the most popular and famous restaurants in Japanese nowadays ….
….Well, the foreign country that I would like to visit is the UK, which is one of
the most attractive and fascinating travelling destinations for many backpackers, and I am no exception ….
….It is also an ideal place for me to meet and chat with my relatives….