# Describe a book you have read recently: IELTS Speaking sample answers

Speaking Part 2 - Media

Describe a book you have read recently.

You should say:
- what the book is
- why you decided to read it
- what it is about
- and explain what you thought of it

Source: Sample answers and examiner notes are written by Testmigo.

## Band 7 sample

The book I'd like to talk about is Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari, which I finished reading about a month ago.

I decided to read it because a lot of my friends were talking about it, and also it was on a list of books recommended by one of my university lecturer. To be honest, I'm not usually a big fan of history books, because at school history was mostly about memorising dates and names. But I heard this one was different, so I borrowed it from the library.

Basically, it tells the story of the human species, from the time when we were just one of several types of humans until today. One of the main ideas is that humans became so powerful because we can cooperate in very large groups, and we can do this because we believe in shared stories, like money, religions and nations. Another part I found interesting is when he talks about the Agricultural Revolution. Most of us think farming was a big step forward, but he argues that, for many ordinary people, life actually became harder, because they worked longer hours and had a less varied diet.

Overall, I really enjoyed it. The writing is very clear and he uses a lot of examples from everyday life, so even difficult ideas are easy to understand. It made me question many things I took for granted. However, I think some parts were a bit too general, and he makes very big claims, so I'd like to read what do other historians say about it. But I would still recommend it to anyone who is curious about where we come from.

**Examiner notes.** This Band 7 answer explains the book's ideas clearly and gives a balanced opinion. Vocabulary is good and appropriate ("cooperate in very large groups", "a big step forward", "took for granted"), and the speaker organises the summary with "Basically" and "Another part". However, "very" is used repeatedly, the evaluation is fairly general, and there are typical errors: "one of my university lecturer" (rather than "lecturers") and "what do other historians say" (rather than "what other historians say"). Band 8 would add more precise critical language, idiomatic phrasing and more flexible sentence structures when giving opinions.

The Band 8 sample is free with an account on the [topic page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/speaking/topics/describe-a-book-you-read-recently).

## Common questions

### How long should an IELTS Speaking Part 2 answer be?

You get one minute to prepare and then speak for up to two minutes; the examiner stops you at two. Aim to keep talking for the full time, which is usually 220 to 300 words.

### Can I use these sample answers in my test?

No. Examiners are trained to spot memorised answers, and a learned script is marked down. Use the samples to see what each band does, then answer in your own words.