# Describe a place you visited recently: IELTS Speaking sample answers

Speaking Part 2 - Places

Describe a place you visited recently.

You should say:
- where it was
- when and why you went there
- what you did there
- and explain how you felt about the visit

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

## Band 7 sample

The place I'd like to talk about is a botanical garden in a town about an hour from where I live. I went there about three weeks ago with my mum, because it was her birthday and she loves plants, so I thought it would be a nice day out for both of us.

We took the train in the morning and then walked about fifteen minutes from the station. The garden is quite big, and it's divided in different sections, like a rose garden, a Japanese-style garden with a small pond, and a section with plants from the desert, like cactuses of all different shapes and sizes. The highlight for me was a huge glasshouse in the middle. Inside it was really hot and humid, like a rainforest, and there were enormous tropical plants and even some small birds flying around. My mum spent ages reading the information signs and taking photos of flowers, while I mostly just enjoyed walking around. After that we had lunch in the café there, which had a terrace overlooking the lake.

How did I feel? Honestly, I felt very relaxed. My life is quite busy at the moment because I'm working and studying at the same time, so it was nice to switch off my phone and just be outside for a whole day. I also felt happy because my mum enjoyed it so much, she kept saying it was the best birthday present she's had for years. And I actually learned a few things about plants, which surprised me, because I'm not really interested in gardening normally. I think we'll definitely go back in spring when more flowers are blooming.

**Examiner notes.** This Band 7 answer is well organised and covers each point with clear, relevant detail, such as the glasshouse and the lakeside café. Vocabulary like "botanical garden", "humid", "overlooking the lake" and "switch off" shows good range. Some descriptions stay general ("very relaxed", "really hot"), and a few errors persist: "divided in different sections" (rather than "divided into") and "it was the best birthday present she's had for years", where the tense should shift back ("she'd had"). For Band 8, the speaker would use more vivid, precise vocabulary and idiomatic language, and vary sentence structure more deliberately.

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