# Describe a time you got stuck in a traffic jam: IELTS Speaking sample answers

Speaking Part 2 - Experiences

Describe a time you got stuck in a traffic jam.

You should say:
- when and where it happened
- where you were going
- what you did while you were waiting
- and explain how you felt about the situation

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

## Band 7 sample

I'd like to talk about a time I got stuck in a terrible traffic jam on the way to the airport, which happened about two years ago.

I was flying to visit my sister, who lives abroad, and my flight was at seven in the evening. I left home at about four, which normally gives plenty of time, because the airport is usually only forty minutes away by taxi. But about fifteen minutes after we joined the motorway, everything just stopped. The driver turned on the radio and we heard that there had been an accident involving a lorry, and two lanes were closed.

For the first half an hour I tried to stay calm. I checked my emails, I messaged my sister and I even chatted with the taxi driver, who was a really friendly guy and told me funny stories about his passengers. But then we were moving maybe one metre every minute, and I started to panic. I kept checking the time and looking at the map on my phone, and I was thinking about how much a new ticket would cost.

In the end, I arrived at the airport just fifty minutes before my flight. I ran through the terminal with my suitcase, and luckily the queue at security was short, so I was the last passenger to get on the plane. I felt really stressed during the jam, but afterwards I felt very relieved and also a bit proud that I have made it. Now I always leave much earlier when I have a flight, even if it means waiting at the airport for hours.

**Examiner notes.** This Band 7 answer tells a clear and tense story, building up nicely to the rush through the airport. Vocabulary is appropriate and fairly wide ("motorway", "lorry", "lanes were closed", "stay calm", "relieved"), but "really" is repeated and some feelings are described simply. There are typical slips: "For the first half an hour" (rather than "the first half hour") and a tense error in "proud that I have made it", where the past context needs "had made it". Band 8 would add more vivid, idiomatic expression and more flexible grammar.

The Band 8 sample is free with an account on the [topic page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/speaking/topics/describe-a-time-you-were-stuck-in-traffic).

## 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.