# Describe technology you find hard to use: IELTS Speaking sample answers

Speaking Part 2 - Technology

Describe a piece of technology you find hard to use.

You should say:
- what it is
- when you got it or started using it
- what you use it for
- and explain why you find it hard to use

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

## Band 7 sample

A piece of technology I find quite hard to use is the smart TV that my family bought last year. It's a big, modern TV that connects to the internet, and it has lots of apps for watching films, videos and even playing games.

We got it about a year ago, when our old TV stopped working. My father chose it because it was on sale, and the salesperson told him it was very easy to use. Well, I think the salesperson was a bit optimistic.

We use it mostly in the evenings, for watching the news, football matches and series on streaming apps. Sometimes I also connect my phone to it to show my family photos from my trips on the big screen.

The reason I find it difficult is mainly the menu system. There are so much options and settings, and they are organised in a confused way. For example, if you want to change from normal TV to a streaming app, you have to press about four different buttons, and the remote control has more than forty buttons, many of them with symbols that I don't understand. Also, the TV updates its software quite often, and every time it updates, some things move to a different place, so I have to learn it again.

Another problem is the voice control. In theory you can just say what you want to watch, but it often misunderstands me, maybe because of my accent, and it opens something completely different.

To be fair, my younger brother finds it really easy, so maybe the problem is partly me. But I still think technology like this should be designed for everyone, not only for people who are good with gadgets.

**Examiner notes.** This Band 7 answer gives clear, specific reasons why the TV is hard to use, with concrete examples like the remote with "more than forty buttons". Vocabulary is appropriate ("menu system", "updates its software", "voice control", "good with gadgets"), and the speaker adds a fair, balanced ending. However, much of the language is fairly plain, and repetition such as "updates... every time it updates" makes it less precise. There are also typical errors: "so much options" (rather than "so many options") and "in a confused way" (rather than "in a confusing way"). Band 8 would use more idiomatic and precise language and make the frustration more vivid.

The Band 8 sample is free with an account on the [topic page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/speaking/topics/describe-technology-you-find-hard-to-use).

## 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.