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Describe a bookshop that you like to visit

Try the card on the exam timer first, then read the band-8 sample answer and the Part 3 questions that follow it.

Practice it like the exam

Part 2 · Candidate task card

Describe a bookshop that you like to visit.

You should say:

  • where the bookshop is
  • what kinds of books it sells
  • what it is like inside

and explain why you like visiting it.

Ready

1 minute to prepare, then 2 minutes to speak. It switches on its own.

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Band 8 sample answer

274 words · about 2 minutes at a natural pace · Phrases from the vocabulary list are highlighted.

The bookshop I like going to is called Kitob Dunyosi, which means World of Books, and it is on a quiet street near the old part of Tashkent. I discovered it three years ago when I was looking for a particular novel that was out of stock everywhere else.

From the outside, it does not look very impressive, just a modest shop front with a wooden door. But once you step inside, you find a surprisingly large space, with shelves from the floor to the ceiling and narrow aisles that smell of old paper. They sell all kinds of books: Uzbek and Russian literature, history, children's stories and a decent selection of English novels and textbooks. In the back room, there is a second-hand section where you can find rare editions at very low prices. There is also a small reading corner with two armchairs, where customers are welcome to sit and read for as long as they like.

I like visiting because it feels very different from a supermarket or an online store. The owner is a retired teacher who knows almost every book and loves recommending titles. He once suggested a short story collection I would never have chosen myself, and it turned out to be one of my favourites. Another reason is that I can browse without any pressure to buy. I often spend an hour or more just reading the backs of books and enjoying the quiet. I try to go once a month, and I almost always leave with at least one new book. For me, it is a small treasure house, and I truly hope it stays open.

What to notice

  • It takes the points on the card in order, so the examiner can follow it.
  • Each point gets a specific detail or a short story, which is what keeps a talk going for two minutes.
  • The "explain" line at the end gets the most time, because that is where you give an opinion and show your range of language.

We wrote this answer for practice; it does not come from IELTS. Take its structure and phrases and tell your own story, because examiners notice memorised answers.

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Useful vocabulary

PhraseMeaning
browse the shelveslook casually at books on display
a bestsellera book that sells in very large numbers
second-handpreviously owned by someone else
a bookworma person who loves reading
the smell of old paperthe typical scent of books
limited editiona version produced in a small number

Plan it in one minute

Choose what to talk about in the first ten seconds, then write two or three key words for each point. Full sentences take too long to write and to read back.

Who or what you could talk about

  • A large chain bookshop in the city centre
  • A small second-hand shop with a friendly owner
  • A bookshop inside a station, mall or university

How to spend the two minutes

  1. 25 swhere the bookshop is
  2. 25 swhat kinds of books it sells
  3. 25 swhat it is like inside
  4. 45 sand explain why you like visiting it.

Part 3 questions

In the exam these come straight after your talk, on the wider subject: Reading and books. Answer each in 3–4 sentences, with your view, a reason and an example.

  1. Do people in your country read as much as they used to?
  2. Why do some people still prefer printed books to e-books?
  3. Should governments support bookshops and libraries?
  4. What can be done to encourage children to read more?
  5. How have online retailers changed the book industry?
  6. Do you think bookshops will disappear in the future?

Frequently asked questions

How should I describe a place in an IELTS cue card?

Choose a place you have actually been to. Give its location quickly, then describe it with your senses: what you saw, heard and did there. Close with how you felt or why you would go back. A real visit gives you details that sound natural.

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