Describe a museum you have visited and found interesting
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
Describe a museum you have visited and found interesting.
You should say:
- where the museum is
- what kind of museum it is
- what you saw there
and explain why you found it interesting.
Ready
1 minute to prepare, then 2 minutes to speak. It switches on its own.
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Band 8 sample answer
258 words · about 2 minutes at a natural pace · Phrases from the vocabulary list are highlighted.
I would like to describe the Science Museum in London, which I visited during a short trip to the UK two years ago. I went with my younger brother, who is crazy about technology, and we spent almost the whole day there.
The museum is huge and has several floors, each dedicated to a different theme, such as space, medicine, transport and energy. Right at the entrance, there is a real rocket hanging from the ceiling, which immediately impressed us. We saw old steam engines, early aeroplanes and even the first computers, which were as big as a wardrobe. What my brother loved most was the interactive area, where you could press buttons, build small machines and try experiments. I spent a long time in the section about the human body, where a screen showed how our heart works. Many exhibits were designed for children, but adults seemed to enjoy them just as much.
I found it interesting for a number of reasons. First, it explained complicated ideas in a simple, visual way, so I actually understood things that I had struggled with at school. Second, it was not boring at all, because you were encouraged to touch and try things instead of just looking through glass. It also made me think about how fast technology has changed in only a hundred years. I came out with a much deeper respect for scientists and inventors. Best of all, my brother has decided that he wants to become an engineer, so the trip was definitely worth the ticket price.
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
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| on display | shown publicly for people to look at |
| interactive exhibits | displays that visitors can touch or use |
| a permanent collection | items that are always on show |
| thought-provoking | making you think deeply |
| informative | giving a lot of useful knowledge |
| artefacts | objects made by people in the past |
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 science museum with interactive activities
- An art gallery that changed how you see painting
- A small local museum about the history of your town
How to spend the two minutes
- 25 swhere the museum is
- 25 swhat kind of museum it is
- 25 swhat you saw there
- 45 sand explain why you found it interesting.
Part 3 questions
In the exam these come straight after your talk, on the wider subject: Museums and culture. Answer each in 3–4 sentences, with your view, a reason and an example.
- Why do many people enjoy visiting museums when they travel?
- Should museums be free for everybody?
- How have museums changed because of new technology?
- Is it better to take children to museums or to teach them about culture at school?
- What can museums do to attract more visitors?
- Do you think museums should return historical objects to their countries of origin?
Keep practicing
More cue cards: Places
- Describe a shopping centre that you have been to
- Describe a beautiful place in nature, such as a mountain or a forest, that you have visited
- Describe a modern building that you find impressive
- Describe a theatre, cinema or concert hall that you have been to
- Describe a place in another country that you have visited
- Describe a place in the countryside that you have enjoyed visiting
Part 1 topics on the same subject
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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