Skip to the tool

Describe a sports event that you watched

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 sports event that you watched.

You should say:

  • what the event was
  • where you watched it
  • who took part in it

and explain how you felt while you were watching it.

Ready

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

Recordings stay in this tab and are never uploaded.

Band 8 sample answer

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

I'd like to describe a football match I watched last summer, a local derby between two teams from my city. I'm not a huge fan usually, but my friend Aziz had an extra ticket and persuaded me to go, so I joined him at the stadium on a Saturday evening.

The stadium was packed, and the noise was incredible even before the match started. Supporters from both sides were singing, waving flags and banging drums. We sat quite high up, but we had a good view of the whole pitch. The first half was fairly quiet, and my team, well, the one I'd decided to support, was losing by a goal. But in the second half the game completely changed. They scored twice in ten minutes, and then the other side equalised in the final minute, so it ended in a draw.

While I was watching, I felt more nervous than I'd expected. I was literally on the edge of my seat for the last twenty minutes, and when the equaliser came in, I jumped up and shouted along with everyone around me, even though I didn't know them. That was what surprised me most: total strangers were hugging each other.

I left the stadium feeling exhausted but really happy. I realised that watching sport live is completely different from watching on television, because you're part of a crowd and the energy is contagious. I've been to three more matches since then.

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.

Getting ready for IELTS?

Get your study plan

Useful vocabulary

PhraseMeaning
a nail-biting finisha very tense ending to a contest
cheer onto shout support for a team or player
die-hard fanan extremely loyal supporter
the final whistlethe signal that a match has ended
a packed stadiuma stadium full of spectators
edge of my seatvery excited and tense

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 football match with friends in a stadium
  • A final watched at home with family on TV
  • A local school or university tournament

How to spend the two minutes

  1. 25 swhat the event was
  2. 25 swhere you watched it
  3. 25 swho took part in it
  4. 45 sand explain how you felt while you were watching it.

Part 3 questions

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

  1. Why do so many people enjoy watching sport?
  2. Is it better to watch a match in a stadium or on television?
  3. Should governments spend money on hosting big sporting events?
  4. Do sports stars deserve such high salaries?
  5. How does sport bring people in a country together?
  6. Can watching sport be as beneficial as playing it?

Frequently asked questions

How should I describe an event in an IELTS cue card?

Set the scene with when, where and who was there, then walk through what happened in order. Finish with why it was memorable. If you were not at a big event, a small one you remember well works better.

Getting ready for IELTS?

All free tools

Writing topic generator

Write to Task 1 and Task 2 prompts with a timer and a word counter.

IELTS band score calculator

Average your four skill bands, rounded the way IELTS rounds them.

IELTS score converter

Compare an IELTS band with TOEFL, Duolingo and PTE scores and CEFR levels.

University IELTS requirements

Look up the IELTS score a university asks for, with the source.