How to Use This List
- Decide the anecdote or personal story you’ll tell for each of the 40+ questions. Write the ‘who, what, where, when, why, how long, how many, how often’ details next to each prompt. Notice that you can use the same story (often about a person or a trip or an experience) for many different prompts. It is worth noticing which stories you can recycle for a variety of questions, and prepare them in detail.
- Write four or five sentences for each question in Part 2. Use past, present and future tenses, including conditionals. Use the 3Ds; go deep, describe small things and give details. Doing this will push you to use your best vocabulary.
Table of Contents
- Describe a long car journey
- Describe a foreign country you want to visit
- Describe a useful thing you once borrowed
- Describe something you would do on a day off
- Describe an important conversation that influenced you
- Describe an art or craft activity that you did at school
- Describe a time someone or something made noise
- Describe a situation where you waited for something
- Describe a law about the environment you would like to see in the future
- Describe a long walk you had
- Describe a person who likes to travel by plane
- Describe a street that you like to visit
- Describe a success in your life
- Describe a person whose job is important to society
- Describe a health-related article that you read from a magazine or from the Internet
- Describe a song or piece of music that means something special to you
- Describe a person in the news that you want to meet
- Describe a time that you forgot something important
- Describe a recent happy event that you had
- Describe a place near water (such as a river, lake or the ocean) that you enjoyed visiting
- Describe a special trip you would like to take in the future
- Describe a place you visited that has been affected by pollution
- Describe a piece of local news that was interesting to you
- Describe a time that you used a foreign language to communicate
- Describe an interesting story from a TV program
- Describe a movie you want to watch in the cinema or at home
- Describe a good friend
- Describe a product you bought and felt happy about
- Describe a difficult decision that you made
- Describe a situation or a time when you helped someone
- Describe a perfect job you would like to have in the future
- Describe a special festival in your culture/country
- Describe a toy that you received when you were a child
- Describe a goal you want to achieve in the future
- Describe a family (not your own) that you know of
- Describe a sport you would like to try for the first time
- Describe a person a time someone apologized to you
- Describe an interesting animal
- Describe a story or a novel that was particularly interesting to you
- Describe a family member that you are close to
- Describe an older person you admire
- Describe a positive feature of your character.
1.Describe a long car journey you went on
- Where did you go?
- When was it?
- Who did you go with?
- Explain why you took this journey.
2. Describe a foreign country you want to visit but haven’t been to
- Where is this country?
- What it is like?
- What can do in this country?
- Explain why you want to visit this country.
3. Describe a useful thing that you once borrowed
- What did you borrow?
- Who lent this thing to you?
- When did you borrow it?
- Explain why you think it is useful.
4. Describe something you would like to do if you were given a day off
- What would you like to do?
- Who would you like to be with?
- Where would you go?
- Say how you feel when you have a day off.
5. Describe an important conversation that influenced you
- When did this happen?
- Who you were talking to?
- What did you talk about?
- Say how this conversation influenced you.
6. Describe an art or craft activity that you did at school
- When did this happen?
- What did you make?
- Who took part?
- Explain how you felt about this activity.
7. Describe a time someone or something made noise
- When did this happen?
- Who was it? / What was it?
- Where did was it?
- Explain what you did when you heard the noise.
8. Describe a situation where you waited for something
- Where was this situation?
- When was it?
- Who were you with?
- Explain why you had to wait.
9. Describe a law about the environment you would like to see in the future
- What will this law be about?
- When should this law take effect?
- Why is this law important?
- Explain changes would happen because of this law.
10. Describe a long walk you had
- When did this happen?
- Where did you walk?
- Who were you with?
- Explain how you felt about the walk.
11. Describe a person who likes to travel by plane
- Who is this person?
- How do you know this person?
- Where does this person travel to?
- Explain why this person likes to travel by plane.
12. Describe a street that you like to visit
- Where is it?
- How often you go there?
- What do you like to do there?
- Explain why you like it.
13. Describe a success in your life
- When and where did this happen?
- Were you with anyone? / Who was there?
- What did you do?
- Explain how you felt about this success.
14. Describe a person whose job is important to society
- Who is this person?
- What job does he or she have?
- How you know this person?
- Explain why his or her job is important.
15. Describe a health-related article that you read from a magazine or from the Internet
- What was this article about?
- In which magazine did you read it? Which site?
- When did you read it?
- Explain why you liked the article.
16. Describe a song or piece of music that means something special to you
- What is this song about?
- When did you listen to this song for the first time?
- How often do you listen to the song?
- Explain why this song is special to you.
17. Describe a person in the news that you want to meet
- Who is he or she?
- Where is this person from?
- How do you know of this person?
- Explain why you want to meet him.
18. Describe a time that you forgot something important
- When did this happen?
- What did you forget?
- Who were you with?
- Why did you forget?
19. Describe a recent happy event that you had
- When did this even occur?
- What was the event?
- Who was with you?
- Explain why you feel happy about it.
20. Describe a place near water that you enjoyed visiting
- Where was this place?
- What did you do at this place?
- Who went there with you?
- Explain why you liked this place.
21. Describe a special trip you would like to take in the future.
- Where is this place?
- Who would you like to go with?
- What would you do there?
- Explain why this would be a special trip.
22. Describe a place you visited that has been affected by pollution
- Where is it?
- When did you visit this place?
- What kind of pollution did you see there?
- Explain how this place was affected.
23. Describe a piece of local news that was interesting to you
- What was the news about?
- Where did you see or hear about the news?
- When did you see or hear this news?
- Explain why it was interesting.
24. Describe a time that you used a foreign language to communicate
- Where did it happen?
- When did it happen?
- Who did you talk to?
- Explain how you felt about the conversation.
25. Describe an interesting story from a TV program
- What was it?
- When did you watch it?
- Who did you watch it with?
- Explain why it was interesting.
26. Describe a movie you want to watch in the cinema or at home
- When you want to watch this movie?
- Who would you want to watch it with?
- What the movie is about?
- Explain why you want to watch this movie.
27. Describe a good friend
- Who is this person?
- How did you become friends with this person?
- What kinds of things you like to do with this person?
- Explain why he or she is a good friend.
28. Describe a product you bought and felt happy about
- What was it?
- Where you bought it?
- What was it for?
- Explain why it made you happy.
29. Describe a difficult decision that you made
- What was the decision?
- How did you make your decision?
- What were the results of the decision?
- Explain why it was difficult to make.
30. Describe a situation or a time when you helped someone
- What was the situation?
- Who was the person?
- How you helped them?
- Explain why you helped this person.
31. Describe a perfect job you would like to have in the future
- What is it?
- How you can get this job?
- What kind of education or experience is required?
- Explain why you want to have this job.
32. Describe a special festival in your culture/country
- When is this festival?
- Who do you celebrate it with?
- What people do during this event?
- Explain why this festival is special.
33. Describe a toy that you received when you were a child
- What was the toy?
- Who gave it to you?
- How did you use it?
- Explain how you felt when you got this toy.
34. Describe a goal you want to achieve in the future
- What is the goal?
- What will you do to achieve it?
- When will you achieve?
- Explain why you want to achieve it.
35. Describe a family (not your own) that you know of
- Whose family is this?
- Where do they live?
- Who are the family members?
- Explain why you like this family.
36. Describe a sport you would like to try for the first time
- What is it?
- How would you learn it?
- What equipment is needed to play the sport?
- Explain why you want to learn this sport.
37. Describe a person a time someone apologized to you
- Who is this person?
- What was the problem?
- What did person say and do?
- Explain how you felt about the apology
38. Describe an interesting animal
- What did it look like?
- When did you see it?
- Where did you see it?
- Explain why it is interesting
39. Describe a story or a novel that was particularly interesting to you
- What was the story or the novel?
- Where did you first hear about it?
- When you read it?
- Explain how you felt about it.
40. Describe a family member that you are close to
- Who is this person?
- What is this person like?
- What do you like to do with him/her?
- Explain why you are close to this person.
41. Describe an older person you admire
- Who is this person?
- How do you know this person?
- What kinds of things you like to do together?
- How you feel about this person?
42. Describe a positive feature of your character.
- What is it?
- Who or what did you get this feature from?
- Why is it positive?
- How often or when is this feature useful to you?