IELTS Speaking Part 2: Describe a TV Programme You Like (Band 9 Sample)
This Part 2 cue card asks you to describe a TV programme you enjoy and to explain why. A band-9 answer says what the programme is and what it is about, describes when and how you watch it, and develops one genuine reason it appeals to you. Below is a model long-turn of about 230 words in a natural spoken register, followed by a breakdown of why it earns a 9 on all four speaking criteria and the collocations worth stealing.
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01 · The cue card
- what the programme is
- what it is about
- when and how often you watch it
- and explain why you like it so much
02 · Band 9 sample answer
The TV programme I'd like to talk about is a nature documentary series called "Planet Earth", narrated by David Attenborough, which I could honestly watch on a loop.
Each episode focuses on a different habitat — the deep ocean, mountains, deserts, jungles — and follows the animals that live there through the challenges of survival. What sets it apart is the sheer quality of the filmmaking; the camera crews spend years capturing footage you'd never otherwise see, like a snow leopard hunting on a remote cliff face. It manages to be both breathtakingly beautiful and genuinely educational at the same time.
I tend to watch it in the evenings when I want to unwind, usually an episode or two at a time, and I've probably seen the whole series more than once. The reason I love it so much is that it completely takes me out of my own head; after a stressful day, an hour immersed in the natural world puts my little problems firmly into perspective. On top of that, it's given me a real appreciation for how fragile and extraordinary our planet is, which has genuinely made me more conscious about the environment. Very few programmes manage to entertain and change the way you think all at once.
03 · Why this scores Band 9
The answer covers every cue-card point — what, what it's about, when and how often, and why — with natural linking ("What sets it apart is...", "I tend to watch it...", "The reason I love it so much...") and builds to a reflective close, sustaining a full two-minute turn without stalling.
Vocabulary is precise and idiomatic — "watch it on a loop", "sets it apart", "breathtakingly beautiful", "unwind", "takes me out of my own head", "put my problems into perspective" — describing the programme and its effect far beyond "it is interesting".
A wide range is controlled accurately: a cleft for emphasis ("What sets it apart is the sheer quality of the filmmaking"), a present perfect for experience ("I've probably seen the whole series more than once"), and a non-defining relative clause ("which has genuinely made me more conscious about the environment"). All accurate.
The script is built from speakable, stress-timed phrases with natural chunking, and the enthusiastic content invites lively intonation, so the recording lands clear sentence stress without tongue-twisting clusters.
04 · Useful phrases for this topic
Tap a phrase to see what it means and how to use it. Natural phrases like these lift your Lexical Resource score.
05 · Frequently asked questions
What kind of programme should I choose?
Anything you can genuinely talk about — a documentary, drama, comedy, quiz or sports show. A programme you actually enjoy gives you a stronger, more natural "why", which is what carries the marks.
How do I fill two minutes about a TV programme?
Say what it is and what it is about, describe when and how you watch it, and then spend most of your time on why you like it — how it makes you feel or what it has taught you. Your personal reaction fills the time.
What tense should I use?
Mostly the present for what the programme is and how you watch it ("each episode focuses on...", "I tend to watch it in the evenings"), with the present perfect for your experience ("it's given me an appreciation for nature"). Keep the tenses consistent.
Can I describe a programme in my own language?
Yes — just describe it in English. The examiner is testing your English, not your viewing habits, so a local show is perfectly fine as long as you can explain it clearly and say why you like it.
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