IELTS Speaking Part 2: Describe a Work of Art (Band 9 Sample)
This Part 2 cue card asks you to describe a work of art you like and to explain why it appeals to you. A band-9 answer describes the piece so vividly the examiner can picture it, says where you saw it, and develops one genuine reason it moves 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 work of art is
- where you saw it
- what it looks like
- and explain why you like it so much
02 · Band 9 sample answer
The work of art I'd like to describe is Vincent van Gogh's "The Starry Night", which is easily my favourite painting of all time.
I first saw it in person a few years ago at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and I'll admit I was taken aback by how small the actual canvas is — I'd only ever seen it on posters. It depicts a sleepy village at night beneath an enormous, swirling sky. The stars and moon are painted as great whirls of yellow and white, the whole scene rendered in these thick, energetic brushstrokes, and a dark cypress tree twists up the left-hand side like a flame. Even standing still, the sky seems to be in constant motion.
The reason I love it so much is that it captures a feeling rather than just a scene. To me, it conveys a real sense of wonder mixed with a kind of restless longing, which apparently reflected van Gogh's own troubled state of mind at the time. It amazes me that something painted over a century ago can still stir such strong emotions in me. Whenever I look at a print of it on my wall, it reminds me that there's beauty to be found even in difficult moments.
03 · Why this scores Band 9
The answer covers every cue-card point — what, where, what it looks like, and why — with natural linking ("I first saw it in person...", "It depicts...", "The reason I love it so much...") and builds to a reflective close, sustaining a full two-minute turn without stalling.
Art vocabulary is precise and evocative — "canvas", "depicts", "swirling sky", "energetic brushstrokes", "in constant motion", "convey a sense of wonder", "stir strong emotions" — describing the piece with real colour rather than "it is a nice painting".
A wide range is controlled accurately: past perfect for contrast ("I'd only ever seen it on posters"), a participle clause ("the whole scene rendered in thick brushstrokes"), and an "it + adjective + that" structure ("It amazes me that something painted over a century ago can still stir such emotions"). All accurate.
The script is built from speakable, stress-timed phrases with natural chunking, and the vivid, admiring content invites expressive 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
Does it have to be a famous painting?
Not at all. A sculpture, a mural, a photograph, or a local artwork all work. A famous piece can be easier to describe, but the examiner cares about how well you describe it and why you like it, not your art knowledge.
What if I have not seen it in real life?
That is fine — say where you have seen it, whether that is online, in a book, or on your wall. This model happens to describe seeing it in a gallery, but describing a print or image you love is perfectly acceptable.
How do I describe what it looks like without art vocabulary?
Describe the colours, the shapes and the mood in plain, vivid language — "a swirling sky of yellow and white", "a dark tree twisting up the side". A few terms like "canvas" or "brushstrokes" help, but clear description matters most.
What tense should I use?
Past for seeing it ("I first saw it..."), present to describe the artwork ("it depicts a village"), and present for how it affects you now ("it still stirs strong emotions"). Blending these accurately lifts the grammar score.
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