IELTS Speaking Part 2: Describe a Song You Like (Band 9 Sample)
This Part 2 cue card asks you to describe a song you like and to explain why it appeals to you. A band-9 answer says what the song is and roughly what it is about, mentions when you tend to hear it, and develops one genuine, personal reason it means something. 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 song is
- what it is about
- when you usually listen to it
- and explain why you like it so much
02 · Band 9 sample answer
The song I'd like to talk about is an old classic called "Here Comes the Sun" by The Beatles — a track I've loved since I was a child and one that never seems to get old.
It's a wonderfully simple, uplifting song about the relief of better times finally arriving after a long, hard stretch. The lyrics use winter turning into spring as a metaphor for coming through a difficult period, and the melody itself is bright and gentle, with that unmistakable acoustic guitar that makes you feel instantly lighter. There's nothing complicated about it, and that's exactly its charm.
I tend to reach for it first thing in the morning, especially on grey, sluggish days when I need a bit of a lift to get going. The reason it means so much to me is partly nostalgic — my dad used to play it around the house when I was little, so it's bound up with warm childhood memories. But beyond that, it has this remarkable ability to shift my mood almost instantly; however low I'm feeling, three minutes of that song and I genuinely feel more hopeful. Very few pieces of music can do that so reliably, which is why it's stayed my favourite for so long.
03 · Why this scores Band 9
The answer covers each cue-card point — what, what it's about, when, and why — with natural linking ("It's a wonderfully simple... song about...", "I tend to reach for it...", "The reason it means so much...") and builds to a reflective close, sustaining a full two-minute turn without hesitation.
Vocabulary is precise and idiomatic — "uplifting", "a long, hard stretch", "instantly lighter", "reach for it", "bound up with", "shift my mood" — describing music and feeling with far more colour than "it is a good song".
A wide range is controlled accurately: "used to" for a past habit ("my dad used to play it around the house"), a relative clause ("that unmistakable acoustic guitar that makes you feel instantly lighter"), and a "however + adjective" concessive ("however low I'm feeling, three minutes... and I feel more hopeful"). All accurate.
The script is built from speakable, stress-timed phrases with natural chunking, and the warm content invites gentle, 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
What if I do not know the English lyrics well?
You do not need to quote lyrics. Describe roughly what the song is about, how it sounds and how it makes you feel. Even a song in your own language is fine — just explain it in English.
How do I fill two minutes talking about a song?
Say what it is and what it is about, describe when you listen to it, and then spend most of your time on why you like it — the feelings, the memories, the effect it has on you. That personal reason carries the answer.
Can I choose a very famous or very old song?
Yes — the examiner is not judging your taste. A well-known classic like this one is perfectly fine, and often easier to describe. Pick whatever gives you the most to say.
What tense should I use?
A mix works best: present for what it is and how it feels ("it's uplifting", "it shifts my mood"), and past for its history ("my dad used to play it"). Blending them accurately lifts the grammar score.
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