Speaking Part 2: what to write in your one minute of notes
Use the one-minute preparation time well: what to write, what not to write, and how notes help you talk for the full two minutes.
By IELTSora teaching team · Updated · 2 min read
Notes are a map, not a script
You have one minute and a pencil. If you try to write sentences, you'll finish one and then read it aloud, which sounds unnatural. Write single words or short phrases instead.
A simple layout
Write one or two words for each prompt on the card, then add one extra idea:
- Who/what: name the person, place or thing.
- When/where: one detail.
- What happened or what it's like: two or three key words.
- Why it matters (the last prompt): one feeling and one reason.
- Extra: a small story or comparison to use if you finish early.
Example notes
Cue card: describe a useful skill you learned
Skill: cooking, from grandmother
When: age 14, school holidays
How: watched, then her recipes; disasters!
Why useful: university hostel, save money, friends
Extra: first biryani burned, now my best dish
Use the notes while you speak
Glance down when you finish a point. If you reach the end before the examiner stops you, use your extra idea. It's better to be stopped than to run out.
If the topic is hard
Sometimes the cue card asks about something you have never done. You don't have to tell the truth; you are being tested on English, not on your life. Choose a real experience that is close to the topic, or describe one you have heard about from a friend. Spend your minute deciding quickly and writing notes, not searching for the perfect story. A simple story told fluently scores better than a perfect one told with long pauses.