Part 2 — Long turnQ3/2026Difficulty 4/5

Describe a positive change in your life

IELTS Speaking questions reported by recent test-takers, compiled each quarter. Cambridge does not publish the active list, so this is a compilation of reports, not official material.

Questions

Question 160s to prepare · 120s to speak

Describe a positive change in your life. You should say: • what the change was • when it happened • how it came about • and explain why it was positive

Model answer

Written by 8020 teachers. Do not memorise it — take the structure and the way ideas are developed, then speak about your own life.

The positive change I'll describe is moving from a job in an office to one I do mostly from home, about two years ago. It happened gradually rather than on one date. My company went remote during a difficult period and then never fully went back, and after about six months it became clear this was permanent rather than temporary. How it came about wasn't my decision, which is worth saying — I didn't plan this. If you'd asked me before, I'd have said I needed an office to concentrate. I was wrong about that, but I only found out by accident. Why was it positive? The obvious thing is time. I was commuting about seventy minutes a day, which is roughly three hundred hours a year, and I got that back. But the bigger change is less obvious. Working from home forced me to become better at writing, because when you can't tap someone on the shoulder you have to explain things properly in a message. My written English improved more in that first year than in the three before it. There's a cost, and I should be honest about it. I know my colleagues less well now, and the casual conversations that used to solve small problems don't happen. On balance I'd still choose this. But I'd hesitate to recommend it to someone in their first job.

Vocabulary you can use today

it happened gradually rather than on one date
nó diễn ra dần chứ không phải từ một ngày cụ thể
permanent rather than temporary
lâu dài chứ không phải tạm thời
which is worth saying
điều này cũng nên nói ra
tap someone on the shoulder
vỗ vai ai đó — hàm ý hỏi nhanh tại chỗ
on balance
cân đo lại thì
I'd hesitate to recommend it to...
tôi sẽ đắn đo khi khuyên điều đó cho...

Common traps for Vietnamese speakers

Thay đổi tốt nhất để nói là thay đổi bạn KHÔNG chọn. Nó cho bạn ý "tôi đã đoán sai" — thứ khó bịa và dễ được điểm. Nêu cả cái giá phải trả. Bài chỉ toàn mặt tốt nghe như quảng cáo; thêm một mặt xấu thật làm cả bài đáng tin, và cho bạn cấu trúc nhượng bộ. Con số cụ thể: bảy mươi phút mỗi ngày thành ba trăm giờ một năm. Đổi đơn vị như vậy làm con số có sức nặng mà không cần từ vựng khó.

âm cuối /d/ trong moved, improved, planned/θ/ trong three, hundred→/d/, monthsâm cuối /z/ trong hours, colleagues, conversations/h/ trong home, hundred, hesitate

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