A pet you had as a child, a wild animal you saw on holiday, an animal that is important in your country: animals come up regularly in IELTS Speaking Part 2, and many students find them surprisingly hard to talk about for two minutes.
The trick is to tell a small story and describe the animal’s appearance and behaviour in detail. Below you will find four animal cue cards with band 7+ sample answers, useful vocabulary, and typical Part 1 and Part 3 questions about animals.
You get a cue card and 1 minute to make notes. Then you speak for 1 to 2 minutes. Cover every point on the card, add a short example or story, and finish with the “explain” part.
Animal and pet cue cards with sample answers
Describe a pet you have or had.
You should say:
- what kind of animal it is
- how you got it
- how you take care of it
and explain why it is important to you.
Sample Answer:
I would like to talk about our family dog, Max, a medium-sized brown and white dog of no particular breed. We got him from an animal shelter about six years ago, when he was around one year old.
My sister and I had been asking our parents for a dog for years, and when they finally agreed, we went to the shelter “just to look”. Max ran straight to us and sat down at our feet, so that was it. Taking care of him is shared in our family: I walk him every morning before work, my sister feeds him, and my dad takes him for a long walk in the forest at weekends.
He is important to me because he is part of the family. He always knows when someone is sad and comes to sit next to them. He also gets me out of the house every day, even when it is raining, which is probably good for my health.
Describe a wild animal you have seen.
You should say:
- what the animal was
- where and when you saw it
- what it was doing
and explain how you felt when you saw it.
Sample Answer:
The most memorable wild animal I have seen was a dolphin, or actually a group of about ten dolphins, during a boat trip in Croatia two summers ago.
We were on a small tourist boat going between two islands when the captain suddenly slowed down and pointed at the water. A moment later, the dolphins appeared right next to the boat. They were swimming alongside us, jumping out of the water and diving back in, almost as if they were playing with the boat.
I felt incredibly excited and a bit emotional, to be honest. I had only seen dolphins in films and aquariums before, and seeing them free in the open sea was completely different. Everyone on the boat went quiet, and then everyone started laughing at the same time. It lasted maybe five minutes, but it was the highlight of the whole holiday.
Describe an animal that is important in your country.
You should say:
- what the animal is
- where it can be found
- why it is important
and explain how people feel about it.
Sample Answer:
An animal that is very important in my country is the brown bear. It is quite rare in most of Europe, but we still have a healthy population in our northern forests.
Most people never see one, because bears are shy and avoid humans. They live deep in the forests, and you are more likely to see their footprints or scratches on trees than the bears themselves. In some national parks you can book tours to watch them from special hides.
The bear is important as a symbol of our wild nature. It appears in old folk stories, on some town coats of arms and even on a coin. Most people feel proud that bears still live here, although farmers in some areas are less enthusiastic, because bears occasionally damage beehives and crops. I think it is a good example of how we need to find a balance between people and wildlife.
Describe a time you visited a zoo or a farm.
You should say:
- where it was
- who you went with
- what animals you saw
and explain what you learnt from the visit.
Sample Answer:
I would like to describe a visit to a small farm in the countryside that I went on with my nephew last spring. He was five at the time and had never seen farm animals up close.
It was a family-run farm that is open to visitors at weekends. We saw cows, sheep with very young lambs, goats, pigs and lots of chickens. The farmer let my nephew feed the goats and hold a baby rabbit, which he talked about for weeks afterwards.
What I learnt was how much work goes into a farm like that. The farmer told us he gets up at five every morning, all year round, and that the animals never have a day off, so neither does he. It made me appreciate the food we buy in supermarkets a lot more, and it was a reminder that children today rarely get to see where their food comes from.
Useful animal vocabulary for IELTS
Try to replace basic words like “animal”, “cute” and “big” with more precise vocabulary:
| Topic | Words and phrases |
|---|---|
| Pets | a pet owner, to adopt a dog from a shelter, a breed, loyal, affectionate, to take for a walk |
| Wild animals | wildlife, a natural habitat, a predator, an endangered species, to be on the verge of extinction |
| Describing animals | fluffy, graceful, majestic, playful, timid, enormous, with striking markings |
| Places | a national park, a wildlife reserve, a safari park, an animal sanctuary, a petting zoo |
| Useful phrases | to be an animal lover, to be mad about cats / dogs, man’s best friend, to keep an eye on |
IELTS Speaking Part 1: questions about animals
Part 1 questions are short and personal. Give a direct answer and add one reason or example.
1Do you have a pet?
Yes, we have a dog called Max. We got him from a shelter about six years ago and he is a big part of our family.
2What is your favourite animal?
Probably the elephant. I find it amazing that such a huge animal is so gentle and has such strong family bonds.
3Did you have pets as a child?
We had a hamster and later two goldfish. They were not very exciting, but they taught me to look after something.
4Are people in your country fond of pets?
Very much. Dogs and cats are the most popular, and you see people walking their dogs everywhere, even in the city centre.
IELTS Speaking Part 3: questions about animals and people
New to Part 3? See how to give band 7+ answers in Speaking Part 3, with simple and stronger answers compared.
In Part 3 the examiner asks about animals in general. Give longer answers with reasons, examples and both sides of the argument.
1Is it right to keep animals in zoos?
I have mixed feelings. Modern zoos do important work protecting endangered species and teaching children about wildlife. On the other hand, large animals like elephants or polar bears clearly suffer in small spaces. I think zoos are acceptable only if they focus on conservation and give animals enough room to behave naturally.
2Why do so many people keep pets nowadays?
One reason is loneliness. More people live alone than in the past, and a pet gives them company and a routine. Pets are also good for health: dog owners walk more, and many studies say that stroking an animal reduces stress. For families, a pet teaches children responsibility.
3What can be done to protect wild animals?
The most important thing is protecting their habitats, because most species disappear when forests or wetlands are destroyed. Governments can create national parks and stop illegal hunting. Ordinary people can help too, for example by not buying products made from endangered animals and by supporting wildlife charities.
Practise on your own
Choose one of the cue cards above, set a timer for 1 minute to make notes, and then record yourself speaking for 2 minutes. Listen back and check whether you covered every point and used some of the vocabulary from this page. For more topics, see IELTS Speaking Part 2 topics and cue cards with answers.