A plan for the future, a goal you worked hard for, an ambition you have not achieved yet: plans and goals are a favourite theme in IELTS Speaking Part 2. They are the best cards for showing future forms like “I am planning to”, “I hope to” and “I would like to”.
You do not need to have big ambitions. A small, realistic plan explained with clear reasons is more convincing than a dream you cannot talk about in detail. Below you will find four plans and goals cue cards with band 7+ sample answers, useful vocabulary, and typical Part 1 and Part 3 questions.
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.
Plans and goals cue cards with sample answers
Describe a plan you have for the future that is not related to work or study.
You should say:
- what the plan is
- when you will do it
- how you will prepare for it
and explain why you made this plan.
Sample Answer:
A plan I have for the next couple of years is to walk the Camino de Santiago, the old pilgrims’ route across northern Spain. I am planning to do the most popular section, about eight hundred kilometres, which takes around five weeks.
I hope to do it in the spring of next year, when the weather should be mild. To prepare, I have started walking longer distances at weekends, and I am saving part of my salary every month, because I will need to take unpaid leave from work.
I made this plan for two reasons. First, I want a real challenge that has nothing to do with my job. Second, people who have done it say it gives you a lot of time to think, and after a few very busy years, I feel I need that. I also like the idea of meeting walkers from all over the world.
Describe a goal you set and achieved.
You should say:
- what the goal was
- when you set it
- what you did to achieve it
and explain how you felt when you achieved it.
Sample Answer:
A goal I set and achieved was running a half marathon. I decided to do it about two years ago, just after my thirtieth birthday, when I realised I had become very unfit.
At that point I could not even run for ten minutes without stopping. So I downloaded a beginner’s training plan and followed it for six months: three short runs a week at first, then gradually longer distances. I also changed my diet a little and, most importantly, I found a friend to train with, so neither of us could give up easily.
When I crossed the finish line, after two hours and five minutes, I felt a mixture of exhaustion and enormous pride. It was not a fast time, but it proved to me that I can achieve something difficult if I break it into small steps. I still run three times a week, and I am thinking about a full marathon next.
Describe an ambition you have not achieved yet.
You should say:
- what the ambition is
- when you first had it
- what you need to achieve it
and explain why it is important to you.
Sample Answer:
An ambition I have not achieved yet is to start my own small business, a café with a little bookshop inside it. I first had the idea at university, when I spent hours in a café like that in Edinburgh during an exchange semester.
To achieve it, I need three things: money, experience and courage. I am saving for it, and last year I started working weekends in a friend’s café to learn how the business really works, from ordering supplies to dealing with difficult customers. The courage part is the hardest, because it would mean leaving a safe job.
It is important to me because I would like to create a place where people can slow down, read and talk, especially in a city where everything feels rushed. And I think if I never try, I will always wonder what would have happened.
Describe something you would like to learn in the future.
You should say:
- what it is
- how you would learn it
- how long it would take
and explain why you would like to learn it.
Sample Answer:
Something I would really like to learn is sign language. A few months ago, a deaf customer came into the shop where I work, and we had to communicate by writing on my phone. It made me realise how difficult everyday situations can be for deaf people.
I would like to learn it through an evening course at a local community centre, which I have already looked into. They offer a beginner’s course of twelve weeks, and I would probably practise with online videos as well, because I know regular practice is important.
To reach a level where I could have a simple conversation, it would probably take a year or two. I would like to learn it because it would allow me to help people at work, and because I think it is a beautiful language. It would also be a completely new way of using my brain.
Useful vocabulary for plans and goals
Use a range of future forms instead of repeating “I will” and “I want”:
| Topic | Words and phrases |
|---|---|
| Future forms | I am planning to, I am hoping to, I intend to, I would like to, I am thinking of + -ing |
| Goals | to set a goal, to achieve a goal, to work towards, a long-term / short-term goal, a realistic target |
| Effort | to put in a lot of effort, to stick to a plan, to keep motivated, step by step, to give up |
| Success and failure | to pay off, to fall short of, a sense of achievement, to learn from mistakes, a setback |
| Useful phrases | to have something in mind, to take the plunge, to step out of my comfort zone, it is a dream come true |
IELTS Speaking Part 1: questions about plans
Part 1 questions are short and personal. Give a direct answer and add one reason or example.
1Do you usually make plans for the weekend?
Usually just loosely. I plan one thing, like meeting friends, and leave the rest of the weekend free.
2Do you prefer to plan everything or be spontaneous?
For work I plan everything carefully, but on holiday I prefer to be spontaneous and see what happens.
3What are your plans for next year?
I am hoping to finish an online course I have started and to travel somewhere I have never been, possibly Spain.
4Do you write your plans down?
Yes, I keep a list on my phone. Writing things down helps me to actually do them instead of just thinking about them.
IELTS Speaking Part 3: questions about plans and ambitions
In Part 3 the examiner asks about plans and ambitions in general. Give longer answers with reasons, examples and both sides of the argument.
1Is it important for young people to have clear goals?
I think it helps, but goals do not need to be fixed. A clear goal gives young people motivation and a reason to work hard at school. On the other hand, many people only discover what they really want in their twenties, so I would say it is more important to stay curious and open than to follow a plan made at sixteen.
2Why do many people fail to achieve their goals?
Often because the goal is too big and too vague, like “get fit” or “learn a language”. Without small, concrete steps, people lose motivation after a few weeks. Another reason is that life gets in the way: work, family and unexpected problems. People who succeed usually build a routine, so they do not depend on motivation alone.
3Should parents choose their children’s career goals?
I do not think so, although they can certainly advise. Parents know their children well and have more life experience, so their advice can be valuable. But a career lasts forty years, and someone who is doing a job only to please their parents is unlikely to be happy or successful in it.
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.