IELTS Speaking 2025 Part 2&3: Describe a time when you were preparing for a happy event 😊🎉

Describe a time when you were preparing for a happy event 🎉🎂

Suggested Ideas for Each Part

• What the event was 🥳

  • A birthday celebration for my beloved girlfriend on March 31st.
  • A surprise party to make her feel special and loved.

• Where you had it 🌊🏝️

  • A small island in the middle of the river in Saigon.
  • A quiet, romantic place away from the city’s hustle and bustle.

• Who helped you to organize it 🤫

  • Nobody helped me because I wanted it to be a complete surprise.
  • I spent weeks planning every little detail myself.

• How you felt about it 💕

  • Excited but nervous because I had never organized something like this before.
  • Extremely happy when I saw her reaction—she was genuinely surprised and touched.

Useful Grammar Structures

1. Past Perfect for preparation details
   • I had spent weeks preparing everything before the big day.
2. Past Continuous for describing the event
   • While she was blindfolded, I was setting up the decorations.
3. Relative Clauses for extra details
   • The island, which was surrounded by water, made the atmosphere even more magical.
4. Conditional Sentences for reflection
   • If I hadn’t planned everything carefully, the surprise wouldn’t have worked so well.

Collocations & Vietnamese Translations

1. Throw a surprise party 🎁 (tổ chức một bữa tiệc bất ngờ)
2. Put a lot of effort into something 💪 (đổ rất nhiều công sức vào điều gì đó)
3. Make meticulous preparations 📋 (chuẩn bị cực kỳ kỹ lưỡng)
4. Create an unforgettable experience 🌟 (tạo ra một trải nghiệm khó quên)
5. Keep it a secret 🤐 (giữ bí mật)
6. Go the extra mile 🚀 (cố gắng hết mình)
7. Light up someone’s face 😊 (làm ai đó rạng rỡ hạnh phúc)

Full Sample Answer (2 Minutes)

One of the most special and memorable events I’ve ever organized was a surprise birthday party for my beloved girlfriend on March 31st. I wanted it to be an experience she would never forget, so I decided to throw a surprise party 🎁 on a small island in the middle of the river in Saigon. It was a peaceful and romantic place, perfect for an intimate celebration.

I put a lot of effort into 💪 planning everything. For weeks, I carefully made arrangements, from booking a private boat to decorating the place with fairy lights and candles. The most challenging part was keeping it a secret 🤐 because I had to come up with excuses to make sure she didn’t suspect anything. I wanted to create an unforgettable experience 🌟 just for the two of us.

On the big day, I didn’t tell her before taking her to the island. When we arrived,  and she was absolutely speechless. The whole place was lit up with warm lights, soft music was playing in the background, and a beautifully decorated table was set up with her favorite food and cake. Seeing her reaction was priceless—it truly lit up her face 😊, and at that moment, I knew all my effort had been worth it.

Looking back, this experience taught me the value of thoughtfulness and planning. Even though it was stressful at times, I loved the process because I wanted to make her happy. If I hadn’t planned every detail carefully, the surprise wouldn’t have worked so well. It was a moment we both will cherish forever.

Part 3: Discussion Questions & Sample Answers

1. How can parents help children to get organized? 👨‍👩‍👦

Ideas

• Encourage daily routines 📅
• Teach them how to set priorities 🏆
• Use planners or to-do lists 📝

Collocations

1. Develop good habits 📅 (hình thành thói quen tốt)
2. Time management skills ⏳ (kỹ năng quản lý thời gian)
3. Break tasks into smaller steps 🏗️ (chia nhiệm vụ thành từng bước nhỏ)

Sample Answer

Parents play a crucial role in helping children develop good habits 📅 from an early age. One way to do this is by teaching them time management skills ⏳, such as making schedules and sticking to deadlines. Another useful method is encouraging kids to break tasks into smaller steps 🏗️ so they don’t feel overwhelmed. By guiding them through organization, parents can prepare children for success in school and later in life.

2. On what occasions do people need to be organized? 🎯

Ideas

• Preparing for exams or important meetings 📖
• Planning events like weddings or family trips ✈️
• Managing finances 💰

Collocations

1. Plan ahead 📋 (lên kế hoạch trước)
2. Avoid last-minute stress 😣 (tránh căng thẳng phút chót)
3. Stay on top of things 🚀 (kiểm soát tốt mọi thứ)

Sample Answer

People need to be organized on many occasions, especially when handling important tasks. For example, students must plan ahead 📋 before exams to ensure they have enough time to study. Similarly, organizing an event requires careful preparation to avoid last-minute stress 😣. Even in daily life, managing finances and schedules properly helps people stay on top of things 🚀 and be more productive.

3. Does everything need to be well prepared? 🤔

Ideas

• Some things require detailed planning 📝
• Other times, being spontaneous can be fun 🎢

Collocations

1. Go according to plan ✅ (diễn ra theo kế hoạch)
2. Leave room for flexibility 🔄 (dành chỗ cho sự linh hoạt)
3. Make the best out of any situation 🌈 (tận dụng tốt nhất mọi tình huống)

Sample Answer

Not everything has to be perfectly planned. Some events, like weddings or business meetings, should go according to plan ✅ to avoid any major problems. However, in daily life, it’s good to leave room for flexibility 🔄 because unexpected things can happen. Personally, I think a balance is needed. While preparation is important, people should also be able to make the best out of any situation 🌈, even if things don’t go exactly as expected.

4. Do people need others’ help when organizing things? 🤝

Ideas

• Yes, teamwork makes things easier 👨‍👩‍👦
• Some tasks require expert guidance 🎓

Collocations

1. Rely on teamwork 🤝 (dựa vào tinh thần đồng đội)
2. Delegate responsibilities 📌 (phân công nhiệm vụ)
3. Seek professional advice 🎓 (tìm lời khuyên từ chuyên gia)

Sample Answer

Yes, I believe working with others makes organizing much easier. When planning an event, it’s important to rely on teamwork 🤝 and delegate responsibilities 📌 so that everything runs smoothly. In some cases, people may also need to seek professional advice 🎓, such as hiring a wedding planner or financial advisor. Even though some people prefer to work alone, I think having support from others can make any task more manageable and successful.