IELTS Speaking 2025 Part 2&3: Describe a disagreement you had with someone

IELTS Speaking Part 2 Cue Card:

Describe a disagreement you had with someone.

You should say:

• Who you had the disagreement with

• What the disagreement was about

• What happened
  And explain how you felt about it.

Speaking Expressions:

• To be honest… (Thành thật mà nói…)

• We hit a snag… (Chúng tôi gặp trục trặc…)

• He/she stood firm… (Anh ấy/cô ấy giữ vững quan điểm…)

• Tempers flared… (Không khí căng thẳng lên…)

• In the heat of the moment… (Trong lúc nóng giận…)

Ideas & Collocations:

• Clash of opinions (sự xung đột quan điểm)

• Miscommunication issue (vấn đề hiểu lầm)

• Find common ground (tìm điểm chung)

• Compromise solution (giải pháp thỏa hiệp)

• Smooth things over (hàn gắn mối quan hệ)

Sample Answer:

To be honest, the biggest disagreement I’ve had was with my classmate Minh during a group project last semester. We were supposed to prepare a presentation on sustainable tourism, but we hit a snag when I wanted to focus on environmental impacts while Minh insisted on covering economic benefits.

At first, tempers flared in our meeting—Minh stood firm on his idea and refused to budge. In the heat of the moment, I snapped back, saying his plan was too narrow. That only made things worse: we ended up dividing the tasks but hardly spoke for days, which led to a miscommunication issue and duplicated work.

Realizing this was a clash of opinions, I decided to reach out and find common ground. I invited Minh for coffee, apologised for my tone, and suggested a compromise solution: split the presentation equally—half on environmental issues, half on economics—and then tie them together with case studies. Minh agreed, and we managed to smooth things over and deliver a cohesive presentation.

Through this experience, I learned the value of listening and compromise. At first, I felt frustrated and stressed, but by addressing the problem calmly and seeking a middle path, I felt relief and satisfaction when our teamwork paid off.

IELTS Speaking Part 3 Questions

1. What would you do if you disagreed with someone?

2. How can we stop an argument from turning into a fight?

3. Who should teach children to respect their teachers?

4. What disagreements do parents and children usually have?

Question 1

Speaking Expressions:

• I’d try to… (Tôi sẽ cố gắng…)

• Keep an open mind… (Giữ tư duy cởi mở…)

• See their perspective… (Nhìn vấn đề từ góc độ họ…)

Ideas & Collocations:

• Active listening (lắng nghe chủ động)

• Respectful dialogue (đối thoại tôn trọng)

• De‑escalate tension (hạ nhiệt căng thẳng)

Sample Answer:
“Well, if I disagreed with someone, I’d first try to keep an open mind and really see their perspective, you know? I’d listen closely—active listening helps—so I don’t jump in with assumptions. Then, I’d go for a respectful dialogue, like saying, ‘I hear you, but here’s how I feel…’ If things get heated, I’d focus on de‑escalating tension, maybe by lowering my voice or suggesting a quick break. Usually that settles things down and we can sort it out without bad vibes.”

Question 2

Speaking Expressions:

• One way to… (Một cách để…)

• Take a step back… (Lùi một bước…)

• Keep your cool… (Giữ bình tĩnh…)

Ideas & Collocations:

• “I” statements (sử dụng câu bắt đầu bằng “Tôi…”)

• Calm tone (giọng điệu bình tĩnh)

• Agree to disagree (chấp nhận không đồng ý)

Sample Answer:
“One way to stop an argument from turning into a fight is to take a step back and chill for a sec. Instead of pointing fingers, I’d use ‘I’ statements, like ‘I feel upset when…,’ so it doesn’t sound like an attack. I’d keep my cool by speaking in a calm tone, maybe even crack a light joke to defuse tension. If it still gets too heated, I might suggest, ‘Let’s pause and come back later.’ And if we still don’t agree, we can just agree to disagree and move on.”

Question 3

Speaking Expressions:

• Generally speaking… (Nói chung…)

• It’s up to… (Tùy thuộc vào…)

• Set an example… (Là tấm gương…)

Ideas & Collocations:

• Parental guidance (sự hướng dẫn của cha mẹ)

• School role models (tấm gương trong nhà trường)

• Character education (giáo dục nhân cách)

Sample Answer:
“Generally speaking, kids pick up respect at home first through parental guidance, where mom and dad literally set an example in how they talk to teachers. It’s up to schools to back that up with character education—like having assemblies or classes about good manners. Teachers themselves act as school role models, showing students how to behave. If parents and teachers stay on the same page, respect just becomes part of everyday life. Honestly, it works best when everyone’s modelling the same behaviour.”

Question 4

Speaking Expressions:

• More often than not… (Thường thì…)

• It usually revolves around… (Thông thường xoay quanh…)

• At the end of the day… (Cuối cùng thì…)

Ideas & Collocations:

• Curfew times (giờ giới nghiêm)

• Study habits (thói quen học tập)

• Allowance spending (chi tiêu tiền tiêu vặt)

Sample Answer:
“More often than not, arguments between parents and kids usually revolve around curfew times—teens want to stay out late, parents freak out about safety. Then there’s study habits, like kids preferring their phone over homework, and parents nagging them to hit the books. Allowance spending can spark disagreements too, as children learn to manage money and parents decide how much to give. At the end of the day, it’s all about independence versus responsibility—kids testing boundaries and parents just trying to keep them on track.”