IELTS Speaking 2025 Part 2&3: Describe a photo you enjoy looking at

Describe a photo you enjoy looking at

Suggested ideas for each part

• When you first saw this photo: 📅 A few years ago / 🎁 When I received it as a gift / 📲 While scrolling through my phone gallery
• What the photo was about: 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 A family gathering / 🏞️ A beautiful landscape from a trip / 🎓 A graduation moment
• How often you look at the photo: 📅 Almost every week / 🔁 Whenever I feel nostalgic / 😍 Every time I miss that moment
• How you feel about this photo: 💕 Emotional and grateful / 😊 Happy and nostalgic / 🌞 Inspired and motivated

Useful grammar structures

1. Past simple: I first saw this photo when I graduated from university.
2. Past continuous: While we were celebrating, someone took this picture.
3. Present perfect: I have kept this photo in my phone for years.
4. Comparisons: This is the most meaningful photo I have.
5. Conditional sentence (Type 2): If I lost this photo, I would feel really sad.

Collocations

1. Captured a beautiful moment 📷 (chụp lại khoảnh khắc đẹp)
2. Brings back precious memories 💭 (gợi nhớ lại những kỷ niệm quý giá)
3. A picture-perfect moment 📸 (một khoảnh khắc hoàn hảo như tranh vẽ)
4. Look back on the past 🔄 (nhìn lại quá khứ)
5. Cherish every moment 💖 (trân trọng từng khoảnh khắc)
6. A sentimental photo 🥰 (bức ảnh mang nhiều cảm xúc)
7. A heartwarming picture ❤️ (bức ảnh ấm áp tình cảm)

Full spoken sample (about 2 minutes)

One of my favorite photos is a heartwarming picture ❤️ that was taken at my university graduation 🎓. I first saw it right after the ceremony, and ever since then, it has been one of the most precious pictures I own. This photo captured a beautiful moment 📷 of me and my family standing together, all smiling proudly. I was holding my graduation certificate, and my parents looked incredibly happy and proud of me. It was truly a picture-perfect moment 📸 that I will never forget.

I keep this photo both as a printed copy in my room and as a digital version on my phone. I look back on the past 🔄 through this picture whenever I feel nostalgic or when I need some motivation. Whenever I feel stressed or uncertain about my future, just glancing at this picture reminds me of how much I have achieved and how much my family supports me. It always lifts my spirits and makes me feel grateful.

What I love most about this picture is the emotion it carries. It doesn’t just remind me of my graduation day; it represents years of hard work, late-night study sessions, and the sacrifices my family made for my education. It also reminds me to cherish every moment 💖 with my loved ones because time flies so quickly.

If I lost this photo, I would feel really sad because it holds so many precious memories. That’s why I have backed it up on my laptop and cloud storage, just to be safe. Overall, this is a truly sentimental photo 🥰 that will always have a special place in my heart.

Part 3: Discussion Questions

1. Why do people enjoy taking photos?

Ideas

• 📸 To capture special moments and memories
• 🎨 To express creativity and emotions
• 📱 To share their experiences with others on social media

Collocations

1. Preserve unforgettable memories 📷 (lưu giữ những kỷ niệm khó quên)
2. Express artistic creativity 🎨 (thể hiện sự sáng tạo nghệ thuật)
3. Freeze a moment in time 🕰️ (đóng băng một khoảnh khắc trong thời gian)

Sample answer

People enjoy taking photos because it allows them to preserve unforgettable memories 📷. Life moves so fast, and photos help us freeze a moment in time 🕰️ and relive it whenever we want. Some people also take pictures to express artistic creativity 🎨, capturing beautiful landscapes or unique perspectives. Nowadays, with social media, taking photos has become even more popular because people love to share their experiences with others.

2. Are people better at taking photos now than in the past?

Ideas

• 📱 Smartphones with high-quality cameras make photography easier
• 🤳 People take more photos and learn from experience
• 🎓 Online tutorials and photography courses help people improve

Collocations

1. High-resolution smartphone cameras 📱 (máy ảnh điện thoại có độ phân giải cao)
2. Editing and enhancing photos 🎨 (chỉnh sửa và nâng cao chất lượng ảnh)
3. Master photography techniques 📷 (nắm vững kỹ thuật nhiếp ảnh)

Sample answer

Yes, I think people are much better at taking photos now compared to the past. One reason is that we have high-resolution smartphone cameras 📱 that make it easy to take professional-quality photos. In addition, there are many online tutorials that help people master photography techniques 📷, such as composition, lighting, and editing. With the ability to edit and enhance photos 🎨, even amateur photographers can produce amazing pictures. Since people take more photos than ever, they naturally gain experience and improve over time.

3. Do you think printed photos will disappear in the future?

Ideas

• 🖼️ Digital photos are more convenient and easier to store
• 🎞️ However, some people still love printed photos for sentimental value
• 📷 Photography studios and events still use printed pictures

Collocations

1. Digital photography era 📲 (thời đại nhiếp ảnh kỹ thuật số)
2. Nostalgic value 💭 (giá trị hoài niệm)
3. Timeless keepsakes 🖼️ (đồ lưu niệm vượt thời gian)

Sample answer

I don’t think printed photos will completely disappear, but they might become less common. We are living in the digital photography era 📲, where people store thousands of pictures on their phones or cloud storage. However, printed photos still have nostalgic value 💭, especially for older generations or special occasions like weddings and graduations. Many people still love to have timeless keepsakes 🖼️ that they can physically hold or display at home.

4. How do social media platforms affect photography trends?

Ideas

• 📲 People take more pictures to post online
• 🎭 Trends like selfies, filters, and travel photography are more popular
• 📸 Photography skills are improving because of online exposure

Collocations

1. Photo-sharing culture 📤 (văn hóa chia sẻ ảnh)
2. Influencer-driven photography 🌟 (nhiếp ảnh theo xu hướng người nổi tiếng)
3. Aesthetic-driven content 🎨 (nội dung thiên về thẩm mỹ)

Sample answer

Social media has had a huge impact on photography trends. Because of the photo-sharing culture 📤, people take more pictures than ever before, whether it’s food photography, travel shots, or selfies. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok have also led to influencer-driven photography 🌟, where people try to capture trendy or visually appealing moments. Additionally, many people now focus on creating aesthetic-driven content 🎨, carefully choosing backgrounds, lighting, and editing styles to make their pictures more attractive online.