IELTS Speaking 2025 Part 2&3: Describe a Prize You Have Received

Describe a Prize You Have Received

Suggested Ideas for Each Part

• What it was: 🏆 A gold medal / 🎓 A scholarship / 📜 A certificate of excellence
• When you received it: 🎉 During a school competition / 🏅 At a national event / 👩‍🏫 At a graduation ceremony
• What you did to receive it: 📚 Worked hard and practiced daily / 🎤 Won a speech contest / 🏃 Excelled in a sports event
• How you felt: 😃 Proud and excited / 🥲 Emotional and grateful / 💪 Motivated to achieve more

Useful Grammar Structures

1. Past simple: Last year, I won a national writing competition.
2. Past perfect: Before receiving the prize, I had spent months preparing for the contest.
3. Comparisons: This prize was the most meaningful award I had ever received.
4. Conditional sentence (Type 2): If I hadn’t worked so hard, I wouldn’t have won the award.
5. Present perfect: I have never felt prouder in my life.

Collocations

1. Prestigious award 🏆 (giải thưởng danh giá)
2. Sense of achievement 🎉 (cảm giác thành tựu)
3. Highly competitive 💪 (cạnh tranh khốc liệt)
4. Overcome challenges 🚀 (vượt qua thử thách)
5. Rewarding experience 🌟 (trải nghiệm đáng giá)
6. Hard-earned success 📚 (thành công nhờ nỗ lực)
7. Boost motivation 🔥 (tăng động lực)

Full Spoken Sample (2 Minutes)

One of the most unforgettable moments in my life was when I received a prestigious award 🏆 for winning a national English speech contest 🎤. It happened last year during my final year of high school. The competition was highly competitive 💪, with students from all over the country taking part, so winning it was a big deal for me.

To prepare, I had spent months practicing my speech every day. I worked on my pronunciation, body language, and storytelling skills to make my speech more engaging. I also participated in smaller competitions to gain confidence and receive feedback. On the day of the final round, I was incredibly nervous, but I gave it my all. When they announced my name as the winner, I couldn’t believe it! It was one of the happiest moments of my life.

The prize included a certificate, a medal 🏅, and a cash reward. But for me, the most valuable thing was the sense of achievement 🎉. Winning the competition made me realize that all my hard work had paid off. It also boosted my motivation 🔥 to keep improving my English skills. If I hadn’t practiced so much, I wouldn’t have won this award.

Looking back, this experience was a rewarding experience 🌟 because it taught me resilience and perseverance. It also opened up new opportunities, like receiving a scholarship for my university studies. I truly believe that working hard towards a goal makes the victory even sweeter!

Part 3: Discussion Questions

1. Do you think competition is all about the prize?

Ideas

• 🏆 Some people compete only for the prize
• 🚀 Others see competition as a way to improve skills and push themselves
• 😊 Healthy competition helps people grow

Collocations

1. Healthy competition 🏁 (cạnh tranh lành mạnh)
2. Drive for excellence 💯 (động lực để vươn lên)
3. Lifelong learning 📖 (học tập suốt đời)

Sample Answer

No, I don’t think competition is just about the prize 🏆. While rewards can be motivating, the real benefit of competition is healthy competition 🏁, which encourages people to do their best. Some people compete not for the prize, but for the drive for excellence 💯. In my opinion, competitions should focus on lifelong learning 📖 rather than just winning.

2. What prizes should schools set for students?

Ideas

• 🎓 Scholarships for outstanding students
• 🏆 Medals and certificates for competitions
• 🎁 Small gifts to encourage participation

Collocations

1. Academic excellence 📚 (thành tích học tập xuất sắc)
2. Merit-based scholarships 🎓 (học bổng dựa trên thành tích)
3. Encourage participation 🎭 (khuyến khích tham gia)

Sample Answer

Schools should offer merit-based scholarships 🎓 for students with academic excellence 📚. They can also give out certificates and medals 🏆 to recognize achievements in competitions. Even small rewards like books or stationery can encourage participation 🎭 and motivate students.

3. Why do many companies offer prizes to their customers?

Ideas

• 💰 To attract more customers and increase sales
• 🎁 To build customer loyalty
• 🏆 To promote new products

Collocations

1. Customer loyalty 🤝 (lòng trung thành của khách hàng)
2. Marketing strategy 📈 (chiến lược tiếp thị)
3. Brand recognition 🔥 (nhận diện thương hiệu)

Sample Answer

Many companies offer prizes as part of their marketing strategy 📈 to attract more customers. It also helps build customer loyalty 🤝 because people feel more valued when they receive rewards. Additionally, giveaways increase brand recognition 🔥, making customers more likely to choose their products in the future.

4. Why do some companies encourage employees to compete with each other?

Ideas

• 💪 To increase productivity
• 🏅 To push employees to do their best
• 😕 However, too much competition can create stress

Collocations

1. Performance-based rewards 🎯 (phần thưởng dựa trên hiệu suất)
2. Workplace motivation 🚀 (động lực tại nơi làm việc)
3. Toxic competition ☠️ (cạnh tranh độc hại)

Sample Answer

Some companies encourage competition to boost workplace motivation 🚀 and increase productivity. Employees may work harder if they know they can receive performance-based rewards 🎯. However, too much pressure can lead to toxic competition ☠️, which can harm teamwork and create stress in the workplace.