IELTS Speaking 2025 Part 2&3: Describe a Time When Someone Asked You for Your Opinion 🤔🗣️

Describe a Time When Someone Asked You for Your Opinion 🤔🗣️

Ideas 💡

• Common situations: A friend choosing a university 🎓, a colleague deciding on a job 💼, a family member buying a house 🏠, a teammate in a project 📊
• Why did they ask? They trusted my judgment 🤝, I had relevant experience 📚, they were unsure 😕
• What was my opinion? Gave pros & cons ⚖️, suggested the best choice 🌟, encouraged independent thinking 🧐
• How did I feel? Flattered 😊, responsible 🎯, proud 💪

Useful Grammar & Structures 🏗️

✅ Reported Speech (She asked me whether she should accept the offer.)
✅ Conditionals (If I were in your position, I would…)
✅ Contrastive Structures (Although both options were good, I felt that…)

Collocations & Idioms 🌟

1. Give an unbiased opinion 🎯 (đưa ra ý kiến khách quan)
2. Weigh the pros and cons ⚖️ (cân nhắc lợi hại)
3. Think outside the box 📦 (nghĩ theo hướng sáng tạo)
4. See things from a different perspective 👀 (nhìn từ góc độ khác)
5. Trust my gut feeling 🤞 (tin vào trực giác của mình)

Full Sample Answer (2+ minutes) 🎤

A few months ago, one of my closest friends, Lisa, asked for my opinion on whether she should change her job. She had been working at the same company for almost five years, but she received an attractive job offer from a different company that offered a higher salary and better career prospects.

Lisa was torn between two choices—staying in her current job, where she felt comfortable, or taking a risk and accepting the new opportunity. Since I had recently gone through a similar situation, she wanted my perspective on the matter.

I gave her an unbiased opinion. I pointed out that while the salary increase was tempting, she also needed to consider work-life balance, company culture, and long-term career growth. I suggested that she should weigh the pros and cons carefully and even speak with employees at the new company to get an insider’s perspective. In the end, I told her, “If I were in your position, I would go for the new job because it offers better career progression.”

When Lisa asked for my opinion, I felt honored and responsible. It showed that she trusted my judgment and valued my perspective. I didn’t want to influence her too much, so I made sure to see things from a different perspective and give her room to make her own choice. Eventually, she decided to take the job, and a few weeks later, she told me that she was extremely happy with her decision. It made me feel proud that my advice had helped her make a positive change in her life.

🎤 Part 3: Follow-up Questions & Answers

1. Have you ever asked someone for their opinion? 🤔🗣️

Ideas 💡

• Situations: Choosing a university 🎓, deciding on a big purchase 💻, making a career move 💼
• Who did I ask? Parents 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦, friends 👫, teachers 🏫
• Why? Needed a fresh perspective 🔄, wanted reassurance ✅

Collocations 🌟

1. Seek advice from someone I trust 🤝 (tìm lời khuyên từ người mà tôi tin tưởng)
2. Get a second opinion 🧐 (xin ý kiến thứ hai)
3. Think things through 🔄 (suy nghĩ kỹ lưỡng)

Sample Answer 🎤

Yes, I often ask for opinions, especially when making important decisions. For example, when I was choosing a university, I sought advice from my teachers and parents. I wanted to get a second opinion because I wasn’t sure which university would be the best fit for me. Their perspectives helped me think things through, and in the end, I made a choice that I was happy with.

2. Why do some people react impolitely when listening to someone’s story? 😠🗣️

Ideas 💡

• Reasons: Lack of patience ⏳, disagreement 🤷‍♂️, cultural differences 🌏
• Situations: Arguments 🗯️, online discussions 💻, workplace meetings 👥

Collocations 🌟

1. Jump to conclusions 🚀 (vội vàng kết luận)
2. Lack emotional intelligence 🤷 (thiếu trí tuệ cảm xúc)
3. Disregard others’ feelings 😕 (không quan tâm đến cảm xúc của người khác)

Sample Answer 🎤

Some people jump to conclusions too quickly and react impolitely when listening to someone’s story. This could be due to a lack of patience or emotional intelligence. Instead of respecting different viewpoints, they may interrupt or disregard others’ feelings. This often happens in heated discussions, especially online, where people feel more anonymous and are less mindful of their words.

3. Why do people often hesitate to give their opinions? 🤫

Ideas 💡

• Fear of judgment 👀
• Not confident in their knowledge 📚
• Don’t want to offend others 😬

Collocations 🌟

1. Afraid of being judged 🤷 (sợ bị đánh giá)
2. Lack self-confidence 😔 (thiếu tự tin)
3. Try to avoid conflicts ⚔️ (tránh xung đột)

Sample Answer 🎤

Many people hesitate to give their opinions because they are afraid of being judged or lack self-confidence. They may worry that their ideas will be criticized or that they don’t have enough knowledge on the topic. Others prefer to stay neutral to avoid conflicts, especially in controversial discussions.

4. How can people learn to give constructive opinions? 💡🗣️

Ideas 💡

• Use polite language 😊
• Focus on facts, not emotions 📊
• Offer solutions instead of criticism 🏗️

Collocations 🌟

1. Give feedback in a respectful manner 🎤 (đưa ra phản hồi một cách tôn trọng)
2. Back up opinions with facts 📚 (cung cấp ý kiến dựa trên sự thật)
3. Offer suggestions instead of criticism 🛠️ (đưa ra đề xuất thay vì chỉ trích)

Sample Answer 🎤

To give constructive opinions, people should focus on facts, not emotions and back up their opinions with evidence. It’s also important to give feedback in a respectful manner and offer suggestions instead of criticism. This way, their opinions will be more helpful and well-received.