IELTS Speaking 2025 Part 2&3: Describe a Time When You Thought It Was Important to Tell the Truth

Describe a Time When You Thought It Was Important to Tell the Truth

Suggested Ideas for Each Part

• When it happened: 🏫 During a school group project / 🏡 At a family gathering / 💼 At work or in a serious situation
• Who was involved: 👩‍🏫 A teacher / 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Parents / 👭 A close friend
• Why you decided to tell the truth: 💔 To avoid hurting someone later / ⚖️ It was the right thing to do / 😨 To avoid bigger trouble
• How you felt: 😌 Relieved / 💪 Proud / 😟 Nervous at first, but satisfied later

Useful Grammar Structures

1. Past simple & past perfect:
   I realized that if I had lied, it would have made things worse.
2. Conditional (Type 2 & 3):
   If I had hidden the truth, my friend would have been hurt.
3. Passive voice:
   The truth was eventually revealed.
4. Reported speech:
   I told my teacher, “I forgot to include my friend’s name in the project.”
5. Gerunds and infinitives:
   Telling the truth helped me regain trust.

Collocations (with Vietnamese translation)

1. A tough decision 🤔 (một quyết định khó khăn)
2. Face the consequences ⚖️ (đối mặt với hậu quả)
3. A guilty conscience 😟 (lương tâm cắn rứt)
4. Build trust and credibility 💖 (xây dựng sự tin tưởng và uy tín)
5. Come clean about something 🗣️ (thành thật thú nhận một điều gì đó)
6. A moral dilemma ⚖️ (một tình huống khó xử về đạo đức)
7. A sense of relief 😌 (cảm giác nhẹ nhõm)

Full Spoken Sample (about 2 minutes)

One of the most memorable times when I had to tell the truth was during high school 🏫. It happened in my final year, when my classmates and I were working on a group project for our literature class. We had to submit a detailed research paper, and each team member was responsible for a different part.

However, I made a huge mistake. One of my friends had written an entire section, but due to a misunderstanding, I forgot to include her name in the final submission. When the teacher announced the top-performing projects, ours was among them, but my friend was not given credit for her work. I could see how disappointed she looked, and I felt a guilty conscience 😟 growing inside me.

At that moment, I realized that I had two choices: either stay silent and pretend it was a mistake, or come clean about it 🗣️. Even though I was afraid of facing the teacher’s reaction, I knew that being honest was the right thing to do. So, I went to the teacher and explained everything. Fortunately, she was understanding, and my friend’s name was added to the project. My friend was surprised but thankful, and I felt a sense of relief 😌 knowing that I had made things right.

This experience taught me that honesty is not always easy, but it helps build trust and credibility 💖. If I had kept quiet, I would have felt guilty forever. So, even though it was a tough decision 🤔 at first, it was definitely worth it in the end.

Part 3: Discussion Questions

1. Do you think honesty is always the best policy?

Ideas

• 👍 Yes, because honesty helps maintain trust and relationships
• 🤔 However, in some cases, a “white lie” can prevent unnecessary harm

Collocations

1. Maintain strong relationships 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 (duy trì mối quan hệ vững chắc)
2. A white lie 🤫 (một lời nói dối vô hại)
3. Avoid unnecessary conflicts 🛑 (tránh những xung đột không cần thiết)

Sample Answer

In general, I believe that honesty is the best policy because it helps maintain strong relationships 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦. However, in some situations, telling a white lie 🤫 may be better if the truth could cause unnecessary pain. For example, if someone is going through a hard time, we might sugarcoat the truth to make them feel better.

2. Why do some people lie?

Ideas

• 😨 To avoid getting into trouble
• 😇 To protect someone’s feelings
• 💼 For personal gain or manipulation

Collocations

1. Cover up a mistake ❌ (che giấu một sai lầm)
2. Manipulate the truth 🎭 (thao túng sự thật)
3. Save face 😳 (giữ thể diện)

Sample Answer

There are many reasons why people lie. Some do it to cover up a mistake ❌ and avoid punishment, while others manipulate the truth 🎭 for personal gain. In some cases, people lie simply to save face 😳 because they don’t want to feel embarrassed or ashamed in front of others.

3. Should parents teach their children to always be honest?

Ideas

• 👨‍👩‍👧 Yes, because honesty is a core value that shapes good character
• ⚖️ But they should also teach children when honesty might be harmful

Collocations

1. Instill good values 🌱 (truyền dạy những giá trị tốt đẹp)
2. Moral development 📚 (sự phát triển đạo đức)
3. Navigate difficult situations 🚦 (xoay sở trong những tình huống khó khăn)

Sample Answer

Yes, I think parents should instill good values 🌱 in their children, and honesty is one of the most important ones. Teaching kids to be honest helps in their moral development 📚. However, parents should also guide them on how to navigate difficult situations 🚦, because sometimes telling the full truth can be harmful.

4. Are there situations where it is better not to tell the truth?

Ideas

• 💔 If telling the truth could hurt someone unnecessarily
• 🎭 When a small lie can protect someone’s confidence or emotions

Collocations

1. A little white lie 🤭 (một lời nói dối nhỏ để tránh làm tổn thương ai đó)
2. Protect someone’s feelings ❤️ (bảo vệ cảm xúc của ai đó)
3. Tactful communication 🗣️ (giao tiếp khéo léo)

Sample Answer

Yes, there are situations where a little white lie 🤭 is necessary. For example, if a friend asks whether their new haircut looks good, and I know it doesn’t, I might not be brutally honest. Instead, I would try to protect their feelings ❤️ by being more tactful. So, while honesty is important, so is tactful communication 🗣️.