IELTS Speaking Part 2 Cue Card
Describe a time when you told your friend an important truth.
You should say:
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Who your friend is
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What the truth was
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Why you told your friend the truth
And explain how he/she reacted
1. Speaking Expressions
A. Who your friend is
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My friend in question is… (Người bạn mà tôi định nói đến là…)
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He/She’s someone I’ve known since… (Anh/Chị ấy là người tôi quen từ…)
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A close buddy from university/work… (Người bạn thân từ đại học/công ty…)
B. What the truth was
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The truth I revealed was… (Sự thật tôi tiết lộ là…)
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It turned out that… (Hóa ra là…)
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In essence, I had to admit… (Về cơ bản, tôi phải thừa nhận…)
C. Why you told the truth
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I felt compelled to… (Tôi cảm thấy buộc phải…)
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Because it involved… (Bởi vì nó liên quan đến…)
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I couldn’t let them stay in the dark… (Tôi không thể để họ sống trong sự mù mờ…)
D. How he/she reacted
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He/She was initially… (Ban đầu Anh/Chị ấy…)
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Then their expression shifted to… (Rồi nét mặt họ chuyển sang…)
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In the end, they said… (Cuối cùng, họ đã nói…)
2. Ideas & Collocations
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Bite the bullet and confess (cắn răng thừa nhận)
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Honest feedback (phản hồi trung thực)
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Preserve the friendship (duy trì tình bạn)
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Avoid letting secrets fester (không để bí mật ứ đọng)
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Taken aback at first (bất ngờ ban đầu)
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Appreciate the honesty (trân trọng sự trung thực)
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Clear the air (làm sáng tỏ mọi chuyện)
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Emotional weight lifted (gánh nặng cảm xúc được gỡ bỏ)
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Mutual understanding (sự thấu hiểu lẫn nhau)
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Move forward (tiến lên phía trước)
3. Sample Answer
My friend in question is Lan, a colleague I’ve worked with for the past three years at a marketing agency. The truth I revealed was that I had accidentally shared her draft presentation with a client before she’d approved it. Lan had spent weeks refining the slides, and the client’s early feedback was quite critical, even though the final version would have impressed them.
I felt compelled to come clean immediately because it involved her professional reputation. I arranged to meet her in a quiet café after work and said, “Lan, I need to bite the bullet and confess something. I sent your draft slides by mistake.” At first, she was taken aback, her eyes widening in surprise. Then her expression shifted to frustration. She exhaled sharply and asked, “How could you not double‑check before hitting send?”
I apologized sincerely, explaining I didn’t want the issue to fester and that I valued her trust above all. I couldn’t let her stay in the dark, especially since our team’s performance depended on maintaining the client’s confidence. After I cleared the air, Lan’s posture softened. She admitted she was upset but said she appreciated the honesty: “Thanks for telling me. It stings, but I’d rather know the truth than find out later.”
We talked through next steps—crafting a follow‑up email to the client and improving our internal review process. As we plotted our damage‑control plan, I noticed her shoulders relax. The emotional weight lifted, and we achieved mutual understanding about accountability. By the end of the conversation, she cracked a half‑smile and said, “Let’s move forward and nail the next presentation together.”
That moment taught me that honest feedback strengthens relationships more than hiding mistakes. Though it was nerve‑wracking to risk disapproval, being upfront preserved our friendship and our team’s integrity. To this day, Lan and I still laugh about that incident—and we both agree it was one of the most important conversations we’ve ever had.
IELTS Speaking Part 3
Set 1 – Importance & Motivation
1. How important is it for people to tell the truth in everyday life?
Expressions:
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Honesty is the cornerstone of… (Trung thực là nền tảng của…)
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Without trust, relationships… (Không có niềm tin, các mối quan hệ…)
Sample Answer:
Honesty is the cornerstone of healthy relationships and social cohesion. Without trust, relationships quickly unravel, whether between friends, family, or colleagues. Telling the truth fosters reliability and reduces misunderstandings, making daily interactions smoother and more meaningful.
2. Why do some people choose to be honest even when lying might be easier or more convenient?
Expressions:
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They value integrity over short‑term gain… (Họ coi trọng tính liêm chính hơn lợi ích trước mắt…)
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Long‑term trust outweighs… (Niềm tin lâu dài vượt trội hơn…)
Sample Answer:
They value integrity over short‑term gain, recognizing that long‑term trust outweighs any immediate convenience. Being honest preserves self‑respect and relationships, whereas lies often lead to guilt and eventual exposure.
3. In what situations might telling the whole truth be unnecessary or even harmful?
Expressions:
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White lies can spare feelings… (Những lời nói dối vô hại có thể tránh tổn thương…)
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Tact and discretion are key… (Sự khéo léo và thận trọng là then chốt…)
Sample Answer:
White lies can spare feelings, such as complimenting a friend’s cooking when it’s mediocre. Tact and discretion are key when full honesty might be cruel or irrelevant—for instance, critiquing someone’s appearance when they don’t ask for feedback.
Set 2 – Rules vs. Winning
1. In competitive sports, should athletes prioritise following the rules or winning the game? Why?
Expressions:
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Fair play is the essence of… (Tinh thần công bằng là cốt lõi của…)
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Winning at all costs undermines… (Chiếm chiến thắng bằng mọi giá làm suy yếu…)
Sample Answer:
Fair play is the essence of sports, ensuring respect and safety for all participants. Winning at all costs undermines the integrity of competition and can encourage unethical behaviour, so following rules should always come first.
2. Why are some people more interested in winning than in playing by the rules?
Expressions:
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They’re driven by a win‑at‑all‑costs mentality… (Họ bị thôi thúc bởi tinh thần thắng bằng mọi giá…)
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External pressures, such as… (Áp lực từ bên ngoài như…)
Sample Answer:
They’re driven by a win‑at‑all‑costs mentality, often fueled by external pressures like sponsorship deals or social recognition. In such environments, the emphasis on results can overshadow the importance of ethical conduct.
3. Is it ever acceptable to break minor rules if it doesn’t affect the final result?
Expressions:
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Minor infractions might seem harmless… (Vi phạm nhỏ có vẻ vô hại…)
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But they set a dangerous precedent… (Nhưng chúng tạo tiền lệ nguy hiểm…)
Sample Answer:
Minor infractions might seem harmless, such as slightly bending a tennis line call, but they set a dangerous precedent. If everyone starts ignoring minor rules, the overall integrity of the game erodes, potentially leading to major unfairness.