IELTS Speaking 2025 Part 2&3: Describe a time you made a decision to wait for something.

IELTS Speaking Part 2 Cue Card

Describe a time you made a decision to wait for something.

You should say:

• When it happened

• Who you were with

• What you were waiting for
  And explain how you felt about the decision.

Speaking Expressions

• To be honest… (Thành thật mà nói…)

• It all came down to… (Cuối cùng là do…)

• I was this close to… (Tôi suýt nữa thì…)

• Long story short… (Nói ngắn gọn là…)

• Looking back, I’m glad I… (Nhìn lại, tôi mừng vì mình đã…)

• Patience paid off… (Sự kiên nhẫn đã được đền đáp…)

Ideas & Collocations

• Play the waiting game (chơi trò chờ đợi/kiên nhẫn chờ)

• Delayed gratification mindset (tư duy hoãn sự hài lòng)

• Refresh the page nonstop (liên tục F5 trang kết quả)

• Official release date (ngày công bố chính thức)

• Impulse decision (quyết định bốc đồng)

• Patience paid off (sự kiên nhẫn được đền đáp)

Sample Answer

To be honest, this happened earlier this year, right after I took the IELTS exam. My close friend Hà and I were freaking out about our scores, and we were both tempted to book another test immediately. I was this close to hitting “pay now,” but it all came down to whether I trusted my performance or let panic win. In the end, I decided to play the waiting game and stick it out till the official release date instead of making an impulse decision.

Those 13 days felt endless. I’d sit in a café with Hà, refresh the page nonstop, then laugh at myself for being so dramatic. To distract myself, I made a study plan for “just in case,” but deep down I was trying to build a delayed gratification mindset—telling myself, “Chill, you did what you could.” Long story short, the results finally came out, and boom—my score was exactly what I needed. Patience paid off big time.

Looking back, I’m glad I waited. I saved money, avoided extra stress, and proved to myself that not every problem needs a knee‑jerk reaction. That decision taught me that sometimes the smartest move is to breathe, wait, and trust the process. It sounds simple, but for someone like me who wants everything now, it was a huge win.

IELTS Speaking Part 3 Questions

1. Do people in your country like to take public transportation?

2. Why do some people enjoy a slow-paced lifestyle?

3. Is being patient good for people? Why?

4. Are people less patient now than in the past? Why?

Question 1

Speaking Expressions:

• Generally speaking… (Nói chung…)

• To be fair… (Công bằng mà nói…)

• At the end of the day… (Cuối cùng thì…)

Ideas & Collocations:

• Crowded at rush hour (đông nghẹt giờ cao điểm)

• Affordable monthly pass (vé tháng giá rẻ)

• First metro line (tuyến metro đầu tiên)

• Carbon footprint (dấu chân carbon)

Sample Answer:
Generally speaking, people do use buses because they’re cheap and there’s an affordable monthly pass, but they complain it’s crowded at rush hour. To be fair, with the first metro line opening in Ho Chi Minh City, some folks are getting curious again. Others still prefer motorbikes—door to door is just easier. Environmental types mention the carbon footprint, so they try to go green when possible. At the end of the day, it’s a mix of convenience, comfort, and habit.

Question 2

Speaking Expressions:

• Honestly, some people just crave… (Thật ra, vài người chỉ thèm…)

• It’s all about… (Tất cả là về…)

• They’re tired of… (Họ mệt mỏi vì…)

Ideas & Collocations:

• Slow-living trend (xu hướng sống chậm)

• Digital detox (cai nghiện kỹ thuật số)

• Morning coffee ritual (nghi thức cà phê buổi sáng)

• Mindful breathing (hít thở chánh niệm)

Sample Answer:
Honestly, some people just crave quiet time—it’s all about the slow-living trend now. They’re tired of notifications and do a digital detox on weekends. Simple things like a morning coffee ritual or mindful breathing make them feel human again. Escaping the city to Đà Lạt for cooler air is part of that vibe too. In short, slowing down gives them control over their own pace.

Question 3

Speaking Expressions:

• Absolutely, because… (Chắc chắn rồi, vì…)

• It helps you avoid… (Nó giúp bạn tránh…)

• In the long run… (Về lâu dài…)

Ideas & Collocations:

• Stress management (quản lý căng thẳng)

• Impulse buying (mua sắm bốc đồng)

• Emotional regulation (điều tiết cảm xúc)

• Long-term payoff (lợi ích dài hạn)

Sample Answer:
Absolutely, because patience builds emotional regulation and stress management. It helps you avoid impulse buying or snapping at people when things go wrong. When you wait, you often make smarter choices. In the long run, that leads to a bigger long-term payoff—better relationships, better finances. So yeah, patience is like a muscle; the more you train it, the stronger you get.

Question 4

Speaking Expressions:

• Let’s be honest… (Nói thật nhé…)

• We live in an instant‑gratification culture… (Chúng ta sống trong văn hóa thỏa mãn tức thì…)

• Compared to back then… (So với ngày xưa…)

Ideas & Collocations:

• One-click delivery (giao hàng một cú nhấp)

• Short-form videos (video ngắn)

• Shrinking attention span (giảm khả năng tập trung)

• Always-on internet (internet luôn bật)

Sample Answer:
Let’s be honest, most of us are less patient now—we want one-click delivery and answers in five seconds. We live in an instant‑gratification culture, fed by short-form videos that reset our brains every 15 seconds. Compared to back then, when people wrote letters and waited weeks, our attention span has shrunk. The always-on internet doesn’t help; we’re conditioned to get everything fast. It’s convenient, but it makes waiting feel unbearable.