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Part 2 cue card · People · Retained in September–December 2026

Describe a person who loves growing plants at home or in a garden.

Describe a person who loves growing plants at home or in a garden.

You should say:

  • ·who this person is
  • ·what plants he or she grows
  • ·where he or she grows them
  • ·how he or she looks after them

and explain why he or she enjoys growing plants.

One minute to prepare, up to two minutes to talk. Then Part 3 asks the questions below.

Sample answers

Two answers to the same card

Same story, two levels. Both were written by Ashore, then checked against the public band descriptors in a separate pass. The bands are practice estimates, not official IELTS results.

A simpler answer

Checked at band 6.5 · 151 words

I'd like to talk about my aunt, who's in her late fifties. She lives in the same city as me, and she has loved plants for many years. She grows a few kinds of plants, including tomatoes, green onions, and flowers like roses. She grows them on her balcony because she doesn't have a garden. The balcony gets plenty of sunlight, and there is enough space for several pots. Every morning, she waters them and checks the leaves. If she sees any dry leaves, she removes them. She also adds plant food sometimes and moves the pots when the weather is too hot. She enjoys growing plants because it helps her relax after work. She says it's satisfying to see a small plant grow and produce something useful. She often gives me some tomatoes, so I think it's a nice hobby and a good way to make her home feel fresh.

  • Giving a reason · “because she doesn't have a garden”

A stronger answer

Checked at band 8 · 243 words

Honestly, the person who comes to mind is my aunt, who lives about ten minutes away from me. She’s in her late fifties, and she’s been fond of gardening for as long as I can remember. She grows tomatoes, green onions and a few flowering plants, especially roses. The vegetables are practical because she can pick them for dinner, while the flowers make the balcony feel cheerful. She doesn’t have a yard, so she’s turned her apartment balcony into a little growing space. There are about a dozen pots arranged along the railing, and she keeps the taller ones near the wall so they don’t get knocked over.

Looking after them is part of her daily routine. She waters them in the morning, checks the soil with her finger, and trims off any yellow leaves. Every few weeks, she adds a little compost or plant food. If the weather gets very hot, she’ll move the pots into the shade and water them again in the evening; that stops them drying out.

What she enjoys most is seeing a tiny seedling gradually turn into something she can use or share. She often brings me a handful of tomatoes, and she seems genuinely proud when I tell her how good they taste. Gardening also gives her a quiet break from work and screens. Even though it takes time and there’s always some soil to sweep up, she says the small daily successes are worth it.

  • Reason plus specific use · “The vegetables are practical because”
  • Conditional for added detail · “If the weather gets very hot”
  • Concession · “Even though it takes time”
Angles

3 ways to answer it

  1. 1Your grandpa: growing chillies and spring onions in foam boxes on the balcony
  2. 2A colleague: keeping a dozen succulents on her desk and asking you to water them
  3. 3A neighbour: turning a patch of spare ground into a vegetable plot and sharing the harvest
Expressions

5 expressions that fit this card

have green fingers
be good at growing plants
water the plants
give plants water
home-grown vegetables
vegetables you grow yourself
come into bloom
start to flower
it takes patience
you must wait calmly for results
Part 3

The questions that follow

After the long turn, Part 3 asks bigger questions on the same theme. Each one comes with two points you can build an answer from.

  1. 1

    Why do some people enjoy gardening?

    • ·Watching plants grow gives a sense of achievement
    • ·It is relaxing and keeps them away from screens
  2. 2

    Do you think children should learn to grow plants?

    • ·They learn where food actually comes from
    • ·Schools could set up small rooftop gardens
  3. 3

    Why do many older people in cities like to grow vegetables?

    • ·They trust home-grown food more
    • ·It keeps them busy and social after retiring
  4. 4

    Should cities have more green spaces?

    • ·Trees cool the air and reduce pollution
    • ·Land is costly, so it competes with housing
Stories

One story, many cards

This card fits this story. Prepare the story once and you can bend it to every card listed with it on the season page.

  • An older relative who shaped you

    A grandparent, aunt or uncle: what they taught you, what they make or grow, what they got through.

Say it out loud and get a band score