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

Describe a plan that you had to change recently.

Describe a plan that you had to change recently.

You should say:

  • ·what the plan was
  • ·when you made it
  • ·why you had to change it
  • ·what you did instead

and explain how you felt about the change.

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 · 195 words

Last month, I planned a day trip to a lake outside the city with my friend, Mei. I made the plan about a week before, because we both had a free Saturday and wanted to spend some time outdoors. We were going to take a bus in the morning, walk around the lake, have lunch there, and come back in the evening.

On Friday night, the weather forecast said there would be heavy rain for most of Saturday. We checked it again in the morning, and it still looked bad, so we decided not to go. I was a little disappointed because I had been looking forward to getting out of the city, and we had already talked about the trip for several days.

Instead, we met at a café near my home and had lunch. After that, we went to a small indoor market and looked around for a while. It wasn't as exciting as the lake trip, but we still had a nice day and could talk properly. I felt slightly sad at first, but later I was glad we changed the plan because travelling in heavy rain would not have been comfortable.

  • State a feeling · “I was a little disappointed”

A stronger answer

Checked at band 7.5 · 229 words

Honestly, one plan I had to change recently was a Saturday trip to a lake just outside the city with my friend Mei. We came up with the idea about a week beforehand, when we realised we were both free and wanted a break from our usual routine. We planned to catch a morning bus, walk around the lake and have lunch there before heading home.

The problem was that the weather forecast had turned quite worrying by Friday evening: it predicted heavy rain for most of the next day. We checked again on Saturday morning, and the rain still looked likely, so we decided it wasn't worth travelling all that way just to stay wet and uncomfortable. I was disappointed, especially since we'd been talking about the trip all week, but neither of us wanted to spend the day stuck outside in bad weather.

Instead, we met at a café near my place for lunch, then wandered around a small indoor market nearby. It wasn't the outdoor day we’d pictured, but we found a few interesting stalls and had plenty of time to catch up. If we'd gone to the lake, we probably would have spent most of the day sheltering from the rain. So although I felt a bit let down at first, the change turned out well, and I was glad we’d made a sensible decision.

  • Explain the motivation · “a break from our usual routine”
  • Add an alternative detail · “wandered around a small indoor market”
  • Contrast with a conditional · “If we'd gone to the lake”
  • Show a change in feeling · “the change turned out well”
Angles

3 ways to answer it

  1. 1A National Day trip to Chengdu: a typhoon cancelling your flight, so you went somewhere nearby
  2. 2Your IELTS test date: falling ill and having to reschedule
  3. 3A camping trip with friends: rain turning it into a film night on the living room floor
Expressions

5 expressions that fit this card

had to cancel at the last minute
cancelled very late
came up with a plan B
made another plan
make the best of it
enjoy a bad situation as much as possible
it was out of my control
I couldn't change it
it turned out better than expected
the result was surprisingly good
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 like to plan everything in detail?

    • ·Plans make them feel secure
    • ·They don't want to waste time or money
  2. 2

    Do you think it is better to be flexible or to stick to a plan?

    • ·At work, sticking to plans is more reliable
    • ·On holiday, being flexible brings surprises
  3. 3

    How has technology made it easier to change plans?

    • ·Apps let you change tickets in seconds
    • ·Group chats tell everyone instantly
  4. 4

    Should companies let employees change their working plans easily?

    • ·Flexibility keeps staff motivated
    • ·Too many changes slow the team down
Stories

One story, many cards

This card fits these 2 stories. Prepare the story once and you can bend it to every card listed with it on the season page.

  • Deciding to study abroad

    Why you are taking IELTS: the choice, who you talked to, what you gave up, how you are preparing.

  • A trip that went wrong

    A commute or short trip: the early start, the phone that died, the message nobody answered, what you did instead.

Say it out loud and get a band score