IELTS Speaking: Part 2 – Past and Past Perfect

Importance of Context in Storytelling

When telling a story, the content is important, but the manner of storytelling is what truly matters to the examiner. Using anecdotes, details, and examples enriches your vocabulary and demonstrates your ability to use topic-specific language. This not only makes your story more engaging but also enhances your lexical resource.

Past and Past Perfect Continuous

Using the Past Continuous

The past continuous is used to describe an event that was happening over a period of time and was incomplete. For instance, “I was hanging out with my friend Juan at the park.” This sets a scene that extends over a duration without specifying when it ended. Here are some examples:

• I was hanging out with my friend.
• We were watching a movie.
• He was talking on the phone.

In the exam, using the past continuous helps set the context early in your story, demonstrating your flexibility with grammatical structures. For example:

Last year, I was studying economics at university. I remember the day clearly. I was sitting in class and taking notes when the professor asked an interesting question.

Using the Past Perfect Continuous

The past perfect continuous is used to describe an action that was ongoing in the past before another past event. It is effective for developing the context of a story and setting up anticipation for the main event. Examples include:

• We had been sitting in the park having a picnic for a couple of hours.
• We had been watching a movie for over an hour.
• We had been talking on the phone for about 15 minutes.

Using this tense can make your story more dynamic and engaging. For example:

Just a couple of days ago, I was at the bank and I had been waiting for over three hours to talk to the manager. This made me feel extremely frustrated.

Practical Application: Sample Cue Cards

Cue Card 1: A Time Someone Lied to You

Prompt: Talk about a situation when a person you know didn’t tell you the truth. Who the person was, why the person told the lie, and how you felt.

I’d like to tell you about an old friend named Matt. We were very close, but this incident changed everything. One evening, I had been expecting him to come over, but he didn’t show up. Later, my sister mentioned seeing someone peeping through her window, wearing a jacket like Matt’s. When I confronted him, he denied it, but I was 99% sure it was him. This left me feeling tremendously disappointed and confused. Eventually, I decided to end our friendship as I couldn’t tolerate such dishonesty.

Cue Card 2: Describe an Intelligent Person

Prompt: Describe an intelligent person you know. Who the person is, how you know them, and why you think they are intelligent.

A tremendously intelligent person I know is my uncle Allan. He retired at 50, much earlier than most people. He’s a UK chess master champion and had a dazzling career as a tax adviser at prestigious firms like PricewaterhouseCoopers and Deloitte. I first met him at a family wedding, and recently at a funeral, he shared his fascinating research into our family history. His expertise in complex subjects like tax and chess, and his early retirement, make him a person I truly admire.

Cue Card 3: Describe a Singer You Like

Prompt: Describe a singer you like. Who the singer is, what specific elements you like about the singer, and the style of the singer.

The singer I’d like to tell you about is Freddie Mercury. He was British with Iranian roots and had an incredibly powerful voice that covered the entire musical range. For example, in the song “Barcelona,” he performed alongside a famous opera singer, showcasing his versatility. His style varied from powerful, explosive vocals to smooth, melodic tunes. Freddie Mercury was a true icon in the band Queen, and his unique voice and style continue to inspire me.

Conclusion

Using advanced grammatical structures like the past continuous and past perfect continuous can significantly enhance your storytelling in the IELTS Speaking exam. Remember to practise with various cue cards, write out your answers, improve them, and seek feedback. For more practical tips and personalised feedback, consider enrolling in our Speaking Confidence online course.

Keep practising, and remember, you only fail when you give up. Good luck with your IELTS preparation!