Describe a piece of news you remember well.
A strong long turn names the subject in the first sentence, spends most of the two minutes on the last bullet — the why — and arrives at a prepared final line rather than trailing off.
The question, as the examiner gives it
Describe a piece of news you remember well.
You should say
- what the news was
- when you heard it
- how you heard about it
- and explain why it stayed with you
60 seconds to prepare, up to 2 minutes to speak
A band 7 to 8 answer
About 189 words at a natural pace — roughly what 120 seconds holds.
Answer it yourself first
Record your own answer first. A model you have read three times comes out with a flattened rhythm, and examiners are trained to hear exactly that. Read it afterwards for the vocabulary and the shape, not to memorise the sentences.A few years ago there was a bridge collapse in a town about two hours from here, in the early evening, during the monsoon. I heard about it from a message rather than from any news source, because a friend had family in that area and was trying to reach them. That is partly why it stayed with me. For about ninety minutes the only information available was fragmentary and wrong, numbers that changed every ten minutes, and I remember refreshing a page repeatedly and learning nothing. What made it stay with me was not the scale, because it was not the largest such event, and I am aware that is an uncomfortable thing to say. It was that I had driven across that bridge perhaps thirty times. A structure you have used without thinking about it once, and then it is simply not there. I have never since crossed a bridge without noticing that I am on one, which is a small and permanent change. The bridge was rebuilt within about eighteen months and I have driven over the new one twice, both times very deliberately noticing it.
The words that earn marks
Each one links to how it is pronounced.
- collapse
the precise noun, stressed on the second syllable
- fragmentary
four syllables, an exact adjective for partial news
- refreshing
the verb for reloading a page, with a clean ng
- repeatedly
four syllables with the stress on the second
- structure
the right noun, with a weak second syllable
- permanent
three syllables with the stress on the first
- uncomfortable
four syllables with the stress on the second
How a strong answer is built
- 1Say what happened and when, briefly.
- 2Explain how you heard, which is part of the story.
- 3Describe the confusion of the first hours.
- 4Explain why it stayed, and make it personal and specific.
Sounds to watch
The ones this answer leans on most.
Straight answers
How long should my answer to “Describe a piece of news you remember well.” be?
You get 60 seconds to make notes and then speak for up to two minutes without interruption. Aim to still be talking at ninety seconds: finishing at forty is the commonest way to lose marks on this part.
Should I memorise the model answer?
No. Record your own version first, then read the model for the shape and the vocabulary. A memorised answer changes rhythm and pace noticeably, and examiners are trained to hear it — it usually costs more than the better wording gains.
Does sayit score this answer?
It scores what a microphone can observe: an estimate from fluency and pronunciation only — not an official band, and not a mark for vocabulary or grammar.
What the band on your result means
An estimate from fluency and pronunciation only — not an official band, and not a mark for vocabulary or grammar.One question a day until your test
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