Part 2 Practice: Describe a Place

Card 1 > Describe a place you often visit. > > You should say:

• where it is > - how often you go there > - what you do when you're there > > and explain why you like going there.

Card 2 > Describe a city you would like to visit in the future. > > You should say:

• which city it is > - where it is located > - how you know about it > > and explain why you would like to visit there.

Card 3 > Describe a park or garden you enjoyed visiting. > > You should say:

• where it is > - when you went there > - what it looks like > > and explain why you enjoyed it.

1. Name & location (15s) — give specifics.
2. Physical description (30s) — what you see, hear, smell. Be sensory.
3. Atmosphere (30s) — what it feels like to be there.
4. What you do (30s) — a typical visit.
5. Why it matters (15s) — one-sentence reflection.

The key is sensory detail — band 8 answers put the examiner in the scene.

The place I want to describe is a small coffee shop called Himalayan Java on Thamel Marg, in Kathmandu. It's probably a 20-minute walk from my flat, and I end up there two or three times a week — usually on Friday mornings when the area is quiet.

Physically, it's nothing spectacular from the outside — it's on the ground floor of an old stone building, squeezed between a pashmina shop and a guesthouse. But inside, it opens up into this beautiful two-storey space with wooden beams and a little balcony that overlooks the street. They have big windows at the front, so on sunny days it's really bright, and there's always the smell of freshly ground coffee.
What I love about it is the atmosphere — it attracts this mix of local students, freelancers with laptops, and tourists who've stumbled in. There's a low background buzz of conversation, usually in three or four different languages. The staff know my order now, which makes me feel like a regular.
I usually go there to read or to write. I find I can concentrate there in a way I can't at home. I suppose it's the third-place effect — not work, not home, just a space where I can think. That's why I keep coming back, even when there are newer, fancier cafés nearby.

• Naming without describing. "I want to describe Paris. Paris is the capital of France and it has the Eiffel Tower." — this is a geography lesson, not a description. Get sensory.
• Using only adjectives, no verbs. "It's beautiful and historic and interesting." Replace adjectives with active descriptions: "The cobbled streets wind between 14th-century buildings."
• Staying abstract. "The vibe is really nice" — say how: "There's a warm, unhurried atmosphere, even during rush hour."

Describe your own bedroom for 1 minute, but someone who has never seen it must be able to draw a rough map from your description. This forces you into the specifics that make a Part 2 answer compelling.