Onterra TutorBand 8.5 model answer: Describe a time when you had to learn a new recipe or cook an unfamiliar dish
A band 8.5 sample answer to this IELTS Speaking Part 2 cue card, with the structure examiners reward. You get 1 minute to prepare and up to 2 minutes to speak.
The cue card
Describe a time when you had to learn a new recipe or cook an unfamiliar dish.
You should say:
- what the dish was
- why you decided to make it
- how you learned to prepare it
- and explain how it turned out and what you learned from the experience.
Your 2-minute structure
- Open with a direct answer (10 seconds). Name your choice immediately: one sentence that answers "describe a time when you had to learn a new recipe or cook an unfamiliar dish". Do not waste your first 20 seconds on "that's an interesting question".
- What the dish was (about 25 seconds). Give the fact, then add one detail and one feeling. A specific memory always beats a general statement.
- Why you decided to make it (about 25 seconds). This is where a past-tense story earns grammar marks. Set the scene in one sentence, then say what happened.
- How you learned to prepare it (about 25 seconds). Slow down and be concrete: a name, a place, a number. Details are what make an answer sound fluent rather than memorised.
- And explain how it turned out and what you learned from the experience (about 25 seconds). Link back to your opening sentence with a connector like 'which is exactly why' so the whole answer feels planned.
- Close with why it matters (15 seconds). End on how it affected you or what it taught you. A natural closing line signals confidence to the examiner.
Band 8.5 sample answer
239 words, spoken at a natural pace this takes about 1 minute 50 seconds. Notice how specific the details are; that specificity is what you should copy, not the story itself.
So this was last winter, and the dish was a Thai green curry, something I'd never attempted before because I always just ordered it from the place near my flat.
The reason I decided to make it myself was honestly a bit of pride. A friend of mine had come back from Bangkok raving about this curry she'd learned to cook, and I didn't want to be outdone, so I thought, right, I'll give it a go.
As for how I learned it, I ended up watching this one cooking channel on YouTube, a woman based in Chiang Mai who pounds her own curry paste from scratch, lemongrass, galangal, the lot. I didn't have half the ingredients, so I improvised with what my local supermarket had, which in hindsight probably wasn't the wisest move.
It turned out... well, edible, let's say. The flavour was there, quite fragrant actually, but I completely misjudged the chilies and it ended up fiery enough that my flatmate was gulping down glasses of milk. What I took from it, though, was that cooking something unfamiliar forces you to slow down and actually pay attention, smelling things, tasting as you go, rather than just following a recipe blindly. I've made it twice since then, and each time it's gotten a little more balanced. It's become one of those dishes I genuinely enjoy making now, even if my first attempt was a bit of a disaster.
Why this answer earns band 8.5
- {'note': "The phrase 'honestly a bit of pride' shows natural hedging and self-reflection typical of fluent spoken discourse.", 'category': 'Fluency and Coherence'}
- {'note': "'pounds her own curry paste from scratch' uses a precise collocation that shows range beyond generic vocabulary.", 'category': 'Lexical Resource'}
- {'note': "The structure 'which in hindsight probably wasn't the wisest move' shows controlled use of a relative clause for comment.", 'category': 'Grammatical Range and Accuracy'}
- {'note': "'fiery enough that my flatmate was gulping down glasses of milk' shows clear stress placement that would sound natural when spoken aloud.", 'category': 'Pronunciation'}
- {'note': "'It's become one of those dishes I genuinely enjoy making now' ends the answer with a natural concluding rhythm.", 'category': 'Fluency and Coherence'}
How the two minutes are spent
- Name the dish and when this happened (~30 words)
- Explain the motivation, a friend's influence and personal pride (~47 words)
- Describe learning method via an online video and improvising ingredients (~57 words)
- Reflect on the outcome and the lesson learned about cooking unfamiliar food (~105 words)
Phrases worth learning
| honestly a bit of pride | admitting a slightly vain motivation in a personal story |
| in hindsight probably wasn't the wisest move | reflecting critically on a past decision |
| forces you to slow down and actually pay attention | making a general observation drawn from a specific experience |
| it's gotten a little more balanced | describing gradual improvement over repeated attempts |
| even if my first attempt was a bit of a disaster | softening a positive statement with a concessive aside |
What the examiner listens for
Fluency (can you keep going for 2 minutes without long pauses), vocabulary range (topic words, not just "good" and "nice"), and grammar variety (past tenses and linking words like "which is why" and "even though"). Hesitation is normal; stopping is what costs bands. If you lose your thread, say "what I mean is..." and keep moving.