Welcome to IELTS on Fire – your daily five-minute boost for English confidence. I’m Teacher Phil, and today we’re going to tackle one of those Speaking Part 2 cue cards you might see on test day: describing a website where you bought something.

If you want to sound natural and impress the examiner, this episode is for you. We’ll build real-life vocabulary, structure your answer smoothly, and give you a boost of confidence. Let’s dive in.

Cue Card Question:

Describe a website where you bought something.

You should say:

• What the website is
• What you bought from this website
• How satisfied you were with what you bought
• And explain why you chose to buy from this website

Take a breath and imagine you’re sitting in the test. This is your chance to tell a simple, real-life story. Listen to my sample answer, then we’ll break it down and get you ready to shine.

Now remember you also get 1 minute to make some notes before you need to start speaking. Use this time wisely. Tomorrow I'll share some simple tips to make better use of this 1 minute.

Sample Answer

I’d like to talk about a website I recently used to buy something online. The site is called Shopee, which is really popular in my country for online shopping.

A couple of months ago, I needed a new pair of wireless headphones for work and exercise. After comparing prices and reading a few reviews, I found a good deal on Shopee and decided to give it a try.

The shopping process was straightforward. The website was user-friendly, and it only took a few clicks to place my order. My headphones arrived within three days, which was much faster than I expected. The product matched the description exactly, and the sound quality was even better than I hoped for.

I was honestly quite satisfied with the whole experience. What I liked most was how convenient it was – I didn’t have to leave my house, and there were plenty of choices and customer reviews to help me decide. The only small issue was that the packaging was a bit damaged, but the headphones themselves were in perfect condition, so it wasn’t a big deal.

Overall, I chose Shopee because I’d heard good things about it from my friends, and the price was really competitive. If I need to buy electronics online in the future, I’ll definitely consider using this website again.

Breakdown:

Let me break that answer down for you. Notice how I followed the cue card step by step, kept my ideas organised, and used everyday language. I also made sure to give details and express my feelings about the experience.

Here are three useful phrases you can steal for your own answer:

• 'The shopping process was straightforward.'
• 'The product matched the description exactly.'
• 'If I need to buy electronics online in the future, I’ll definitely consider using this website again.'

These phrases help you sound natural and confident. You show you can talk about experience, describe satisfaction, and express future intentions. Try to use at least one expression that shows your opinion or feeling about the experience, like 'I was honestly quite satisfied.' That’s Band 7 style, right there.

Quick Practice Challenge

Now it’s your turn. Imagine you’re in the exam. Set a timer for two minutes, and answer the same cue card question out loud:

Describe a website where you bought something.

You should say:

• What the website is
• What you bought from this website
• How satisfied you were with what you bought
• And explain why you chose to buy from this website

After this podcast, record yourself. The more you practice, the more fluent you’ll sound on test day. Remember, your fluency isn’t born – it’s built. Let’s build it together."

That’s it for today’s episode of IELTS on Fire. Keep practicing, and come back tomorrow for more Speaking strategies and sample answers. Until then – let’s set your English on fire.