Happy Marriage: IELTS Speaking Part 2 & 3 Sample Answers

The IELTS Speaking tests your ability to communicate effectively in English through a structured conversation with an examiner. The IELTS Speaking Part 2 provides a topic and prompts for you to prepare a short speech, showcasing your fluency and coherence. In this blog, we delve into sample answers on the IELTS cue card topic, 'Happy Marriage’ to help candidates excel in their speaking test.

Before you begin, enhance your IELTS Speaking test skills and fluency using the guide provided below!

In IELTS Speaking, you should focus on one idea only and then expand that idea into a long meaningful sentence using IELTS Grammar patterns and IELTS Vocabulary. So, try practising this topic for Part 2 of the cue card for your IELTS Speaking and achieve a good IELTS Band Score!

Sample Answer 1

I would like to talk about my parents, whose marriage is, without a doubt, a happy one. They have been married for 25 years now and are an idyllic couple.

Now, my mother and father are in their 50s and yet really busy with their jobs in a government office. However, I think both of them will retire later this year. During 25 years of marriage, they have been through thick and thin together but have never lost their love for each other. My parents usually express their affection by always being truthful with each other and sharing their feelings. Their mutual understanding is so overpowering that sometimes it only takes one look to realise what the other is thinking.

Of course, they still have minor tiffs now and then, things such as who will have to drive the kids to the school or who gets the TV remote. Yet, my dad is always the first to give in and turn to comfort my mother. I think little actions like these are the key to my parents’ long-lasting relationship. Mumma and Papa are a perfect match, and I greatly admire their fondness for each other. God willing, in the future, I hope to have a partner that loves me as much as my parents love each other.

Sample Answer 2

Click on the audio to listen to the sample answer below. Pay attention to the intonation and pronunciation of the words.

If someone asks me what I treasure most in my life, my answer would be one and only – my family, who are not only my pillar of strength and support but also inspire me in many ways. I wouldn’t have become who I am today without my parents’ guidance and their love for me, and, of course, for each other. I will never get tired of my friends telling me how awesome and adorable my parents are despite both being almost 60. According to them, my parents are real-life relationship goals. My dad, an intelligent, thoughtful, strong and honorable man to the core, started his own business 20 years ago and has been working hard to achieve what he deserves. He’s married to a beautiful, loving and strong-willed woman who isn’t afraid to speak her mind.

My parents have known each other for almost five decades and been pretty much in love all that time. They usually tell us their legendary stories from when they were high school sweethearts until tying the knot and living their happily ever after, which often gets exaggerated though none of my siblings have ever complained. Though my parents work in different fields, they tend to seek the other’s input and opinions on numerous cases. My dad always says mom is his greatest cheerleader in everything he does and she tells us he is her rock. One thing I have noticed about my parents is honesty and openness in the way they communicate. Just like any other couples, mom and dad have also experienced many difficulties but how they handle them is what makes them stronger. I am so grateful to have been born and raised in the family full of love where I can feel it every time coming home. It is hard to put into words all they have inspired in me. They have molded and shaped me into the person I am today and who I hope to be in the future.

Vocabulary for Cue Card

• Pillar of strength: a person who can be relied on to give a great deal of support and comfort
  Eg: My mother is my pillar of strength.
• Strong-willed: determined to do what you want to do, even if other people advise you not to
  Eg: John is a strong-willed man who would do anything for his loved ones.
• Speak one’s mind: express one’s feelings or opinions frankly
  Eg: Rose spoke her mind to her father.
• Tie the knot: get married
  Eg: Rose and John decided to tie the knot in December.
• Exaggerate: to make something seem larger, better, worse or more important than it really is
  Eg: She exaggerated her sad story to gain attention.
• Mould: to strongly influence the way somebody’s character, opinions, etc. develop
  Eg: Children should be taught to molud their characters from a young age.

Speaking Part 3

IELTS Speaking Part 3 involves a detailed discussion on abstract topics and complex ideas, allowing you to demonstrate your ability to articulate opinions and provide in-depth responses. This section tests your ability to discuss and analyze topics in a coherent and structured manner.

1 If you are 35 years old without marriage, do you still waiting for your true love? Why?

I would say it might be the case since I’d prefer to stay single rather than end up with the wrong person. It is not a surprise, I believe, because there are plenty of people who still enjoy their every moment without a life partner. On the one hand, the number of divorces or unhappy marriages have been increasing tremendously over the years and its consequences are upsetting such as dysfunctional family, domestic violence, child neglect and the list could go on. On the other hand, people can find happiness in different places and activities without committing their life to one particular person, especially those who aren’t worth it. Therefore, I wouldn’t settle for anything less than what I deserve.

2 Who will pay for the wedding cost? Man or woman or both? Why?

Budget planning for weddings can be an extreme headache and deciding who pays what might not be easy since there are tons of expenses to cover such as the rings, floral arrangements, honeymoon and so on. Hence, I believe depending on each couple’s financial status, they should carefully discuss and choose a cost-splitting option that works best for them. For example, if both are financially abundant, they can share the cost equally. Otherwise, one who is more well-off can cover a greater portion of the expense.

3 What is the best age to get married?

I don’t believe that there is a right time for anything, marriage included. It’s more about the maturity of the two people than the age itself, I think. People mature at different rates, physically and emotionally, and not until after they can fully acknowledge their life issues and handle them with rationale and thorough consideration, are they ready to get settled and find happiness in their marriage life. Besides, financial situation also plays a significant part in this once-in-a-lifetime decision. Many divorces have been directly resulted from the lack of money or financial insecurity. Therefore, only when people can fully support themselves, should they consider to start a family.

4 Do you think weddings in your countries waste lots of money?

It’s absolutely a yes to me. Maybe I’m a minimalist, therefore, I consider weddings one of those occasions when people are willing to pour money down the drain with exorbitantly high and unnecessary items and ceremonies. For example, in XYZ, where I come from, couples tend to have a huge reception where hundreds of guests are invited while, in my opinion, it should be an intimate one where people can share and celebrate the delight of life with their family and close friends only. In addition, other wedding expenses including floral arrangements, invitations, photography, costumes and so many more also cost people more than they should since I believe they’re more show than substance.

5 Why use lots of money for weddings?

I myself can hardly understand why couples are constantly spending an outrageous amount of money on their weddings but I may have some thoughts. First of all, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime event, at least for most people, hence, they want to have a lavish celebration which no one can ever forget. Whether it’s a wedding invitation or reception venue, everything has to be of top quality. Secondly, big weddings might be a tradition in some countries. It’s customary in many cultures to have several ceremonies and celebrations in order to have a fulfilling married life. Last but not least, they can afford it. Some well-off couples love to show off their wealth and wedding is an ideal occasion.

6 In a traditional family in your country, what male do in the family? And what about female? Why?

It comes as no surprise that women are still responsible for most of the housework in a family, traditional or not. Even though gender equality is actively promoted in modern society, there is still an imbalance in household chores division. Housewives take care of almost everything from cooking, laundering, dish washing to house cleaning while their husbands are only concerned with some hard work occasionally such as mending pipes or gardening.

7 Do you think man should take care of baby? Why?

Both mother and father have fundamental roles in a child’s development from birth through adulthood, I believe. Hence, men should be more active in raising kids since they can boost their children, intellectually and socially. Research has shown that children who have a close father-child relationship are likely to have better social skills and fewer behavioral problems since they are more emotionally secure. Meanwhile, a distant or non-existent father-child bond could take a horrendous toll on a kid’s self-esteem and self-belief. Thus, if you want to raise a well-rounded kid, pay attention to them.

8 Do you think man should do housework? Why?

Housework is definitely not women’s sole responsibility and men should share domestic chores with female members in family for his own good as well as others’. Becoming more disciplined and independent is the very first benefit when men take care of their own housework. Most men, especially wealthy ones, prefer to have their housemaid do all the work from cleaning the house to cooking. However, what if she gets sick or has emergency issues, are they willing to go out with dirty socks? Hence, no one can look after you better than yourself. Furthermore, they are likely to become more understanding and thoughtful husbands. Men who are not shy away from “housewife’s duties” will be more well-prepared for married life since they don’t mind rolling up their sleeves to help their family.

9 What kind of traditional wedding in your country?

In XYZ, we celebrate weddings like most parts of the world, except with some extra special features in our ceremonies and costumes. Normally, a bride will be dressed in a white gown with an elegant bridal veil to complete her dreamy and stunning look. She will be accompanied by several bridesmaids who are usually her close friends or relatives. Meanwhile, tuxedo or suit is a groom’s attire in this special event and he also has his best man carry the wedding rings. In addition, we do have our traditional wedding costumes which are far more sophisticated and cumbersome to wear, however, some couples still prefer them at other minor ceremonies beside the main one at the church.

Vocabulary for Speaking Part 3

• Roll up one’s sleeves : prepare to fight or work
  Eg: John rolled up his sleeves and began the space coding venture.
• Fundamental: serious and very important; affecting the most central and important parts of something
  Eg: Heart and lungs are the fundamental organs of human body
• Take a toll on: to have a bad effect on somebody/something; to cause a lot of damage, deaths, suffering, etc.
  Eg: The natural disaster took a toll on Chennai in 2004.
• Horrendous: extremely unpleasant
  Eg: The roads leading to the village were horrendous.
• Imbalance: a situation in which two or more things are not the same size or are not treated the same, in a way that is unfair or causes problems
  Eg: Recruitment of women employees will reduce the gender imbalance in the company.
• Outrageous: very unusual and slightly shocking
  Eg: She took an outrageous decision.
• Lavish: large in amount, or impressive, and usually costing a lot of money
  Eg: Rose wanted a lavish wedding.
• Delight: a feeling of great pleasure
  Eg: I was delighted to see my grandparents after a long gap.
• Maturity: the quality of thinking and behaving in a sensible, adult manner
  Eg: Rose was mature enough to forgive him.
• Once-in-lifetime: very special because you will probably only have it once
  Eg: It was a once-in-lifetime opportunity to meet the king of Bollywood.
• Abundant: existing in large quantities; more than enough
  Eg: There was an abundance of wealth in his time.
• Well-off: having a lot of money
  Eg: Rose belongs to a well-off family.
• End up with: to finish with the possession of someone or something or in the company of someone or something
  Eg: I ended up having a coffee with my colleague.
• Dysfunctional: not working normally or properly
  Eg: The machine is dysfunctional from last week.
• Domestic violence: family violence
  Eg: In the olden days, there was a high rate of domestic violence
• Child neglect: a form of child abuse, and is a deficit in meeting a child’s basic needs, including the failure to provide adequate health care, supervision, clothing, nutrition, housing as well as their physical, emotional, social, educational and safety needs
  Eg: The punishment for child neglect is 10 years.
• Settle for anything less: commit to a person just because you feel like you can’t do any better
  Eg: Rose will not settle for anything less than her status.
• Veil: a covering of very thin transparent material worn, especially by women, to protect or hide the face, or as part of a hat, etc.
  Eg: The bride lifted her veil with both hands.
• Accompany: to travel or go somewhere with somebody
  Eg: My friend accompanied me to the park.
• Attire: clothes
  Eg: I will change my attire, once the drama is over.
• Cumbersome : large and heavy; difficult to carry
  Eg: These goods are cumbersome. We need 2 more people to carry.

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