Describing a Park Scene Without Listing Everything
In the speaking test, the candidate is given 20 seconds to look at a picture and then describes it for about 40 seconds. The picture shows a park on a sunny Sunday. In the foreground, a boy of about six is running after a small brown dog, and the dog is heading toward a picnic blanket where a woman is putting down a paper plate. Behind them, an older man is reading a newspaper on a bench, and two teenagers are throwing a ball to each other. Near the gate on the left, a man is selling ice cream from a small cart, and three children are waiting in line. On the grass there is a sign that says 'Keep off the grass'. The candidate is then asked two questions: 'Do you often go to parks?' and 'Do you think dogs should be allowed in public parks?'
1. Write a 40-second description of the scene. Explain how you ordered the information and what you deliberately left out.
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Model description (four sentences, about 40 seconds):
The picture shows a park on a sunny Sunday afternoon. In the foreground, a small boy is running after a brown dog near a picnic blanket, where a woman is putting down some paper plates. In the background, an older man is reading a newspaper on a bench, and two teenagers are throwing a ball to each other. Near the gate on the left, several children are waiting in line at an ice-cream cart.
Why this order: start with one wide sentence that sets place and time, then move foreground → background → edge. That gives the listener a mental map instead of a random list.
What is left out on purpose: the exact number of children, the colour of the blanket, and guesses about what people are saying. Naming people ('Taro', 'Mrs. Smith') is also risky - the picture gives no names. Use present continuous ('is running', 'are throwing') throughout, because the scene is happening now.
2. The sign says 'Keep off the grass', but a family is picnicking on the grass. How should you handle this in your description?
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Treat it as an interesting detail, not as a problem to solve. A good sentence is: 'One interesting detail is that although the sign says "Keep off the grass", the woman and the boy are using the grass for their picnic.'
This does three things. It shows you noticed a relationship between two parts of the picture, which is more impressive than listing objects. It keeps you neutral - you are describing, not judging, so you do not say the family is wrong or that the sign is stupid. And it protects you from a common mistake: contradicting the picture, for example saying 'there is no sign' because a picnic on grass seems normal.
If you are short of time, one sentence is enough. Do not spend ten seconds explaining park rules in general; the description task is about what you can see, not about your opinion. The opinion comes in the later question, where you can use this observation if it helps.
3. Answer the opinion question: 'Do you think dogs should be allowed in public parks?' Give a structured spoken answer.
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Model answer:
I think dogs should be allowed in public parks, but not everywhere in them. First, parks are places for everyone, and for many people walking their dog is the main reason they go outside and meet neighbours. Second, dogs get good exercise there, which keeps them healthy and calmer at home. However, some small children and older people are afraid of dogs, and some people have allergies, so there should be clear rules: dogs on a lead in most areas, and no dogs near the playground. For these reasons, I think 'yes, with rules' is better than a complete ban.
Why this structure works: one clear position, two reasons with a linking word each ('First', 'Second'), one concession ('However') that shows you can see the other side, and a closing sentence that repeats the position in different words. The concession is what separates a strong answer from a list - it proves you can hold an opinion and still recognise the counter-argument.