Speaking: Describing People and Places Vocabulary Pack
In this material you will study the core and extended collocation banks for describing people and places in IELTS Speaking Part 2, as well as two full model answers.
8 min read · Updated 10/23/2026
Contents
How Collocations Support Precise Meaning
In Part 2, natural word combinations — collocations — help express precise meaning. Under Lexical Resource, the examiner considers appropriate, accurate vocabulary use: a beautiful place is correct; a picturesque village can be more specific when it truly describes the village, but one phrase does not guarantee a higher score. Expressions such as easy-going, chatty and has a great sense of humour describe different traits from very kind person, so choose the one that matches what you mean.
Remember: Part 2 topics often mix these two areas. A card like Describe a person whose job is useful to society can combine profession, character and work environment; follow the actual bullet points on your card. So master the two banks below together. The strategy is simple: use every collocation aloud in a sentence of your own — the aim is to use the vocabulary you know appropriately in speech; the whole Speaking performance is assessed across four criteria.
Core Collocations for Describing People
The six expressions below should be in the vocabulary of every intermediate candidate — they work straight away on cards about family members, friends, teachers or a famous person.
| Phrase | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| easy-going | relaxed and not easily worried | My uncle is very easy-going and never worries about small problems. |
| chatty | fond of talking a lot | My neighbour is so chatty that a five-minute visit lasts an hour. |
| to have a good sense of humour | to find things funny and make others laugh | Leyla has a great sense of humour, so even boring lessons feel fun. |
| hard-working | putting a lot of effort into your work | He is a hard-working doctor who often stays late at the hospital. |
| reliable | can be trusted to do what is expected | Whenever I need help, my reliable friend Elvin arrives first. |
| quick-tempered | gets angry easily and quickly | My first coach was a little quick-tempered, but he calmed down fast. |
Advice on use: give 2–3 character adjectives + a small story in your answer and link them with frames:
- He's the kind of person who always supports you.
- What I like most about her is that she's incredibly easy-going.
In this way you get not a simple list but a fluent, natural description.
Core Collocations for Describing Places
In describing a place, the goal is not just to say "beautiful" or "bad" — it is to convey the atmosphere. These six collocations cover both positive and negative images.
| Phrase | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| bustling | full of busy activity and people | The central bazaar is bustling with shoppers from early morning. |
| picturesque | attractive, like a picture | We spent the weekend in a picturesque village near Sheki. |
| run-down | in poor condition from lack of care | The old theatre looks run-down, although it was once magnificent. |
| lively | full of life and energy | The seaside boulevard gets lively in the evenings. |
| peaceful | quiet and calm | Our grandmother's garden is peaceful before the midday heat. |
| crowded | full of too many people | The metro is really crowded during rush hour. |
Technique: give evidence right after the adjective — who, what is happening? For example: The market is bustling with vendors shouting prices and tourists taking photos. This adjective + evidence pattern sets your answer apart from a memorised list.
Extended Phrase Bank: People
Model answers and detailed strategies are included with Pro access. Tests are purchased separately.
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