Part 2 — Describe an Event
Narrative tenses (past simple, past continuous, past perfect)
1. Topic & Why It Matters
Event cue cards test whether you can tell a clear story under time pressure. The examiner is listening for sequencing, tense control, and the ability to explain why a moment mattered, not just what happened.
Where marks are commonly dropped:
- Fluency & Coherence — listing actions without a beginning, turning point, or ending.
- Lexical Resource — repeating happened, nice, good, and interesting.
- Grammar — using only past simple when past continuous and past perfect would make the timeline clearer.
- Pronunciation — unclear past-tense endings in words like planned, arrived, helped, and finished.
2. Knowledge Points
The event-answer timeline
| Stage | Purpose | Example move |
|---|---|---|
| Set the scene | Say when, where, and what kind of event it was | It was a small graduation dinner that took place last summer. |
| Background | Explain what had happened before the event | We had just finished a very stressful exam season. |
| Main action | Describe what happened in order | At first, everyone was quiet, but then my friend gave a short speech. |
| Turning point | Add the memorable or emotional moment | That was when the whole room suddenly felt warm and relaxed. |
| Reflection | Explain why you still remember it | It reminded me that small celebrations can mean a lot. |
Use three past tenses for a clean story
- Past simple: the main actions — We arrived early and decorated the room.
- Past continuous: background action — People were taking photos while the music was playing.
- Past perfect: earlier background — We had planned it for weeks, but we kept it secret.
Choose an event with one emotional centre
Good options include a birthday, graduation, sports match, family dinner, school performance, volunteering activity, festival, or surprise party. The safest formula is: ordinary event + specific moment + personal change.
3. Vocabulary & Phrase Bank
| # | Expression | Meaning / use |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | take place | happen, especially for a planned event |
| 02 | a memorable occasion | an event you remember clearly |
| 03 | set the tone | create the mood for what follows |
| 04 | build up to something | move gradually toward an important moment |
| 05 | at the last minute | very close to the event time |
| 06 | go according to plan | happen as expected |
| 07 | catch someone off guard | surprise someone |
| 08 | the highlight of the day | the best or most memorable part |
| 09 | a turning point | a moment when the situation changes |
| 10 | burst into laughter | suddenly start laughing |
| 11 | feel a bit overwhelmed | feel strong emotion or pressure |
| 12 | be in high spirits | feel cheerful and energetic |
| 13 | bring people together | make people feel connected |
| 14 | make the most of it | enjoy an opportunity fully |
| 15 | a once-in-a-lifetime moment | a rare and special experience |
| 16 | look back on it fondly | remember it with warm feelings |
| 17 | stick in my mind | remain memorable |
| 18 | behind the scenes | the preparation people do not see |
| 19 | a heartfelt speech | an emotional, sincere speech |
| 20 | the atmosphere was electric | the mood was exciting and full of energy |
4. Grammar Patterns
5. Pronunciation Focus
Past-tense endings: /t/, /d/, /id/
Event answers naturally use many past-tense verbs. If the ending disappears, the listener may not know whether the action is past or present.
| Ending | Examples | Delivery tip |
|---|---|---|
| /t/ | helped, laughed, watched | Keep the ending light and quick, not a full extra syllable. |
| /d/ | planned, arrived, remembered | Voice the ending gently: planned, not plan. |
| /id/ | started, decided, invited | Add a clear extra syllable only after /t/ or /d/ sounds. |
| Linking | planned_it, arrived_early | Link final consonants into the next vowel for smoother speech. |
Intonation for surprise
When you describe the turning point, let your pitch rise slightly on the surprise and fall on the reflection: "and then, completely out of nowhere, she started crying."
6. Common Pitfalls
7. Practice Question
Describe a memorable event you attended.
- what the event was
- when and where it took place
- what happened during the event
- and explain why you remember it so clearly
Target length: 1.5–2 minutes · Preparation time: 1 minute · Aim for one clear timeline + one turning point
8. Model Answer (Band 7.5+)
"Well, the event I'd like to talk about is a surprise farewell dinner that my classmates and I organised for our English teacher before she moved to another city. It took place in a small restaurant near our school, nothing fancy really, but it turned out to be one of those evenings that sticks in your mind.
We had been planning it for about two weeks, and honestly, keeping it secret was the hardest part because our teacher was quite observant. On the day itself, while a few of us were decorating the room with photos and handwritten notes, the others were pretending that it was just a normal Friday class. So when she walked into the restaurant and everyone shouted "surprise," she was completely caught off guard.
The highlight of the evening was a short speech from one of my friends. He's usually the funny one in the group, but that night he spoke very sincerely about how she had helped us become more confident. I still remember seeing her eyes fill with tears, and, well, the whole room went quiet for a moment. Although it was a simple dinner, it brought everyone together, and it made me realise that small gestures can mean a great deal when they are done from the heart."
9. Annotated Commentary
"We had been planning it for about two weeks" uses past perfect continuous, and "while a few of us were decorating..." uses past continuous for background action.
"sticks in your mind", "caught off guard", and "from the heart" fit the emotional event story without sounding forced.
The farewell dinner for an English teacher, the secret planning, and the friend's speech give the answer a specific memory.
"Well", "nothing fancy really", "honestly", "So", and "well" make the response sound spoken rather than written.
Keep past-tense endings clear in 'organised', 'planned', 'decorating', and 'helped'. Stress the turning point: 'completely caught off guard'.
10. Self-Drill
Shadow-reading line — say this 5 times aloud
"We had been planning it for about two weeks, and keeping it secret was the hardest part."
Focus on: linking planning_it, clear /t/ in secret, and stress on TWO weeks and HARDEST.
Improv prompt — record yourself, no notes
"Describe a celebration or gathering that brought people together."
Target: 90+ seconds · Use past perfect for preparation, past continuous for the scene, and one emotional reflection.