DET Speak About the Photo
A photograph, described aloud. The same material as the written photo task and a different skill: here the limiting factor is not typing speed but running out of things to say before the time ends.
A shape that fills the time
- What the photo shows, in one sentence.
- Who is in it and what they are doing.
- Where it seems to be, and what the surroundings are like.
- What might be happening, or about to happen.
The fourth sentence is the one worth practising, because speculation produces modals and conditionals — the structures that show range — and it is also an endless source of more to say if time remains.
Delivery
- Start immediately. The opening pause is the most expensive silence in the item.
- Do not stop if you lack a word — describe the thing instead and keep going.
- Do not restart a sentence. Finish the one you began.
- Keep talking until the time ends, even if you are repeating a point in different words.
A silence of more than a few seconds can end the recording early. Saying something imperfect is always better than saying nothing.
Speak About the Photo — FAQs
2 questions
Speculate about what is happening, or describe the setting in more detail. Filling the time scores.
The tasks are separate items, one written and one spoken.
More speaking question types
Sources
Written from the test board's own published material and checked on 1 October 2026.