Part 2 cue cardHealth and fitness

Describe a habit you would like to change

Three time frames in one answer: the present for the habit now, the past simple for how it started, and "might", "I'm going to" or "I'd" for the plan. Answers that stay in the present simple throughout lose the grammar marks.

1 minute to prepare
Up to 2 minutes
Samples at Band 6, 7 and 8
Updated 20 October 2026

Describe a habit you would like to change.

You should say:

what the habit is
how it started
why you want to change it
and explain how you might do it

Rehearse the long turn

1 minute to prepare · 2 minutes to speak

Sit this card with the AI examinerThen the Part 3 discussion, and a full report

A 60-second plan

what the habit isfour or five cans of cola daily
how it startednight shifts at a call centre
why you want to change itdentist, poor sleep, sugar crash, cost
and explain how you might do itsparkling water, none at home, colleagues

Sample answers

234 words · about 2:02 spoken at a Band 6 pace

A habit I would like to change is drinking too much cola. At the moment I drink four or five cans every day, sometimes more, and I know it's really bad for me.

It started about three years ago. I was studying at university in Monterrey and I got a part-time job in a call centre, answering calls from customers in the United States. The shifts was at night, from ten until six in the morning, so I started to drink cola for staying awake. There was a machine next to my desk, so it was very easy. Now I work in the day, but the habit stayed with me.

There are a few reasons why I want to stop. The main one is my teeth. Last month I went to the dentist and she found three holes in my teeth, and she told me directly that it's because of the sugar. Also I sleep bad, and in the afternoon I feel very tired when the sugar goes down. And it costs a lot of money if you calculate for one year.

I think I will try to change it slowly. First, I might change the cola for sparkling water with lime, because I like the bubbles. I also won't buy any cans for the house. And I'm going to tell my colleagues, so they can stop me when I go to the machine.

The mistakes that keep it at Band 6

The shifts was at night should be The shifts were at night
for staying awake should be to stay awake
Now I work in the day should be Now I work during the day
three holes in my teeth should be three cavities
I sleep bad should be I sleep badly
when the sugar goes down should be when the sugar wears off
if you calculate for one year should be if you add it up over a year
change the cola for sparkling water should be swap the cola for sparkling water

Why this is Band 6, not Band 7

Fluency and coherence: Clear and willing, covering the habit, its origin, the reasons and a plan, with simple markers ("The main one", "Also", "First"). It stays at Band 6 because the reasons are a list joined by "Also" and "And", each mentioned rather than explained.
Vocabulary: Enough vocabulary for the topic ("part-time job", "sparkling water", "colleagues"), but some collocations are off: "three holes in my teeth" where English says cavities, and "when the sugar goes down" for a drop in energy. Band 7 needs more precise words.
Grammar: Uses a range of tenses, including a past origin and future plans with "might" and "going to", but errors remain: "The shifts was" breaks agreement, "for staying awake" uses the wrong purpose form, and "I sleep bad" uses an adjective for an adverb. That is Band 6.

Pronunciation is the fourth criterion; it is judged from your voice, so a written sample cannot show it.

268 words · about 2:04 spoken at a Band 7 pace

A habit I'd really like to break is my cola habit. I'm not exaggerating when I say I get through four or five cans a day, and on a stressful day even more.

It began about three years ago, when I was at university in Monterrey and took a part-time job at a call centre, handling calls from customers in the States. The shifts ran overnight, from ten until six, and the only way I could stay alert was a steady supply of cold cola from the vending machine right beside my desk. I left that job over a year ago and work normal hours now, but somehow the habit came with me.

I've got several reasons for wanting to stop. The one that finally scared me was a trip to the dentist last month, when she found three cavities and told me bluntly that unless I cut down, there'd be more. On top of that, I suspect it's affecting on my sleep, and I get this horrible slump every afternoon when the sugar wears off. And when I worked out how much I spend in a year, I was genuinely shocked.

As for how I'll do it, I think going cold turkey would just make me miserable, so I'm going to cut down gradually. My plan is to swap most of the cans for sparkling water with a slice of lime, since what I really crave is the fizz. I'm also going to stop keeping cola at home, and I've asked my colleagues to give me a hard time if they catch me at the vending machine.

The slips

it's affecting on my sleep should be it's affecting my sleep

Why this is Band 7, not Band 8

Fluency and coherence: Speaks at length easily, with clear signposting across time frames ("It began", "The one that finally scared me", "As for how I'll do it"). Not Band 8 because the reasons are still listed one after another ("On top of that", "And when") rather than weighed against each other.
Vocabulary: Some less common and idiomatic language: "get through four or five cans", "going cold turkey", "this horrible slump", "give me a hard time". Band 8 would sustain this precision throughout, including phrases like "genuinely shocked".
Grammar: A good range used mostly accurately: a past origin with time clauses, a conditional with "unless" in reported speech, and future forms ("I'm going to cut down"). One slip: "affecting on my sleep", where affect takes a direct object.

Pronunciation is the fourth criterion; it is judged from your voice, so a written sample cannot show it.

285 words · about 1:58 spoken at a Band 8 pace

The habit I'd most like to kick is drinking far too much cola. On an average day I'll get through four or five cans, and if work is hectic it can creep up to six or seven, which, written down, looks frankly alarming.

It took hold about three years ago. I was a student in Monterrey, and to make ends meet I took a job at a call centre, dealing with American customers on the night shift, ten in the evening till six in the morning. Cola became my survival strategy: there was a vending machine within arm's reach of my desk, and by about three a.m. I was more or less running on sugar and caffeine. I've been working regular hours for over a year now, but the habit outlived the job.

What's finally made me want to tackle it is a fairly brutal visit to the dentist last month. She found three cavities and made it quite clear that, if I carried on like this, they'd be the first of many. I've also noticed that I sleep badly and crash every afternoon once the sugar wears off, and when I did the maths, I realised I'm spending enough on cola to pay for a weekend away every couple of months.

I don't think going cold turkey would last, so I'm planning to wean myself off it. The idea is to replace most of the cans with sparkling water and lime, because, if I'm honest, it's the fizz I'm hooked on rather than the taste. I'm going to stop keeping any at home, and I've enlisted my colleagues as unofficial guards of the vending machine, which they seem to be enjoying rather too much.

Why this is Band 8, not Band 9

Fluency and coherence: Fluent and well developed, moving naturally across past, present and future, and ending with a wry touch ("enjoying rather too much"). Band 9 would vary its signposting a little beyond "I've also noticed" and "The idea is".
Vocabulary: Wide and idiomatic: "to make ends meet", "running on sugar and caffeine", "the habit outlived the job", "wean myself off it". The gap to Band 9 is an occasional conventional choice, such as "frankly alarming".
Grammar: Flexible and accurate: a modal for typical behaviour ("I'll get through"), a present perfect continuous ("I've been working regular hours"), a conditional in reported speech, and a cleft sentence ("it's the fizz I'm hooked on"). No errors.

Pronunciation is the fourth criterion; it is judged from your voice, so a written sample cannot show it.

Rounding-off questions

Why are habits so hard to break?: Because they're automatic. Once something is tied to a situation, like cola at my desk, you do it without deciding to, so breaking it means noticing a moment you normally don't even think about.
Do people change more easily when they're young?: Generally, yes, because their routines aren't as fixed and they have fewer responsibilities. But older people often have stronger reasons to change, like a health scare, and that can matter more than age.