Skip to main content

Describe a modern building

IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card 234 with Model Answer:

Describe a modern building.

You should say:
  • where it is
  • what it looks like
  • what it is used for
and explain why you like/dislike it.

[You will have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes. You have one minute to think about what you're going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish.]

Model Answer 1:
China is one of the most developed countries in the world and to keep pace with the advancement, different newer buildings and structures are being made in the country. The Piano House, in China, is one of the most attractive buildings in the country.

The building is located in Huainan City and it is famous for its shape. The building looks like a large piano and a violin kept standing before the grand piano. The entire giant building is made of glass. The inside of the building is accessible through stairs. The building was made to attract the Chinese and other visitors in the locality as it was one of the backwards places in the country. The entire building is made with tinted and clear glass which has brought a different look on the structure. The building takes a breathtaking look in the night times as the entire structure is illuminated with neon lights and the glass structures turn invisible.

The Piano House is one of the most amazing objects in China and it is the initiative of the students of Architectural Department of Hefei University of Technology. The design of the building was made in 2007 and the house looks like a great grand piano. A large violin is standing attached to the piano. The building design was jointly made by the students and the designers of Huainan Fangkai Decoration Project. The entire house is made of two parts and importantly both the parts are made of glasses. But the violin is made with transparent glasses while the piano is made with semi-transparent glasses. This is a unique building in China and mostly has been made for the music lovers of the country. Though the building has been made to show fondness to music, the building has fewer things to do with music. In fact, the building is used by the visitors and locals and they pass their leisure hours inside the building. This is also one of the most important places for capturing still photographs.

The unusual Piano building is mostly used as an exhibition hall which exhibits the future plans of Huainan City in China under the district of Shannan. The district has been newly created and thus it required attention from different parts of the country. Thereby, some students of architecture took the initiative to make such a wonderful building and accordingly it was made in 2007. Presently it is also used as the most sought place for photography among the newlywed couples. Moreover, due to the establishment of the building, the locality has become famous. Now the Piano house is considered as an icon of the city and the district. To see the buildings, a good number of visitors arrive in the city which also has boosted the local economy. The building is often termed as the most romantic building for its shape and structure. The visitors turn overwhelmed when they come here to visit this incredible structure. Besides, the building has escalators, rooms for holding meetings on medium scales and social spaces like holding weddings or other social ceremonies. Often the visitors spend time beneath the building to get shadow when the day is sunny. The building is also used by the local students to practise music.

I like the Piano house for several reasons. The spaces inside the building are good enough to hold the social gathering and I have attended a wedding ceremony of my cousin. Besides, the building looks wonderful at night, especially when the neon lights are switched on. The glass structure goes hidden and the view becomes extremely romantic. I could not believe that such a building should be made in China when I saw it on a television program. The building has also been enlisted on the list of world’s most beautiful buildings. Initially, it may appear that the design is crazy, but if people have a deep look in the building, they will have something else on their mind. The entire building represents the musical instruments made in the largest scale in the world. Some other buildings have been made so far which resemble like bucket or fish, this is the unique one which has never been made or conceptualised before. But I think the building should also contain something special for the visitors like the authority could establish a music library or museum inside so that the visitors could pass their times effectively.



Sample Answer 2:
Pakistan is not that much developed in line with the other Asian countries but there are some indicators which are creating a trend for development. Establishment of luxurious apartments, shopping malls and star rated restaurant is one of the remarkable development of the country. The Centaurus is a specimen of this development. Thank you for this candidate task card topic. I have got the chance to describe a modern building of my country. 

Basically, the Centaurus is the symbol of modern architecture in Pakistan. This is a building that has been made to serve various purposes together. The height of the building is noticeable from a far away. The building is located in Islamabad ad contains a shopping mall, a residential hotel and residential apartments. The hotel occupies 36 floors of the building and the residential apartments are made of 23 floors while the shopping mall occupies the rest five floors.

This is a unique structure in the entire country. The shapes of the buildings are stunning. It appears that the buildings are standing on a wave while the last part of the building has almost touched the sky. The complete construction of the building has not been done yet and it is expected that will be done by 2018. But the part which has been completed owns a pretty look. The building becomes attractive at night times when the colourful lights are on. Besides, the adjacent views of the buildings are also eye-catching. So, a large number of people gather to visit the building every day. 

The building is mostly used as a shopping mall and a residential complex. The star rated hotel is under construction and will be opened soon. At present, the building is being used as a residential cum commercial complex. There are over 200 brands have opened their outlets in this shopping mall. A large number of local and foreign products are available in this shopping mall and the products belong to top quality. But due to the huge structure, the shopping malls attract a huge crowd and thus a ticketing system has been initiated to control the excessive crowd.

I like everything about the building but cannot tolerate the excessive crowd centring the place. Every day a large number of people come to visit the place and hence, movement through the streets become troublesome. However, the building is large and stylish. This is a matter of pride for the country. The idea of constructing such a large commercial and residential complex is really innovative. It is also expected that the complex will bring a notable revenue for the local economy and also will help enhance the beauty of the city. Based on the reasons, I like this building.

If you can talk about the cue card topic "Describe a modern building." you should be able to talk about the following IELTS cue cards topics as well:
  • Describe a beautiful house or building in your hometown. 
  • Describe an interesting building you have seen. 
  • Describe the office where you or someone you know once worked. 
  • Describe the largest building you have ever seen. 
  • Describe a structure or building with architectural interest. 
  • Describe a famous building in your country. 

Popular posts from this blog

Describe your family

IELTS Cue Card Question 44 With Model Answer:  Describe your family. You should say:  how many members your family has what they do how close you are and explain why your family is important to you. [You will have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes. You have one minute to think about what you're going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish.] Model Answer 1: My family is incredibly important to me, and I'm fortunate to have a loving and close-knit family. We have a total of four family members, including my parents, my younger sister, and myself. I am so glad that I have got this topic as it would allow me to talk about something that I love so much. My father is a software engineer, and he works for a reputable IT company. He's always been my role model when it comes to hard work and dedication. His job involves creating computer programs and solving complex technical issues. Despite his busy schedule, he always finds time to h

Person in your family who you most admire

IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card 10 With Model Answer: Describe the person in your family who you most admire. You should say: what his/her relationship is with you what he/she has done in your life what he/she does now and explain why you admire this person the most. [You will have to talk about the topic for 1 to 2 minutes. You have one minute to think about what you're going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish.] Model Answer 1: My mother is the person in my family whom I most admire. She is not only my mother but also my role model and best friend. I would like to thank you for this excellent topic that enables me to talk about the person I love and admire the most. My mother has done many things in my life that have made me admire her. Firstly, she has always been there for me, no matter what. Whenever I am going through a difficult time, she listens to me and offers advice or support. Additionally, my mother has always encouraged me to pu

A person who has interesting ideas or opinions

IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card  366  with Model Answer: Describe a person who has interesting ideas or opinions. You should say: who this person is how you know this person what interesting ideas/opinions he/she gives and explain why you think that this person has interesting ideas/opinions. [You will have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes. You have one minute to think about what you are going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish.] Model Answer 1: We all have our own ideas and opinions. However, not all of us are interested to share them with others. But, some people are never afraid to share their ideas or opinions with others, be them normal or radical. Today, I would like to talk about one such person who never seemed to be short of any ideas or opinions! He seemed to be just a regular guy. I met him rather casually at a book shop when I was trying to buy a storybook for one of my little cousins. He started the conversation with

Describe a shop that recently opened in your hometown

IELTS Cue Card/Candidate Task Card 348 with Model Answer: Describe a shop that recently opened in your hometown/area. You should say: what type of shop it is what type of people go there what it sells and explain whether you will shop there or not. [You will have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes. You have one minute to think about what you're going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish.] Model Answer 1: I live in a rather small town. So, whenever there is a new opening of anything or any new activities in my little old town, I come to know about them one way or another. Today, I would like to talk about one such new opening of a new shop in my area. It is a “super shop” (some people would prefer to call it a “grocery store”), a self-service store, offering a wide variety of food and household items, organized into different departments. They named the shop “At your service” which has an opening hour from 7 am to 11 pm. I would consider