An important choice you had to make

IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card 439 with Model Answer:

Describe an important choice you had to make in your life.

You should say:

• when you had to make this choice
  
• what you had to choose between
  
• whether you made a good choice
  

and explain how you felt when you were making this choice.

[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.]

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Model Answer 1:

Life perhaps would be a lot easier for us if we didn’t have to make any choices. But, then life is not meant to be easy, so we are forced to make choices at some points in order to meet the demands of time, just like I did about a few years ago.

I am not exactly an ambitious person who likes to achieve or acquire material things in life by hook or by crook. But, that doesn’t necessarily mean that I am a lazy person either. It is just that I don’t like too many complexities and commotions in and around my life which would push me too far away from my family and friends. But, that’s exactly what was about to happen to me, and that’s what I had thought when I was promoted at my office about a few years ago.

The promotion, of course, was offered to me with a better salary package and other benefits, but it also came with greater responsibilities and risks – responsibilities and risks which sure would give me more headaches and sleepless nights than I could perhaps handle. Besides, I was also worried about the promotion because I would need to stay away from my family for a brief period of time every once in a while. Now, I had to choose either to accept the promotion or stay in the same position. But, after giving it a lot of careful thought and consideration, I decided that I would rather live with a smaller paycheck than unnecessary headaches and health risks.

Anyway, as I was making this choice, I was a bit worried about its possible outcome or ramification, thinking that perhaps such a choice would hurt me professionally and financially later on. Besides, I was also asking myself if I was being too lazy or scared of extra responsibilities. But, in the end, I stuck with my choice because it was a good one in the greater scheme of things. A couple of years later, I got an even better job and a higher position without leaving my family and doing things that I always wanted to do.



Sample Answer 2:
One of the most important choices I had to make in my life was deciding on my college major. It was a significant decision that would shape my future career and determine the path I would take in life. Thank you very much for this excellent topic that would allow me to share this experience with you.

I had to make this choice during my last year of high school, as the time to apply for colleges and universities approached. It was a critical moment in my life as I had to consider various factors before making the final decision.

I had to choose between two fields of study that I was equally passionate about - engineering and journalism. On one hand, engineering offered a promising career with stability and opportunities for growth. On the other hand, journalism fueled my passion for storytelling and writing, offering me the chance to make a positive impact through media.

Looking back, I believe I made a good choice by selecting engineering as my major. While journalism had always intrigued me, I realized that my skills in problem-solving and critical thinking were better suited for engineering.

When I was making this choice, I felt a mixture of excitement, uncertainty, and pressure. On one hand, I was thrilled by the idea of pursuing my interests and carving a successful career path. However, I was also uncertain about the consequences of my decision, as choosing one path meant giving up the other. There was also pressure from various sources, including my family, friends, and society's expectations. They all had different opinions about which path would be more suitable for me, which added to my feelings of uncertainty.

In the end, I relied on a combination of self-reflection, career counselling, and advice from mentors to make my decision. I recognized that both engineering and journalism were valuable fields, but engineering aligned better with my long-term goals and strengths. Ultimately, I am content with my choice, and it has opened up numerous opportunities for personal and professional growth.