IELTS Cue Card

IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card   540   with Model Answer: Describe a journey that did not go as planned. You should say: where you were travelling to who you went there with what was your expectation from the journey and explain why it did not go as planned. [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: Introduction: Travelling is always exciting and full of surprises. However, sometimes even the best-planned journeys can go off-track. Today, I would like to talk about a journey that did not go as planned. Where you were travelling to & Who you went there with: I went to Paris, France, with my best friend. It was our dream destination, and we had planned the trip for months. We were excited to explore the famous city and indulge in French cuisine. What was your expectation from the journey: My expectations were high, and I was looking f

IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card   539   with Model Answer: Describe something you did that you think was a waste of your time. You should say: when it was what you did how long it took and explain why you think that was a waste of your time. [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: Introduction: Time is a valuable asset, and we should spend it wisely. However, sometimes we may end up doing things that we regret later on. For this topic, I will talk about an activity that I did that I feel was a waste of my time. When it was: Last summer, during my summer vacation, I decided to learn a new language. Well, little did I know back then that it was not a prudent decision. What you did: I was quite excited about it, and I spent a lot of time researching the best courses and resources available. I finally found an online course and started tak

IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card   529   with Model Answer: Describe a time when you moved to a new school or home. You should say: when it was where you moved why you moved and explain how you felt about it. [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: Introduction: I remember moving to a new home with my family when I was a child. It was the summer of 2014, and we moved from a small town to a big city, where my dad had got a new job. For this topic, I will share this experience with you. When it was: If I remember correctly, it was the year 2014. We moved to this new house at the beginning of summer. Where you moved: We moved to a newly-built apartment in the city centre, and I was excited to see our new home. This new house was far bigger than our previous home, and I really liked the fact that it was in a place where a lot was happenin

IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card   527   with Model Answer: Describe a time you saw something interesting on social media. You should say: when it was where you saw it what you saw and explain why you think it was interesting. [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: Introduction: Thank you for this interesting topic. I would like to talk about a time when I saw something amusing on social media. When it was: A few months ago, I was waiting for my flight at the airport, and as I had some time to kill, I opened Instagram to pass the time. As I was scrolling through my feed, a video caught my eye, and I couldn't help but watch it. Where you saw it: I was on my smartphone and I watched the video on Instagram, one of the most popular social networking platforms in the world. What you saw: The video was a compilation of dogs and babies do

IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card   509   with Model Answer: Describe a time when you felt lucky. You should say: when it was what happened where it happened and explain why you felt so lucky at that time. [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: I think that luck has smiled on me on a number of occasions before except, of course, I haven’t either always realized it or appreciated it for what it really meant then. But, whether I appreciated it or not, the truth is, I have felt lucky before, and today, I would like to share the story of one of those moments when it really happened. Well, it all happened about a year ago when I was living in the capital city of my country – a city which never sleeps, and which is always busy because hundreds of thousands of people are either visiting this place or getting out. Of course, during regular ti

IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card   505   with Model Answer: Describe a time when you were a speaker in a meeting or a public function. You should say: what type of meeting or public function it was why you talked in this programme what you talked about as a speaker in the programme and explain your experience of being a speaker in this programme. [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: Well, to tell the truth, I never had much opportunity to speak at any kind of meeting or public gathering except when I spoke at our local sports club meeting a few times. So, I will just go ahead and talk about the experience of speaking at one such club meeting. Now, please don’t jump to the conclusion, even just for a second, that just because I spoke at that club meeting a few times, I somehow carried some kind of credentials with me of being an exp

IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card   480   with Model Answer: Describe a time when you made a promise to someone. You should say: what promise you made whom you made this promise why you made this promise and explain how you felt about making this promise.  [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: I always try not to put myself in a situation where I have to make some kind of promise, even though I don’t always succeed in doing that. So, yes, I also have to make promises sometimes, despite the fact that it makes me feel uncomfortable, just like I did with one of my distant cousins. Now, before I tell you what kind of promise I made and why, let me tell you a little about my cousin. My cousin was a very brilliant student and very serious about his studies. Since we both were close, I started to notice some changes in his behaviour – chang

IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card   471   with Model Answer: Describe a time when something good happened to you. You should say: when it was what good thing happened to you what you had to do for that and explain how you felt about it. [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: They say life has so many surprises for us and we have to be ready to embrace them no matter the consequences. This is why we have to be prepared to deal with bad situations while also enjoying the good things that happen to us. Thank you for this excellent topic, and here I'll share an event when something nice occurred to me. I graduated from university around 3 years ago and was desperately looking for a decent job. But it was not easy to manage a job in a good company, especially for a fresher like me, who had no prior work experience. My parents' exp

IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card   460   with Model Answer: Describe a time when you changed your opinion. You should say: when it was what your original opinion was why you changed it and explain how you felt about it. [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: I don’t really like to argue with people unless I have a very valid reason to do so. But, when I do argue, I always want to make sure that my opinions are not ignored or rendered irrelevant. Then again, I have changed my opinions also on a number of occasions before when I was offered some more valid opinions, and today, I would like to talk about one such occasion. It was about 2/3 years ago when I was a final-year university student. Up until then, I very much had an opinion that we didn’t really need to participate in any kind of cultural activities (i.e. music, debates, danci

IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card 443 with Model Answer: Describe a time when you talked to a stranger. You should say: who this person was where the conversation took place what the conversation was about and explain why you found the conversation interesting. [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: First of all, I would like to thank you for this great topic. So here, I am going to talk about a time when I talked to a person whom I did not meet before, and yet the conversation was exciting. This conversation took place almost four or five months ago. I was flying to Auckland, New Zealand from my home country, and I had a chance to talk to an Australian environmentalist, who happened to sit beside me on the same flight. I have to say that it was a very memorable conversation. The conversation started when I lent him a pen th

IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card 429 with Model Answer: Describe a time when you could not freely express your opinion. You should say: when it was what opinion you had in mind who were there and explain why you could not express your opinion freely. [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: I am not exactly much of an opinionated person except on some very rare occasions. Of course, there were some occasions when I was given the opportunity to express my opinion, but unfortunately, I don’t think that I was able to express them as freely as I would have preferred. Sometimes, even after my best effort, I was not allowed to express my opinion freely. Here I would like to talk about one of those occasions when I was not allowed to express my opinion freely. It happened about a few years ago when I was called to attend a meeting wh

IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card 419 with Model Answer: Describe a time when you asked for an extension of time to complete something. You should say: when it was what the task was who you asked for the extension in time and explain why you needed more time to complete it. [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: As a university student, I needed to ask for an extension many a time to finish my homework or assignments because of wasting my time in doing unnecessary things. Today, I would like to talk about one of those times when I needed to ask for an extension. It was during the final year of my university studies when I was struggling to balance my student life and the life outside of it. Yes, my final year at the university was hectic, to say the least, since my course load was a bit too much for me to handle.  Of course,

IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card  363  with Model Answer: Describe a time when you were very happy. You should say: when it was what was the occasion who were with you and explain why you were happy about it. [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: Life is full of many happy events and occasions. Thankfully, I have also been blessed to experience some of these happy occasions in my short life, and this cue card topic offers me a perfect opportunity to revisit one such happy occasion today. Back in my high school days, about 10 years ago or so, I wasn’t exactly known to be a very “strong” young lad, compared to the other young boys of my age. So, when other schoolboys were busy, running and playing with each other in a field, I would just feel happy watching them from a safe distance most of the time. Sometimes, I e

IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card 349 with Model Answer: Describe a time when you were not allowed to use your mobile phone. You should say: when and where it was why you were not allowed to use your phone what you wanted to use your phone for and explain how you felt about not being able to use your phone. [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: In today’s world, the idea of living without a mobile phone would certainly seem to be an absurd one to most people, who are used to relying on these little communication devices on a regular basis. But, today, I would like to talk about a time when I was not allowed to use my mobile phone. It was about a couple of years ago, when one of my close friends was seriously injured in an accident, and I needed to see him in a hospital. When I heard the news about the accident,

IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card 301 with Model Answer: Describe a family picnic or tour you have had. You should say: when it was where you went what you did and explain if this was a memorable event 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: Usually, we make arrangements for an annual family picnic at the end of each year. So, last year we went to Philopappos Hill, and this was a great experience. Thank you for this nice topic. I will describe the event here. The family picnic took place in December 2020 - just when our country was recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic. Since we could not go to any public places for that purpose the previous year, we were all eagerly waiting for this event.  I can remember the day very clearly. It was not a foggy day. Instead, the sun was shining brightly. But the environment

IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card 300 with Model Answer: Describe a letter you wrote to someone. You should say: when it was who you wrote to what the letter was about and explain how you felt about 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: When I was a teenager, I think I was barely fourteen years old back then, I used to write letters to a girl of my age. In fact, I was deeply in love with her. So, to express my feelings, I chose to write letters to her. However, writing the first letter was the most difficult of all. Thank you for the topic that reminds me of the early part of my life and the first letter that I wrote to her. Before telling you any further about the event and my first letter to her, I would like to mention that the girl is now my better half, and we are happily married for the last eight ye

IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card 299 with Model Answer: Describe an event you felt unhappy about. You should say: when it was what happened where were you then and explain why you felt unhappy about this event.  [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: Everyone wants to score well in their examination, and when they cannot get the desired score, they feel unhappy. It is quite natural, and that's exactly what had happened to me almost three years ago. I felt miserable because I thought I did well in that particular exam, but the test result was dismaying, to say the least. I am going to share this unhappy experience with you. It was at the end of 2019 when I appeared in my 9th-semester final examination of my undergraduate course at Texas State University. The result was published two weeks later. Till that exam, I

IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card 297 with Model Answer: Describe a time when you were forced to do something against your will. You should say: what it was what/who forced you to do it when it was and explain why you were forced to do 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: I usually do not do anything against my will except for the occasions when I need to keep the honour of others. This topic reminds me of an occasion when I did something against my will that I was not very comfortable doing. It happened about a few months ago as I could not say ‘No’  on that occasion. It took place during the annual university festival last January. I was asked to host the last day of the event as the student who was selected to host the programme became sick all of a sudden. So, they picked me as the host, and it was so s

IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card 291 with Model Answer: Describe a day when you stayed home all day long. You should say: when it was why you did not go outside the whole day what you did at home and explain how you felt about 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.]

IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card 290 with Model Answer: Describe a time when you played with a child. You should say: when it was who the child was how long you played with this child and explain how you felt about 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: I generally like to play with children as they are so innocent and adorable. However, with my busy schedule, I can hardly manage any time to play with children. But I can remember an event when I spent almost an entire day with a child and played different games and sports with this lovely kid. For this topic, I will share my experience. I had to attend a birthday party a couple of months ago, and it was the birthday event of my colleague Mr Robert Perera's child. It was his 6th birthday. The child was barely 6 years old, but the attitudes and acts he show