December 26, 2022 - IELTS BAND7

CUE CARD – Describe a thing you did and succeeded

December 26, 2022 IELTS Research

Speaking -Part 2 (Cue Card)

Describe a thing you did and succeeded.
You should say:

What it was ?

How did you complete it ?

Why it was difficult ?

And how you felt about doing it ?

Sample Answer

Well, I have always been someone who loves to take up new challenges in life, as I love to test my limits. Today, I would like to talk about one such strenuous task that I did and succeeded. It was the Combined Defence services examination which is conducted by UPSC twice every year. I started a year ago with my preparations, and it was a really time taking and tiring process, as the syllabus covers almost all the domains, which included Science, History, Geography, Political Science, Economics, Current Affairs, and English, followed by the preparation of a five days SSB interview, where the candidates’ personality is judged from inside out, and lastly, a medical examination.

I completed it, because I started quite early with my preparations, as I was aware beforehand with the vast curriculum that I needed to cover and revise before the actual exam dates were out. I carefully devised a plan by dividing my whole preparation into three phases – written, interview and medical. Firstly, I started with my written part by strategically dividing my time that I would be giving for each module, and prioritized the weaker topics which required more time and attention. Furthermore, I was really consistent with my studies, and used to attempt mock tests and do weekly revision, wherein, I would cover all that I had learned throughout the week. I was successfully able to get done with the written preparation in about eight months, and then I prepared for the interview for around a month. In the remaining three months, I did a full-fledged revision of the whole syllabus.

Finally, the big day arrived, when the results came out and I was on cloud nine. Seeing my name in the final merit list, my parents got quite emotional, for it was a whole lot of efforts that I had put into this examination and I could finally see myself as a commissioned officer in the Indian Armed forces. It was something which I manifested ever since I was a child, and finally, my dream came true.

Overall, this was a thing I did and succeeded.

Speaking -Part 3 (Follow up questions)
Here are some examples of follow up questions that examiner may ask during your speaking (part 3) related to cue card ‘Describe a person you only met once and want to know more about.

Q1.What kinds of jobs require people to be confident ?

Well, it is an interesting question. In my opinion, all kinds of professions demand confidence, especially the teaching sector, where the trainer should not only be really good with the concepts, but also be confident enough to present them clearly to the students.

Q2.On what occasions should children be encouraged? How?

I strongly believe that children should be encouraged on special occasions like, sports event, Olympiads, competitions and many more. Moreover, teachers and parents should motivate children every time they are stuck in some difficult situation.

Q3. How do you help children stay focused ?

Nowadays, there are a myriad of things that we can do, in order to keep children focussed. First and foremost, I regularly ask children to actively participate in yoga and meditation practices, as it helps in developing the concentration abilities, resulting in better output.

Furthermore, I actively allow children to engage themselves into as many hobbies or interests as they can, for it helps them to stay busy and focused. Healthy eating habits should be inculcated in order to enhance concentration at studies.

Q4.What challenges do young people face today?

Youngsters nowadays face a lot of challenges. Primarily, the identity crisis, as the youth today does not want to follow in someone’s footsteps, but rather wish to create his/ her own identity in the society. They do not want to take up pre- designed roles or be told what they are capable of. Another major challenge that young people nowadays suffer from is dealing with the growing cut throat competition, which they all have become a part of, knowingly or unknowingly, followed by unresolved personal issues, the burden of which they have been carrying ever since.