July 13, 2026 - IELTS BAND7

CUE CARD – Describe something that was broken in your home and then repaired

July 13, 2026 IELTS Research

Speaking – Part 2 (Cue Card)

Describe something that was broken in your home and then repaired.
You should say:

What it is ?

How it was broken ?

How you got it repaired ?

And how you felt about it ?

Sample Answer:

When I was young, I used to be incautious about my belongings. I would often forget or break things. My mother would scold me several times and label me as a clumsy daughter.

The thing I broke was the television. Being the age of hand-held gadgets, there are still enough people around who prefer television over mobile. No doubt, it feels terrifying when your beloved TV gets a cracked screen.
It was Sunday afternoon, and my brother and I were playing chess. After some time, we both got into an argument, and the argument soon turned into a fight. My brother started chasing me with the chessboard, and all of a sudden, he threw the board towards me. Luckily, it did not touch me, but unfortunately, it hit the television. We both were petrified and had lost the courage to look at the TV screen. Our mother rushed into the room after hearing the noise and scolded us very badly. She immediately informed our father, which made us even more scared. However, he did not utter a single word to either of us. But we could easily see the anger on his face. We knew something big was awaited.

A technician was called to fix the damage. Fortunately, it was fixed, but it cost us an arm and a leg. Our father did not interact with us for a week. It was disheartening to see our parents suffering due to our reckless behaviour.
We both apologised for the mishap and promised not to repeat any such incidents in the future.

Speaking – Part 3 (Follow-up questions)
Here are some examples of follow-up questions that the examiner may ask during your speaking (part 3) related to the cue card ‘describe something that was broken in your home and then repaired’.

Q1. Are IT-related jobs valued more by society?
Well, IT-related jobs have gained popularity in recent years. But, in my country, government jobs are more valued than any IT-related jobs because they provide a sense of security and act as a status symbol in society.

Q2. Is the quality of products worse than before?
Certainly, there is ample evidence to prove how companies have played with the quality of products. If we look back 50 years ago, the quality of products was much finer than today’s. Earlier, companies used to focus on the needs of the consumers; now their sole motive is to earn profit.

Q3. What kinds of things do people like to repair by themselves?
. Saving money is one of the factors people consider when tackling a home improvement project. People like to repair several things at home, for instance, fixing a leaky kitchen or bathroom pipe, fixing a sticking window, and many more.

Q4. Why do people like to get their mobile phones repaired in specialised stores?
Quality is the major reason why people opt for specialised stores, as they offer better and more reliable service than any local store. Apart from that, specialised stores deliver one-time fixes as well as a warranty for their device.

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