Author: Pooja Ph.D. CELTA

IELTS Speaking: Most common cue card topics

This is a list of most common cue card topics that were given to IELTS candidates in the speaking test.

Cue card topics 

  1. Describe someone who knows a lot about something
  2. A rule formed in your school that you agree/disagree with
  3. Describe a person you work/study with
  4. Describe something you bought recently and you are happy with it
  5. A foreign city you’d like to visit
  6. A plan you’ve been making for long but it didn’t work
  7. Describe a place where people go to spend leisure time
  8. Talk about a friend who cleverly solved a problem
  9. Talk about a language lesson you enjoyed
  10. Describe a good news that you have heard recently about your relatives
  11. Describe recent changes in your life
  12. Talk about your ideal home
  13. A garden you visited as a child
  14. Describe something that you taught to your friend/relative
  15. A special cake you had
  16. A time when you teamed up with an old person
  17. Describe an interesting conversation you had with a stranger
  18. A healthy lifestyle that you follow
  19. An occasion when you helped someone
  20. Describe a person who took a decision for you recently
  21. Describe a time when you visited new school/home
  22. A time when you had to use your imagination
  23. A moment you laughed a lot
  24. Describe a website you have used recently
  25. Describe an interesting person from other country
  26. An organization you’d like to work for
  27. Your perfect holiday destination
  28. Describe a place that is not frequented by people
  29. When someone gave positive comments to you
  30. A book that has influenced you
  31. Describe a visit to a place that is not famous
  32. Describe a special cake you made for someone
  33. A group of people that made you smile
  34. A small business you’d like to start
  35. Describe a shop recently opened in your area
  36. Describe something you got for free
  37. A plant that you find useful
  38. A person who helped you in your studies
  39. Disagreement with a decision someone made
  40. Your favourite item of clothing
  41. Good news about a person you know well
  42. Something you’re planning to do but haven’t done it yet
  43. A gift that made you happy
  44. A happy married couple
  45. An English lesson that has influenced you
  46. Something you got for free
  47. Facilities you want in your hometown
  48. Talk about your favourite sport
  49. An invention you find very useful
  50. A big company/organisation near you
  51. A businessman that you admire
  52. A person’s service in a restaurant
  53. An expensive hobby you can’t pursue daily
  54. Swimming pool(Speaking Sample Answers)
  55. Describe your favourite song
  56. My first mobile phone
  57. State of Public Transport
  58. Describe a subject you enjoyed studying at school
  59. Talk about a time when you searched for some information on the internet
  60. Talk about a beautiful city
  61. Describe a decision that you made
  62. Talk about a skill that takes a long time to learn
  63. Describe something interesting that your friend have done
  65. Important Event
  66. Describe your dream House
  67. Describe a famous person you would like to meet
  68. Describe a time when you got into trouble
  69. Describe a building with architectural interest
  70. Describe a piece of modern technology that you own
  71. Describe a job that you hope to have
  72. Talk about an event when you were congratulated
  73. Describe someone you know who is a good cook
  74. Describe something useful that you learned from a member of your family
  75. An interesting animal in your country
  76. Talk about a season that you enjoy
  77. Describe an open- air or street market which you enjoyed visiting
  78. Describe a song that you like
  79. Describe an unusual meal you had
  80. Talk about a book that you liked
  81. Describe a sport you have seen on tv and would like to try
  82. Talk about a tv series that you remember
  83. Talk about a river or lake in your country
  84. Describe a comic actor who is popular in your country
  85. Design a building you visited and liked
  86. Talk about a talkative person that you liked
  87. Describe an important decision/choice that you made in your life
  88. Talk about a speech which somebody delivered and you heard 
  89. Describe a foreign country you have never been to.
  90. Describe a subject taught in your school.
  91. Describe your dream college/University.
  92. Tell about a time when you had to write a lot
  93. Talk about something important you lost in the past
  94. Talk about a leisure activity you have done with your family
  95. Describe a happy day you would like to have
  96. Describe an interesting conversation you had with someone you did not know
  97. Describe something useful you learned from a member of your family
  98. Describe something useful you borrowed from another person
  99. Describe any practical skill you have
  100. Talk about a recent experience when the internet solved your problem
  101. Talk about a time when you didn’t share a truth with your best friend
  102. Describe a historical period/time you want to know more about
  103. Describe a thing that has become a matter of status nowadays
  104. Describe a plant that you find useful
  105. Describe a rule that you did not like in your school
  106. Describe something you own which has important to you
  107. Describe a famous person whom you admire
  108. Describe a common dress that females in your country wear
  109. Describe a club you organized or involved in it
  110. Describe something you bought but did not use much
  111. Describe an outdoor activity that you did for the first time
  112. Describe an old object which your family has kept for a long time
  113. Talk about an instance when you were cheated, or somebody lied to you, or didn’t tell you the complete truth
  114. Describe your favorite movie
  115. Describe an occasion when the vehicle you were traveling in broke down
  116. Describe an old person you met who has inspired you
  117. Describe an impressive advertisement you remember well
  118. Describe a person you know whom you think is well-dressed
  119. Describe your favorite way to relax
  120. Describe a TV series you like
  121. Describe a good law in your country
  122. A Season you enjoy
  123. Describe an important plant in your country
  124. Describe a foreign cultural festival that you like
  125. Describe someone who knows a lot about something
  126. Describe the job/ career you have or hope to have
  127. Describe a piece of modern technology that you own
  128. Describe someone who learned a foreign language
IELTSBAND 7

IELTS Dehradun Uttarakhand Tel: 8439000086

Writing task 2: It is better for children to begin learning a foreign language at primary school rather than secondary school.

Writing task 2 Some experts believe that it is better for children to begin learning a foreign language at primary school rather than secondary school. Do the advantages of this outweigh the drawbacks? Write at least 250 words.

Sample Answer

Foreign languages have become a key component of school curriculum in many parts of the world. But, whether children should learn them at primary or secondary school is a topic of frequent discussion. Some people argue that children should be introduced to international languages at primary level. Personally, I believe that the pros of this early exposure of foreign languages outnumber the cons.

To begin with, in today’s globalized world, it is almost impossible to deny the significance of being a bilingual or a multilingual. Our foreign language abilities play a defining role in every field, be it finding a dream job in a multinational company or settling in a new country. Therefore, teaching international languages to young pupils is a major step towards their bright future. More importantly, children’s minds are highly receptive when they are young. They can learn anything much more quickly than adults and are not afraid of making mistakes. These early language lessons can not only boost the confidence level of learners but also help them attain native-like fluency. These classes will also have a positive impact on children’s social life.

On the other hand, the negatives of making children learn an international language when they do not understand its value should not be overlooked. Most schools, especially the Asian ones, have many subjects like science, mathematics, history and geography etc. in their curriculum. As a result, young students have a lot to learn. So, including one more subject in the form of a foreign language definitely puts additional pressure on children. Some learners find it hard to cope with this extra work. It is often observed that if students do not get the support they need, they tend to lose their interest in the language.

To sum up, language acquisition is a gradual process. The sooner it begins, the better the results will be. I believe that careful lesson planning can make the entire learning experience enjoyable and rewarding for every child.

 

Feel free to call for suggestions and queries.

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8439000086

8439000087

7055710003

7055710004

IELTS Band 7 Dehradun
Near Ballupur Chowk, Dehradun

email: info at ieltsband7.com

IELTS online simulator

IELTS BAND 7 Home page

IELTS WRITING LETTER : The Local council

IELTS General Training Task 1: a business letter

You should spend 20 minutes on this task.

The Local Council in your city has no funds for repairs and maintenance of old buildings. It has decided to demolish an old historical building to build a software company. Write a letter to the head of the Council. In your letter

· explain why the building is important

· suggest how the building can be used to benefit the local community

· suggest a solution to finance the repairs.

Write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir/Madam,

IELTS WRITING LETTER : The Local council in your city. It has decided to demolish an old historical building to build a software company.

Sample Answer:

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with the Local Council’s decision to pull down the old Heritage Centre of Mussoorie.

This building has been a historic landmark of our area for over 150 years. It has a huge collection of paintings and artefacts. Most of them were handcrafted by skilled craftsmen who worked tirelessly for the development of our town. The centre used to be a popular tourist attraction, but because of the negligence of the Local Council it has lost its popularity.

I understand that the building is in a dilapidated state. Certainly, the proposed software company will generate more employment opportunities for people living in this region. Nevertheless, this progress will be at the expense of losing one of the oldest historic landmarks of Mussoorie. Somehow, it seems unacceptable to me.

I believe that the Heritage Centre can be restored and put to good use for the local community. The Council can use it as a community centre or traditional skills learning centre for the locals. As far as the fundraising is concerned, I hope that volunteers would gladly come forward to devote some time for this noble cause. In addition, the Council can contact local companies to donate small funds for preserving this historic building.

I hope that the Local Council of Mussoorie reconsiders its decision of destroying the Heritage Centre and finds a different site for building the software company.

Yours faithfully,

Savan Sharma

 

Feel free to call for suggestions and queries.

phone icon

8439000086

8439000087

7055710003

7055710004

IELTS Band 7 Dehradun
Near Ballupur Chowk, Dehradun

email: info at ieltsband7.com

IELTS online simulator

IELTS BAND 7 Home page

IELTS Writing: Letter to the railway company to report a lost item

IELTS General Training

Writing task 1

You should spend 20 minutes on this task.

You have lost an item of value on a train. Write a letter to the railway company. In your letter

  • Describe the item
  • Explain where and when you left it
  • Say what action you would like the company to take

Write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

IELTS Writing: Letter to the railway company to report a lost item. Describe the item. Explain where and when you left it.

Sample Answer

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to report the loss of a valuable personal item on one of your trains.

The item is a navy blue laptop bag with the brand name ‘American Express’ embossed on the front. It has two zipped compartments. In one of the compartments I had kept my 15-inch Dell laptop. My passport, adaptor, mobile charger and some official documents were also inside.

Last Saturday, 15th March, I boarded the 2:30 pm train from Shimla to New Delhi. If I recall correctly, I was in the fourth carriage sitting near the front. I had kept the laptop bag in the overhead space. The long journey left me exhausted and while getting down, I forgot to take the bag with me.

Could you please let me know if a laptop bag of this description has been found? My phone number is 0091 7889898999. If you have it, please keep it in a safe place and I will make arrangements to collect it at your earliest convenience.

Thank you for your time.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Sally Rana

 

Feel free to call for suggestions and queries.

phone icon

8439000086

8439000087

7055710003

7055710004

IELTS Band 7 Dehradun
Near Ballupur Chowk, Dehradun

email: info at ieltsband7.com

IELTS online simulator

IELTS BAND 7 Home page

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