CUE CARD – Describe a time when you were stuck in a traffic jam

August 24, 2023 IELTS Research

Speaking -Part 2 (Cue Card)

Describe a time when you were stuck in a traffic jam.

You should say:

When and where it happened?

How long you were in the traffic jam?

What you did while waiting?

And explain how you felt when you were in that traffic jam.

Sample Answer

Once, I got stuck in a big traffic jam on a super hot day. The cars hardly moved, and everyone was honking and getting mad. We didn’t know why the traffic was so bad. It felt like time was going really slow, and I was getting really impatient. I tried listening to music, but it didn’t help much.

While we were stuck, I saw how cars were trying to go around each other. Some drivers looked annoyed, while others seemed to get it. I even talked to the person in the car next to me about past times when we were stuck in traffic.

Finally, after a really long time, the traffic started moving again. It was a big relief to get out of the jam. This whole thing taught me that unexpected stuff can test how patient we are. Getting stuck in traffic showed me how people act differently in the same situation, and it reminded me that life can be really tricky to figure out.

STRONG WORDS

Word	Meaning	Sentence
Impatient	feeling restless	Rohan became impatient when his father didn’t pick his call.
Unexpected	likely to happen	For me, it was totally unexpected to win the competition.

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 time when you were stuck in a traffic jam’.

Q1. Are traffic jams common in your city?

Yes, traffic jams are pretty common in my city. There are so many cars on the road, and sometimes the roads need repairs, which can slow things down. When many people are driving at the same time, it can get really crowded and slow-moving. People here are used to facing this every day.

Q2. What can be done to improve traffic?

To make traffic better, we can have more buses and trains so people don’t use their cars as much. Fixing and making roads bigger would help too. Using smart systems to control traffic can make things smoother. Sharing rides and riding bikes could also reduce cars. And if people work at different times, there won’t be so much traffic all together.