The IELTS speaking section is a crucial part of the IELTS exam. It consists of 3 tasks: A personal introduction, talking about the cue card, and a longer discussion on the cue card. This blog contains 3 sample responses to the cue card prompt "Describe a rule important in your school or at work". Also, you will find the follow-up question that the examiner can ask after the IELTS speaking part 2. Later in this text, you will get tips to excel in cue card tasks. First, let's understand what IELTS cue cards are.
Table of Contents
There are a total of three parts in the IELTS speaking section. Cue cards are the second part of this section, where you are given a topic to discuss for around 2 minutes. This card will contain a scenario where you have to explain a situation or give an answer to a question. Like in this cue card, you will get the answer to the question of which rule is important. Moreover, you will need to create a plan for how you will approach that response. Furthermore, after the IELTS speaking part 2, you will discuss the same cue card in 3rd part, which will contain follow-up questions based on your response. Now, in the next section, you will read about the ways to answer a cue card.
It is important here that you use a logical approach in your answer. You will get one minute after getting the cue card, where you can think about the main points you will speak about. So, during this time, you can take notes and use keywords that will help you stick to the topic. Moreover, the examiner will be scoring you based on 4 criteria: Fluency, Lexical resources, accuracy, and punctuation. Moreover, the student should work on their vocabulary for IELTS. This is because your word bank can leave a positive impact on the examiner.
You will be shown a text prompt as soon as the IELTS speaking part 2 begins. You need to give a 2-minute response to that text. Below mentioned is the list of questions that you can use in your answer to the topic “Describe a rule that is important in your school or at work” for a better approach.
Let us show you that how your cue card may look like in the IELTS exam. Refer to the image below.
Now, let us read the responses you can give to score good in the first attempt. In the next sections, there are 3 samples for the cue card. So you can adopt the appropriate approach and tone of response for your test.
In many workplaces, there are few rules and regulations which are imposed on the employees to maintain the decorum of the office premises. This may involve the dress code, discipline, punctuality, or prohibition on mobiles and eatables. Here, I will focus on the rules followed at my workplace.
As per my company’s policy, all the employees had to report at 9.30 a.m. and had to work till 6.00 p.m. This makes the total working time of 8.5 hours. So, it was necessary for the employees to give 8.5 hours to the office. So, I used to reach out expeditiously to avoid any issues with the management.
In case I get late in the morning by 5 minutes, then I will have to compensate for that duration in the evening. For example, if I report to the office at 9.35a.m, then it is compulsory for me to complete that duration by working till 6.05 p.m. Moreover, if I arrive after 10.00a.m, then it will be counted as absent for half a day.
In my opinion it is important to work according to the time, so this rule is important to maintain the decorum of the office. So, this rule is a better way to increase productivity.
As I understand the importance of time, so for me it is a considerable rule. Moreover, it perpetuates the decency and morals of the work premises. This rule adds discipline to a person’s life and improves themselves. So, I was always on time and respected this ordinance.
Overall, being punctual is important at work premises and in the schools. By this, you respect the terms of the place and also prove that you follow the rules, making a huge contribution to a healthy work or study environment.
According to me, the most well-known school rule is to be in proper uniform or to maintain an appropriate dress code. This made the entire school look alike and maintained the seemliness.
When I was in school, like all the institutes, we also had a uniform, which we all hated. Every part of the dress code was obligatory to follow. Whether it was a shirt, pants, socks, or shoes, every element added importance to the school uniform. So, it is a very basic rule that every student and teacher has to follow the dress code.
This is a globally accepted fact that if you don’t wear a proper uniform, you get punished. Now, these punishments used to differ in ways. Like in my school, if I am not following the proper dress code, I used to stay on the ground. After everyone dispersed, we were told to run 10 rounds of the school grounds.
A uniform or a dress code is a form of identity of the institute. Also, it promotes unity among the people. Moreover, the main reason behind the same dress code is to encourage impartiality. No one can make a difference over the money if we wear the same kind of clothes and accessories.
The main thing that I did not like was the way students were chastised for not following the dress code. For me, it came under bullying. Apart from this, following the rule of wearing a uniform is a good initiative to promote equality among the masses.
Finally, I would say that following a dress code is important in schools as well as at the workplace. This gives the feeling of unity and equality among the masses.
I relish that rules play a crucial role in shaping an institute. We need to adhere to the rules and laws present in our surroundings. Here, I would like to share a rule which was significant at my workplace where we were not allowed to bring phones into the working area.
In my office, we were not allowed to use mobile phones in the working hours. However, exceptions were considerable if you have to make any calls. Also, this was acceptable when you informed your HR about this and went away from your workstation.
If any of us violated the rule, then there was a verbal warning, which was followed by a formal meeting with the manager. If the same continued, it would lead to a loss of incentives or any other kind of advancement.
I think the rule is crucial as it maintains the productivity of the work. Also, it is important for the professionalism of the workplace. Moreover, it ensures the focus of the employees and prevents any kind of distraction.
Reducing distractions like social media and notifications helps me focus more and be more productive. Also, it assist me to stay away from the addiction to mobile phones for at least 8 to 9 hours a day.
Thus, I personally believe that this rule is important to maintain discipline and increase the productivity of a human mind.
So, these were the sample of responses you can use while appearing in the speaking section of IELTS exam. Moreover, as discussed earlier, you have to use advance words to impress the examiner. So, go through the table below to understand some words and their meanings which were used in the samples above.
Must Read: Describe a Piece of Good Advice That You Gave to Someone - IELTS Cue Card
To improve your vocabulary and word bank, learning new words is important. It will help you in setting a positive impression on the examiner. So, this section mentions some advanced words from the samples with their meanings.
Lexical Resources | Meaning |
Expeditiously | with speed and efficiency |
Perpetuate | to cause something to continue for a long time |
Ordinance | an order or rule made by a government or somebody in a position of authority |
Seemliness | a sense of propriety and consideration for others |
Obligatory | that you must do |
Impartiality | equal treatment of all rivals or disputants |
Chastised | to criticize somebody for doing something wrong |
Relish | to enjoy something or to look forward to something very much |
Adhere | to stick firmly to something |
Overall, this is the list of some words that you can use during the IELTS speaking section to ace up your score.
Now, let's examine some possible follow-up questions the examiner can ask you in the third part of this section.
After you complete the cue card part of the speaking section, the examiner will ask you follow-up questions related to your response only. This part generally lasts 4-5 minutes. Here, you will get the possible cross-questions the examiner can ask based on your IELTS speaking part 2. Read them for a better understanding of the examiner's behavior.
Go through these questions and solve them to improve your IELTS score. Now, let us discuss some tips to excel in the IELTS cue card.
You should keep few things in mind while appearing for the IELTS speaking section. Here, you will get some of the tips that you can practice to improve your score in IELTS.
To conclude, the IELTS speaking part 2, the cue card section, demands some strategies to excel in the overall IELTS score. Here, you will get detailed information about “ Describe a Rule That is Important in Your School or at Work”. Moreover, there are 3 samples for this topic and some follow-up questions the examiner can ask in the 3rd task. Also, you will read a few tips on how you can score better in this section. Still, if you are in search of assistance with the preparation, you can opt for our online IELTS classes, which will help you polish your skills. Furthermore, you will get regular feedback reports, which will help you improve the weak areas.
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