Describe an Interesting Conversation That You Had- IELTS Cue Card

Introduction to IELTS Cue Cards

An IELTS cue card contains a topic with some bullet points on which you need to speak for about 2 minutes. These cue cards are designed to evaluate your ability in the four areas that are: Fluency and coherence, grammar, and pronunciation. However, the IELTS cue cards demand a natural and confident delivery. Through this, you can gain high scores in the speaking section. Now let’s discuss in the next section, that how you should prepare for the cue card.

How to Answer the Cue Card?

To answer the cue card, you need to follow a logical approach and must cover all the points mentioned in the task card. You will get one minute of preparation time to plan your cue card, and then you need to speak on it for 2 minutes. Make sure you don’t fumble while answering the cue card, as it will affect your overall score. However, as soon as your IELTS speaking part 2 ends, the examiner will make a rough idea of your band score. Now let’s have a look below on how your cue card will look like and what pointers you must include.

The following cue card topic “Describe an Interesting Conversation That You Had” has some bullet points to add. They are as follows:

• Who the person was?
• Where and when you talked with the person?
• What you talked about with the person?
• And explain why it was interesting.

Now grab a look at the image and see what your cue card looks like in the exam.

As we have looked at the above image, let’s move forward to see the three sample answers for the given cue card topic “Describe an Interesting Conversation That You Had.”

Describe an Interesting Conversation That You Had- Sample 1

Here is the first sample response you can get through for achieving 8+ band scores with the right format.

Introduction

I am not a very outgoing person or a “social bug” who likes to go out and start talking with strangers. But there is one interesting conversation I had that I would like to talk about.

Who the Person Was?

The most interesting conversation I had was with my mother when I was a little depressed and stressed. I wanted some time to take personal space and to scrutinize myself. I had a very long conversation with my mother that lasted around about 1-1.5 hours. Also, I was lying down on her lap and watching her laughing and smiling the whole time.

Where and When You Talked with the Person?

Around two to three months ago, when I was feeling mentally void I entered into my mother’s room and started conversing with her. At that time, my mother was doing some work but she took out some time for me to sit and speak. I addressed my problems with her and told them how I had been feeling for the last 4-5 months and why I was not able to give time to my family members.

What You Talked with the Person?

I talked with my mother about my dilemma regarding my job and whether should I continue or not. And after quitting the job what can be the other option for me to do? My mother enlighten me with the advice that you should listen to your heart and do what is best for you. Further, she added that don't think about what the people are going to say and explore as much as you can for the amelioration of the future.

And Explain Why It Was Interesting.

The conversation was interesting as my mother gave me the advice to do something that actually I like and listen to my heart. I will always cherish and adhere to the life lessons which my mother gave to me that day. As it will help me to grow and also build my strong relations with her. That’s why this conversation was the most interesting one in my life.

Conclusion

Overall, this was an interesting conversation I had with my mother and I would definitely like to engage in conversations like these.

Describe an Interesting Conversation That You Had- Sample 2

The second sample answer you can try in your IELTS speaking section for a good band score.

Introduction

In my life, I’ve met a lot of people and had a lot of conversations with them. But today I would like to talk about the most interesting conversation that I had.

Who the Person Was?

I did talk with a complete stranger, at a time, that I was not looking for. I was en route to one of the major cities in my country about a year ago. We were sitting next to each other, in order to board our flight. That is where our conversation took place and I was actually feeling nervous talking to him. But somehow I took some courage to talk to that stranger.

When and Where You Talked with the Person?

As I mentioned, we were ready to board our flight so I met him at the local airport in my country where we both were travelling. We both were waiting at the departure lounge, and the gentleman probably in his mid-50s, requested me to look after his baggage and belongings, so he could go and grab some coffee from one of the stores. I agreed to his request but also asked him to come soon and to watch his luggage on his own.

What You Talked with the Person?

The gentleman came back with two cups of coffee and he offered me one too. I again accepted it. After that, our conversation started and he introduced myself to me as a victorious businessman. In addition, I also told him that I am a financial broker and began conversing with him regarding his life, family, and kids. He seems to me a very extrovert type of person so I mentioned that he shouldn’t have left his luggage with a stranger like me.

And Explain Why It Was Interesting.

I found the conversation very interesting when he told me that he has become a successful businessman both in his personal and professional life, mainly because he had learned to trust others. After listening to such a constructive response, I felt really embarrassed because of my bad behaviour earlier. I felt that I needed to become more broad-minded towards others.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this is the most interesting conversation I had with any stranger and I realized that at some point in time, we need to trust somebody to feel safe.

Describe an Interesting Conversation That You Had- Sample 3

The third or final sample answer for your preference is given below with the right strategies. 

Introduction

I love talking or engaging with people as I am an extrovert type of personality. But there is one such interesting conversation that I would like to share today.

Who the Person Was?

The person was an established cinematographer whose name was John Thomas. I was always fond of cinematography and movies during my college time and inquisitive too to know about the interesting things related to it. One day he visited our college for the session “Rules and Principles of Cinematography.” After the session was over, I went towards him and talked about the cinematography.

When and Where You Talked with the Person?

Right after the end of our session, I talked to him near the cafeteria of our college. Our conversation started with introducing myself to him and telling him how much I love cinematography. Then he delved into the art of cinematography and its power to capture emotions and stories. He shared his experiences with filming his movies and also shared his passion and dreams in life.

What You Talked with the Person?

I talked with the person about the art behind the storytelling of films, writing, picturization, and directing. I also complimented him on his impressive camera work, and from there, we completely transitioned into discussing our shared passion. I also engaged with him in discussing how each scene could be shot including camera angles, lighting, and the overall aesthetic part of the story.

And Explain Why It Was Interesting.

The conversation was interesting as it was such organic and profound with a person whom I admire the most. There was a sense of liberation in discussing shared interests in cinematography. I believe that meeting up like this can bring happiness and prosperity into my life. That’s why this conversation holds a special place in my heart.

Conclusion

To conclude, I stepped out of my comfort zone and engaged with him which opened the doors to my new perspectives, ideas, and the art of cinematography.

Overall, these are the three sample responses for the cue card. In the next section, we will look at the lexical resources used in the above samples.

Suggested Read: Describe Your Dream House

Lexical Resources

In the above-given sample responses, you have seen we have underlined the most difficult words for you. These words are known as lexical resources that will help you improve your vocabulary for the IELTS exam.

Overall, these are some of the hard words you need to know for the exam. In the next section, you will find out about the follow-up questions related to your cue card topic.

Follow-Up Questions with Answers

Once your IELTS speaking part 2 is completed, the examiner will move forward to ask you some of the possible follow-up questions that come under part 3. These questions would be related to your cue card topic. However, these are asked to check your ability that whether you have in-depth knowledge on a particular topic and can express your opinions or not. The total estimated time is around 4-5 minutes. Thus, let’s explore some of the possible follow-up questions with answers that can be asked of you.

Do you think that the younger generation face problems in conversing with people?

Yes, according to me today’s younger generation is majorly active on the phone. They usually try to avoid outdoor activities and social gatherings. Younger individuals tend to prefer communicating through social media sites or platforms instead of face-to-face interaction. As a result, they don’t feel comfortable enough in engaging with the other individuals.

According to you, what is better, face-to-face or phone conversation?

In my opinion, some important or serious talk should be done face-to-face, while the smaller or normal conversations could be done over the phone. However, communicating through phone or email can be more convenient for many people, as direct face-to-face communication sometimes remains the preferred mode of communicating.

How to disagree with an opinion in a conversation?

You should politely disagree with an opinion in a conversation when you don’t need to always agree with the second person. However, don’t take it personally and avoid putting down other people’s ideas or beliefs. Humbly and with respect, you should disagree with the given opinion or statement.

What do you think is an excellent way to start a conversation?

The best way to start a conversation is by breaking the ice with the person and then starting with some of the basic questions like how are you, likes, dislikes, and hobbies. Then by connecting on the same ground, find your interest on which you can talk about and build trust and support.

Overall, these are some of the follow-up questions related to your cue card “Describe an interesting conversation that you had.” In the next section, you will see some helpful tips to excel in the cue card round.

Tips to Excel in IELTS Cue Card

The following section will let you know about the IELTS speaking tips and tricks to ace the cue card round. You must use these tips in the IELTS exam.

• Keep your tone conversational. Speak at a natural pace and stay calm
• While answering your cue card, add details, examples, and experiences to make it more engaging.
• Utilize a range of vocabulary and practice pronunciation.
• Practice speaking a concise and well-structured response within the given time frame.
• Use linking words, phrases, idioms, and vocabulary to connect your ideas logically.
• Maintain clear fluency and pronunciation while speaking
• Seek feedback from professionals or experts while speaking on a range of topics.
• Record yourself while speaking that can help you find your areas for improvement.
• Practice regularly on a wide range of topics.
• Pause to think before you begin speaking in your cue card round.

Conclusion

Overall, we discussed the IELTS speaking section and one of its cue cards with the three sample responses. In addition, the cue card topic “Describe an interesting conversation that you had” gives you an idea of how to write and what it should include. Also, we looked at the follow-up questions with answers and useful tips to ace this round. Thus, if you want to experience more then take our IELTS speaking mock test or join offline or online IELTS classes for achieving 8+band scores.