In the IELTS speaking part 2, one of the questions you might encounter is asking you to describe an interesting conversation that you had with a very old person. This is a great opportunity to demonstrate your language, grammar, and speaking skills. The blog covers the IELTS cue card “Describe an Interesting Conversation You Had with a Very Old Person” essay samples, along with the follow-up questions and lexical resources. In addition to that, we have also mentioned how to answer the cue card and some helpful tips to excel in this task. So let us first begin by understanding all about cue cards.
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The IELTS speaking section is a face-to-face interview between the examiner and the candidate. The cue card section is a part of the IELTS speaking section that lasts for about 1-2 minutes. Moreover, it is the same for both the IELTS Academic and IELTS General exams. A specific topic will be provided along with a few pointers around which the candidate must frame their response. Further, you must prepare your thoughts and share your experience about a person, a place, or an object that is meaningful to you. Next, let us see how to answer the “Describe an Interesting Conversation You Had with a Very Old Person” cue card and what it looks like.
Answering IELTS cue cards requires a proper structure and strategy. Moreover, the ideal way to draft an answer is to divide the sections into parts. These include an introduction, the body wherein you mention the key highlights and the conclusion. Moreover, to score well in the IELTS speaking part 2 the content in the response must be structured. Besides, your answer will be assessed and evaluated based on four major criteria. These include fluency and coherence, grammar, and pronunciation.
The pointers that you must explain in the “Describe an Interesting Conversation You Had with a Very Old Person” essay are as follows:
You will get a minute to prepare your thoughts and then speak for a minute or two on the topic. Now, let us see what the cue card looks like.
Now that you have a brief idea about how the cue cards for IELTS speaking looks like, let us see a few sample answers.
Here is the first sample response for achieving 8+ band scores in your IELTS speaking section task.
I like talking to old people, they are at that stage of life where they have a lot of the teachings, knowledge, and experiences to offer. I would like to describe an interesting conversation I had with a very old person.
Recently, I had a revealing and inspiring discussion with my granddad, an ex-army officer. His age is over 75 and he has about 3 decades of service in the army since he retired and has always remained a pillar in our family both in terms of strength and disciplinary aspects.
I had this conversation with him last week, during my summer vacation when I visited him at his home. We often sit together and chat about things but this time was particularly different.
This time we talked about his experiences and his journey in the army. This conversation is about the time when he served in special task forces. He had been posted in Leh Ladakh. He told me fascinating stories about how he and his troop soldiers faced adversities and challenges in such low temperatures. He reminisced about the time he served as an army officer, mentioning his sense of duty and sacrifice. Moreover, he told me that these values shape life.
The conversation inspired and encouraged a sense of pride for him. I felt deeply respectful and appreciative of my grandfather’s sacrifices. In fact, I was amazed by his resilience during the hardships.
The conversation did not only help me learn more about my grandfather’s life. But it also gave me an understanding and made me realize the importance of discipline.
Here is yet another sample answer that will be helpful for acing the IELTS speaking part 2 cue card task.
I am an extrovert and enjoy conversing with people. Today, I like to talk about an interesting conversation I had with a very old person that has left an enduring impression on my mind.
I had this conversation with my grandmother who is in her late 80s, but still has the heart of a young person. She has always been a source of warmth in our family. Her captivating stories about the past are always a delight to one’s ear.
I had this conversation with her during a family gathering at her house last winter. We sat on the porch of the house soaking in the sunlight as it was cold. She has many interesting stories that she relates to me every now and then.
It was a very special conversation since it was about her childhood. She shared with me how life was different than when she was a young girl. Technology was not something readily seen as it is today. There are many due to numerous developments; we have conveniences now. She said the community used to come together earlier in everything to help one another. This is what she feels appears to have worn off from the world today.
I felt both humbled and inspired by the conversation. It made me realize how much the world has changed over the years. Listening to her made me appreciate the simplicity of life back then. Moreover, it taught me the importance of family and community.
To sum up, it was enlightening and heartwarming for me to hear her. Moreover, it was the first time I had felt a connection with the past that I had never experienced before.
Read the sample answer for the IELTS speaking section and achieve a good band score.
One of the most memorable conversations that I had was with my neighbor who is an elderly person.
Mr. Sharma is in his late 70’s but is a very active man. He has lived near my place long before I was born. He has lived through many historical events, including the separation of India. His wisdom and unique perspective on life made our conversation truly enriching.
I spoke to him earlier this evening, sitting sitting in his cozy living room. He sat on his rocking chair and I took a seat on the sofa. We were enjoying tea while he casually shared memories from his youth.
We discussed his childhood and the hardships that he and his faced during the time of the separation. Moreover, we talked about how the world has changed since then. I was particularly interested in hearing his thoughts on how technology has turned the tables and transformed lives. He told me me is both amazed and nostalgic about the changes.
It was truly an incredible experience. Moreover, humbling for me as I heard everything firsthand from someone who had experienced it all. His stories gave me a deeper appreciation for the present and the sacrifices made by earlier generations.
This conversation with Mr. Sharma was not only informative but also emotionally enriching. It reminded me of the value of listening to the elderly and learning from their life experiences.
Here are some of the words from the sample above that will help you enhance your vocabulary for IELTS exam. This list of lexical resources along with the meanings.
| Lexical Resources | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Revealing | Allowing something to be known that was secret or unknown before |
| Fascinating | Extremely interesting or charming |
| Adversities | A misfortune, a troubling situation |
| Reminisced | To talk about pleasant things that happened in the past |
| Resilience | The ability to withstand adversity and bounce back from difficult life events |
| Enduring | Continuing for a long time; lasting |
| Captivating | Holding your attention by being extremely interesting, exciting, pleasant, or attractive |
| Porch | A small covered area at the entrance to a house |
| Soaking | To enjoy feeling or experiencing (something pleasant) in usually a slow or relaxed way |
| Numerous | Existing in large numbers; many |
| Worn Off | To gradually decrease, disappear, or stop |
| Humbled | To make somebody feel that he/she is not as good or important as he/she thought |
| Heartwarming | Causing feelings of pleasure and happiness |
| Enriching | To improve the quality, flavour, etc. of something |
| Hardships | The fact of not having enough money, food, etc. |
| Nostalgic | Feeling happy and also slightly sad when you think about things that happened in the past |
| Incredible | Impossible or very difficult to believe |
Now that the words and the meanings are clear. Let us look at some follow-up questions that may appear in this task.
After you have completed speaking in the cue card round, the examiner asks questions based on the provided topic. This is the last part of the IELTS speaking section and takes about 4-5 minutes. It consists of a few follow-up questions, the difficulty ranging from easy and medium to hard. Generally, the examiner asks about 5-7 follow-up questions. This round is used to assess your speaking skills and impacts your score. Thus, you must give a detailed response with examples and also include your own experiences. Now let’s discuss some possible follow-up questions that you may encounter:
These were a few follow-up questions along with answers. Further, let us look at a few tips that will help you score well in the exam.
In this section, we have mentioned some tips and tricks to help you excel in the cue card with an 8+band score. Let us have a glance at the following pointer:
Wrapping up, the IELTS speaking section is a crucial part of the IELTS exam that requires proper preparation. Thus, in this blog, we have discussed the cue card topic “Describe an Interesting Conversation You Had with a Very Old Person” with its three sample answers. In addition to that, the write-up also contains lexical resources along with a few useful tips. Besides, there are more such topics that you must practice to excel in the IELTS speaking cue card round. Moreover, if you have queries or need assistance to ace the exam then join our online IELTS classes by experts.
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