Students often get confused when they have to answer the cue cards in the IELTS speaking section. In this blog, you can learn about how to approach and answer them with sample answers and expert tips on the topic, "Describe Something That You Did with Someone." If you want to know more about IELTS or any other language proficiency test or study abroad, you can count on us for help. We provide the best assistance and make sure to fulfill your dream of overseas education.
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Now that you understand what IELTS cue cards are, it's important to approach them carefully. The examiner gives you one minute to thoughtfully consider the topic presented on the card. Before you respond to the question in the second task of the IELTS speaking section, take the time to fully grasp what the topic requires. Jot down key points and related ideas that can help you structure your answer effectively.
Here are the main points to consider when preparing for the topic: Describe Something That You Did with Someone:
Here is the first sample answer that will help you ace the IELTS Cue card section:
I want to share an experience I had with my friends when we were collecting grants for an orphanage. It was a social occasion conducted by our middle school and the donations we collected were given to the orphanage with class names.
A fund collection drive was conducted in our school where a Carnival was organized. The money collected directly or indirectly in that fair like through donations, games, entry tickets, food, etc. was collected by our class teachers who submitted to the principal. All this capital was then given to an orphanage home. Though it would be a small amount, it would be helpful for them and was a pursuit to learn humbleness for students.
We were split into groups as per our choice. So, I assembled three girls from my neighborhood so that we could focus on our area better and cover more people with deeper connections.
We took 2 days to collect the money from our neighborhood. We divided into 2 groups of girls each and split the community areas and covered them within this time period. The fair was organized by the school committee the next weekend for 2 days. Then on Monday, we submitted the money collected to the orphanage home.
It was a group activity where we could support each other and acquire something new. Our group of four girls was from the same neighborhood and was well aware of the location. We split the area into further sections so that we can cover more places in less time and also escalate our chances of output.
In conclusion, it was the experience of a lifetime where we worked together for a good thought and without any self-gain. Working with this group was also a great learning because our fraternity got stronger and we came to know each other better.
Below is another sample answer to the cue card topic “Describe Something That You Did with Someone”. You can use them in the IELTS speaking section to ace it.
An experience I've had with someone doing something is co-hosting a teacher's day event at high school with my best friend. It was something we cherish a lot and have had the best encounter of our school time.
When I was in my class 12th, I was given the opportunity to host an event for teacher’s day and at the same time, my best friend cleared the auditions too. So, it was a moment we shared unexpectedly but fabricated the most beautiful memories of during our school time.
My best friend was my co-host. We wanted to participate together but she was more inclined towards singing. However, a day before the event, the singing segment was removed and so she thought of giving a try at hosting and we fine-tuned our routine to spend that moment together.
Though I had been practicing for a week to perform solo, we had to make amendments at the last minute to make her routine feel in flow. So, it took us 2 days to change the lines and adjust the routine to the new requirement.
It was the final year of high school and we never got such a chance. So, we wanted to make the most of it. Though there were other options, we wanted to seize this chance and make it our moment. So, we decided to co-host the event together.
To conclude, it was an overall amazing experience. It was sudden, unexpected but a beautiful memory. The fun in practice sessions, the agitation before going on stage, and the chuckles backstage are all so memorable and make the whole experience really beautiful.
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Look at the third sample answer for the IELTS cue card, "Describe Something That You Did with Someone”.
I have the experience of celebrating my youngest cousin's bride-to-be event along with my other cousins. It was a surprise moment we wanted to originate for her and capture her reactions at the event.
We all in our family have a favourite cousin and she happens to be the youngest one too. So, when she was about to get married, we thought of giving her an astonishing surprise by planning a bride-to-be event for her.
I planned it with all my other cousins - five of them to surprise my sixth cousin who was getting married a week later.
It took me a few hours to plan the episode as we were already planning to meet at her wedding a week before. So, I informed everyone about the plan and made arrangements in a few hours.
Though it could have been done by one or two people, we thought of making it all together because she was our favorite and of course, the more the people in a celebration, the merrier it would be. So, we made plans accordingly to match everyone’s schedule and celebrate our youngest cousin’s most important event together.
In conclusion, it was an amazing experience. From hosting the party to ending it up all exhausted, it was a memorable memory. Nonetheless the surprised look on my cousin’s face and happy tears made all our strive fruitful and we enjoyed every moment of it.
This brings us to the end of the samples. Now, you might have looked into some words that were underlined in the samples. So, these are rich vocabulary which is much needed in the IELTS cue card. However, if you do not know the meaning, follow the lexical resources to get a better idea of them.
Now, find meaning to the rich vocabulary used in the samples above in the lexical resources here. These words can help improve your speech and band score:
|
Lexical Resources |
Definition |
|---|---|
|
Grants |
Funds Given By Someone |
|
Social Occasions |
A gathering of people for a social event |
|
Carnival |
Event of celebration or festival |
|
Capital |
Money or amount |
|
Pursuit |
An activity or event |
|
Assembled |
Grouped together |
|
Community |
Neighbourhhood or surroundings |
|
Acquire |
Learn something |
|
Escalate |
Increase something |
|
Fraternity |
Group of people sharing the same interest |
|
Encounter |
It is an experience |
|
Opportunity |
Chance to do something |
|
Fabricated |
Creating something |
|
Inclined |
Interested towards |
|
Fine-tuned |
Adjusting something to convenience |
|
Amendments |
Making changes |
|
Seize |
Grab something |
|
Agitation |
Nervousness |
|
Originate |
Create |
|
Astonishing |
Extremely impressive |
|
Episode |
Occasion or an event |
|
Accordingly |
Suiting to someone’s fit |
|
Exhausted |
Extremely tired |
|
Strive |
Efforts to do something |
Now, let's see what follow-up questions can come your way in the IELTS speaking section.
After reading the samples, you might be wondering what next, right? If you had appeared for the IELTS mock test, you might have an idea that the IELTS speaking section cue card is followed by interview questions. Yes, now, after the long answer, the interviewer asks some follow-up questions related to the cue card. Here are a few examples!
There are many benefits of working with someone in this case, we could reach out to more people and cover larger areas within less time as we split into teams.
It is always better to work with someone because it saves time, gives emotional support, and improves confidence. In this scenario, having my best friend as co-host gave me better confidence and happiness which in turn improved my performance.
Working together is a great thing. We saved time and completed the decorations and preparations way before time because we had multiple people to support and each had a dedicated task to complete.
There is a good impact on relationships by doing activities together. Through this experience, I got to know more about my friends and improve our communication and it helped strengthen our bond.
The best part of working together is the impact it has on relationships. This experience of hosting together helped us improve our communication, timing of speech delivery, coordination, and extra time for having fun which made our memories stronger.
Working together has a good impact on relationships. We had extra our time with cousins. We learned new experiences each of us had with other cousins. It was all fun, laughter, giggles, and a lot more.
There are also a few challenges that come up in the process. In this scenario, communication was a challenge because we didn't have mobile phones so we had to wait till evenings when we could meet and discuss everything. Sometimes, due to a lack of clear communication, we would make mistakes in the areas.
One challenge we faced during the process of working together was, adjusting to each other's schedule. We live in different places and I had coaching classes in the noon while she had singing classes in the evening. So, this led to time mismanagement and instances of irritation and delays.
It's challenging to work with someone because their way of working might be different from yours and vice versa. So, at moments, our idea of looking at things would be different and drive us into disagreement but ultimately the motive to make it memorable for the cousin pushed us through.
Here are a few of the tips shared by gradding experts that can help you ace the IELTS Speaking Part 2, the Cue Card Long Answer. So, let’s check them out!
In this blog, you've looked into the basics of the IELTS speaking section with cue cards. You've also seen a few examples on the topic, "Describe something that you did with someone." However, if you are stuck with, or need experts' help, you can always count on us. It's not just IELTS speaking part 2 but they can help you with the complete test preparation. You can also get your hands on the best sample papers, mock tests, and more. So, reach out to experts for the best help!
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You have a set timer to record the speech. So, plan your key points well and only focus on them. You can elaborate on the rest in the follow-up questions in the next segment.
A golden rule is to brainstorm, jot down, and organize the ideas. By doing this, you will be able to save more time and also address the topic well.
You can follow five simple steps to describe the cue card well:
You need to be sure to follow these simple pointers:
You can simply give a brief on that and leave the explanation for the follow-up questions part. There, you’ll have enough time to elaborate your topic well to the interviewer.
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