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IELTSTM CUE CARD

Describe Something You Do Regularly That Helps You Work And Study Better: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

Updated on Nov 13, 2024, 05:49

Overview

The IELTS Speaking Cue Card contains a topic you must discuss during the test. These topics usually revolve around your life, career, hobbies, experiences, and challenges. They may also cover topics like technology, country, best places to visit, etc. 
 

You will get a minute to prepare for all the given topics and then speak on them for 2-3 minutes. This practice page will show you how to better prepare for the IELTS Speaking test. 
 

We are taking ‘Describe Something You Do Regularly That Helps You Work And Study Better’ as an example topic to show how to frame the answers.

 

Cue Card/Topic:Describe Something You Do Regularly That Helps You Work And Study Better

You should say

  • What is it?
  • When did you apply it?
  • How has it helped you?
  • Explain how you feel when you do it.
Sample Answer 1

Introduction 
 

  • I would like to describe how quick walks outdoors have enhanced my focus on work and study. 
  • These short walks have made me feel refreshed and boosted my well-being. 

 

What is it?

 

  • Taking short walks outside has helped me to engage with the nature around me and also boost my physical activity.
  • Whether a quick walk in the nearby park or the society garden, it helps me revive my energy and clear my mind. 

 

When did you apply it?
 

  • I began visiting outside by taking short intervals during my tight schedule. 
  • It was a stressful time, and I was very tense when I realised the need to take a break from the packed life. 
     

How has it helped you?
 

  • The outdoor movement has boosted my strength and also charged up my mental well-being. 
  • It has helped me reduce tension and enhance my mood, enabling me to perform my duties more efficiently.
     

Explain how you feel when you do it:
 

  • It makes me feel more free and independent while walking outdoors. 
  • It lets me lose out on all the difficulties and brings my mind dissolved in the beauty of nature. 

 

Conclusion

 

  • Taking time from my life and walking outside has been very productive. 
  • It has helped me revive my energy and perform well throughout the day. 
  • I strongly encourage others to stay connected with nature and heal themselves when facing challenging times. 
Sample Answer 2

Introduction 
 

  • I would like to share how creating a study space has improved my studies and work life. 
  • Making a space for learning has improved my concentration and added discipline to my life. 

 

What is it?
 

  • A study space is a separate area meant explicitly for academic activities.
  • It helps to concentrate well on the work without getting impacted by distractions. 

 

When did you apply it?
 

  • I thought of creating a dedicated study space during the transition phase of my school to college life.
  • I found it essential to focus on the demanding assignments, which I could not do in the current environment. 
     

How has it helped you?
 

  • Making a separate study base has played a significant role in enhancing my productivity.
  • It has helped me to strengthen my concentration and do not get impacted by outside disturbances. 
     

Explain how you feel when you do it:

 

  • When I started utilising the designated study space, I found doing my assignments pretty easy and relaxing.
  • It has helped me to dive deeper into my study matters and tackle even the most difficult challenges.
     

Conclusion

 

  • Making a separate study space has helped me to enhance my focus and productivity during study and work.
  • This environment has also enabled me to excel in my studies and work. 
  • I highly recommend this move to everyone who wants to scale their study and work habits. 
Sample Answer 3

Introduction 
 

  • I would like to describe how choosing a task management app has improved my productivity.
  • It has helped me accomplish my goals promptly, organise my tasks, and track my productivity. 

 

What is it?
 

  • A task management app has many productive features, such as creating priority tasks and setting deadlines and reminders. 
  • It also acts as a platform where we can manage our multiple tasks together. 
     

When did you apply it?
 

  • I began using the task management app during the second semester when I was overwhelmed with multiple assignments and project reports. 
  • At that time, I also faced the challenges of managing my regular studies and keeping track of the deadlines for different college reports. 
     

How has it helped you?
 

  • It has helped me to organize my time to accomplish all the assignments before the deadlines.
  • It has also enabled me to break down complex projects into small fragments, making them look easier and more convenient.

 

Explain how you feel when you do it:
 

  • I feel stress-free and confident that I will achieve all the tasks without compromising one for the other.
  • It also gave me a sense of clarity about what task I had to do at what time; otherwise, I could have been juggling multiple tasks.  

 

Conclusion
 

  • Task management app has been vital in organising my work and the study routines. 
  • With it, I was able to give specific time to each of the academic and professional activities.
  • I would recommend everyone to make use of the task management tools to bring productive results. 

Here are the key things you need to discuss in our topic ‘Describe Something You Do Regularly That Helps You Work And Study Better

 

Here’s how we can prepare the answers for our topic:
 

Introduction
 

  • Describe the habit we will discuss. 
  • Give a quick insight into how it has helped manage your work and studies. 
“I would like to describe how practising mindfulness has helped me to study and work more efficiently.”

What is it?
 

  • Talk about the habit which you have adapted to enhance your productivity.
  • Explain how they have added value to your life.
“In mindfulness meditation, I must allocate time to rest and enhance my focus. I used to observe my breaths, sensations and emotions.”

When did you apply it?
 

  • Share when you started adopting these methods in your life.
  • Discuss the challenges that made you look for these options. 
“Three years back, I started listening to mindfulness videos to see how to adopt that into my life. I did not have time to do the activity, but I later managed it. Since then, it has been a good part of my life, and I turn to it whenever I need peace and clarity.”

How has it helped you? 
 

  • Explain the benefits of the habits.
  • Elaborate how it has helped you to enhance your productivity.
“By adopting mindfulness meditation, I have experienced relief from the stressful and hectic life. It also made me feel refreshed and prepared to meet the new challenges. ”

Explain how you feel when you do it:
 

  • Share the positive emotions you got while practising the habits. 
  • Describe any feelings of satisfaction when you swiftly manage your work and study environments.
“Mindfulness practice has added more positivity and enthusiasm to my life. I was able to tackle my tough times in a very hassle-free way.”

Conclusion 
 

  • Focus on the critical importance of steps that you have taken to improve your performance.
  • Conclude with an encouraging statement to let others utilise these methods and enhance their productivity. 
“The mindfulness activity has enhanced my life to a great extent. I could handle all the difficulties and maintain my focus on the key tasks at hand. I highly encourage everyone to try mindfulness, whoever is struggling to balance their life.”

Follow-Up Questions

Below are some sample questions and possible answers. Once again, we recommend that you only take the inspiration from the answers below and add your twist to it! 

Q1. How do you prioritise your tasks to ensure your regular activity doesn't interfere with your study or work schedule?

Answer 1: It is essential for me to set a priority for tasks to balance my work and studies. I make use of time-blocking and to-do list techniques to organise my work. This helps me keep track of my schedule and devote adequate time to each work to meet the specific deadlines without missing out on anything. 
 

Answer 2: Managing my daily activities without compromising my study and work life was challenging. It required me to plan and arrange my tasks according to their priorities carefully. Then, I allocate the time based on priority to ensure that my regular activities and tasks are not hampered because of each other. 

Q2. Have you noticed any specific improvements in your productivity or focus since incorporating this regular activity into your routine?

Answer 1: By adding time management to my life, I have experienced a lot of improvements in my productivity. I have also been able to meet my goals, find some time to exercise and care for my health. This has also allowed me to manage my work and studies together. 
 

Answer 2: Learning how to do meditation has added many positive changes in my life. First and foremost, I can relax despite all the odds and evens of my life. I have also learnt how to hold patience and manage my things together without burning out of stress. 

Q3. Could you describe any challenges you've faced in maintaining this routine and how you've overcome them?

Answer 1: I had difficulty devoting time to strategising my whole day and task priorities. However, I realised the key importance of this and then stretched my active hours a bit to make plans and strategies. This has all added productive results and helped me in saving a lot of time. 
 

Answer 2: Practicing meditation requires quality time, which I never had in my busy schedule. But one day, my friend pushed me to try it, so I tried to find time for this activity. This has been very helpful for me and added positivity and enthusiasm to my life. Now, I’m able to balance my health as well as my study and work life. 

Q4. In what ways do you think this regular activity contributes to your overall well-being and effectiveness as a student or professional?

Answer 1: Time management has helped me to balance my professional and student life. It has allowed me to devote time to every activity without missing the deadline. I have also been able to take care of my health and do paced walking, exercises and even bicycling. 
 

Answer 2: Through meditation, I have learnt how to handle the pressure and stress of managing multiple projects simultaneously. Whenever I feel stressed, I meditate. This helps me cool down, focus positively on my goals, and complete them without missing deadlines. 

FAQs

Q. How can I prepare for the IELTS cue card?

Ans. To prepare for the IELTS cue card topic, you can start practising the various example topics that can be asked in the speaking test. Search for the topics on the internet and start preparing for it. You can do the recording or ask your friends/family members to listen to your answers and provide feedback. 

Q. Is there a specific structure I should follow when responding to speaking test topics?

Ans. There is no hard and fast rule about following a specific structure in speaking topics. But yes, you need to follow a standard format that can give a brief insight into the given topic. It should include an engaging introduction, a body section containing the main areas of the topic, and a conclusion to derive meaningful output.

Q. Is eye contact important in IELTS speaking?

Ans. Yes, maintaining eye contact with the examiner makes you look confident. But do not gaze into the examiner's eyes, which will make them uncomfortable. Hence, balance eye contact and body language throughout the IELTS speaking test. This will create a good presentation and also secure a good band score. 

Q. Can I use informal language during my cue card task?

Ans. We highly advise maintaining a formal tone while taking the IELTS Speaking test. But yes, you can be a bit informal while speaking on the cue card topic. However, while having a discussion round with the examiner, maintain a formal communication style and avoid using an informal tone with them. 

Q. What are some of the common cue card topics?

Ans. The common cue card topics will relate to many distinct areas, such as your interests, likes and dislikes, passions, skills, hobbies, experiences, and other related topics. You can also get topics like the best places to visit, technology, society, environment, etc. The topics have no limitations, but they will, by and large, relate to the above fields only. For best results, start practising on them to get a practical idea on tackling these topics. 

Q. What vital language elements should I remember while attempting the cue card section?

Ans. While attempting the cue card topic, taking care of the logical sequence of your answers, the grammatical areas, vocabulary, coherence, fluency and the right pronunciation is essential. The examiner will judge you based on all the given factors and give you a band score based on your performance. 

Q. What are common mistakes in IELTS speaking?

Ans. Most students need more time to focus on the topic in the IELTS speaking test. However, they should remember the central theme of the questions. Some students also need to learn proper grammar and sentence structure, which negatively affecting their performance. Hence, they should always practice enough to avoid such problems.

Q. What can I do if I need help understanding the cue card topic?

Ans. It is quite natural to need help understanding the cue card topics. To tackle them better, you can read them in your mind. Try to decode their central topic idea and start framing the answers. If you are still facing the challenges, you can politely ask the examiner to clarify the topic. But don’t panic, as it doesn’t happen usually, and IELTS Speaking questions are self-understandable. 

Q. Can we choose cue cards in IELTS?

Ans. It is not allowed to choose cue card topics in the IELTS Speaking test, but you can better prepare yourself to tackle any topic that you encounter in the exams. Do enough practice to build yourself up, prepare for any of the topics, and deal with them more with a positive attitude and confidence. 

Q. What is the marking scheme for the IELTS Speaking test?

Ans. The examiner looks at the four criteria in the IELTS Speaking test and allocates marks to each. These criteria are fluency and coherence, lexical resources, grammatical ranges and accuracy, and pronunciation. The average score will be taken out from all these four criteria. It will range from a band score of 0 to 9. 

Q. Can I express my personal opinions during the speaking test?

Ans. Yes, it is highly recommended for you to express your personal opinions during the IELTS Speaking test. This will add more value to our overall performance. But yes, ensure that the opinions are relevant to the context and backed up by examples. This will help to secure a good band score.

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