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Describe a disagreement you had with someone: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

  • Who was the person?
  • Why did you have the disagreement?
  • Was the issue resolved? If yes, how?
  • And explain what happened after the disagreement.
Show all 113 answers

Cue 1:Who was the person?

  • Introduce the person you had the disagreement with, mentioning your relationship with them.
  • Provide some context about how long you have known this person and the nature of your interactions.

Example

The person I had a disagreement with was my younger brother, Rohan. We have been close since childhood, sharing everything from toys to secrets. We often have friendly debates, but this particular disagreement was more serious.

Cue 2:Why did you have the disagreement?

  • Clearly explain the topic of the disagreement and why it was important to both of you.
  • Share your perspective and Rohan's perspective to give a balanced view.

Example

The disagreement arose over our plans for a family vacation. I wanted to go to the mountains for some adventure, while Rohan insisted on a beach destination for relaxation. Both of us felt strongly about our choices, as I wanted to experience the thrill of trekking, and he wanted to unwind by the sea.

Cue 3:Was the issue resolved? If yes, how?

  • Discuss how you both approached the resolution of the disagreement.
  • Mention any compromises or discussions that led to a solution.

Example

Eventually, we decided to sit down and talk it out. We listed the pros and cons of each destination and realized that we could combine both ideas. We agreed to spend a few days in the mountains and then relax at the beach. This compromise made both of us happy.

Cue 4:And explain what happened after the disagreement.

  • Describe the aftermath of the disagreement and how it affected your relationship.
  • Share any positive outcomes or lessons learned from the experience.

Example

After resolving the disagreement, our relationship grew stronger. We learned to appreciate each other's viewpoints more. The trip turned out to be a fantastic experience, and we created wonderful memories together. It taught us the importance of communication and compromise.

Conclusion

    Example

    In conclusion, disagreements can be challenging, but they also provide opportunities for growth and understanding. My experience with Rohan taught me that listening and finding common ground can lead to better relationships and enjoyable experiences.

    Following this structure will ensure you cover all the essential points while providing a clear and engaging response to the cue card topic.

    Tips to answer this Cue Card

    1: Vague Descriptions

    Using vague language can make your answer unclear. It's important to provide specific details about the disagreement to engage the listener and demonstrate your language skills.

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    Tip

    Use clear examples and specific details about the disagreement, such as the person involved and the exact issue to make your response more vivid.

    2: Ignoring Resolution

    Failing to discuss how the disagreement was resolved can leave your answer incomplete. It’s essential to show how conflicts can be managed and resolved.

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    Tip

    Always include how the issue was resolved, whether through discussion, compromise, or another method, to show your problem-solving skills.

    Lack of Reflection

    Not reflecting on what happened after the disagreement can make your answer seem shallow. It's important to show personal growth or changes in your relationship.

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    Tip

    Conclude by explaining what you learned from the disagreement and how it affected your relationship with the person involved.

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    IELTS Cue Cards asked last week

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    Anonymous student Band 7.5

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    Pitampura Test Centre, New Delhi

    Answer

    I like to taste different types of cuisine. Here I would like to talk about my favorite dish at my traditional festival of Onam which is Sadya. Sadya is popular in my city. We are experimenting these cuisines on Onam festival day. Onam is a famous festival in my city. All family members get together in my home and we make a delicious Sadya. There are many ingredients includes that Sadya. Moreover, we make a big feast that day as well as we create a lot of memories together and we wear that day the traditional dress called Sari and men wear the Dhotis. That festival is really important to us because the whole day we are conducting different kinds of games at our homes and all the family members came together. It's a memorable day in my life. This is the festival. We are making the Sambar and Aviyal. These all the kinds of foods are making with the vegetables.
    Talk about a toy you liked in your childhood
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    Anonymous student Band 8

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    Sector 34 Test Centre, Chandigarh

    Answer

    The toy which I liked in my childhood was a panda doll, which makes me pleasant and makes me more blush. The pandas are the most beautiful creatures of the world, which looks gigantic and has pooshy cheeks and they are like stars in the clouds and they dream in me. Furthermore, these have been given by my father. My father is a very very beautiful artistic person, who makes me think of that. Every day you will face every difficulties and make you suffer and move forward. Pandas are always seen in Japanese countries. It is my lifelong dream to visit a Japanese country and click a photo with the original pandas, which makes sounds better.
    Describe a time you were in a place where you didn't know the local language
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    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 6.5

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    Whitefield Test Center, Bengaluru

    Answer

    As India is a very large country full of diversity, so there are many places which have their own language and speak their native language. The place which I visited and I didn't know about their language was Leladakh, which is about 300 km away from my hometown and it is a very good place as it consists of different kind of trees, animals and have many scenic views and I visited over there last year in summers as it was the best time to visit because it has many, it was cold over there and we had summers in our area so it was the best time to visit over there and I went over there with my whole family.
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    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 7

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    Begumpet Test Centre, Hyderabad

    Answer

    When I was a kid, I had a little pencil box which had these four buttons which gave the pencil box an operative use. When you press the button, the box would open up. When you press the second button, a little part of it would slide out. Basically it was just a little electronical and a fun thing to have and I owned it when I was in 6th. One day after break, I was standing and talking there with one of my friends and another friend of mine was running through the hallway and accidentally she pushed my shoulder and my pencil box hit the ground and it broke into multiple pieces to the point that it was not functional anymore.
    Describe a book you recently read
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    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 7.5

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    CBD Belapur Test Centre, Navi Mumbai

    Answer

    It Ends With Us is a book I read recently. It's by the author Colleen Hoare. It's mainly a story about two teenagers, Atlas and Lily, and how they just handle their life going through high school, adolescence, and just domestic violence at home. Both of them come from very, very different families. However, they have one common determining factor between them, which is domestic violence. The abuse that they've seen their moms go through is just insane, and they connect through that on a different level. They're actually in the same high school, but they never speak to each other until Atlas actually crashes into an empty house next to Lily's villa. When Atlas is homeless and he doesn't have anywhere to go, he just comes and breaks into the house next to Lily's, and Lily helps him with all the daily necessities like clothes and food, medicines and stuff. Furthermore, their friendship blossoms into love, but it doesn't really fructify as Atlas has to leave. This book really gave me a lot of knowledge about domestic abuse and how to deal with it.

    All Answers

    Here are all the answers by real-users practicing speaking for IELTS Cue Cards on our IELTS Prep App.

    Band 7

    I once had a disagreement with my friend about a college project. I wanted to focus on mental health awareness while she preferred child education. At first we argued because both topics were important to us. Later we discussed calmly and decided to combine both ideas into one project. This taught me disagreement can be solved through communication and compromise. We both decided to work on this project. I work on mental health awareness and she preferred child education. We combined it and came to conclusion that we take some points of both and then combine that. We came on the topic of mental health that today's children face due to child education because of very much advanced education.

    Band 7

    I recently had a disagreement with one of my friends regarding the post-graduation options that we want to choose. So the discussion was about whether an MBA is better than an MA in Economics and I personally believe that an MA is better than an MBA for someone who has more interest in Economics than in Corporate. But my friend disagreed and said that an MBA would be better because it gives you much higher paying opportunities for your career. We had a disagreement about it and we did not talk for a few hours but then we came to a conclusion that it's everyone's personal choice what they choose. One could choose an MBA and be happy with it and be happy with a high earning job. On the other hand, even an MA in Economics pays you really well so it really depends on the choices and the interests that you have in studies and in your career. Apart from that, after the disagreement was resolved, we had a discussion about what we would finally be opting for for our post-graduation. While my friend is going to do an MBA and will specialize in Product Management and Creativity, I myself am going to do an MA in Economics hoping to be an Economist or a Policy Analyst in the future.

    Band 7

    I recently had a heated argument with my manager. The reason why we had the argument was because of our starkly different thought processes and our working styles. He prefers creating quick deliverables which are not comprehensive whereas I prefer creating deliverables which have the information the client is looking for. I tackle projects in a way that helps you learn and grow.

    Band 7

    A disagreement I remember very clearly happened about a year ago with one of my close friends Priya. We have been friends for a long time but like most friendships we have had our share of arguments. This particular disagreement was about choosing between Android and iPhone. I had recently bought an Android phone and was very enthusiastic about it because I felt it had better features for the price. Priya on the other hand is a huge Apple fan and strongly believes that iPhones are far superior in terms of performance, camera quality and overall experience. At first it was just a casual discussion but gradually turned into a heated debate. We both started giving examples and even searched online to prove our points. I kept talking about affordability and customization while she kept insisting on security, brand value and design. Eventually we realized that we were going in circles that neither of us was willing to change our opinion. We decided to just laugh about it and agreed to disagree. Later that evening we went out for coffee and the tension disappeared completely. Looking back I find the disagreement quite amusing. At that time I felt a little frustrated because I couldn't convince her but I also respected her strong opinion. In the end it reminded me that having different viewpoints is perfectly fine and sometimes it can even be wrong.

    Band 7

    The disagreement that I had recently at work was with one of my seniors. To get to know about the nature of the disagreement, it is imperative that I speak about the work that I do. I work as a doctor in a busy emergency department in the neighboring district. My work consists of tending to patients, and as it usually happens within an emergency department, it tends to get very overpopulated at times, and the doctors are stretched thin trying to cater to the needs and demands of all the patients within the hospital. My senior did not approve of my methods when it came to interacting with patients and with my style of note-taking. He complained that I took too long to see a specific patient, and because of that, the nature of healthcare within the department was getting affected. This argument was resolved. We came to a mutual conclusion that even though I was a bit slower, my patients had a higher satisfaction rate from the care provided. Furthermore, they did not come back with further complaints if we spent a little bit of extra time tending to their individual needs and complaints. In the end, both of us managed to get over this argument as it had happened within the heat of the moment. We got over it, and we resumed our jobs with respectful attitudes towards each other.

    Band 7

    Yes, so I recently had a disagreement with my friend Sridhar on the topic that the growing trend of people returning to education after leaving their jobs has either an advantage or a disadvantage. I was of the opinion that this trend has a particular advantage for certain types of people who are stuck in their jobs and not getting appraisals and barely doing enough to get by. If these people leave their jobs and get a postgraduate degree, it will benefit immensely in their career and their life. By getting a higher pay, if they want to change their field, it will also help in getting that. But Sridhar was of the opinion that if you waste two years of your life in getting a postgraduate degree, it would be better if you reskill yourself, upskill yourself and by giving a few months after job and working on getting promotions in the job, in the said job. So, the issue was not particularly resolved because we were of contrarian opinions and I still stand my ground and firmly believe that if a person is stuck on the job and not doing enough to get appraisals and promotions, getting a postgraduate degree will immensely benefit their life and their career.

    Band 7

    While I attended a party in Melbourne, I had a friend who started talking about social issues, about how the world is changing and how sustainability has become a priority, as it should be, I said. But at the same time, he kept on saying that how the ocean has it all, how the ocean makes it more easy to grab resources, even though these large bodies of water which are unknown to the mankind and are not a lot to explore there. He kept on persisting about how deep sea mining can be something that is more fruitful for a man, even though it has its own causes and risks. This man made it seem like the sea has everything to offer us and we are entitled to take anything we want from it. But then I disagreed and made it very clear that my opinion on deep sea mining was and has always been a very reluctant one. Deep sea mining has something that most of the creatures do not wish to have upon them. This is a part of humanity that has been more ignorant and that is what touches me the most. People think that there is more for the world to offer than they have to offer to the world. But that is absolutely wrong and we should look into sustainability and continue the practice for our future generations.

    Band 7

    A very recent disagreement that I had was with my own mother. My mother has always been a homemaker and has taken care of us throughout our child and adult life. I happen to be a mother too, a mother of a young son. I happen to be a working mother unlike my mother. That's what caused the disagreement. She did not agree with the fact that I was working and she thought that I was not paying enough attention to my son. She spoke probably on the conditions that she lived in where she took complete care of the family. I chose to disagree with her because I thought that it is equally important for a woman to be working. It is also equally important to be investing that amount of time with the child, which I do. It's only after I come back from work do I get that time with my son. She is still a staunch believer of the fact that as a mother I should be giving complete amount of time to my child. Well, throughout the disagreement we chose to agree and accept each other's viewpoints and move on. She never emphasizes or forces anything on me. She will very gently put it across to me and so do I. But we respect each other's boundaries and we understand where we come from. We understand the generational gap and we understand the difference between the times then and now. That was a very recent one and I guess we chose to end it on a good note.

    Band 7

    One disagreement I remember clearly was with one of my close friends during our final year of college, where we were working on a project work together, we had very different opinions about how to approach the topic. I wanted to focus more on particular research and real world examples, while she preferred a more theoretical approach based on textbooks. At first, we tried to convenience each other politely, but as the deadline got closer, the discussion became a bit tense. Eventually, we both realized that arguing wasn't helping, so we decided to divide the work based on our strengths. She worked on the theoretical part and I handled the practical research. In the end, our project was well balanced and we eventually got good feedback from our professor. I felt a little uncomfortable during the disagreement, especially since we are usually on the same page, but I was glad we managed to resolve it maturely. I thought it might be that disagreements don't have to damage relationships as long as both people are willing to compromise and communicate honestly.

    Band 7

    I would like to share one of my college experiences with you. While I was working in a team, I had one of my friends as my partner for an assignment. So we had to make a research paper on a particular topic and while deciding the topic, we argued a lot. The disagreement began when she opposed every idea that I was proposing to her. It irritated me at the end and we kind of got into a fight as well. But after a while, one of our teachers came to us and explained that it's important for you guys to build some understanding between yourselves and start doing your assignment as we did not have enough time to do the assignment. Later, I brought her favorite food that was biryani for her and she was very happy and we said sorry to each other and we promised each other that we would not produce such argument again and try to understand each other's point. At that moment, I understood that it's important that you learn that while you are working with someone, disagreement is going to come in the way.
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