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Describe a job that one of your grandparents did: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

  • What was the job about?
  • Was this only the one job she or he did?
  • How you felt about it?
Show all 35 answers

Cue 1:What was the job about?

  • Begin by describing the job in detail, including the responsibilities and tasks involved.
  • Mention any specific skills or qualities that were important for this job.

Example

My grandfather worked as a school teacher for over 30 years. He taught mathematics and science to high school students. His job involved preparing lesson plans, grading assignments, and mentoring students. He was very passionate about education and believed that every child had the potential to succeed.

Cue 2:Was this only the one job she or he did?

  • Discuss whether your grandparent had other jobs or careers throughout their life.
  • If they had multiple jobs, briefly explain what they were and how they differed from the teaching profession.

Example

Teaching was not the only job my grandfather did. Before becoming a teacher, he worked as a clerk in a government office for a few years. However, he found his true calling in teaching and dedicated his life to it. He also took on tutoring students in the evenings to help them with their studies.

Cue 3:How you felt about it?

  • Share your personal feelings about your grandparent's job and its impact on you or your family.
  • Reflect on any lessons or values you learned from their work.

Example

I have always admired my grandfather for his dedication to teaching. His passion for education inspired me to value learning and hard work. I remember how he would often share stories about his students' successes, which made me realize the importance of making a difference in others' lives. His job taught me the value of patience and perseverance.

Conclusion

    Example

    In conclusion, my grandfather's career as a teacher not only shaped his life but also had a lasting impact on our family. His commitment to education and the values he instilled in us continue to inspire me every day.

    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: Avoid Vague Descriptions

    Using vague language can make your answer unclear and unengaging. Specific details about the job will help the examiner understand your response better.

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    Tip

    Provide specific examples of tasks your grandparent performed in their job to make your answer more vivid and interesting.

    2: Don't Focus on Irrelevant Details

    Including too much unrelated information can distract from the main topic. Stay focused on the job and its significance.

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    Tip

    Stick to the cues provided and ensure your answer relates directly to the job and your feelings about it.

    Avoid Negative Tone

    Expressing negativity about your grandparent's job can reflect poorly on your attitude. It's important to show respect and appreciation.

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    Tip

    Even if the job had challenges, highlight positive aspects and what you learned from your grandparent's experience.

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    Anonymous student Band 8

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    Anonymous student Band 6.5

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    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.
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    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 6-7

    My grandfather was an advocate. He was a leading advocate in the city or town called Tirunelveli, which is in the southern part of India, Tamil Nadu. Again, to be very fascinated about his job is that he has held several criminal cases. He has won several judicial arguments. There has been several instances where he was threatened by different people of the opposite parties, but he has never failed any single case that he has taken. So, that is very fascinating about him. It so happens that my grandfather was also the one who was able to win a case for a very leading and a popular actor in those times. He not only was an active lawyer, he was also into theatre and theatre performances. He was a part of a local drama team where every month they used to put up stage shows. So, he was able to manage both his profession of being an advocate. At the same time, he held towards his passion for acting and he utilized the stage and drama as much as he could.

    Band 6-7

    So, that is a great question. Firstly, today I am going to talk about my grandfather. Today I am going to talk about my grandfather on what job he had done. He had opened a pharmacy back in 1970s. He got all the certificates and the funding required to open it. He had few connections that helped him get his first few clients and made the job a success. And not only did he provide for the family, he also created wealth for his future generations to come. He had saved up a lot of money for education and other interesting stuff for his children to do. Furthermore, this wasn't the only job that he had done. He was also a part-time boxer. He made us learn how important discipline is and how he used to work out all the different types of techniques and old school machines he used for working out. He still has a membership in the same gym he used to work out back in the time when he was young. He did a very good job on explaining me the different kinds of workouts that we do in the gym for improving the muscle definition and how to develop the muscles much more efficiently. Thank you.

    Band 6-7

    So, my grandparent name is Ramroop Tiwari. He, in 90s, he has done, he was lecturer in college and moreover, he was so fascinating man that people could not resist to meet him and to talk him. He was a charming personality and his speaking vocabulary and his way of speaking is much more best and anyone, anyone who listen him and just, just flirted on him. And the teaching was the very best profession at that time on 90s. He was, moreover, he was, he was good teacher. He has, he was, he has also fight petition towards the colleges in the high court and other supreme court. He was a good lawyer also and I love about how he speak and his personal relations and, and his work, how, how simply he, how simple man he look. He was a very simple man, but he was very strong personality. When a moment where a businessman called him and he just gave his name and he just, by knowing my grandparent name, he just answered him. He allow him and give whatever my grandparent, my sir has asked.

    Band 6-7

    My grandparent was born in a very modest family where there was nothing in his childhood. So, he started working in this childhood as a newspaper seller. So, that was the first job he has done. So, that job I want to discuss with you. And it was very low class job at point where he wants to sell the newspaper at the morning at 5 am. He wake up at 5 am and start distributing newspaper in the society. Furthermore, he start delivering the milk and milk items at the morning. He went to the cows and the other areas where the milk is produced. And he start gathering the milk and distribute them in the society and other slum areas. So, those are the days actually where the hardship and everything of my grandparent comes up. I don't feel shy about it. I don't feel ashamed about it. I feel proud because he has done the work which I think in recent times no one will come up and do it. But as the time was there, actually that was the ask of the time. So, he has to do it for his family, for his children, for his complete life. But now, if you see, the time has changed. We are no more poor. We are in middle class. We don't have to do that kind of a job. But that was a job which my grandparent did and I am proud of it and I am not ashamed of it. So, now we are at a situation where I am doing a corporate job and I am earning a good amount of money. And my grandparent is now retired. He is relaxing and he is doing adventure of his life. He is living his life actually and I am very proud of him and I get the experience from him as well. So, that is where I can say that is a good thing.

    Band 6-7

    The job that my grandparents did, first of all, my grandfather was a teacher and my grandmother was a housewife. My grandmother was a homemaker. She was a perfect homemaker. She was a blessing to our family. And my grandfather was a teacher. He was a very strict teacher. His subject of specialization in teaching was in English. Moreover, all his English books were taught nowadays in the school of West Bengal government. He was a very good teacher and a writer. At last, he became the principal of that school which he was teaching according to his merit on the subject and administrative powers. My grandfather was teaching English since he was 25 years old and he used to teach English correctly. Furthermore, he used to teach students personally when they had lack in the areas which he taught in the school. The poor students used to come to his house to teach, to study English. His dream job was to become a teacher and he did it. It was

    Band 6-7

    My grandfather was a tuition master. He was a well known teacher around our city. He would go to different places for taking classes for the students and also many of the people would come to our house looking for him for their children and I was not born when he was a teacher and I knew about him from my father who is also a teacher. After all this his legacy still remains the same. The main subjects that my grandfather taught was mathematics and English. My father used to say that he would clear all his doubts very trickily and easily and my grandfather was a well known person for his ways of teaching and his kindness towards his students. He never bored any of his pupils and

    Band 6-7

    One job of my grandparents was a dedicated school teacher, a profession that played a significant role in building the foundation of a society. Their job involved teaching subjects like math, science, language and so on to young minds and helping students not only acquire knowledge but also develop critical thinking, problem solving and life skills. They spent hours to make lesson plans, assignments, make learning enjoyable using creative methods to ensure that every child could understand and grow. Teaching was more than a job for them, it was a calling. Beyond the classroom, they often mentored students, providing guidance and encouragement to those who struggled academically and personally. However, teaching was not the only role they undertook. During school days, they also provided private tuitions in the rural areas where education resources are limited. Sometimes, they also provided free classes to underprivileged students who are not able to pay high tuition fees and private tuitions and also they created many job opportunities for them to succeed in their life. Additionally, they were active in community programs. I have always felt a deep sense of pride and admiration for my grandparents' work, knowing that they devoted their life to educating others and leaving a lasting impression on their students inspires me a lot. Their story motivated me to make a meaningful impact whatever I do, they just do. They also helped students to develop many abilities like how to solve problems during the critical situation, how to handle all the expenses financially as well.

    Band 6-7

    My grandfather was a very interesting person. He is very energetic for doing any activity at their age. His name is Bachardas. At his age of prime, he did various jobs and several businesses. Whenever I got free time, I sit with him and talk about his past experience which is very helpful for my career guidance. He told me that he did an accountant job where he spent about 12 and a half years. He also did a small business on grocery where he run this business for about 2 and a half years. After retiring, he has also provided his time to a temple for maintaining his trust account. In his belief, he thinks about not spending leisure time without doing any activity because he feels lazy. So, he does some small work everyday for not having free time.

    Band 6-7

    My grandfather was an army driver. He used to work in the Indian Army and he is very very smart and he also worked in different cities while he was working as a driver in Indian Army. So as he was a militant he got many medals because he participated in crucial wars. He retired at the age of 60 with several medals and his designation was such that he had to drive the soldiers to the places where they needed to be as well as he was also taking part in the wars as a militant and I'm really proud and amazed to know that my grandfather worked and was an important citizen who took part in some wars which is in history and his name will always be there and cannot be erased. So being part of such a history is really amazing for me and I'm extremely fascinated by the stories he shared after he retired.

    Band 6-7

    My grandfather was a surgeon and a very well-renowned doctor at that time. I've had the privilege to witness his journey, not for as long, unfortunately, but it definitely taught me the power, the dignity that job has for that matter. Furthermore, it also instilled in me the nobleness of the profession that it is. The fact that he used to work around the clock to make sure that his patients have had the most amazing experience, if we were to say, that is one thing that really inspired me to pursue a profession that has a social impact, where people actually remember you for the good deeds that you have done, for the remarkable journey that you have had. And I think doctors today are...
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