Describe a journey that didn't go as planned.: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

Overuse of 'so' and 'yeah' as connectors.

Try using a variety of cohesive devices like 'therefore,' 'however,' or 'as a result' to improve the flow of your story.

Repetition of the word 'passport.'

Consider using synonyms or rephrasing to avoid repetition, such as 'travel document' or 'important identification.'

Incorrect use of 'landing to the airport.'

The correct phrase is 'landing at the airport.'

Informal expressions like 'you guys' and 'God.'

Use more formal language, such as 'everyone' and 'it was truly challenging.'

Use of 'making me to do things.'

The correct expression is 'making me do things.'

Repetition of the phrase 'planned' and 'trip' in the introduction.

Consider using synonyms or paraphrasing to avoid repetition. For example, instead of repeating 'planned,' you could say 'anticipated' or 'organized.'

Incorrect use of tense in 'we have to cancel the trip and we planned it on next week.'

Use past tense consistently, as the events have already occurred. It should be 'we had to cancel the trip and planned it for the next week.'

Overuse of simple connectors like 'and' and 'so.'

Incorporate more varied connectors such as 'therefore,' 'as a result,' or 'consequently' to enhance the flow of the narrative.

Lack of cohesive devices and structured storytelling.

Start by setting the scene, then describe the main events, and finally, conclude with the lessons learned. Use cohesive devices like 'first of all,' 'next,' and 'finally' to structure the story.

Incorrect article usage in 'the middle of way.'

It should be 'the middle of the way.' Ensure articles are used correctly to maintain grammatical accuracy.

Use of 'get-together' should be pluralized to 'get-togethers' to match the context.

Use 'get-togethers' to reflect multiple events or gatherings.

Incorrect use of 'house board'.

Use 'houseboat' instead of 'house board'.

Incorrect tense usage in 'we have never been to that place'.

Use 'we had never been to that place' to maintain past tense consistency.

Missing article in 'on one fine weekend our family members set out'.

Add 'a' before 'fine weekend' to correct the sentence: 'on one fine weekend, our family members set out'.

Incorrect tense in 'since we have booked it already'.

Use 'since we had booked it already' to maintain past tense consistency.

Awkward phrasing in 'it was an all very well experience'.

Rephrase to 'it turned out to be a wonderful experience'.

The phrase 'sudden planned trip' is contradictory.

Use 'spur-of-the-moment trip' or 'impromptu trip' to convey the sudden nature.

Repetition of 'not confirmed' when mentioning train tickets.

Combine the sentences to avoid repetition: 'One week ago, we booked our train tickets, but unfortunately, they were not confirmed.'

Use of 'mess-up feeling' is informal.

Use 'chaotic experience' or 'frustrating ordeal' for a more formal tone.

Incorrect tense in 'we try to avoid it by booking priorly.'

Use 'we will try to avoid it by booking in advance.'

Incorrect verb form in 'we try to roam around the streets for that room.'

Use 'we had to roam around the streets looking for a room.'

The response lacks cohesive devices, which affects the flow of the story.

Use connectors like 'Initially,' 'Unfortunately,' 'As a result,' and 'Finally' to improve the coherence of the narrative.

Repetition of the phrase 'backed out' and 'trip' affects vocabulary variety.

Consider using synonyms like 'withdrew' or 'pulled out' for 'backed out' and 'journey' or 'excursion' for 'trip' to enhance vocabulary.

The phrase 'one of the girl' is grammatically incorrect.

It should be 'one of the girls' to maintain correct subject-verb agreement.

The response starts with 'In my college days, I, in my third year,' which is redundant.

Simplify to 'In my third year of college,' to make the sentence clearer.

The phrase 'Goa is a part of our college trip' is unclear.

Clarify by saying 'Goa was an essential destination for our college trips.'

The response lacks clear structure and coherence, making it difficult to follow the sequence of events.

Start by introducing the trip and its purpose, then describe the challenges encountered, and conclude with the outcome. Use cohesive devices like 'Initially,' 'Unfortunately,' and 'As a result' to improve flow.

Repetition of words and phrases, such as 'trip' and 'planned,' makes the response less engaging.

Use synonyms or paraphrase to avoid repetition. For example, use 'journey' instead of 'trip' and 'organized' instead of 'planned.'

Grammatical errors, such as incorrect tense usage and missing articles, affect clarity.

Ensure consistent use of past tense when recounting past events and include articles where necessary. For example, 'a road trip' and 'the agenda.'

Lack of descriptive vocabulary and expressions to convey the experience vividly.

Incorporate more descriptive language, such as 'unexpected,' 'challenging,' and 'disappointing,' to enhance the narrative.

The sentence 'So I got one journey in my mind which did not go as planned but it was so beautiful.' lacks clarity and coherence. The transition from an unexpected event to a positive note is abrupt.

Consider restructuring this sentence for better flow. You might say, 'I recall a journey that took an unexpected turn, yet it left a lasting impression on me.'

The phrase 'me and my friends' should be 'my friends and I' for correct grammatical structure.

Use 'my friends and I' to maintain correct subject pronoun usage.

Repetition of 'we' in 'we boarded the plane and we landed' can be improved for variety.

Try rephrasing to 'After boarding the plane, we landed in Hawaii at midnight.'

The phrase 'he came to us, he approached us and stabbed my friend in the eye' lacks coherence and is a bit abrupt.

Rephrase for clarity: 'A stranger approached us unexpectedly and, unfortunately, an altercation occurred where my friend was injured.'

The sentence 'Moreover, my friend got injured and she could not see well.' is repetitive and lacks cohesion.

Instead, use: 'As a result, my friend suffered an eye injury that impaired her vision.'

The phrase 'we rushed back to the Airbnb and had to take care of our dog' lacks a logical connection to the previous events.

Provide more context: 'After ensuring my friend received medical attention, we returned to our Airbnb to care for our dog, adding to the stress of the situation.'

The conclusion 'The Hawaii trip was a disaster and we headed back home.' could be more reflective.

Consider adding a reflective note: 'In the end, this unexpected series of events turned our Hawaii trip into a challenging experience, prompting us to return home earlier than planned.'

The use of 'So' repeatedly at the beginning of sentences can make the response sound less formal and less cohesive.

Try using a variety of connectors such as 'Initially,' 'Unfortunately,' or 'As a result' to improve the flow and coherence of your story.

The use of present tense in 'we need to catch a flight' and 'we need to go to China' is inconsistent with the past narrative.

Use past tense consistently to maintain the narrative's clarity, such as 'we needed to catch a flight' and 'we needed to go to China.'

The sentence 'the cab driver was dragging the time to reach the destination that we planned earlier' is awkwardly phrased.

Consider rephrasing to 'the cab driver was taking longer than expected to reach our planned destination.'

There is an abrupt end to the response without a conclusion.

Conclude your story by explaining the outcome or your feelings about the situation, such as 'Eventually, we managed to reach the airport just in time, but it was a stressful experience.'

The introduction is not directly related to the topic of the journey that didn't go as planned. It starts with a general statement about planning and growth, which is not necessary.

Begin directly with the journey you want to describe. You could start with a sentence like, 'I would like to talk about a journey to Thailand that didn't go as planned.'

The phrase 'it is one of the most favorite destinations for every age person' is awkward and unclear.

You could say, 'Thailand is a popular destination for people of all ages.' This is more concise and clear.

The sentence 'We have seen many videos in YouTube regarding these cities which are here in Pattaya, Arabi, Thailand, etc.' is unclear and grammatically incorrect.

Rephrase to, 'We watched many YouTube videos about cities like Pattaya and Bangkok in Thailand.' This is more specific and grammatically correct.

The use of 'he said give me 1.5 lakh and I will book a ticket' is informal and lacks clarity.

A more formal and clear way to express this would be, 'The consultant requested 1.5 lakh rupees to book the tickets for us.'

The phrase 'It has not happened that way' is vague.

You could say, 'Unfortunately, things did not go as planned.' This is clearer and directly relates to the topic.

The sentence 'We were very sad and angry on the consultant' is incorrect.

The correct preposition is 'with.' You could say, 'We were very sad and angry with the consultant.'

The journey that I didn't go as planned is to Ponnmudi.

Use 'The journey that didn't go as planned was to Ponnmudi.' to ensure correct subject-verb agreement.

Ponnmudi is located in the Tumantrums best and notable place named Vidura.

The phrase 'Tumantrums best and notable place named Vidura' is unclear. Consider revising to 'Ponnmudi is located in a notable area called Vidura in the Tumantrum region.'

I have gone to Ponnmudi with my mother in 2022 I think.

Use past simple tense for a completed action in the past: 'I went to Ponnmudi with my mother in 2022, I think.'

we have reached there on 10 o'clock and we are very experienced with this Ponnmudi.

Use past simple tense: 'we reached there at 10 o'clock and we were very familiar with Ponnmudi.'

It's lot of fogs are around there it's a glacious form of hilltops.

Improve description: 'There was a lot of fog around, and it had a majestic view of the hilltops.'

we have eaten some drinks and we go to there.

Use past simple tense: 'we had some drinks and went there.'