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Describe a photo that you enjoy looking at: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

  • What the photo is?
  • When and where it was taken?
  • What is shown in the photo?
  • Why you enjoy looking at it?
Show all 118 answers

Cue 1:What the photo is?

  • Begin by describing the photo clearly, mentioning its subject and any significant details.
  • Use vivid language to create a mental image for the listener.

Example

The photo I enjoy looking at is a beautiful landscape shot of the Himalayas. It captures the majestic snow-capped peaks under a clear blue sky, with a lush green valley in the foreground.

Cue 2:When and where it was taken?

  • Provide context about when and where the photo was taken, including any relevant details about the occasion.
  • Mention any emotions or thoughts you had during that moment.

Example

This photo was taken last year during a family trip to Manali. We visited in the summer, and I remember standing on a hilltop, feeling a sense of peace and awe as I looked at the breathtaking view.

Cue 3:What is shown in the photo?

  • Describe the elements in the photo, such as people, objects, or scenery, and their significance.
  • Share any interesting stories or memories associated with the elements in the photo.

Example

In the photo, you can see my family members smiling and posing together, with the mountains towering behind us. It reminds me of the fun we had hiking and exploring the area, creating lasting memories.

Cue 4:Why you enjoy looking at it?

  • Explain the emotional connection you have with the photo and why it resonates with you.
  • Mention how it makes you feel or any lessons it reminds you of.

Example

I enjoy looking at this photo because it brings back wonderful memories of our family trip. It reminds me of the beauty of nature and the importance of spending time with loved ones. Every time I see it, I feel a wave of happiness and gratitude.

Conclusion

    Example

    In conclusion, this photo is more than just an image; it represents a cherished moment in my life. It inspires me to appreciate nature and the time spent with family, making it a truly special photo for me.

    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: Being Vague About the Photo

    Candidates often give unclear descriptions of the photo, which can confuse the listener. Specific details help create a vivid image in the examiner's mind.

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    Tip

    Provide clear details about the photo, including colors, subjects, and emotions it evokes to make your description more engaging.

    2: Ignoring the Context

    Failing to mention when and where the photo was taken can lead to a lack of context. This makes it harder for the examiner to understand the significance of the photo.

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    Tip

    Always include the time and place of the photo to give your answer more depth and context.

    Rushing Through Your Answer

    Candidates often rush their responses, leading to incomplete answers. This can prevent them from fully expressing their thoughts and feelings about the photo.

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    Tip

    Take your time to think and structure your answer. Use pauses to emphasize important points and ensure clarity.

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    IELTS Cue Cards asked last week

    Reported by Leap students who gave IELTS

    Describe your favourite food at a traditional festival or a special event in your country
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    Reported by

    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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    Reported by

    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.
    Describe a time when your friend damaged something you owned
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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
    anonymous person icon

    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

    A photo displaying my grandfather holding me and my cousin is something very special to me and I have it in a golden frame in my home. It was taken when I was one year old so perhaps it would be in the year 2019 at my cousin's home which was just around 10 kms from my birth place in Bangalore. In that photo I was digging my nose like many other baby child and on the other hand my cousin brother was crying and my grandfather held us both in his arms and he looked at us with a smile which I'll never forget. That is something, that photo reminds me of the time when I spent, when I spent listening to stories, playing with my grandfather and defeating him in carrom games and also playing cricket with my cousin brother. These are some moments of childhood which everyone remembers and once my grandfather passed away when I was in grade 6, that photo meant a lot to me and it always reminds me that hey, I'm not leaving you alone buddy, I'm from heaven, I'm watching you so that inspires me to do well in anything I do, to have courage, to take risks in academic and sports. That picture will always have a special place in my heart.

    Band 7

    So here I want to speak about a photo that I really enjoyed looking at. It was the picture of a butterfly and it was captured in the deep forest somewhere in the globe. I really admire the beauty of the butterfly because it was with vibrant blues and radiant yellows. The picture was so stunning and it captured my eyes. It was completely green surrounding the butterfly and all we could focus was that single particular creature that was very freely flying in the forest. I found it so fascinating and I was thrilled on watching it. It really depicted the beauty of the wild, not only the scenic nature of the forest but also how beautiful it is to watch a small butterfly. The picture was such an exquisite piece of work of an artist, of the photographer, who was well known in the social media. He was also an Indian. Therefore I really had a great revere for the person who had the thought or idea of capturing such a tiny object. It reflected the beauty of our nature and also it replenished us gathering our mind back into the nature so that we also find it more connecting to the green or the beauty that surrounds us.

    Band 7

    A photo that is really close to my heart is one that was taken when I was a child. It was taken in my grandparents' house and it's actually a very simple picture. There is nothing very striking in the frame. However, it just brings out certain sentiments in me when I look at it. So, if I had to describe, it's a picture of me just learning to walk. I think I was inside a baby walker and my grandmother was trying to get me out of it. So, she was holding me and she was pulling me out from the walker and maybe something tickled me. So, I was laughing in a way you laugh when you are ticklish. And my grandmother is also laughing. It just makes me feel very nostalgic and very emotional. It's a wholesome picture in general because it just shows the warmth. You can feel the warmth through the picture that might have been during that moment. And I really just adore it.

    Band 7

    So, the picture that I enjoy looking at is the picture that I captured myself from the top of my terrace at my home. It was the picture of a sunset while the moon, the crescent moon to be specific, is along the side in the sky. It was taken when I was in my 11th grade which was 2 years ago and it brings back so many memories because not only does it signify the beauty of the nature but also the way how life used to be. It gives this nostalgic feeling in my heart and it makes me reminiscence about the past and how life used to be 2 years ago. And the picture was obviously very beautiful because of both the extremes like sun, the moon, the light, the dark, the significant opposites of the world, of this world, the universe is being portrayed in the picture and also the picture in a more poetic sense represents the full circle of life where the darkness meets the light or we could say that the light fades into dark. And I love how we can convert anything, any object, any picture or any nature or anything in front of us into something poetical, beautiful, whimsical and magical. And I love how nature continues to show us how beautiful and wonderful and magical the creations of this world is. And as much as I believe that this world is magical because of the creator, I also believe everything carries its own magic and wonders within itself. And I also love the fact that the sun and the moon could also be the representation of myself being both my best and not my very best days. And that is why I love this picture that I enjoy looking at.

    Band 7

    The photo that I most enjoy looking at would be my graduation photo. This photo was taken during my graduation for the bachelor's degree in architecture. This photo comprises of me standing with my parents with proud beaming smiles and I vividly remember this day even though it was two years ago due to the fact that it was a statement of the five years that I had shed my blood, sweat and tears and it was also a statement about the pride my parents were feeling on that very day. I cannot imagine to other people that I would want to share this moment with. My parents are the sole reason that I was able to get through these five years and that is why I truly enjoy looking at this photo and I think I will always enjoy looking at this photo.

    Band 7

    The photo that I enjoy looking at is a photo of me alongside my grandfather. The photo was taken at my 6th birthday party. The photo shows me lovingly feeding my grandfather cake. This act of love depicts how much I loved and respected my grandfather. He was a man that motivated me and inspired me to be a better version of myself every single day. He taught me the invaluable life lessons and skills that helped me survive today in this cut throat environment. He also taught me that the people who speak behind your back are usually the ones that do less than you. The reason I like looking at this photo is because it makes me feel good and reminds me of who I am at my core as a person. It helps me understand as to how far I have come in my life. And it helps me go further by improving myself and working on the skill sets that are required.

    Band 7

    The photo I enjoy looking at is of my dog, his name was Prince, he was a Pomeranian and he was so small and fragile. I loved him. He was actually taken in the park when he was playing with butterflies. He was so happy catching all the butterflies and running behind them. Moreover, I felt that it was so cute and memorable to capture that moment, so I can always look. He is no more and whenever I miss him, I look at that picture and videos I have took of him. In conclusion, I think because I love him and I miss him everyday, so I always like to re-watch the old videos and photos of him.

    Band 7

    There's a picture of me with the two of my best friends that I enjoy looking at. I love that picture of us because it belongs to the time when all three of us were in university. The picture takes me back to simpler times when we were free of worry and we went out every day, we bunked lectures, studied together. I have so many other pictures with them as well but this one is the most treasured to me I should say. As we grow up the number of chances you get to take pictures with your best friends reduces drastically because everyone is so busy with their schedules that it is almost impossible to make a plan to fix a mutual date. So one should cherish the pictures and the moments from the past because they become very dear.

    Band 7

    One of my favorite photos is actually a selfie taken by my best friend Petro. He is an engineering student from Brazil who I met at an exchange program in Austria. We made an impromptu trip to a little city called Hallstatt on a Sunday morning where we discovered a life-sized version of the game of chess. Immediately we started playing with the huge pieces and the game got very interesting. In the middle of the game my friend felt the need to capture this moment so he took out his camera, turned it around and clicked a picture of the both of us playing the game. Both of us are smiling really wide in the picture and one can really find the position in the game by looking at it. Eventually I won the game in a very funny way. It was a silly mistake that he overlooked which I took advantage of leading to my victory and that is why I really like reminiscing that moment of victory. Not to mention the amazing time I had in that city with him. The picture is my profile picture on WhatsApp now because of how interesting the situation behind it was and it makes me remind of a simpler time.

    Band 7

    They are still with me and feel happy to see my success. I truly appreciate the picture of my parents of their young age when they just got married. Whenever I cast an eye on the photo, I get mesmerized. How beautiful my mother looked at her young age and the handsomeness of my father failed me to believe that he looked so fascinating at that certain age. Though in the end I am left with tears in my eyes to remember that they are not with me now but this picture always make me realize that they are still with me and feel happy to see my success.
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