arrow back icon Top Answers

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.

    bulb icon

    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.

    bulb icon

    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.

    bulb icon

    Tip

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

    calendar icon

    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
    anonymous person icon

    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 7.5

    location icon

    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
    anonymous person icon

    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 8

    location icon

    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
    anonymous person icon

    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 6.5

    location icon

    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
    anonymous person icon

    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 7

    location icon

    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

    location icon

    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

    One photo that I really enjoy looking at is a picture of my family that was taken about five years ago during a holiday trip to Goa. In the photo, all of us are standing on the beach at sunset. The sky looks magical with shades of orange, pink and purple, and we are smiling and looking very delightful together. This photo was taken by a professional photographer who was offering a quick photo shoot to tourists at the beach. We didn't plan it, but the timing was perfect because the sun was just setting, which made the background look stunning. I love this photo because it reminds me of a very special time in my life when all of us were together without worrying about work, studies or responsibilities. Whenever I look at it, I feel a sense of warmth and nostalgia. It also motivates me to plan more family trips in the future. And for me, this photo is more than just an image. It's a memory frozen in time, and that's why I enjoy looking at it so much.

    Band 7

    One picture that I really enjoy looking at is a photo of me and my family at Himalayas. It was captured between August or October of 2023. We have travelled to Uttarakhand which is a beautiful place. We visited and had a glance of Himalayas, the mountains. And in that picture, it consisted of a beautiful Himalayan range with a lot of snowy setting. And it really helps me soothe myself and calm myself. It also shows the value that I hold of my family in my heart. I think that is something that is really memorable for me. Yeah.

    Band 7

    I believe that photos are a fragment of memory. So, photos describes a person's memory and his past. I would like to talk about this particular photo which was taken at my university graduation function. And when I always see this picture, I feel confident and motivated. It actually depicts the struggles which I had to go through to achieve that degree. So, I mentioned earlier, I am a computer science graduate and it takes a lot to be a graduate. And this picture actually shows the task which I have achieved and I am actually very pleasant about it. So, the picture actually represents me in that graduation gown with that hat on and me smiling. So, this actually shows a strength of confidence and motivation that I would always search upon. So, when I have a heavy heart or feel depressed about something, I look up to this picture and try to pacify myself by...

    Band 7

    You know there are many photos that I enjoy looking at, but the Harry Potter photo where the three friends Hermione, Ron and Harry are with Hagrid in the final scene of Chamber of Secrets is one of my favourite photos I have ever looked at till date in my life. The photo actually, I saw this photo when I was in 8th grade because at that time I got the opportunity to watch Harry Potter for the first time. This was a mesmerizing film I must tell you. I was fortunate enough to watch Harry Potter because at that time there was no Harry Potter film in the cinema halls in India. It was only released on television after a lot many days and my brother introduced me to the franchise of Harry Potter when I was in 7th grade. The Chamber of Secrets was released in 2011 and at that time I was in 8th grade. So it was a fantastic experience for me to witness Harry Potter and the whole franchise. The reason why I love this beautiful photo is that it represents me, friendship, morals. It inspires me to live a life full of adventure like Harry, a life full of knowledge like Hermione and relying on my own guts like Ron. It also shows me that there are some people who are really special in our life and you should never, you should never distrust them. You should always believe in them like Hagrid. Harry had a great belief on Hagrid that no matter what but Hagrid can never be a culprit against any activity against

    Band 7

    The photo that I enjoy looking at most is a Polaroid picture of me and my friend Tarini in the biolab as we did an experiment on incubation and bacterial culture. The backside of the photo is actually my favorite where it has a heartfelt congratulations message from my friend regarding my 16th birthday celebrations. I love this picture because it's a constant reminder of the love and appreciation that my friend has shown me throughout all the years I've known her in middle and high school and it also reminds me of how my love for science has stayed consistent throughout these years. The picture was taken two years ago in the biolab and I still have the same love for biology that I was passionate about even then. It's a testament to how far I've come throughout these years and how I've stayed glued to my passions and glued to my friendships which is something that I couldn't say before in the years of primary school where I was alone and isolated from any social circle. So I treasure this picture in my desk where it holds a very special corner that I consistently keep looking at throughout the day. It's an exercise where I try to find things that keep me grounded when I'm in times of hardship and this picture especially is such a good example of what my friendships mean to me and what social life has meant, has grown to mean to me these years. This is something that I couldn't say back in primary school and I'm glad that I can say it now.

    Band 7

    My most favorite photo is my family photo which was taken when my brother was born. It has some kind of energy that consoles me when I am very sad. It contains the beautiful picture of my grandmother, my father, mother, me and my little brother. It completes my family and it gives me immense joy looking at that picture again and again whenever I get time. That photo was taken when I was just five years old and I don't remember much about how it was taken and when it was taken but it reminds me about my childhood which I loved to remember the most. Everything was new then. My dad became a new father, my mom a new mother, my grandmother a new grandmom and to me I was a sister for the first time and it is a time I like to cherish and I like to relive again if I get a chance to. That was the moment when my family was complete and we like to live like that for eternity. That photo reminds me of how beautiful my childhood was and how lucky I am to have such a caring and loving family.

    Band 7

    One photo I absolutely love is a candid shot of my grandparents dancing at their 50th wedding anniversary party. It was taken about 5 years ago in our backyard during a surprise celebration we organized for them. The photo shows them mid-laugh. My grandpa dipping my grandma dramatically while she clutches her saree, both of them glowing under fiery lights. Their faces are pure dry, wrinkles and all. What makes this photo special is how it captures their personality perfectly. My grandpa usually so serious, looks like a teenager showing off, while my grandma who is always complaining he never dances is clearly thrilled. The background is messy. You can see my uncle photobooming with a samosa in hand, but that just make it real. I keep this photo framed by my bed because it's my daily reminder that love isn't about grand gestures, but about sticking together through decades of chaos and still finding reason to dance. Plus it makes me laugh. My grandpa's socks don't match which is so him.

    Band 7

    So, photos are meant to be a memory or, you know, a comfort. The photo I enjoy the most looking back is a picture with my grandfather where he is holding me. So, this picture was clicked around 23 years ago. It was on my first birthday with my family. First birthdays are supposed to be memorable as always. But this picture in particular just gives me the comfort, gives me the peace by just looking at it. The photo consists of basically me and my grandfather in front of the cake. As a one-year-old kid, I don't know how to cut the cake. But I love the fact how my grandfather is holding me tightly and holding my hand to cut the cake. It shows pure love in that picture. Once you look at the picture, you feel, okay, this is genuinely the love. And I enjoy looking at the photo the most, that particular photo, because, again, it shows pure love in his eyes. I don't know how many people receive the love from their grandparents, but the ones who have received it can understand that such tiny things, the particular way of holding, the particular way of, you know, looking at each other, even if it's a picture, brings a level of satisfaction, a level of happiness, a level of comfort which just keeps you going even if the person in the picture is there or not.

    Band 7

    There is this picture of earth taken by the Voyager 1 from Saturn's moon. Voyager 1 is humanity's farthest launched object. It is a mission which showcases the strength of the human civilization, what we have achieved due to the advancement in technology. Famous Steve, great scientist, late Carl Sagan said that every sinner and saint, every politician, every person that ever lived and ever will be living or is living, was born there. Every thought, every idea, every wrong, every right, every politician, every criminal and all of the animal kingdom including but not limited to tigers, elephants and anything that one can think of, full thoughts, everything resides in that special dot. We are just a piece of dust floating in a never ever extending space. Why I love looking at that picture because that picture just humbles everybody. Why I look at it, I feel so minute that no matter how much stressful I am right now, it's nothing comparable to the ever longer universe. That just gives me that sigh of relief and the motivation that I need. And it is bigger than any picture that one can even imagine.

    Band 7

    Okay, so the photo that I enjoy looking at is my family picture. The family picture has me, my husband, and my daughter. This was taken when she was born, that was on 10th of February, 2024, in the hospital. We were together, the very first moment that my husband lifted my daughter in his arms, we got our picture and the moment clicked, so that we can always remember that. The reason that this picture is one of my favourite pictures is because it's our first family picture. This is the first time that we became parents and the feeling is immense. It gives us such satisfaction that whenever I see this picture, it reminds me of all the hurdles I have been through in my pregnancy and the outcome of which is so beautiful that we can't keep an eye off from her. Now it's been one year, she is 15 months old and the journey that she has given us after becoming parents, I can relate it through the picture itself. I can see how gently we held her in our arms to feel the emotion and now after 15 months, we can understand why it was so beautiful. So that is the reason this picture is my most favourite picture and I always enjoy looking at it.
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
    ielts logo

    Get the IELTS Prep App

    Star rating icon

    4.2

    1M+ Installs

     app download banner image

    Get the app link on your phone

    +91

    Or download app from

    google play storeapp store
    master ielts speaking ad