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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

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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.
    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

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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 >7

    I would like to speak about a photo that I enjoyed when looking at. The photo is my family photo. It was taken recently while going to a picnic at Mysore garden. I am totally impressed with this photo because of its nature and it was a cheerful experience for me and the family to enjoy that day. I totally inspired this photo in my living room. It was a nice experience while taking this photo. All the family members together and they enjoy while seeing this photo. The important factor is when I look on this photograph I remember the happiest days in my life. I keep this photo in my living room. I would like to keep it throughout my life.

    Band >7

    A photo that I enjoy looking at is of me and my dad, which was taken in the year 2007 maybe or 2009. My dad used to work in the Air Force and that was the first time that I had been on the tarmac with my dad. This picture was taken by one of, I don't know who took the picture, but it's such a beautiful picture. It feels like a father-like-daughter moment wherein he's wearing an overall uniform and I'm just walking along with him holding his hands and there's an airplane right behind, like in front of us. So the picture was taken from the back, so I don't know, maybe the picture kind of depicts the bond that me and my dad share, something that is unbreakable and that cannot be explained in words, through words, it's just emotions and yeah, that picture is such a great reminder for me to cherish the moments that I had with my dad and that I have with my dad, but you know sometimes you forget your childhood and there are pictures that were taken at that time that remind you of beautiful glimpses of memories that you made at that time and this picture is one of those in which I was happy, my dad was happy, we were happy together and yeah, that is one of the pictures that I enjoy looking at.

    Band >7

    Well, a photo that I always enjoy looking at is a recent picture I took of myself. Well, it's just me flexing on my small muscles. And I took it like three days back from my gym. And it just reminds me of the time when I used to be nervous and insecure about my appearance. I always used to be a skinny kid. I was not at all confident. And now, when I look at me, all I feel is confidence. I've grown bigger. I've got a huge muscle definition. I've got stronger. And I've developed a lot in my physique and appearance. I'm much more confident now. I've developed my linguistic abilities. And now I speak English. I can speak multiple languages. And this picture just helps me remember where I come from, where I started, and where I am now. And it makes me proud.

    Band 7

    One photo that I truly enjoy looking at is a picture of my family taken during a vacation in Manali a few years ago. It captures a very special moment, my parents, my younger brother and I standing on a snow covered mountain with bright smile on our faces. The picture was really special because we had gone for a family trip after quite a long time. What makes this photo so meaningful is not just clear blue skies or the beautiful backdrop of the snowy peaks but the happiness and bonding it represents. We are all bundled up in colourful winter clothes and there is something warm and joyful about seeing us all together away from the hustle of daily life. I remember how cold it was that day and yet how much fun we had making snowmen and throwing snowballs at each other. Looking at the photo takes away all the worries and always brings those memories rushing back. I have kept this photo framed on my study table and every time I look at it, it reminds me of the importance of family and taking time to enjoy life's little moments. I have very much planned to take it wherever I go because it makes me feel closer to my family. To me, it's more than just a photo, it's a piece of my heart frozen in time.

    Band 7

    The photo is a bridge located in Kerala. It is the Vasco da Gama bridge that is purportedly known to divide the river from the ocean. It was taken in the year 2013 when I was still in college. Which was the year I also missed my first semester's exams, not knowing that they were going to be held in the same week when I would be travelling to Kerala, inadvertently I might add. Moreover, this picture just reminds me of the serenity that I encountered when I was in Kerala and staying with my uncle and aunt, one of whom who is no longer with us. Kerala is one of the most sought after places in India because of the presence of the backwaters and this bridge is just an indication for all tourists and for all people who live there or who don't, that Kerala is one of the primary states in India where such moments can still be captured.

    Band 7

    The photo I enjoy looking at is a photo that I took a few years ago of the sky. I enjoy looking at it because the color of the sky is so bright and lively. It just gives me a sense of freedom and satisfaction that I can't get anywhere else. It's so pretty and so beautiful that it takes your breath away. Now the photo would be about 2-3 years ago. It was taken at a spot called Leopard's Trail and it was taken using my mother's phone. I just looked up at the sky and I realized that it's looking fabulous. So I picked up the phone, I pointed it at the sky and I saw that it was the perfect moment to take the perfect photo. I have even used that photo in a photography competition and gotten the third prize. That is why I thoroughly enjoy looking at the photo. Thank you.

    Band 7

    A photo that I genuinely enjoy looking at has to be the photo taken of me on stage on my graduation day. It's a simple photo of the chief guest who is an eminent psychiatrist in Bangalore and the director of the ophthalmology department handing me the degree certificate. Now here's the catch, that degree certificate isn't even real. It's just made up for the sake of the graduation day. The degree certificate, the original one, it takes a while to arrive from Karnataka Medical Council. We took this photo on the 22nd of April this year, in 2025. It's extremely close to my heart because it's the culmination of a decade of pain and sacrifice It is a symbol of everything that I have given up just to be a doctor and to be able to help patients. I took the Hippocratic Earth to serve humanity. I took it not knowing how difficult the journey to reach there would be. It's a general assumption that a service field will not be that difficult to pursue. That is wrong. In order to be able to serve humanity, the effort it takes is astronomical and will demand every single ounce of energy that is left in you. It will ask for your blood, your sweat and your tears. For me, that photo signifies the blood, sweat and tears of my patients as well, who even in their dying moments, at moments where one would think that they would lose their dignity, they have been the epitome of teachers and the teaching staff.

    Band 7

    A photo that I really enjoy looking at is a picture of my family taken during a trip to the mountains. It's a beautiful landscape photo with a stunning mountain range in the background and a lake in the foreground. My family members are all smiling and laughing and you can sense the joy and happiness in the photo. What I love about this photo is the way it captures a moment in time that I'll always treasure. It's a reminder of the wonderful memories we created together as a family and the breathtaking beauty of nature. Every time I look at this photo, I'm transported back to that moment and I feel a sense of peace and entertainment. The photo is also special because it's a reminder of the importance of spending quality time with loved ones. In today's busy world, it's easy to get caught up in our daily routines and forget to prioritize the people who matter most. This photo serves as a reminder to me to always make time for my family and to cherish the moments we share together.

    Band 7

    A photo I really like looking at is of my mother and me. She was wearing a red sari and looking up at the sky. I was sitting on her lap in pink overalls admiring her beauty. That is the last picture of her smiling, beaming at the photographer which was my father before she got diagnosed with cancer. It was my last memory of her and I look at that photo to remind myself of happy times. Whenever I feel upset it helps me calm down looking at her photo. It feels as if nostalgia pours out through it and I can smell the pickles she used to make as a child and how I devoured everything that she ever cooked for me. That photo is a reminder of happy times and also it helps me think of a better future where I could be that to my child.

    Band 7

    Life is the quiet whisper of a morning breeze and to truly live is to embrace the beautiness of the life and I love everything which includes nature, mountains and trees and I still remember the photo which was taken on my last visit to Manali and in this photo there are beautiful mountains in the background, the weather was incredibly great and the photo was taken by my brother so I still remember that however I still miss that moment so much that every time I see that photo I feel like I want to visit this place again.
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