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Describe a place you have been to and would like to recommend others to live there (not your hometown): IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

  • Where is it?
  • What the place is like?
  • When you visited there?
  • Who you went there with?
  • And explain why you would recommend this place to others.
Show all 116 answers

Cue 1:Where is it?

  • Begin by stating the name of the place and its geographical location.
  • You can mention any notable landmarks or features that make it easy to identify.

Example

The place I would like to recommend is Udaipur, located in the southern part of Rajasthan, India. It is famously known as the 'City of Lakes' and is surrounded by beautiful hills and palaces.


Cue 2:What the place is like?

  • Describe the atmosphere and the key attractions of the place.
  • Mention any unique cultural aspects or experiences that stand out.

Example

Udaipur is a picturesque city with stunning lakes, such as Lake Pichola, and magnificent palaces like the City Palace. The city has a rich cultural heritage, with vibrant markets and traditional Rajasthani cuisine that adds to its charm.


Cue 3:When you visited there?

  • Share the time of year or specific occasion when you visited.
  • Explain how the timing affected your experience.

Example

I visited Udaipur last winter, in December. The weather was perfect for exploring the city, and I enjoyed the pleasant evenings by the lakeside, which made my trip even more memorable.


Cue 4:Who you went there with?

  • Mention who accompanied you on your trip and your relationship with them.
  • Share how their presence enhanced your experience.

Example

I went there with my family, including my parents and my younger sister. Traveling together made the experience more enjoyable, as we shared laughter and created beautiful memories while exploring the city.


Cue 5:And explain why you would recommend this place to others.

  • Highlight the reasons that make this place special and worth visiting.
  • Include any personal experiences that illustrate your recommendation.

Example

I would highly recommend Udaipur to others because of its breathtaking beauty and rich history. The hospitality of the locals and the delicious food made our stay unforgettable. I believe anyone who visits will fall in love with its charm, just like I did.


Conclusion

    Example

    In conclusion, Udaipur is a magical place that offers a unique blend of culture, history, and natural beauty. I encourage everyone to visit and experience its wonders for themselves.


    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: Lack of Specific Details

    Avoid vague descriptions that do not provide specific details about the place. This can make your answer less engaging and informative.

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    Tip

    Include specific features, landmarks, or experiences that highlight what makes the place unique and appealing.


    2: Ignoring the Cues

    Failing to address all the cues can lead to an incomplete answer. This may result in a lower score for coherence and fluency.

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    Tip

    Structure your response by systematically addressing each cue to ensure a comprehensive and organized answer.


    Overly General Recommendations

    Making broad statements without personal experiences can weaken your recommendation. Listeners want to know why you personally enjoyed the place.

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    Tip

    Share personal anecdotes or specific reasons that made your experience memorable, which will make your recommendation more convincing.


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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

    I would like to describe a place where I have been and I would like to recommend it to others. It's Dubai. It's a beautiful place, it's a fantastic place to visit. I have been there many times. I have been there with my family to enjoy the weekends and the holidays. There are many places to visit and see. For example, there's Miracle Garden, Dubai Frame, Dubai Mall and many shopping malls where we can do our shopping and for children's entertainment. Whenever my parents visit us, I used to take them to Dubai to see all the places. They also enjoy very much the infrastructure of Dubai's well-planned, the transportation and the malls where we can entertain ourselves and do our shopping and have a delicious meal. I recommend Dubai for a nice place to live.

    Band >7

    The place is Chandigarh, it is a city of Punjab and it's a lot of places where we can go and the last month we can go with my family and we can enjoy the evening and lots of fun. I recommend this city because it is a clean city and their rules and regulations can be followed properly and different events can be organized at every month and the business is safe and the employment was higher in this city, the job opportunities can happen.

    Band >7

    So, the place I will recommend you to go is Udaipur in Rajasthan. It is known as the blue city. I visited it when I was in 9th standard that is in 2010 approx. I visited there with my family and it's such a beautiful city. I suggest you to visit because of the lakes over there and the cultural practices and the culture, the tradition, the food. You will enjoy the every fine thing of that city. It's like a magic you will feel in the air. It's such a beautiful city. You will never regret going over there. The place is not just a hype, it's the true beauty you can see with your eyes.

    Band 7

    My favorite travel destination is Singapore. I went there with my family for a vacation in 2017. The place is the mix of modern buildings and authentic Singaporean roots. The people of Singapore are very kind and helpful. There is a Sentosa Island near the main Singapore land which has beach. Singapore has many skyscrapers and with lots of spots to visit. For example, zoo, bird park, gardens by the bay etc. I would highly recommend the place to live because of its environment. There is no pollution and the people are very kind. They are welcoming and that's why I want people to live here.

    Band 7

    I would like to talk about a city I visited last year called Bangalore, which is in the southern India. I went there with a group of friends while attending a short educational program and we stayed for a few weeks. I was really impressed by the city's atmosphere and lifestyle. One of the first things I noticed was how green and well planted the city is. Unlike many other big cities, Bangalore has plenty of parks, tree-lined streets, and a generally pleasant climate, which makes living there very comfortable. The public transport system, though not perfect, is quite accessible and there are numerous facilities like shopping malls, restaurants, and recreational areas. I particularly enjoyed the cultural diversity of the city. People from all over India live there, so you get exposed to different languages, cuisines, and traditions. Traveling with my friends made the experience even more enjoyable as we could explore together and share our perspectives on the city. I would definitely recommend living in Bangalore because it combines modern urban conveniences with a relaxed and friendly environment. It's ideal for someone who wants career growth while also enjoying a high quality of life and social diversity.

    Band 7

    A place I have been to and would definitely recommend others to live in is Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya, which is in North-East of India. I visited it last year during my college vacation and it instantly became one of my favourite destinations. Shillong is often called the Scotland of the East because of its rolling hills, pine trees and pleasant weather. The air there feels so fresh and the city has a calm, peaceful vibe that's very different from the noise and rush of big cities. I remember walking through local markets filled with handmade crafts and enjoying hot momos while listening to the live music in cafes. What I liked most about Shillong was its natural beauty and friendly people. The lifestyle over there is relaxed and the weather stays cool almost all year round, which makes it a perfect place to live for those who prefer a quite comfortable life surrounded by nature. I'd recommend Shillong because it offers a great balance between urban facilities and natural surroundings. It's safe, clean and culturally rich with amazing food and music. Staying there would feel like a permanent vacation away from pollution and stress.

    Band 7

    Okay, so the place that I have been to and I would like to recommend to others is Trivandrum. I went to Trivandrum recently, just two months back for doing my internship and that place gave me a positive vibe. I was in a difficult situation in my life then, that was something personal. I was going through a hard time, so I was not in the mindset to go to Trivandrum and do my internship because that would have affected me mentally very bad if the things didn't go well. But thank God, everything went really well and the place gave me a positive vibe, it gave me a restart in my life. I cannot, I don't know why, maybe because I am a believer and I am a religious person, the fact that there are three famous temples in Trivandrum, maybe that is the fact that attracted me to Trivandrum and I always make sure that at least in alternative weeks, I went to visit at least one temple over there that gave me so much of calmness and peace in. And of course, I have to say about the people there, the people there were really good, the way they talked with us, they interacted with us, they knew that I was an outsider and I don't belong to that place, but they treated me like I belong there, they made sure that I felt home there, the way they talked, the way they interacted, everything was really nice and I was staying along with Sandhya there as a paying guest for almost two months, I stayed with her and she was just like my mother, like she used to prepare food for us with her own hands and it was so delicious and I used to pack lunch and take to my lab on my work days and I used to share this lunch with all my PhD guides who were along with me in the lab and they also loved it.

    Band 7

    Dubai is one of the countries I visit quite frequently as my aunt lives there and personally I would say that it's a beautiful country with exotic culture. The best food you'll ever have and it's a very dynamic country overall, you'll find people of various ethnicity and races over there living without any discriminatory factors. The thing I liked the most about Dubai was its state-of-the-art technology, the best infrastructure you can ever see as well as amazing food and beaches. Even the shopping malls over there are quite advanced and you can find every single thing and will not miss your home at all. What fascinates me the most is that it's not even a very expensive country as when you compare it to the Indian Rupee, it's just equal to 22 Indian Rupees for 1 Dirham and everything over there is extremely economical. I feel that Dubai as a destination was very safe even for solo female travellers as they have extremely strict rules for the women's safety as well. Other than that, even if you want to roam around at 2 or 3 in the night, it is a very safe country. It's almost like a home away from home and it feels wonderful to be there. The long skyscrapers are an excellent view to the eyes and it feels so alive to be there.

    Band 7

    A place that is very close to my heart is Abu Dhabi in United Arab Emirates. I visit there every year. Every vacation of mine that I've had since I turned seven, I spend it there. It is such a beautiful place with skyscrapers and a well-maintained infrastructure. Moreover, the place is very calm and quiet. I went there with my dad. My dad is a businessman there, so every year I go to visit him. And the reason why I would say it is the best place to live in is because of how safe that country is and how well-maintained the streets are. In addition to that, the infrastructure of the city is very well developed. Everything is accessible. Whatever you want, it is in the grabs of your hands. The city is very well-maintained, all the roads are clear, and moreover, everyone there obeys traffic laws. The drivers are very careful on how to drive the car, and the laws are very well-maintained. Whoever breaks the law, they will get punished for it.

    Band 6-7

    Well, the place which I recommended to everyone to visit and to live there, here I would like to talk about it, which is situated in Amritsar. It is a beautiful city of Punjab. It's also known as a city of peace and is one of the most sacred place for Sikh. It is known for the historical temple of Sikhs, which is Darbar Sahib situated there, which make it different among different types of cities. I visited this temple last year with my family and honestly, it was a truly memorable experience. The temple is covered with pure gold and it shines magnificently, especially when sunlight falls on it. It stands right in the middle of a holy water tank known as the Amritsar, which gave a perfect and peaceful divine reflection of shine. This city is more, it shows, it represents the city. So when we went, we all enjoyed a lot there. And I also once, I visibly remember my friend's birthday, we celebrated there. So I really want to make her day special. So I booked a restaurant in the city where my friend's celebration took place in the beautiful cafe. And first of all, the city has faith and service and cultural richness. It's definitely one of the most beautiful and meaningful place I have ever been to, because it is totally different from hustle and bustle cities.
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