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Describe a place you have been to where things are expensive: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

  • Where the place is
  • What the place is like
  • Why you went there
  • What you bought there
  • And explain why you think things are expensive there
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14 unique answers with expert feedback

Show all 14 answers

Cue 1:Where the place is

  • Begin by mentioning the city and specific location of the place.
  • Include any notable landmarks or features that make the place recognizable.

Example

I visited Connaught Place in New Delhi, which is one of the most famous shopping areas in the city, known for its circular layout and vibrant atmosphere.


Cue 2:What the place is like

  • Describe the ambiance and overall vibe of the place.
  • Mention the types of stores or services available that contribute to its expensive reputation.

Example

Connaught Place is bustling with energy, filled with high-end boutiques, luxury brands, and gourmet restaurants. The architecture is colonial, which adds to its charm, making it a popular spot for both locals and tourists.


Cue 3:Why you went there

  • Explain your purpose for visiting the place, whether it was for shopping, dining, or leisure.
  • Share any specific event or occasion that prompted your visit.

Example

I went there to celebrate my friend's birthday. We wanted to have a special meal and shop for some unique gifts, so Connaught Place seemed like the perfect destination.


Cue 4:What you bought there

  • List the items you purchased and their significance.
  • Mention any particular store where you made your purchases.

Example

I bought a designer handbag from a well-known store called 'H&M', which was quite pricey but I felt it was worth it for the quality and style.


Cue 5:And explain why you think things are expensive there

  • Discuss factors that contribute to the high prices, such as location, brand reputation, or quality.
  • Mention any personal experiences that highlight the costliness of the items.

Example

I believe things are expensive in Connaught Place because it is a prime location in the city, attracting affluent customers. Additionally, the brands available are often international and cater to a luxury market, which drives up prices.


Conclusion

  • Summarize your overall impression of the place and your experience.
  • Reflect on whether you would recommend visiting this place to others.

Example

Overall, my experience at Connaught Place was delightful despite the high prices. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a taste of luxury shopping and dining in Delhi.


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: Avoid Vague Descriptions

Using vague language can make your answer less engaging and informative. It's important to provide specific details about the place to create a clearer picture for the examiner.

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Tip

Use descriptive adjectives and specific examples to illustrate your points, such as mentioning the architecture, atmosphere, or unique features of the place.


2: Don't Overlook Personal Experience

Failing to share your personal experience can make your response sound generic. The examiner wants to hear your unique perspective and feelings about the place.

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Tip

Include personal anecdotes or feelings about your visit, such as what surprised you or how the prices affected your experience.


Neglecting to Explain Prices

Simply stating that things are expensive without explanation can weaken your answer. It's crucial to provide reasons for the high prices to demonstrate your understanding.

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Tip

Discuss factors like location, demand, or quality that contribute to the high prices, and relate them to your personal experience.


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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
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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 5-6

Last summer I went to Shimla with my family so it was particularly a summer holiday trip with my parents. To be specific I have never went to Shimla before. I went there and we went to the toy shop which was located near the market. So I went there and I purchased a wooden toy. It was basically a wooden car. The price was very high that initially I had no idea of buying it but when my mother forced me to buy it so it can be a as a remembrance for me. So to that I came and visited Shimla. So I bought the car and it was quite disappointing for me to see such a hefty price on the small toy car. So basically it would be around like 500 to 600 rupees in Chennai which is like thousand rupees there. I couldn't able to digest it but in fact my mother pressurized me to buy it. At that time I had no other option so I accepted the price. I also tried to bargain with the vendor. Most probably he was not ready for a negotiation. He told the price was fixed. So at the end of the day what happened is that I bought the toy car for thousand rupees.

Band 5-6

I went Qatar I like I traveled Qatar I like travel Qatar city for the job purpose I went Qatar is the city was the beautiful desire I like the city in the city I brought all I went vacation to India that time I brought all kind of the chocolates nuts all things I have my family's happy in the Qatar I found of the this one beach beach area and the sandal and camel and expecting Qatar is full of the dust and sand and mustard colors expecting she's a Qatar was so much more delivery than was then expecting that I cannot wait the share why I felt hard for this country today I want to live in the what it is like to travel there is a museum the there is a boat show I seen in the boat show this night I enjoyed lot and there is a big big mall like city center village a window mall there is a mind-blowing music and water flow all things we like that I liked I was surprised by how much I loved Qatar

Band 5-6

The place is near the Coimbatore. The name of the place is Kodaikanal. We went for watching the some naturally hilly regions and some boating, riding areas as a part of the thrilling and enjoy moments with friends to enjoy the nature regions and atmospheres. We visited the place at this particular time of winter season because the view and the surrounding atmosphere and the coolness in the winter season makes the place more beautiful than before compared to other places, other seasons. Kodaikanal is the hilly region at the peak mountain with the tea estate cultivating land. Hilly regions makes the high peak values of the atmosphere and surroundings makes beautiful. We went our places by travelling in the bus as well as surrounding regions of hilly are makes more beautiful as the friend trips near their Chennai and Tirupur. There are Coimbatore and Ooty. The places makes beautiful such as well as some of the sea shores while travelling in the shipping regions we will see many of the surrounding sea shores while travelling in the ship. It's a good experience while travelling in the ship.

Band 5-6

Well, the place is that when I go with my friend, his name is Shendi, we go there as Europe trip. When we go to Europe trip is a very fantastic experience for us because we go in a plane, we see many things, sceneries like mountains and rivers from above the sky. When we landed to Europe, particularly the Germany country, at this country, the things are very good. I bought many things like clothes, shoes for my family, my siblings and I thought the one more reason to come there is all about open-minded people, they are very loving and open-natured. I bought many things for my parents, the most reason is like that.
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