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Describe a risk you took that you thought would lead to a terrible result but ended up with a positive result: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

  • When you took the risk
  • Why you took the risk
  • How it went
  • And explain how you felt about it
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15 unique answers with expert feedback

Show all 15 answers

Cue 1:When you took the risk

  • Begin by mentioning the specific time and situation when you took the risk.
  • Make it relatable by sharing a brief background about your life at that time.

Example

I took this risk about two years ago when I was working in a stable job in a multinational company. I had been there for three years, but I felt unfulfilled and wanted to pursue my passion for photography.


Cue 2:Why you took the risk

  • Explain your motivations for taking the risk, focusing on your passion or desire for change.
  • Mention any fears or doubts you had before making the decision.

Example

I decided to leave my job because I wanted to follow my dream of becoming a professional photographer. Although I was scared of the financial instability and the possibility of failure, I felt that if I didn’t try, I would always regret it.


Cue 3:How it went

  • Describe the process of taking the risk and the challenges you faced.
  • Share the positive outcomes that resulted from your decision.

Example

Initially, it was tough. I struggled to find clients and often doubted my skills. However, after a few months of hard work, I started getting recognition for my work. I even had my first exhibition, which was a huge success.


Cue 4:And explain how you felt about it

  • Reflect on your emotions during the journey, both the highs and lows.
  • Conclude with how this experience changed your perspective on taking risks.

Example

Looking back, I felt a mix of anxiety and excitement throughout the journey. The fear of failure was always present, but the joy of pursuing my passion outweighed it. This experience taught me that taking risks can lead to unexpected and rewarding outcomes.


Conclusion

    Example

    In conclusion, taking that risk to follow my passion for photography turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life. It not only brought me happiness but also taught me the importance of stepping out of my comfort zone to achieve my dreams.


    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 story less engaging and unclear. Specific details help the examiner understand your experience better and make your answer more memorable.

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    Tip

    Include specific dates, places, and emotions to paint a clearer picture of your experience.


    2: Don't Focus Solely on Negatives

    Focusing too much on the potential negative outcomes can make your answer sound pessimistic. It's important to balance the risks with the positive results.

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    Tip

    Start by acknowledging the risk, then shift to the positive outcome and what you learned from the experience.


    Neglecting Personal Feelings

    Failing to express your feelings about the experience can make your answer less relatable. Personal emotions add depth to your story and engage the listener.

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    Tip

    Share how you felt before, during, and after taking the risk to create a more compelling narrative.


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    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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    Anonymous student Band 8

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    Sector 34 Test Centre, Chandigarh

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    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 6

    Body shaming is a thing that takes all the confidence of a person. Same was the thing with me. In 2022, I faced this kind of issue and I thought to take a step for myself because it drained all my energy and my confidence and I was unable to talk to anyone because I used to face some body shaming in the university. So in 2022, when I got a job in a well-reputed company, I gained some confidence and I was able to get a good remark from the manager and I was able to perform very well. So I gained some confidence. Then I did some gym and some diet and I got fit so I was able to face the people who used to body shame me and to answer them. So it was a decision that seems that it would lead to a terrible result but it ended up with very good results because at the end, I was able to make me happy. I stood in front of the mirror and saw myself and I was very happy to know that I got fit so I can now face body shaming. So I took a stand for myself and I felt very confident and I speak for myself and it went very well and I gained my confidence back and it made me more attractive and confident and popular among the colleagues.

    Band 5-6

    As I am preparing for IELTS exam and I am not able to speak, I am not good in speaking module so I do more practice for each and every module and I have to give IELTS exam in short time as I am not able to learn more, I have not that much time to learn and therefore I thought that I can take risk for giving exam if by chance I get good band score, for that thinking I started, I booked my exam date and give the exam, I am very nervous and stressed about it because I cannot prepare well and I take that risk and when the result came out I am extremely happy and surprised by showing my score, I got good band score

    Band 5-6

    Good job With some more opportunities and moreover I consider taking risk When I took this risk my parents were never happy with this but And And finally when I secured a job with a good package They have seen a smile on their face, and I was satisfied by seeing that Give me a sense of peace in me And I thought that this risk is the risk that I took is very Worked very effectively

    Band <5

    you you you you

    Band <5

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