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Describe a rule that you don't like.: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

  • What is it?
  • Why don't you like it?
  • How do you feel about it?
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25 unique answers with expert feedback

Band >7

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00:00

There is a general rule or hypothesis made by everyone that women are the one who has to cook. They are the one who are the homemakers. They are the one who has to take care of each and everything. But why so? I really don't appreciate the feeling of one being locked in a specific criteria that they are allowed to just do certain chores. Why the other people of the house or the other gender can't do the same thing? Why they can't break this rule or interfere in it and start working on the same? Why the chores are just for women? The main concern over here is that everybody has a dream of doing something. So when you get stuck to one place, you are not free and you feel like you are just made for that particular place and particular work. So what start happening with women's right, they get bound to the rule of not letting them free from the chores of the house, which leads to depression. What I have seen with my own eyes is like women start feeling depleted. They start to ignore their priorities. They feel less confident and the only thing they know is how to cook, what to cook and for whom to cook and for that also they will never get appreciated. So the concern over here is the rules should be meant to be created when they are going to give something fruitful, but here currently the rule started to drain out the energy or they try to deplete the aura of the other person. So overall the story of rule is to create boundaries, but now the boundaries are so thick that nobody is going to break them and it will be a long lasting process ever to break them.

Follow up questions


How do you think society can change this cooking stereotype?
I believe society can change this stereotype by promoting shared responsibilities in households. Education plays a crucial role; teaching children that chores are not gender-specific can help break these norms. Additionally, media representation of men cooking and sharing household duties can influence public perception.

What impact do you think this rule has on men's roles in the household?
This rule can limit men's roles in the household by making them feel that cooking and chores are not their responsibilities. It creates a divide where men may not feel encouraged to participate in domestic tasks, which can lead to an imbalance in family dynamics and shared responsibilities.

Can you suggest ways to empower women in such situations?
Empowering women can start with education and awareness. Encouraging women to pursue their interests and careers outside of household chores is vital. Support groups and community programs can also help women share their experiences and find strength in numbers, promoting a more equitable distribution of responsibilities.

Band 6-7

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00:00

One rule that I never liked is the marriage age for a woman is above 18. I think a woman whose age is 18 means she is just pursuing his or her, sorry, she is just pursuing a B.Tech or any degree. Nowadays, a woman does not have any proper idea in that age. So, I think it's not a correct idea of getting married after 18. And I think it also restricts her freedom and her parents never allowed her to do what she wants to achieve in her future. So, I think the age of a woman to get married should be extended like 21 or 22, at least after her B.Tech or degree so that they will have some knowledge of society and life and they also can improve their personality so that they can achieve something in their life and there should not be any pressure from parents till then about marriage so that many women can achieve whatever goals they can and pursue their own ambitions just like men because they are also a citizen of the world and they are the future, they are even capable just like men, however, only few women are coming up nowadays, so more consent should be there for women too about the marriage age limit. If the rules are strong then automatically parents also mindset will change and they can be allowed to do whatever they want.

Follow up questions


What impact do you think early marriage has on women's education?
Early marriage can significantly hinder a woman's education. When a girl marries young, she often has to prioritize family responsibilities over her studies, which can lead to a lack of qualifications and limited career opportunities. This perpetuates a cycle of dependency and restricts personal growth.

How can society change perceptions about marriage age?
Society can change perceptions about marriage age by promoting awareness of women's rights and education. Campaigns that highlight the importance of personal development and career aspirations for women can help shift mindsets. Additionally, involving men in discussions about gender equality can foster a more supportive environment.

What role do parents play in a woman's decision to marry?
Parents play a crucial role in a woman's decision to marry, as they often influence her values and beliefs. Their expectations can create pressure to conform to societal norms regarding marriage age. Encouraging open communication and supporting their daughter's ambitions can help parents foster independence and informed choices.

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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
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.

Band 6-7

00:00

/

00:00

I respect all the rules of our country, there is no such rules which I am not respecting. I respect all the rules, the rules were made by our ancestors, by lots of studies, these all rules were made for our benefit itself. So I don't think so that, I don't think that any rules are bad and it prevents us from doing something. So whichever the rules may be, like marriage act, child labor act or other rules like daughter should be given the share in the land, properties of father, all those acts, I think that's all benefit for the society itself. Like marriage, marriage act was done, there is a rules on marriage that the girl should attain 18 years old and the boy should attain the 21 years because before that if you marry, you will not be matured enough to understand the concept of marriage, that's the reason the government has done such a rule and like even the child labor that it was abolished because the reason is you will not get the education proper and you will be abused and go for like go through the bullying this thing, so this is, this should be avoided, other than that like share in the land.

Follow up questions


What do you think about rules that are outdated?
While I respect all rules, I believe some may become outdated over time. It's essential to review and update laws to reflect current societal values and needs. For instance, certain regulations regarding technology or social media may need adjustments to remain relevant.

How do you think rules can be improved in society?
Rules can be improved through public consultation and feedback. Engaging citizens in discussions about laws can help identify areas that need change. Additionally, educating people about the purpose of rules can foster respect and compliance, leading to a more harmonious society.

Can you give an example of a rule that has changed for the better?
One example is the change in laws regarding same-sex marriage. Many countries have recognized the importance of equality and human rights, leading to the legalization of same-sex marriage. This change has positively impacted many lives and reflects a more inclusive society.

Band 6-7

00:00

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00:00

I don't like the rule as you know in the education system in India we have rule of various entrance for the colleges where majority of seats are allotted to the reserved categories for instance open doesn't have any seats whereas general categories have 50% of seats which are allotted on the basis of less marks also so this kind of things create different sort of students we don't have same brains in the class few students who have worked immensely hard and the deserving students don't get a chance in that college just because of their caste and I think majority of the caste people nowadays are earning well so this rule should be actually changed to to on the basis of economic criteria or from the which area they belong from for instance from if they belong from rural area they deserve to be here or like from very economically weak background because they don't they can't afford extra classes or tutors that's mean they may they might be scoring less but when it comes to employability and the deserving candidates not getting the seats in the university and colleges this will create depression among students because I was a 90% scorer in JEE but I was still not qualified because I was in the general category there are students who are just like

Follow up questions


How do you think this rule affects students' motivation?
This rule can significantly demotivate students who work hard but feel their efforts are undervalued. When deserving candidates see less qualified peers gaining admission due to reservation, it can lead to frustration and a sense of injustice, ultimately affecting their academic performance and mental health.

What alternative methods could be used for college admissions?
Instead of caste-based reservations, colleges could implement a system based on economic background or academic performance. For example, a combination of entrance exam scores and socioeconomic factors could provide a more equitable approach, ensuring that deserving students from all backgrounds have a fair chance.

Have you seen any positive aspects of the reservation system?
While I strongly oppose the current reservation system, I acknowledge that it was designed to uplift marginalized communities. It has provided opportunities for some students who might otherwise be excluded from higher education. However, the implementation needs to be more balanced and fair to all students.

Band 6-7

00:00

/

00:00

In our country, there is one rule which has to be followed strictly, because government already put the rule on smoking, if the person fine while smoking, they have to pay the fine of 1000 rupees, but still some people are not maintaining and adopting that rule and they are breaking that rule and I don't like that kind of rule breakers, because it creates air pollution and many of the time, the person who are sick and specially young kids, they suffer from this reason and many of us are suffering by this smoking, first of all, the government should put one special team to detect, special team to find out who is smoking in the open areas like garden, foods and travelling places like bathrooms, police, railway station and whenever we see, we find many people who are smoking in the open area, they don't care about the other person who are suffering from this issue, the person who is smoking, he is also harming himself from inside, that's why I feel that the government should strictly put the rule of fine more than 1000 rupees and arrange one team, special team to find out the person who is breaking the rules and put the surveillance camera more to find out that.

Follow up questions


What other rules related to health do you think should be enforced?
I believe there should be stricter regulations on fast food advertising, especially targeting children. Additionally, rules promoting physical activity in schools and workplaces could help combat obesity and related health issues. These measures could create a healthier environment for everyone.

How do you think public awareness can help in following such rules?
Public awareness campaigns can educate people about the dangers of smoking and the importance of following rules. By sharing stories of those affected by smoking, especially children, we can foster empathy and encourage compliance. Social media can be a powerful tool for spreading this awareness.

What are the consequences of not following health-related rules?
Not following health-related rules can lead to severe consequences, such as increased healthcare costs, higher rates of diseases, and a decline in public health. It can also create a burden on the healthcare system, as more people require treatment for smoking-related illnesses and other health issues.
Show all 25 answers

Cue 1:What is it?

  • Clearly state the rule you dislike and provide a brief context about it.
  • Mention where this rule is applied, such as at school, home, or workplace.

Example

One rule that I really dislike is the strict dress code at my college. We are required to wear formal attire every day, which feels quite unnecessary for a learning environment.


Cue 2:Why don't you like it?

  • Explain the reasons for your dislike, focusing on how it affects you or others.
  • Share any personal experiences that highlight your feelings about this rule.

Example

I find this rule frustrating because it limits our self-expression. For instance, I feel more comfortable and confident in casual clothes, and wearing formal attire makes me feel out of place and less productive.


Cue 3:How do you feel about it?

  • Describe your emotional response to this rule, whether it causes frustration, anger, or indifference.
  • Consider discussing any actions you have taken or would like to take regarding this rule.

Example

This rule makes me feel quite annoyed and stifled. I often wish I could speak to the administration about it, but I hesitate because I fear it might not change anything. Overall, it leaves me feeling disheartened about my college experience.


Conclusion

  • Summarize your main points about the rule and your feelings towards it.
  • End with a reflection on how rules can impact our daily lives.

Example

In conclusion, while rules are often put in place for a reason, I believe that some, like the strict dress code at my college, can hinder our individuality and comfort. It’s important for institutions to find a balance between maintaining order and allowing personal expression.


Following this structure will ensure you cover all the essential points while providing a clear and engaging response to the cue card topic.



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

There is a general rule or hypothesis made by everyone that women are the one who has to cook. They are the one who are the homemakers. They are the one who has to take care of each and everything. But why so? I really don't appreciate the feeling of one being locked in a specific criteria that they are allowed to just do certain chores. Why the other people of the house or the other gender can't do the same thing? Why they can't break this rule or interfere in it and start working on the same? Why the chores are just for women? The main concern over here is that everybody has a dream of doing something. So when you get stuck to one place, you are not free and you feel like you are just made for that particular place and particular work. So what start happening with women's right, they get bound to the rule of not letting them free from the chores of the house, which leads to depression. What I have seen with my own eyes is like women start feeling depleted. They start to ignore their priorities. They feel less confident and the only thing they know is how to cook, what to cook and for whom to cook and for that also they will never get appreciated. So the concern over here is the rules should be meant to be created when they are going to give something fruitful, but here currently the rule started to drain out the energy or they try to deplete the aura of the other person. So overall the story of rule is to create boundaries, but now the boundaries are so thick that nobody is going to break them and it will be a long lasting process ever to break them.

Band 6-7

So, a rule that I don't like is, it is a part of a legal system in India, where the funds collected by a particular temple in a state or a district or a village will not be directly accessible by the management authority of that temple, like the priest who is handling all the affairs of the temple and is the sole servant of the lord or the deity there. He is not able to directly access the funds which belongs to the deity, which belongs to the lord directly. He has to go to the government machinery in that particular area. So like for example, he will go to the district magistrate for permission to use funds from that particular bank account. So like this is, I think, sort of discrimination towards a particular community. The reason that I don't like it is that, it is hampering the process of independence for a particular community in the ways they want to work. So they are dependent and they are restricted by the law to properly implement their religious procedures because some majority of the time there are certain issues that the legal person is not serious, the person who is having authority on those funds by the law, he or she is not serious or he or she does not believe.

Band 6-7

I don't like the rule as you know in the education system in India we have rule of various entrance for the colleges where majority of seats are allotted to the reserved categories for instance open doesn't have any seats whereas general categories have 50% of seats which are allotted on the basis of less marks also so this kind of things create different sort of students we don't have same brains in the class few students who have worked immensely hard and the deserving students don't get a chance in that college just because of their caste and I think majority of the caste people nowadays are earning well so this rule should be actually changed to to on the basis of economic criteria or from the which area they belong from for instance from if they belong from rural area they deserve to be here or like from very economically weak background because they don't they can't afford extra classes or tutors that's mean they may they might be scoring less but when it comes to employability and the deserving candidates not getting the seats in the university and colleges this will create depression among students because I was a 90% scorer in JEE but I was still not qualified because I was in the general category there are students who are just like

Band 6-7

Every society has the certain rules and regulations that are meant to be followed by its citizens and maintain a healthy, peaceful environment. However, the rules are not liked by everyone in the society. One such rule in Indian society that I don't appreciate is the preference given to son over the daughters. I don't like this rule because it is based on gender bias and does not take into consideration the capabilities and potential of both male and female gender. I do not like this rule and never followed it because in my family, we have given everyone equal opportunities and respect in both genders. Everyone should be given equal opportunities and respect regardless of gender. In my future, I don't teach this to my son and daughter to treat anyone based on their gender.

Band 6-7

I remember a rule when I was in college. In those days, the assignment should be submitted on time. The deadlines are very strict that if we unable to submit the assignments on time, our marks were reduced. This rule I was very much not suitable of. I tried to ask my professor to provide me some extra days to complete my assignment, but he always used to reject the request we provided. I usually used to complete all my work on time and this time can be very and to submit my assignments. My general concern about this is if they provide us some extra time, then we can complete that work more efficiently.

Band 6-7

I don't like the rule of filling the form when ever you enter any hospital you have to fill a form to get admitted in the hospital. I feel if someone is in critical situation that they are reaching hospital to admit their loved one they don't have the time to waste actually. So there must not be any rule that a person has to fill a form to get admitted into the hospital for getting treated. The doctor should treat the patient first and after that the formalities can be done but in our country it is really sad that whenever we have to fill a form.

Band 6

Every rule has its own relevance. Today I would like to talk about a rule I don't like. The rule is related to my hostel. During my college days, I stayed in a hostel for 4 years. At that time, we had a strict rule for submit the form before 6 pm. At that time, they only gave a 60 minutes for using phone. My friends and I more than time complained about that rule. But they didn't change because that rule is only provided by the college authority. So, they didn't change that rule. After that, in case of our exam time or preparation assignment time, we need a phone. But they didn't give a phone. And finally, we asked about the rule to concerning authority. After that, they changed the 60 minutes to 2 hours for phone using. I think that rule I don't like because in my side, we all our students gave the permission to use phone because they are adult. So, we have the right to use phone.

Band 6

I would like to talk about a rule that is related to the women's security in our nation. I didn't like this kind of rule like in India, if a crime exists, then the result of that judgment will come after around 3 or 4 years back. This was a long period, a really long period. I want to get quick action against any crime record, if it is against women's security or women's safety, then everyone should be aware of that particular rule and its quick action and everybody always, if an action will occur in a very first moment, then everybody should keep their own actions in a proper way.

Band 6

There are around so many rules that would follow in different area. So one of the most disliked rule, I disliked, it was uniform. Uniform is present in all private school and it is a compulsory for each and every student whether it is a boy or girl. So in my school, it was compulsory to wear a salwar kameez for every girl, each and every girl. So I just really dislike about wearing uniform at school because it makes me so discomfortable. It is hard to wash them, it is hard to iron them and I don't like to wear because it doesn't look good at me and also it is not good in color and I also don't like because I am having only one uniform dress, I need to wash it once a week and I can't wear it all day long and I don't have any separate uniform.

Band 6

There are various rules and regulations that should be followed by individual. Today I would like to talk about a time when I have also followed various rules like in my school time there are various rules and regulations which are arranged by our principal Mr. Aman Nain and we have to follow these rules. So today I am going to talk about a one rule that I don't like the rule that I don't like is related to sports we have sports meets or sports competition every month and it's a compulsory rule that every individual should need to take participate in it. I don't like that rule the main reason behind that is that I have not that much stamina or potential to deal with all of these situations even I am not a outgoing person or I am not that type of person who have keen interest in sports that's why I think that all these sports activities are boring for me and I always try to take a holiday on that day whenever we have a sports meet even I am charged by a lot of fine because of that things but now I felt that it's good for my life because I think physical activities are important for our day to day life and now I realize if I take participate in it so I can able to manage my health now I am facing many problems because I don't take that rule seriously so I think every rule is important and everyone should need to follow that rule so yeah that is the only one rule that I don't like but now I regret about it because of the consequences that I face nowadays
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