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Describe a rule you dislike and would like to change in the future: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

  • What the rule is?
  • Where or when it applies?
  • Why you dislike it?
  • And explain what you would change and why.
Show all 111 answers

Cue 1:What the rule is?

  • Clearly state the rule you dislike, making sure to explain what it entails.
  • Provide context about where this rule is commonly applied.

Example

The rule I dislike is the strict dress code in my college, which requires students to wear formal attire every day. This rule applies to all students and is enforced during classes and college events.

Cue 2:Why you dislike it?

  • Explain your personal feelings about the rule and how it affects you.
  • Mention any specific incidents or experiences that highlight your dislike.

Example

I dislike this rule because it stifles our individuality and self-expression. For instance, I feel uncomfortable wearing formal clothes every day, especially when I prefer casual wear. Once, I had to attend a class in a hot summer, and wearing formal attire made me feel very uneasy and distracted.

Cue 3:What would you change and why?

  • Suggest a more flexible alternative to the current rule.
  • Explain the benefits of your proposed change for students and the college environment.

Example

I would change the rule to allow students to wear smart casual attire instead of formal clothes. This change would make students feel more comfortable and confident, which could enhance their learning experience. It would also promote a more relaxed and friendly atmosphere on campus.

Conclusion

    Example

    In conclusion, while rules are important for maintaining order, I believe that some, like the strict dress code in my college, can be re-evaluated. Allowing more freedom in our attire would not only reflect our personalities but also create a more enjoyable learning environment.

    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: Vague Descriptions

    Using vague language can make your answer unclear. It's important to provide specific details about the rule you dislike to engage the listener.

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    Tip

    Use clear examples and specific situations to illustrate the rule and your feelings about it.

    2: Lack of Structure

    Failing to organize your response can lead to confusion. A structured answer helps convey your thoughts more effectively.

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    Tip

    Follow the cue prompts in order: state the rule, its application, your dislike, and your proposed change.

    Overly Emotional Responses

    Being too emotional can detract from the clarity of your argument. It's important to express your feelings while remaining composed.

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    Tip

    Balance your emotional response with logical reasoning to explain why the rule should change.

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    All Answers

    Here are all the answers by real-users practicing speaking for IELTS Cue Cards on our IELTS Prep App.

    Band 6-7

    Well, there are many rules I want to change in the future, but today I am going to talk about a rule in my school which I would like to change in near future. Well, there are many rules I want to change in the future, but today I am going to talk about a rule in my school which I would like to change in near future. It was about the hairstyles of the students. When I was in school, there was a rule of doing two braids in the school campus and for the boys to have very short hairs and I think that this is a useless rule because schools should focus on studies rather than focusing on what the appearance of student is. When teachers do pressurize students to don't involve in such kind of things, I really think that students start involving more because they have a mindset that if you stop them from doing something, they involve more into it and I think that this rule should be changed because it is the rule which don't have any sense, according to me, because students should be judged on their performance in their academics, not according to their preferences of how they look, what their hairstyles are, what they are wearing.

    Band 6-7

    One rule that I would genuinely like to change in future is the unrealistically strict grooming policy in majority of Indian schools, especially the ones that target hairstyles and nail grooming for students. While I completely understand the importance of discipline and tidiness, but I feel some rules are unnecessary and start interfering self-expression. Like in most Indian schools, there is a rigid rule like keeping hair tied up, no hair color and no nail polish. Even they require a specific length of nail. For example, in my school, girls were strictly prohibited to tie their hair in a ponytail and boys were not allowed to increase the length of their hair. And by chance, if someone did that, they were seen as criminals. I remember once, I was getting late for school, so instead of making two braids with a black hairband, I tied my hair into a ponytail with a colored scrunchie and in result, I was called for breaking the rules. To be honest, I really felt disappointed that day, not because of the yelling, but because it was something so harmless. So, I personally feel these rules are outdated and unnecessarily harsh. So, I mean how is that affecting our learning? I have seen a lot of students around me feel the same way. This rule creates a suffocating atmosphere, especially for teenagers who are naturally inclined to explore and express their identity. If given a chance, I would definitely modify this rule, for instance, permitting students to wear a decent and tidy hairstyle as long as it doesn't cross the line of destruction. In my opinion, I think discipline is a must.

    Band 6-7

    So, one thing, one rule that should be changed in our country is the Narcotics Control Act. So why it is? First of all, there is a drug that we all know is natural and not risky, which is cannabis. Cannabis is a safe drug and it's natural better than alcohol. So, where I live in India, additionally Narcotics Control Act states that consumption of cannabis and related products with drugs like cocaine, methamphetamine, MDMA and LSD are illegal. But I think so, cannabis should be legalized in India as alcohol is really expensive and especially risky. It leads to various diseases like liver fail, heart failures and breathing problems too. In my opinion, cannabis should be legalized as cannabis helps a lot of people to overcome drug issues, the people who injected, smoked or even ingested these drugs, the other drugs like these, cocaine, methamphetamine and especially MDMA. These drugs are really dangerous and the people recovering from that use cannabis. Cannabis is a relaxant and especially it helps you to improve good quality of sleep. It may vary from body to body, but in my profound opinion, I don't think so, cannabis is a dangerous drug. I too have used cannabis but never found that it is addictive or it is deadly. Just one thing that you should be careful is your health. Eat a healthy diet.

    Band 6-7

    The rule I would like to change in the future and I dislike would be the five permanent membership of five nations in the United Nations. I think that would be such a misunderstanding. Oh my god. The rule that I dislike and I I would like to change it in future would be the permanent membership of the five countries in the United Nations Security Council. I think it is the unchecked power given to them that has caused too much havoc in this world. It is really unfair to give the power of deciding international policies to just five nations and veto resolutions and it also represents a post-World War II mindset and it is not reflective of current global scenarios. The good thing would be to remove this permanent membership and give all countries an equal chance and an opportunity to make resolutions and veto resolutions in the United Nations Security Council.

    Band 6-7

    The rule I really do not like is that everyone is meant to be a parent. The reason is that I really don't think that all of us should keep that as our goal for life. Of course life should be filled with purpose, but that purpose varies for varieties of people. The reason I think that this rule should change is because not each one is different. We are like grains of sand in a beach and each grain of sand is unique in its texture and structure and dimensions. So even though we are one as humanity, I think we need to respect each other and embrace the idea that each person's purpose of life is different. Of course we need to contribute to the future generation. So I understand why my idea can invite a lot of wrath and fury. This is because we need to ensure a better life for our offsprings. However, there are many ways you can contribute without having children of your own. For instance, you can open an NGO for many children who are orphans. Also, you can leave a legacy by being a fun aunt or an uncle. So I really think this hardcore rule of everyone wanting to be parents should not be imposed, but it should be given as an option. After all, there are many ways you can actually contribute to ensure that the prospective generation lives a good and inclusive life.

    Band 6-7

    In my opinion, there are different rules that should be changed, but the major rule that I dislike is the tax, as in today's generation there are different taxes that are applied by the government on different things such as supplies which people buy, like the clothes, food items and coats which are very essential for basic necessities, to buy these things. The government have imposed different taxes in which some are very high and some are very low. I dislike it because it is very difficult for some people, like the people below the poverty line, who cannot afford such money and in return there is also no thing which is provided by the government, they did not support the people, although they take different taxes on high and low prices, but in return they did not give any reassurance to the people. So I think this rule should be changed for the welfare of the people, so that it should not be difficult for the poor people.

    Band 6-7

    A rule that I would like to change is when a VIP or a person of importance, especially a government official, is travelling then the whole crowd or traffic is blocked and asked to stop their course no matter how important or urgent that is. At times, even the ambulance has to halt because a government person is crossing the road. This makes no sense to me since a person's life is not more important than someone travelling. We respect the government officials and everything they do for us but still they should care more about the people of the country than their own convenience. These laws can be made less stricter and should be flexible enough to accommodate any emergency or urgent cases like an ambulance carrying someone to the hospital or someone facing some kind of urgent situation. Moreover, the halt that happens is not just for a few minutes but rather hours and this often interferes with students getting late to reach their examination centres and hence and not being able to appear for exams and living an opportunity of a lifetime.

    Band 6-7

    The rule I dislike the most is women have to do all the household chores and stuff in the family whereas husbands are allowed to only work and do outdoor stuff and not helping much or I would say not at all in the home. I think for married women it is the most sensitive case especially they have to look after their children as well and in case of working women there is no choice. They have to maintain balance between both their office work as well as the household chores. They have to look upon their child as well. They have to look upon their in-laws and everything that comes under house. I dislike this because only without anyone's support women find it hard to complete these things on her own and I would strongly suggest to everyone that there should be a co-parenting when in the case of their child and things also should be sorted between the members of the family so there is a divide of problem and time management would be solved.

    Band 6-7

    The rule I dislike would be the VIP entrance in the temples, there are lot many temples which have a particular rule of VIP entrance in the public cave. This is very disgusting as if you pay money they are going to send you in the VIP entries and if you are not going to pay the money so you are going to in the public line so this is very abrupt. So I would like to change this rule in the future if I had a chance of changing it. So if it is a temple so if it is a god so everyone is equal before the god right. So if I have to change the rule everyone should come in the same line there should be no VIP entrance or such.

    Band 6-7

    There is this one rule that I want to change if I have a chance is reservations. These reservations are applied in the competitive exams. Most of the reservations are favourable to the minorities like SCSTs and Muslim communities. Though other communities like BC and OBC category students are finding it much harder even after cracking the exam very well. So I would like to change this concept. I raise this point because it gives equal opportunity to all grades of the sectors. The ranking and the job opportunity will be allotted based on the hard work and the actual score of the exam not just because of the reservation that the students are getting allotted. Most of the students are students of SCST are being benefited in many other areas though they are capable of scoring high ranks even without the reservation. So hence I feel this can be helpful for other students who are trying to get a seat with a better score but issues with the reservation problem.
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