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Describe a shop/store you often visit: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

  • Where it is?
  • What type of people go there?
  • What types of goods are sold there?
Show all 98 answers

Cue 1:Where it is?

  • Begin by describing the location of the shop, mentioning nearby landmarks or neighborhoods.
  • Include details about how often you visit this shop and what makes it convenient for you.

Example

The shop I often visit is located in the bustling market area of my neighborhood, just a few blocks away from my home. It's called 'Daily Needs' and is situated right next to a popular café. I visit this shop at least twice a week because it’s very convenient for me to grab groceries on my way back from work.

Cue 2:What type of people go there?

  • Describe the typical customers you see in the shop, including their age group and demographics.
  • Mention any specific reasons why these people prefer this shop over others.

Example

The shop attracts a diverse crowd, including young professionals, families, and elderly residents. Most of the customers are local people who prefer shopping here because the prices are reasonable and the staff is friendly. I often see mothers with children buying snacks and working professionals picking up quick meals.

Cue 3:What types of goods are sold there?

  • List the main categories of products available in the shop, such as groceries, household items, or personal care products.
  • Highlight any unique or popular items that make the shop stand out.

Example

At 'Daily Needs', you can find a wide range of goods, including fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy products, snacks, and household essentials. One of the unique features of this shop is its selection of organic products, which has become increasingly popular among health-conscious customers like myself.

Conclusion

    Example

    In conclusion, 'Daily Needs' is more than just a shop for me; it’s a community hub where I can find everything I need while enjoying a friendly atmosphere. I appreciate the convenience and the variety of products available, which keeps me coming back regularly.

    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. Avoid general statements that do not provide specific details about the shop or your experiences there.

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    Tip

    Include specific examples and details about the shop, such as its location, unique features, and your personal experiences to make your answer more engaging.

    2: Ignoring the Cues

    Failing to address the provided cues can lead to an incomplete answer. It is important to cover all aspects of the question to demonstrate your speaking ability.

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    Tip

    Structure your response by clearly addressing each cue: where the shop is, the type of people who visit, and the goods sold there.

    Overly Simple Language

    Using overly simple language may not showcase your English proficiency. It can make your response sound less interesting and engaging.

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    Tip

    Use a variety of vocabulary and sentence structures to express your ideas. Try to incorporate descriptive adjectives and adverbs to enhance your answer.

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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 7

    One of the shops I often visit is a local stationery shop or a bookstore called Bookmark. It is located just a few minutes from my house in a small shopping complex near the main road. I usually go there around once or twice a week, especially when I need supplies for my academic work. The type of people that I usually see there are university students like me and they mostly go there to buy books of their particular subjects. Bookmark mainly sells a wide variety of stationery items like pens, notebook, folder and art supplies. Apart from that, it has an excellent collection of books, ranging from school textbooks and competitive exams, guides to novels, biographies and self-help books. I forgot it's two minutes. One of the shops I often visit is a local stationery shop or a bookstore called Bookmark. It is located just a few minutes from my house in a small shopping complex near the main road. I usually go there around once or twice a week, especially when I need supplies for my academic work. The type of people that I usually see there are university students like me and they mostly go there to buy books of their particular subjects. Bookmark mainly sells a wide variety of stationery items like pens, notebook, folder and art supplies. Apart from that, it has an excellent collection of books, ranging from school textbooks to college textbooks, competitive exams, guides to novels, biographies and self-help books. It is also a gift shop in a way. It sells greeting cards, planners and decorative notebooks, which I find quite useful during the festive seasons. I visit this shop very regularly because it's not only convenient in terms of location, but the staff there is also very friendly and helpful. They always guide me to the right shelves and sometimes even suggest newly arrived books based on my interest. I am someone who enjoys reading and journaling, so this shop is a sort of heaven for me. What I particularly like about this shop is how well organized and quiet it is. The atmosphere is calm, almost like a library, which makes browsing books even more enjoyable. And the price? Very reasonable. Compared to other bookstores, they often give discount to students, which is a great bonus. That is the exact reason why I prefer this store over any other stores.

    Band 7

    I often visit a store which is located in a very secretive area which nobody knows about. It's a very aesthetic looking and traditional Indian sari shop. It's called The Shrews. I happened to go there when I was working at a corporate company. When I took a break I strolled through the next street of my office and I found this gem. It sells, they sell saris and antiques. I love going there because I feel so calm looking at the antique traditional Indian artifacts. Additionally I purchased some saris for gifting and for personal use and they've all loved it and personally I also have loved my saris from there. I recently got a bag from there which I take to the office and I've gotten so many compliments for the bag.

    Band 7

    A shop which I often visit is the one just outside the entrance of my society. It's a pretty big store. It has everything you could possibly need. For example, stationery, fruits, vegetables, hygiene products, daily use products, kitchen utensils, spices, snacks. So basically everything that you need. And lots of people visit the store. There's always some or the other person inside that place. Kids, teenagers, senior citizens, middle-aged people. You can find anybody in the store. I often go there because when I'm coming back from my college, I get a little tired and thirsty. So I go up to the store, climbing its steps, and I leave my bag outside in the cubbyhole because that's not something which is allowed. And then I grab a drink or an ice cream cone and then walk my way to the building. The store also has a printing service which is very useful to me because I often remember things at the last moment. And that is pretty helpful.

    Band 7

    One store that I often visit is a Japanese inspired store called Miniso. It is just 15 minutes away from the place that I live in a mall. The store consists of small aesthetically pleasing items such as skin care products, makeup items, even bigger bags and an electronic section. Miniso is a very culturally inspired store and I like that how some of its things are very cute and well kept. They are also arranged in a manner that you would want to visit the place. The type of people that usually visit this store range in a wide variety. It can be students, it can be young teens who are looking for organizers, notebooks to maintain their daily records. It can be old people looking for repair items as well as it can be women who are looking for makeup or skin care. Or they can also go there for giving someone a good gift. This store is not only a convenience and an everyday lifestyle store but it is also a store which basically has everything that you can need.

    Band 7

    I'm an avid reader. For me, any bookstore is my favorite shop. So there is this one bookshop in Kashmir which is one of the largest bookshops. It is in Lal Jog. I still remember when I went there first time, I think it was three years back, it was my first ever visit in my six year long journey of reading. I'd ever visited a bookstore. Honestly speaking, I didn't know what I wanted to get. So I just spent literally two hours in that store. I was just scrolling. I felt like I was in heaven. I feel like I was over the moon that day. It was one of the best days of my life. Often I see people who go there are customers but I usually see people who like to take aesthetic photos often go there. In addition to that, I have seen scholars, intellectuals and research people going there. Last time when I went, it was a month back, I came across a man. He was a professor in Kashmir University and we had a long conversation about books especially about political literature since one of my favorite genres of reading is political literature. So I had a very great conversation with him. Other than that, the bookstore has a very old vibe. It is a very big store but it has maintained its core. It is lined with books. The favorite part of mine about that bookstore is that it does not sell a lot of fiction books. It sells a lot of non-fiction especially books related to history, political literature and Kashmir. So these all genres are my favorite. So personally I think that shop is my favorite one.

    Band 7

    A shop or store I often visit would definitely be the South City Mall in Kolkata. The South City Mall is known to be one of the oldest malls in Kolkata and it has been a place where people from all over the state flock over to buy things. It houses a plethora of items. Everything that one can imagine of, it sells the basic of vegetables to the most high-fi luxury brands. I prefer going over to this particular South City Mall because of its wonderful ambience, its welcoming nature, plus the wonderful and reasonable prices and the variety of products are better than any online shopping store, e-commerce website in today's world. Moreover, I think of South City Mall as more of a hangout spot with friends as opposed to a very sophisticated mall. Just going over with friends, hanging out, sitting down for a cup of coffee and window shopping is what South City Mall means to me. And moreover, it has goods for people of all income groups. I mean, even the poorest of the people can go into the mall and actually buy stuff and actually afford stuff over there while at the same time, the ultra-rich come down in their posh cars and buy things from luxury brands like Gucci, Louis Vuitton and so on. I would like to continue, I know that I will continue visiting this store in spite of the dominance of e-commerce websites for the aforementioned reasons.

    Band 7

    One of the shops I often visit is a local supermarket called Reliance Smart located in just 10 minutes walk from my home in Ahmedabad. It's a part of a popular chain in India and has everything from groceries to household essentials all under one roof. The store sells a wide variety of products like fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy items and even some basic electronic items. It's quite spacious and well-organized which makes shopping easy and convenient. I usually go there once or twice a week, mostly on weekends when I need to buy essential for a week ahead. I also drop by one weekdays if I run out of anything important like milk or bread. What I really like about this shop is that it's affordable, clean and well-maintained. The staff are polite and helpful and there are frequent discounts and offers which help me to save money. Also, the self-checkout option saves a lot of time when the shop is busy. Shopping at Reliance Smart has become part of my routine because it's reliable, convenient and offers good value for money.

    Band 7

    I often visit a small independent bookshop near my home. It's quiet, well-organized, and run by a courteous gentleman who genuinely knows his books. Though the selection isn't vast, it's thoughtfully curated. I go there not only to buy, but to browse in peace. Unlike larger stores, it has a personal touch. No noise, no rush, just shelves, stories, and a sense of calm I greatly value. Accompanied by people who are just like me. Thank you for watching my video.

    Band 7

    One of the stores that I visit often is located at the end of my street. It's an all-in-one grocery store where I can buy a lot of things that are needed on daily basis. I usually go there by bike. I like the ambience of the store. It's quite cool and clean place. There are lots of products and they are updated regularly by the staff there. The staff also attends to the customer very properly and the list of items are checked thoroughly before they are bought. I remember going to the store every year to bring the monthly grocery for my home. What I like about the store is that it provides complimentary gifts to the locals once in a while on the festival seasons. We also visit it with our siblings and friends to get ready to get stuff, the stuff we need in emergency and that's the store that I particularly visit very often. I think the city is very populated so there are many stores opening up around but I'll particularly stick to that one because I like the company, the products they sell and the ambience is typically very good.

    Band 7

    A shop that I frequently visit would be a grocery store. It's quite close to my house and it has a wide variety of anything that anyone would want in their day-to-day life. And I'm someone who is a junk lover by nature, so I really like having junk food. And basically when I enter a grocery store, I'm like a child who is enticed by all the candies and the wafers that I see. And I just have that craving in me that I want to buy everything and as a kid, I used to think that the only thing that I want to achieve when I'm an adult would be to buy as many chocolates, as many wafers, as many biscuits or candies that I could buy. And once I shifted to my hostel for my undergrad, I had the opportunity to do so because I was provided with specific pocket money to spend. And I think that was the most important day of my life because I achieved a great feat. And usually you would find, like grocery shops are a place where you find everyone. You can see a kid, you know, a kid walking in the aisle to an adult trying to shop for their daily essentials. And it's also quite a good place to meet everyone and just, you know, ask them how they're doing. And it's a very happy place in my life and I would want to visit it every two days or three days at the least.
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