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Describe a tall building you like or dislike: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

  • What it is used for
  • Where it is
  • What it looks like
Show all 4 answers

Cue 1:What it is used for

  • Begin by stating the primary function of the building, such as residential, commercial, or mixed-use.
  • Mention any specific activities or services that take place within the building.

Example

The tall building I want to talk about is the Lodha World One in Mumbai. It is primarily a residential skyscraper, housing luxury apartments. Besides being a home for many affluent families, it also has amenities like a gym, swimming pool, and even a sky lounge for social gatherings.


Cue 2:Where it is

  • Describe the location of the building, including the city and any notable landmarks nearby.
  • You can also mention how accessible the building is in terms of public transport or major roads.

Example

Lodha World One is located in the heart of Lower Parel, a bustling area in Mumbai. It stands tall among other skyscrapers and is easily accessible via the Western Express Highway. The area is known for its vibrant nightlife and proximity to shopping malls, making it a prime location.


Cue 3:What it looks like

  • Provide a visual description of the building, focusing on its height, architecture, and any unique features.
  • You can also mention how the building fits into the skyline of the city.

Example

The building is an architectural marvel, soaring to a height of 117 stories, making it one of the tallest residential buildings in India. Its sleek glass façade reflects the sunlight beautifully, and the design incorporates modern aesthetics with a touch of elegance. It stands out in the Mumbai skyline, symbolizing luxury and modern living.


Conclusion

    Example

    In conclusion, I admire the Lodha World One not just for its height but for what it represents in terms of modern living in Mumbai. It combines luxury with convenience, making it a remarkable addition to the city's landscape.


    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: Lack of Specific Details

    Avoid vague descriptions that do not provide specific information about the building. This can make your answer less engaging and informative.

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    Tip

    Include specific details about the building's purpose, location, and appearance to create a vivid picture for the examiner.


    2: Ignoring the Cues

    Neglecting to address the provided cues can lead to an incomplete answer. This may result in a lower score for coherence and relevance.

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    Tip

    Make sure to systematically cover each cue: its use, location, and appearance to ensure a well-rounded response.


    Overly Complex Language

    Using overly complex vocabulary or sentence structures can confuse the listener and detract from your message.

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    Tip

    Use clear and simple language to express your thoughts. Focus on clarity rather than trying to impress with difficult words.


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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 6-7

    Okay, so a tall building that I like is definitely the Eiffel Tower which is located in Paris, France. It is an ancient artifact and one of the main reason that I love is because of its aesthetics. It looks very pretty in pictures as well as in person. It's a very amazing spot for vacation, for solar traveling, for memories and yeah it is an ancient artifact so it also has its specific history connected to it which makes it even more special for the locals over there as well as people around the world who are fond of ancient architecture as well as aesthetics. So the Eiffel Tower, it lights up and its lights are very pretty and very catchy. It is one of the most famous monuments not only in France and not only in Europe but worldwide. It is one of the seven wonders of the world and it's very pretty. It is very eye-catching and even just having a glimpse of it just takes you to another dimension and it makes you ecstatic.

    Band 6

    I'd like to describe a tall building that I like the most. It is Burj Khalifa. It's situated in UAE, Dubai, United Arab Emirates and it's a tallest building in the world. To be honest, it's a very beautifully created building and it contains lots of rooms and lots of business centers and high facilities in that building available. Also, I visited Dubai during my vacation. It's about 4-5 years ago. It is a very beautiful creature and it is the best and the most fascinating building I've ever seen in my life.

    Band 6

    So, today my topic is describing a building that I like or dislike, so firstly I would like to describe about the like factors about the building, so I will, the building which I like the most is the Qutub Minar, so it is also a basic, it is also a historical monument or the tallest building in the Delhi and the thing which I like the most about this place is that there are lots of cafes situated there that make vibe so vibrant and fabulous, one more thing I like, also like is that the light show is also there on the daily basis at the evening time, so that is also a good factor and that make this particular thing is more vibrant and elegant, so if I talk about the disliking factors, the building which I do not like, so the building which I do not like is the industries that because they are the, I do not like them, basically no one can like the industries, hence they are not good for health and for the peoples who are living nearby, so it is situated in the my nearby area, my nearby area is industrial area, so I do not like them because a lot of people have breathing difficulties because of them, because it is the cause of water pollution, air pollution, so many of peoples are getting health issues because of this particular thing, so I do not like the industries of like, many of people just buy a land area and just

    Band 6

    Recently I visited Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia. There I noticed one tall building which I really liked. It got my attention because it was helical in shape, similar as how our DNA looks like. Also it was coloured dark blue and during the night view it was actually looking like DNA. As being a science student, for me it was very fascinating to look at a building like this. It was situated in the financial district of Riyadh. It is used as a hotel where they have a restaurant. I have visited the restaurant. I really like the ambience of that hotel. Also it has a huge parking.

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