arrow back icon Top Answers

Describe a time when the electricity suddenly went off: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

  • When/where it happened
  • What happened when it went off
  • How people reacted / what you did
  • And explain how you felt about it
Show all 59 answers

Cue 1:When/where it happened

  • Begin by describing the specific location and time when the electricity went off.
  • Mention any relevant details about the setting, such as whether you were at home, school, or work.

Example

It was a hot summer evening around 7 PM when the electricity suddenly went off at my home. I was in the living room, trying to finish my homework while the ceiling fan was running to keep me cool.

Cue 2:What happened when it went off

  • Explain the immediate effects of the power outage, such as darkness or loss of appliances.
  • Mention any specific activities that were interrupted due to the electricity going off.

Example

As soon as the lights went out, the room was plunged into darkness. The fan stopped spinning, and I could hear the distant sounds of my neighbors reacting to the outage. My laptop screen went black, and I realized I couldn’t continue my studies.

Cue 3:How people reacted / what you did

  • Describe how you and others around you reacted to the sudden power cut.
  • Mention any actions you took to cope with the situation, like using candles or checking on family members.

Example

My family quickly gathered in the living room, and my mother lit some candles to provide light. My younger brother started to feel scared, so I reassured him that it would be okay. We all sat together, sharing stories to pass the time.

Cue 4:And explain how you felt about it

  • Share your feelings about the power outage, whether it was frustration, fear, or something else.
  • Reflect on any positive aspects of the situation, like spending time with family.

Example

Initially, I felt frustrated because I was in the middle of my homework. However, as we sat together in candlelight, I realized it was a nice opportunity to bond with my family. We laughed and talked, which made me appreciate the moment despite the inconvenience.

Conclusion

    Example

    In conclusion, the sudden power cut was an unexpected event that disrupted my evening. However, it turned into a memorable experience as it brought my family together, reminding me of the importance of spending quality time with loved ones, even in challenging situations.

    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 Detail in Description

    Failing to provide specific details about when and where the electricity went off can make your answer less engaging and informative. It may leave the examiner with unanswered questions.

    bulb icon

    Tip

    Include specific details such as the location, time of day, and any relevant context to make your story more vivid and relatable.

    2: Ignoring Emotional Response

    Not expressing how you felt during the power outage can make your response seem flat. Emotions help to connect with the listener and add depth to your answer.

    bulb icon

    Tip

    Share your feelings during the event, whether it was fear, frustration, or humor, to create a more compelling narrative.

    Neglecting Reactions of Others

    Overlooking how others reacted to the situation can limit the scope of your response. Including others' reactions can enrich your story and provide different perspectives.

    bulb icon

    Tip

    Mention how family, friends, or colleagues reacted to the power outage to add variety and depth to your response.

    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 6-7

    Yeah, so I do remember a time when the electricity went off and I was not able to study well. It was way back somewhere in 2019 where I was studying for my 10th board examinations. I mean, the board exams are conducted in the month of Feb, but I would say that I was preparing for them and I had joined a tuition class wherein I had an exam next term.

    Band 6-7

    I live in a high-rise building which contains 40 plus floors. This is an everyday horror and thriller together. Usually in the rainy seasons there is a lack of power outrage and people tend to use the elevator for any purposes it might be. Suddenly the lift stopped when there was a power cut and along with me there were three more people in the lift so the jolt actually was very scary because it stopped abruptly and then the people, the ladies as well as the children who were next to me they started screaming and then I was pacifying them, hey please don't worry. But within a few minutes the lift had a battery system which actually brought us back and landed us safely in the middle of the floor. So I live in the 33rd floor and the lift stopped in the 19th floor and I had to probably walk the entire staircase but then it was not feasible. It was devastating, it was like tiring to know that I have to climb so many steps and the children and the ladies next to me they were actually waiting for the lift from the same floor where they were being dropped off.

    Band 6-7

    One of the most frustrating situations when the light went off was during my examination. It was long back in 2020 during the COVID situation. My final year engineering examination was supposed to held online. In the middle of the examination, the electricity went off suddenly without any notice. So, I was a bit tensed at that time. All other people were not actually tensed because it is routine for them because sometimes the electricity usually went off without any reason. So, I didn't expect this at this particular situation. My parents as well as my family members were also tensed because I was writing the examination. Immediately the internet facility cut off. My father was there in my home at that time, so he had a good stable internet in his phone. He has shared the hotspot with me and I connected it and completed the remaining examination. That gave me a lesson actually which is you have to think about all the aspects while writing examination. I actually didn't thought what if the electricity suddenly went off. So, I didn't had any backup plan at that time. So, after that situation, I always try to keep a backup plan if the things don't go as planned or something went wrong.

    Band 6-7

    Recently, electricity suddenly went off in my hometown. It was time of summer, so we all were chilling in the air-conditioning room. And it went off and we were all shocked and panicked, first of all. But then, we all came out of houses. Everyone was sitting out of their house. We all sat down and we waited for them, for the electricity to come back. What I felt that day was that electricity matters a lot. Just because we get it easily, sometimes we don't care about it. But once you lost it, you actually know the real meaning of it. Because without electricity, we were sitting in the heat, sweating all over. But that day I realized that we should be grateful about each and everything we have in our life. Because once we lost that, we actually got to know what that meant in our daily life. Because who would have known that without electricity, I would be sweating in front of my house. But it was all good, we managed it. And everyone was so happy when the electricity came back. And that day I realized that, yeah, small things do matter and life doesn't matter.

    Band 6-7

    It was a summer time when I was around 9 to 10 years old. It was a normal day. Everything was going well. I just came back from school. My grandparents were there. My maternal grandparents were there. They just came that day only to my home. My sister was very small. She was around 3 to 4 years old. I was completing my homework. My mom was in the kitchen cooking dinner for us. My maternal grandparents were there sitting with my sister. She was enjoying playing around. It was around mid of April or May when this thing happened. There was no rain. A little breeze was going outside and the weather was more or less hot. Suddenly the electricity went off which was quite normal at that time. Nowadays we do not face it as such. But at that time electricity going off suddenly was very common. My father asked the neighbours whether they also had the same thing. There was a thing called a phase going off. That means a house situated in a specific line. All the other houses in that line will not have any electricity supply. As it went off, we were suddenly worried about how much time it will take to come back. Then we were worrying about how we will stay for the entire night. We went upstairs into our terrace. We were enjoying the breeze. My grandparents were telling a story. We enjoyed that night very much. The electricity was off for about 6 hours. But we enjoyed it as a family altogether.

    Band 6-7

    The time when electricity suddenly went off was at midnight, like, it was a few days ago, a tree from our neighborhood fell onto the electricity cable, which led to the breaking of the post and those lines. It was, it happened in the midnight, so that no one knows what happened. We were thinking, like, what happened, why did it suddenly went off? And we were just, we just went outside of our house and was looking thoroughly the surroundings. Like, whenever we get to know that a tree has been fallen onto the electric cable, that's why the current suddenly went off. As a result, we just called, we just called the electricity office and informed them that an incident like this happened and you should take necessary method. And it was raining heavily that time. So it's not possible for the electricity board to, board alone to make things work. So me and my father contacted the firefighters so that they can come and do the necessary things. But even when they came, they felt it hard because it was raining continuously. It's not possible for them to cut the trees and make things clear. So they told us that they will come back in the next day and we'll make sure that they clear all this. And we really felt bad at that night because we can't sleep without electricity, like there is a lot of mosquitoes here, which will make our life hard to sleep in the night. However, we are really grateful for those who came at that night and the following day they all came and took the necessary method.

    Band 6-7

    I was working in a consultancy company as a consultant and there was a time when electricity suddenly went off and every person or I would say the student really became anxious because of sudden electricity went off and the teacher who are teaching the student in the class suddenly came out from the classes and saying things to me because I was the only person there at the time because the manager was on hard leave so they are just raising their complaint to me that the electricity is not there and we can't start the computers for the student to teach them and they are really panicking so I stayed calm at the situation because I also panicked a little from the inside but I can't show them because if I would show them my panic they also feel very scared of the situation so I just called my manager and asked her what should I do then she suggested me to on the generator and I don't have any idea how to on the generator at that time so I just asked the security guard that did he know how to on the generator so I quickly went to generator with his assistance and on the

    Band 6-7

    Last night when I was home alone, the electricity went off. I suspected it might have been due to the heavy rains. Because of this, my house was instantly filled with darkness. Being a horror movie fanatic, I must admit, I was slightly frightened at first until my eyes got accustomed to the natural light from the moon. Initially I was slightly frustrated since the darkness interrupted the work I was doing. However later it made me think about the people living in more rural areas of my city where they do not have constant access to electricity. How difficult it must be for them to do daily activities during the night was something that really struck me.

    Band 6-7

    A time when the electricity suddenly went off was when it was raining cats and dogs outside and I had my exam season starting and I hadn't prepared that well because I was sick for the prior few weeks. So I decided to go and take some printouts so I can practice and revise all the subjects. But the problem was when I left I broke one of my heels and that only made my mood change a lot. So I decided to take the lift which I usually don't go for. I usually take the stairs. So that day I decided to take the lift and suddenly the electricity went off and the lift stopped. It completely went off. It was glitching and it freaked me out. I was freaking the soul out of myself. It was so scary because I was all alone in the lift and I did not have any help because I could not see anything and I remember my phone's battery was about to die so I couldn't put on the flashlight as well so I started ringing the bell but the bell wasn't working as well so I started chanting God's name. So that was a really really terrible and scary experience. I was horrified from my inner soul for real. So I still remember that day and the fear of being stuck in a closed box. But then after the light came, the electricity came back but I was still stuck in the lift because the other lift was closed.

    Band 6-7

    About two weeks ago, due to a heavy rain and thunderstorm, there was a power grid failure, which resulted in a complete blackout in the city. All of our devices and internet were not having any sort of power to run. And because of this, there was panic at first because everyone was worried how will they be able to complete the assignments. However, within a few hours, people came to accept it because there was nothing which they could do about it. Personally, it gave me some time to be alone with my thoughts, which is not possible when you are daily grinding at work. It helped me to be with myself, to observe people at workplace. It also gave us an opportunity to connect with each other and to talk about things, which otherwise in the daily chaos, we are not able to do so. Overall, I feel it was a much needed reset, which came in the disguise of a blackout.
    1 2 3 4 5 6
    ielts logo

    Get the IELTS Prep App

    Star rating icon

    4.2

    1M+ Installs

     app download banner image

    Get the app link on your phone

    +91

    Or download app from

    google play storeapp store
    master ielts speaking ad