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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 73 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.

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    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.

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    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.

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    Tip

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

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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

    So, electricity had once gone off when I was a child. This was when I was 7 years old and I was in my... A long time ago, when I was nearly 7 years old, electricity had gone off in my home. We used to stay in an old building with just 3 stories. It had old British constructions and the electricity had gone off because of some fuse not working properly. At this time, I was at home and I had returned from school. Me and my friends had for the first time in our life seen electricity going. We were so excited and we lit candles everywhere. For a while, we kept shouting, screaming and running in the corridors. It was really fun until it started getting really, really hot. After that, we were sweating and because of running, our hearts were palpitating. We could barely make sense of why we were so happy about the electricity going. Time was passing and soon it was evening. We did not know what to do as we were used to watching phones and TV all the time. However, for the first time, we thought why not enjoy the olden ways. We went on the terrace or the balcony of our building and put out mattresses. That day, we slept and sat in the open air with the cold breeze caressing our young cheeks. It was fun and I honestly just reminisce about those days.

    Band 6-7

    Well, no doubt, electricity is no less than oxygen because it has become a part and parcel, part of our life and today I would like to talk about a time when I had to experience a sudden power cut. Actually, it was around three months before when I went to my grandmother's home. During summer vacation, I was very excited to visit there because after a very long time I was going to meet with my grandmother and I also wanted to do different kinds of activities there. However, when I reached there, I came to know about that electricity suddenly went off and even that my phone was not charged and it was very difficult for me to inform my parents that I reached at that time. We thought that it will be the matter of two to three hours and I was amazed after seeing that this cut was around four to five hours and it was very difficult for us to sit because it was a hot day. After that, me and my cousin decided to go to the field area because of the fresh air which is provided by the fields and we visited there and did lots of activities.

    Band 6-7

    Actually, this incident happened last summer. I was at my home and suddenly at 9 p.m. in the night, the electricity went off. And we just had dinner, so we were just about to go to sleep in some time. And we thought, it's okay, it will come. But it's 10, 11, 12 p.m. We've been waiting since 9. And one o'clock, I called the junior engineer that what is happening? Why is there an electricity cut in the area? And they just, they just didn't answer us anything. They just simply listened to us and they'll say, ma'am, it's okay, it will come after some time. They didn't answer our question anyhow. But we were so much in a bad condition as the generators went off because of running four hours. And we were exhausted because of summers and the Indian summers. Everybody knows it's horrible. I am really prone to mosquito bites, so I couldn't get more of them. So what I did is, I take the, there is a long piece of clothing which is really thin stuff made of organza or I would say some other cotton stuff, which is known as dupatta in Indian or Hindi language. And I just wetted it with cold water and just wet properly it. And then I squeezed out the excess water and just take it on my

    Band 6-7

    I have experienced many blackouts where electricity was off and it was completely dark but this one episode I cannot forget at all. It was when my mom and my dad were out and it was the time about 6 to 7 p.m. and suddenly there was a failure in the electricity supply and it was complete blackout. Me and my sister were alone at home and we were very young that time. Because of that we were unable to light a candle and we had no idea where the torch or the emergency lamp was kept and we were completely clueless what to do and that time our neighbors came for our rescue. We called out for help and they were very kind enough to come out from their balcony. They were living at the floor downstairs. From their balcony they lit their own emergency lamp and they waited till the time our parents were back home and till then they kept talking to us. We had a very good delightful chat. They tried to divert our attention so that we won't be scared and we didn't even know when the time passed by and our parents had reached home. This is one experience which I will never forget and I will be forever thankful for these sweet neighbors which we had who helped us cope up with the fear of the dark which usually all the children have at that age.

    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.
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