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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 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.

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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

    During the Chennai floods, the electricity was off and it is a time of struggle but it also gave us nostalgia. Today's when we were angry and there were usually scheduled power cuts in the city so you know during the power cuts people know that these are the times of power cuts so we prepare in advance we have candle light dinners at home. Some people would go to the terrace and have moonlight dinner so it did not seem like a big bothersome thing to have electricity cut. You know children who have exams feels a little frustrated but still they would continue their preparation in the candle light. So when the electricity was off during the floods the generators and the inventors also ran out of electricity so there was a compulsion of experiencing the power cut for even the high class society and it only brought nostalgia and it also made sure people act as a community. So neighbors who never spoke actually spoke and exchanged resources that they have. Some people who are in undergrounds actually went to their neighbors who are in first or second floors and shared the resources with them so it was not a bad experience it was quite a good one.

    Band 6-7

    There was a time when in my society a short circuit occurred and the electricity went off for two days. People reacted very aggressively in that moment because they are highly dependent on electricity for their household and business purposes. Moreover people tried to do and provide basic things and generators and inverters were provided by the government but it was really very disturbing and people were very outraged at that moment. Still we managed to do take, still we managed to pass that two days and get back to a normal life after two days. Also government should be more concerned towards the electricity and usage and theft of electricity.

    Band 6-7

    I think a time when the electricity suddenly went off in my hometown which was during a heavy rainy season at the night. Due to the rain and the cold weather we can't cooperate with it because we need any fan or any other air conditions to sleep. So we didn't sleep at that night and on the early morning we all noticed that we didn't have electricity and we can't charge our phones. So we all shut down our phones and placed it aside and we waited for the electricity which will come. And I think that was the moment the whole family come together in a hall and chit chat about some things happening around us also. We all cook together and eat food together. I think it was the best moment ever because during these days all are busy with their phones especially watching some videos alone in his room, not getting together into a family conversation or any other interaction between the family members are happening now. So I think it is the most beautiful moment when the whole family get together and cooking together even more. It makes me one of my favorite things and I think all reacted in a peaceful way because they all enjoyed without their phones. They are worried about finishing of the water in our water tanks but it's okay we can cooperate with it and which was the most beautiful day in my life with a rainy season and a cold weather.

    Band 6-7

    It was the time around 11 o'clock last Monday, when there was the power supply cut because of the reason that the power main supply had some breakage. The overall experience I and apart from that my family members felt was very bad because it was too hot outside and even it's very difficult for us to stay and work without ACs. And we think that we called after waiting for 2 to 3 hours when the power supply didn't come we called the engineer. They said that it will take a long time to repair because there was a lot of glitch in the main power supply and there was also a breakdown of main supply power and if they don't repair it properly later it will create more problems. The people also started moving outside their houses because the invaders have a limited power time period and the battery also get discharged. Most of the people who have their laptop with them they were not able to do their work correctly because as their laptops are not charged and as they are charged they use the charging power station. So I also felt very bad.

    Band 6-7

    Although electricity went many times, I remember, as far as I remember, but the most significant time I can recall is when I went to my cousin's wedding, it was my female cousin's wedding and this, when it was, you know in Muslim culture, there is a thing about barat and nikah, so at that time the barat was about to arrive and immediately, immediately the lights went off, everyone got panicked, my father and my grandfather and my father, everyone got panicked. Mila?

    Band 6-7

    So, I was working at Ionite Design Studio, which is a corporate firm and has around 60 people who are seated in the same room, probably 30 feet wide. And there was this instance where electricity broke off and all the servers got disconnected, all the fans got switched off, all the lights, even though it was during the day, we did not face many problems related to vision or clarity or something like that, but we felt suffocated, which was a major issue. But the fun part about it is everybody enjoyed being in that situation because nobody had to work anymore. When the servers go off, that means you are not connected to any of the work that you were doing until like a few minutes ago. It also brings out the question of whether the work has been saved or not, because in that case, it is a loss, but in general, people were very happy because they got the electricity.

    Band 6-7

    That's an interesting question, currently I'm unable to recall an instance of such situation but yeah I do remember one when last week there was a party at Rahul's home, Rahul is my batch mate and we were meeting at his home for a birthday party and it was a surprise birthday party for his uncle, so we all friends from my school and some of my friends from college we decided to host a party for his uncle, so we brought balloons, cake and everything which is needed for the celebration of a birthday and we put on some fancy lights to make it more excited and enthusiastic energy to get the birthday in and suddenly when we were celebrating and we were making our way to all the, making the way for all the, we were arranging all the things and we decided that when the uncle will come from the door we'll switch on the lights and we will sing happy birthday to him and that's where the problem began, the uncle entered the room and we started happy birthday and that's where the electricity got off, it was a really funny moment for me and for everyone I guess but yeah that was so disappointing for us, not for uncle to be honest because he thought it was, he thought really funny about it, that is why everyone is dark and then we called an electricity consultant he told me there was some power cut in the nearby street that's why the electricity got off and we were really excited about it and at the last moment the plan really got ruined, ruined but uncle

    Band 6-7

    I want to share a beautiful memory of my childhood. It was a time, I live in a town in which the light going off is very common. And whenever it went off during the night, I just gather my 10-15 friends from my neighborhood and just start playing Ice and Spice. So basically it is a game in which other people hide and one who is giving the 10 finds other person and say Ice and Spice to him. So in this we have to hide from that particular person. It is a beautiful memory because it was a time when I used to enjoy my childhood. Even if the light was not there, we used to still feel mesmerized by playing that. It was a great memory because I used to spend some quality time with my friends also. Other times whenever the light goes, I just sit quietly in a confined space and think about myself and stay at a single place so that I don't disturb or hit somewhere which is not being seen. That's why I like the time of before when I used to play the games with my friends.

    Band 6-7

    I would like to describe about the moment where the electricity went off in my tuition. I was at class 8 at that time. Tuition was was kept in a small house which was the owner's own house. So it didn't have any backup facilities such as generator. So it only depended on the electricity and if the power goes off whole house becomes dark. So on that day we were around 10 to 12 people and the electricity suddenly went off. Since there were also many kids over there they started to panic and they screamed a lot and we who were in class 8 didn't fear it much. We were just making the kids even more scared like we frightened them by making some weird noises. It was so funny on that day for us but now I realized that that isn't the best way because they might get traumatized by it but on that day it was very nice because everyone was studying on that day very intensely. I think that power of May and everyone got relief.

    Band 6-7

    So the last time I remember the electricity went off was yesterday night and I was sleeping in my bed. So it was around 11 p.m. that the electricity went off and there were no backup lights that I had. So I had a dog sleeping with me, my aunt's dog. He suddenly started barking. Not barking. He suddenly started growling when the lights went off and I was so scared. And I was alone at home and there was nobody else. So I stayed calm. I knew that I shouldn't panic and that the electricity will come back within a few minutes. So I waited for like 30 minutes and after that also nothing happened. So I lit up a candle and I stayed calm. My dog was also calm by then. That made me realize one thing that how important electricity is and how each home deserves electric connection. And I think government should also work hard to provide electricity to all the poor people of the country because without electricity I think it becomes really difficult for poor people to function. When there is no electricity, the students who come from a poor background, from the rural areas, have no other source of power generation. So it makes them difficult to study also and it halts their day-to-day life, day-to-day habits, I think. Not habits, day-to-day work, I think.
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