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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

    Well, I would like to tell a story about my first posting, which was in a remote area. It's about three years ago. My first posting was a village, which is very far from the city. Plus, there was very sufficient kind of electricity supply. Only four or five hours per day, there is electricity supply. The incident I can easily remember was, I had to deliver a patient, a labor patient. She was on the table, and there is full dilatation. And the baby just about a minute to come out from the uterus, and suddenly the electricity, the power has went off. And I had no other options to focus. Then I just turned on my mobile flash and delivered the baby. That was very, that was very shocking moment for me. And I was scared of, and I was scared too. But eventually, I delivered the baby with the flashlight of my mobile. And I was so happy, even the guardians of the lady were praised me, and they praised my skill as well.

    Band 6

    So, well, we usually have an inverter in my home, but two years back, I currently live in Bajpalli, two years back, current electricity was suddenly went off. I don't know why, initially I was very shocked, because in our area, in Bajpalli mainly, the current electricity will be provided 24 by 7, even when there are slight rains, but on that day, I don't know why, there was a maintenance, so the current electricity went off. Initially I was studying, so I was very disturbed and felt distressed. Moreover, I want to play a Ludo, because my phone was not charged as well, so I and my family decided to play a Ludo, and we play, as well as we played Antakshari, which is a game.

    Band 6

    I would like to talk about my exam time when I was in class 12th and my board exam is near and if I remember correctly it was 2 years ago when I was in class 12th and the electricity suddenly went off and it is the peak time for me to prepare for my exams because syllabus is not fully covered at that time and I am struggling to how to prepare now for my exams and but in my house there is a temporary lamp I used it for preparing for my exams. It was quite common in countryside areas but I resided in Delhi so I am shocked that electricity went off in Delhi because Delhi is a national capital of India and may be the reason is that due to some corruption and lack of management by government cause electricity problem in my area. So another reason may be that it was rainy season and most of the time electricity department cut off the electricity to prevent some hazards like some people death when in the rainy season due to some short circuits that's why and in my opinion government should have to improve the quality of providing the electricity lines so people may not struggle that.

    Band 6

    It was when I was in my apartment with my family, the electricity went off and we were very pissed off because we were watching our favorite television show. But then we realized it was suddenly heavily pouring, so that might be a reason why electricity department cuts off the electricity. But then we lighted our candles and we were sitting, but we got a time to spend some time with our families, talk to each other. After so many days we were sitting together, having a chit chat with coffee. It felt good and one of the memories I will remember forever, so that was my time. Another incident I can recall is, once we were going to our village and my dad casually brought up the topic saying that there's most of the times where electricity don't come in villages, so be prepared with your phones not charged and other devices like laptops. So he told us to get some power bank and be prepared for it. But then I was scared, like how will I work on my laptop? How will I use my phone? But after going there, those people were so chilled out. They knew that every 5pm to 7pm the electricity goes for 2 hours and that was their usual daily life. For us it was unexpected.

    Band 6

    I remember when I was 8 years old, I experienced a blackout while I was at school. It happened during the last period, which was from 1 to 2 pm. We were soon meant to ride the bus back to our homes. But as soon as that happened, everyone freaked out and we were scared whether we will be allowed to go home before the lights turn on. So, while all this happened, I remember my teachers were very supportive and I have certain memories that I am still fond of. It includes spending time with my friends in such an overwhelming situation. As soon as the lights were back on, we were allowed to move out. But we realized that it was raining. So, that is how we figured out the reason for the blackout. There was a thunderstorm which had caused the sudden electricity disorientation. And after it was back on, while we were all very cheerful, we also went home and took a lesson with us that day. We were more responsible and we were more considerate of each other. It had a very long lasting effect on me as I still remember that incident.

    Band 6

    Last year I was sitting in front of my balcony, I was doing my office work in the evening and suddenly electricity went off. I was surprised because the backup was also not working at all. I have seen the people were shouting, especially the children, they were enjoying like anything because they have never ever seen such kind of situation because in our area, in our flats, there are always backup when electricity went off but this time backup was also not working. Everyone was shouting. I felt bad initially because I was doing urgent work and I was not expecting that light went off like this but after sometime when I have seen the children was playing, everyone was outside, they were using their mobile phones and their torch was blinking and everyone was playing. Everyone was greeting each other because people hardly get time to meet each other and everyone is busy in their house chores and office works. Finally people get the time to meet each other, they were greeting, they were spending time together. So I felt that without electricity and technology how people get time to meet and greet each other. This is the very first time I have seen in my locality after so long time that people are meeting like anything and I also not even know who are living in my neighborhood. So finally I got to know that. It was very pleasant.

    Band 6

    Well, to kick things off, nowadays we all are completely dependent on advanced technology. We can't imagine our lives without it because it has become a vital part for us. Besides this, we have some basic needs, one of them is electricity. We all need electricity in every situation and we can't do anything without it. Now I would like to talk about a time when the electricity suddenly went off. It was time approximately three days ago. It was a hot day, we all were suffering from a summer. First of all, we all were discussing about summer, then suddenly the electricity went off. We all felt disappointed, especially my grandparents who were ill at that time. First of all, I called to electricity department of my city and told them about my complaint. Firstly they didn't pick up my phone and made many types of excuses. After that when I called to SDM as well as Jai of electricity department, then they took serious my complaint and took action of it. After two hours the electricity came. And meanwhile we had to face a plight.

    Band 6

    When I went to a wedding of one of my brother's friend and suddenly the electricity light goes off in the function hall. The name of the function hall was King's Palace. It suddenly goes off and we were on a dinner table and all the people got panicked because as soon as electricity cut off whole function hall got into dark and it was mistakenly switched off by cutting down a bar by GHMC workers. Then the function hall management took immediate action and turned on the generators and people was like what happened, what happened. It was not a bad experience but I think it's a bad experience I think.

    Band 6

    During my college days, electricity would suddenly, frequently went off. When electricity went off, my friends would shout and make lots of noises and weird sounds like that. It was a weird experience for me. But faculty tried to control the situation. But there is nothing they can do because they don't know who is making the noise exactly. I also shouted and made some weird noises during that time. At that time, it was a fun experience. But thinking about it, I would feel, I would laugh thinking about the situation in those days.

    Band 6

    I would like to share an experience where there was time when electricity suddenly went off. So it was festive season and we had relatives as guests in our family. We were having dinner and it was Diwali time. Suddenly the electricity went off and we were basically having dinner. However, the guests didn't react badly but my mom was really upset about what happened. Later, me and my mom lit Diwali lights all around the corners so that we have some light to at least finish our dinner. It was really embarrassing. However, we managed the situation well, in my opinion.
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