Describe a time when your computer broke down.: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

When & how did it happen?
What did you about it?
How did you feel about it?

27 unique answers with expert feedback

How did you feel when your laptop broke down?

I felt really upset and anxious because it was a special gift from my parents. Losing important documents added to my stress, but the sentimental value of the laptop made it even harder to accept that it was broken.

What steps did you take after the incident?

After the incident, I tried to dry it out and looked online for solutions. I even attempted a forceful shutdown, but nothing worked. Eventually, I had to accept that I needed to take it to a repair shop, but I was worried about the cost and what my dad would say.

Have you had any other experiences with broken technology?

Yes, I've had a few other instances where my phone or tablet malfunctioned. Each time, it was frustrating, especially when I had important data on them. It taught me to back up my files regularly and be more careful with my devices.

Band 6-7

00:00

Two years back my laptop got broke down and I suffered a lot at that period of time where I used to have all my personal details as well as my learnings, my study materials there and when it got broke down I felt like I don't have harm, I just feel like that. So, the thing what I did initially is, first I gave it to a repair shop and they mentioned like it will take 2-3 days to repair it, so on that 2-3 days when I don't have proper materials to read, I went through my friend's materials to go through all those things and it was really hard period of time because when you have all those details and when you completely depend on something and when you don't have that, I struggled a lot at that period of time and after 2-3 days I got it back and what they did is, all the data in there were got erased, so that is one more headache which I got, so at that time I just took a backup of all the materials from my friend's laptop and then restored it in mine and then I started with my learning, so this is what I did.

Follow up questions

How did you feel when you realized your data was erased?

I felt extremely anxious and frustrated when I realized that all my data was erased. It was like losing a part of my hard work and personal information. I had to quickly adapt and find ways to recover my studies, which added to my stress during that time.

What steps do you take now to prevent data loss?

Now, I regularly back up my data to an external hard drive and use cloud storage services. This way, I ensure that even if my computer breaks down again, I won't lose important files. I also keep a list of essential documents to make recovery easier.

Did this experience change your view on technology?

Yes, this experience made me realize how dependent I am on technology. It taught me the importance of being prepared for technical failures and the need to have alternative resources. I now appreciate the value of both digital and physical study materials.

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Reported by Leap students who gave IELTS

Describe your favourite food at a traditional festival or a special event in your country

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 7.5

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

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 8

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

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 6.5

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

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 7

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

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 7.5

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.

Technology significantly impacts our daily lives by making tasks easier and more efficient. However, it also makes us dependent on gadgets, and when they fail, it can disrupt our routines and productivity.

Show all 27 answers

Cue 1:When & how did it happen?

Begin by describing the situation when your computer broke down, including the date and time.
Mention any specific tasks you were doing at that moment that made the breakdown particularly inconvenient.

Example

It was a busy Monday morning, around 10 AM, when my computer suddenly froze while I was working on an important presentation for a client meeting. I had been typing away when the screen went blank, and I couldn't do anything to revive it.

Cue 2:What did you do about it?

Explain the immediate steps you took to try to fix the issue, such as restarting the computer or checking connections.
Mention if you sought help from someone else, like a technician or a friend.

Example

Initially, I tried to restart my computer, hoping it was just a temporary glitch. After several attempts, I realized it wasn’t working, so I called my friend who is good with computers. He suggested I take it to a nearby repair shop.

Cue 3:How did you feel about it?

Share your emotions during the incident, focusing on feelings like frustration or anxiety.
Reflect on how the breakdown impacted your day and your work.

Example

I felt extremely frustrated and anxious because I had a deadline to meet. The thought of losing my work made me panic, and I was worried about how I would explain this to my boss. It was a stressful situation.

Conclusion

Summarize the overall experience and what you learned from it.
Mention how you ensured it wouldn't happen again, like backing up your data.

Example

In conclusion, that experience taught me the importance of regularly backing up my work. Since then, I’ve made it a habit to save my files on cloud storage to avoid such stressful situations in the future.

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: Vague Descriptions

Using vague language can make your answer unclear. It's important to provide specific details about the incident to engage the listener and demonstrate your language skills.

Tip

Include specific details such as the date, the type of computer, and what exactly happened to make your story more vivid.

2: Neglecting Emotions

Failing to express your feelings can make your response less relatable. Sharing your emotions helps to connect with the examiner and adds depth to your answer.

Tip

Describe how you felt during the breakdown, whether it was frustration, anxiety, or relief, to make your answer more personal.

Lack of Structure

A disorganized response can confuse the listener. It's essential to structure your answer clearly to ensure it flows logically and covers all the cues.