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Describe a time you made a decision to wait for something: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

  • When did it happen?
  • What are you waiting for?
  • Why did you make the decision?
  • Explain how you felt while waiting.
Show all 105 answers

Cue 1:When did it happen?

  • Begin by mentioning the specific time and context when you made the decision to wait.
  • Provide details about the situation that led to your decision.

Example

This happened last year during the festive season in India. I had been eagerly waiting for the launch of a new smartphone that was set to be released just before Diwali. I decided to wait instead of buying an older model.

Cue 2:What are you waiting for?

  • Clearly state what you were waiting for and why it was significant to you.
  • Mention any specific features or reasons that made you want to wait for this particular item.

Example

I was waiting for the latest smartphone model because it promised advanced features like a better camera and longer battery life. As a tech enthusiast, I wanted to ensure I had the best device for photography during the festive celebrations.

Cue 3:Why did you make the decision?

  • Explain your reasoning behind the decision to wait rather than settle for something available immediately.
  • Discuss any influences, such as friends or reviews, that contributed to your decision.

Example

I made the decision to wait because I had read positive reviews about the new model, and my friends who had similar interests encouraged me to hold off. I believed that the wait would be worth it for the enhanced features.

Cue 4:Explain how you felt while waiting.

  • Share your emotions during the waiting period, whether it was excitement, anxiety, or impatience.
  • Reflect on how the anticipation affected your daily life.

Example

While waiting, I felt a mix of excitement and impatience. Every day, I would check for updates and countdown the days until the launch. It was thrilling to think about how much I would enjoy using the new phone, especially during the festive season.

Conclusion

    Example

    In conclusion, waiting for the new smartphone was a significant decision for me. It taught me the value of patience and the joy of anticipation. When I finally got the phone, it felt even more rewarding, and I was glad I chose to wait.

    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: Rushing Through Your Answer

    Candidates often rush their responses, missing important details. This can lead to a lack of clarity and depth in their answers, making it hard for the examiner to follow.

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    Tip

    Take a moment to think before speaking. Structure your answer by addressing each cue clearly and providing relevant details.

    2: Being Vague or General

    Using vague language or general statements can weaken your response. It makes it difficult for the examiner to understand your experience and feelings.

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    Tip

    Use specific examples and descriptive language to illustrate your experience. This will make your answer more engaging and memorable.

    Neglecting Emotional Aspects

    Failing to express your feelings during the waiting period can make your answer less relatable. Emotions add depth and connection to your story.

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    Tip

    Reflect on your emotions during the waiting period. Share how you felt and why those feelings were significant to your experience.

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    IELTS Cue Cards asked last week

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    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
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    Anonymous student Band 8

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    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
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    Anonymous student Band 6.5

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    Whitefield Test Center, Bengaluru

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    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.
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    Anonymous student Band 7

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    Begumpet Test Centre, Hyderabad

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    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
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    Anonymous student Band 7.5

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    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

    Back in 2019, when I completed my higher secondary education, I was a science student and I opted for MBPS. I had to write this NEET examination, which is a National Eligibility Come Entrance Test for Medical Sciences. I didn't got a seat in it, so at that very time, I was very much confused because I didn't want to waste my whole year and also I wanted to wait and I wanted to pursue my dream of becoming a doctor and I had to take a very hard choice of waiting for another year to appear in the NEET examination. It was a very demanding period of my life, I would say. Or rather, I would say it was a very distressed year of my life. I was very much confused, very much anxious if I am doing it right or not. But thanks to my waiting, thanks to the decision I made at that very point, I had this chance. I prepared myself, I gathered the whole courage in me, I started preparing again and in the year, like in 2020, I reappeared for the NEET examination and I scored well. But I feel it wasn't enough to get in a government medical college, so I had to leave my dream behind and pursue my degree in psychology. I feel it was a good experience for me. I literally grasped some experience like waiting on things, how things happen, it doesn't go according to how we planned, but it was a good thing for me.

    Band 6-7

    It happens as soon as my education got over. I was a person who was looking for a job where I can work as a professional. But then, like, the thing has taken me away from this. And it doesn't turn to be a good thing to me. And it has happened just two years back when I completed my graduation. I need to wait quite a long period of time to get a job. And as I waited for it, I found that there is a vacancy in my own college where I can work on, as, like, a guest lecturer post. Thereafter, I got into that job. However, I feel happy being there as a professor. Indeed, I am glad to share my experience being there as a teacher. And I feel a lot of enthusiasm and energy. And rather than, I feel like I have built up my career in this particular criteria.

    Band 6-7

    So, the timeline I waited for something based off of my decision was back when I ordered a pilot pen from Japan, which was quite expensive. The initial thoughts were kind of conservative and a lot of people around me including my family and friends were doubting the decision because of how expensive it was, but later it turned out to be a very wonderful decision mainly due to the fluidity and the build quality of the pen. It was really fantabulous. I was quite anxious during the process of importing and all the hefty fines I had got while importing it. It was quite stressing because it even had got sealed once during the importing process, but once I spoke with the authorities, the thing was sure to come. So, although it made me anxious and second thought my decision, the consequence was quite fruitful I'd say.

    Band 6-7

    So, one of the time where I was made to wait while taking a decision. What time you made a decision to wait? A time where I had to wait to make a decision was just after my 12th standard. So, this was a time when I just passed my 12th grade and I was looking out for a better university to pursue my Bachelors of Technology degree. I wanted to pursue my B.Tech in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science only. And I was looking through different colleges which could give me better opportunities and better placement assistance. So, many of my friends did discourage me because I had to wait for a couple of two months where most of them had already joined into the management quota. And I had already began their journey into the Bachelors of Technology that is B.Tech. But I had to wait for a lot of months until I get a seat in the university I preferred. So, I preferred a university called as ABC University. It was one of the most prestigious universities in Bengaluru. And I had waited for that. Many of them did discourage me, told me to settle for an average university. But I didn't give up. I waited for three months and now I am in the final year of my engineering. And this decision was quite, turned out to be a little depressing for me. I had to wait at home, do nothing, not getting much opportunities though. Whereas, few of my friends had already started their, studying their first semester. I was still at home. I was hoping to get admitted into that university. But my wishes were soon fulfilled and I am now in the final year. And I am pursuing the course I really wanted to. A course that I really manifested. So, yeah.

    Band 6-7

    Okay, so when I was applying for internships in marketing back in two years ago, when I was just about to begin applying for internships, I had no amount of money in my personal bank, whatever pocket money I used to get from my parents, that was the money. So at that time, I saw a really pretty red dress in a showroom and I really wanted to grab it. But I was short by 6000 amount. So I had an option to ask my parents for it and maybe maybe they would have given me or bought me that dress. But I decided to wait and after six months, I decided to buy that dress by my own money after earning the money from internship. So I decided to do that and although I was feeling very sad, but after six months, finally, I could I could buy that dress by my own money and that relief that happiness was way more than what I felt the first day I saw that dress. There's a sense of achievement, there's a sense of relief within me that by my money, I didn't have to ask anyone for the money I could buy that dress by my own money.

    Band 6-7

    I would like to share about one of the incidents which happened just before 2 months. Actually, I was staying with some of my friends in a 2BHK flat and my roommate was a little bit disturbing. Like, he is not that adjustive. Like, he can't adjust with me. So, I thought I should leave that place. I should vacate the room. So, I decided that I should leave the room and then I came up with my decision and everyone was like, Why are you vacating the room? So, I told them that I am not feeling good and it's not good for my mental peace. I can't stay with this person. So, I need to leave this room. So, they all were like, they were not talking to me about anything. And they just didn't call me in past 2 years and they didn't even ask me for anything. Now, our college has been started but they are not talking to me and I am feeling very bad that and even I am doubting myself that is there anything I have done wrong. But then I decided to let them think whatever they want to think. I am right and I will be always right.

    Band 6-7

    On last month, me and my friend decided to pursue master degree in Germany. On last month, me and my friend decided to pursue master degree in Germany. But the two difficulty level which I faced beginning was APS and IELTS. I had no time to study for IELTS because of my work. My friend had already resigned. So, I am waiting for a time in which I can complete IELTS and if IELTS is successful then I can resign. So, I am waiting for that moment for the result of IELTS. Additionally, I need time to manage both work and IELTS. Moreover, I am now trying to study IELTS along with my work. After that, I can resign. So, I am waiting for that resignation. I have taken this step because I am from a poor financial background. So, I need to well settled and become more rich. Because of that, I have taken this decision. Additionally, my sister and brother are studying in higher education. They also need to come to Germany. So, firstly I need to come there and build a basic. So, Germany is my waiting period.

    Band 6-7

    The time I waited for is during the job hunting process, so initially I got a lot of opportunities from the company but I am not that much satisfied with my salary, so I just waited for a few months because I was pushed into that situation by my staff members. Because they want everyone to have an equal opportunity, so I got a job in the World Food Delivery Society, where I was allowed to sit for the recruitment for other successive companies. Thank you for watching my video.

    Band 6-7

    Two years ago, I wanted to do my MBA. I also had a IELTS score with me at that time, but I did not pursue my MBA because my father is a heart patient who got additional four stunts in his heart. Initially, there were only two stunts. Now, there are total of six stints. So I decided on postponing my MBA plans and I decided on staying to look after my father. And I think that is one of the best decisions that I've ever taken. Because as you could imagine, having a procedure as complex and complex as a heart procedure, heart operation, surgery, people can use some assistance on the side someone who could offer medicines and nutritious food. And I feel privileged to play that part and look after him. And meanwhile, I also developed a little bit of experience through some online programs. I've done an online PG program and digital marketing and analytics. And I decided on doing this for a career on the long term. And currently, I am back on pursuing my MBA. I am planning on pursuing my MBA next year. So hopeful, I'm hopeful that this all goes well.

    Band 6-7

    Patience is very much important in our life and today I will talk about some of the things in which I keep patience and relax my mind and wait for that. It was my mobile phone, recently there was my 12th board exams and I was preparing for it and at that time I was having the apple mobile but it was having a lot of hanging problem and the material I was having in the phone was not essential to keep it. I feel very much disturbed, stressed because which file opened I opened that was not having the proper data and not analysing that. I was feeling very much uncomfortable while reading through that. I asked my parents to buy the new mobile phone but at that time their family condition was not at that point and they were unable to buy a new phone. I understand the condition that time and I borrow a phone from my friend to keep it for few days. At that time I keep patience a lot to buy a new phone but after that also I get the Diwali sale in next month and there was special offer organised by the Diwali on different sites like Meesho and Flipkart, Amazon where the large discounts are provided up to 50%. I was very happy that the patience have benefited me a lot. That mobile was I getting it was about 18000 but now which mobile I was getting I can gain it only with 10-11000 and my family was very happy as by keeping patience I have get a new mobile and I love it a lot. I can moreover tell the features that I required and it becomes very easy for me to study on it.
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