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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

    Reported by Leap students who gave IELTS

    Describe your favourite food at a traditional festival or a special event in your country
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    Anonymous student Band 7.5

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    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
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    Anonymous student Band 8

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    Sector 34 Test Centre, Chandigarh

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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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    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 6.5

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    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
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    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 7

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    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
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    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 7.5

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    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.

    All Answers

    Here are all the answers by real-users practicing speaking for IELTS Cue Cards on our IELTS Prep App.

    Band 6-7

    When I was 14 years old, I made a song for my family, for my friends, about how we went through a lot of struggles and now we are finally free. It's basically about holding on to each other, being strong and not giving up, even when we felt humiliated, insulted and at our lowest points. They have always given me strength, love and care to join things, to grow personally and professionally. I have been waiting for the right moment to come when I can finally share my song with them. I don't know when it's going to be the right time, but I know that they will come soon. I think they are my strength, they are my love, I can do anything for them, because I know they'll never give up on me, so I love them a lot. And I am definitely very eager to know their reactions, but yeah, I love them a lot.

    Band 6-7

    I made a decision in my second year of college to pursue my masters and complete my studies before I get my job and this means I have to wait for another two years to look for jobs and apply but in my opinion it's fine because one has to get all the knowledge that he can before he gets to apply for jobs so that he can get the best kind of job he wants because to be very honest it has been tiring and it will be tiring and it would be uncomfortable for me to do such a thing but I really do think it would be fruitful and worth taking a risk for. Also I would like to state that this is a decision I made I really used to think a lot about it.

    Band 6-7

    So, I waited to buy my dream car, at that point in time it was not an essential commodity. We had a passenger car which we were using on a day-to-day transit and I think post that we were able to find the same technology which was a hybrid option between petrol and electric in much cheaper cars, though the kind of luxury which my dream car would have given me, I had to compromise on that a little bit, but I think we collectively, me and my wife, when I say collectively is thought that it was better to save that money for a rainy day rather than spending it on an item which would not give us any kind of return going forward as a car is a depreciating asset. So, I think I waited for that car and I kind of changed that dream to something else, but this is what we did.

    Band 6-7

    I do believe that patience is the key to success. It was after my college days when I had to make a crucial decision in my career. I had these opportunities coming in my hands where a lot of companies began to interview me and in a situation like that I got into many companies. I was in a doubtful position where I had to take a crucial decision on my own, myself. A lot of job opportunities and job roles came to me. I was worried which one to pick. A lot of companies, a lot of job opportunities, different career. So I had to wait a little. And for most of the people I do believe that getting opportunities into big companies is like once in a blue moon. But for me I got a lot of opportunities in many companies. I waited for this situation because I thought going for the best option will save up a lot of time and will get succeeded in a much earlier way. That's the main cause why I waited a bit. And the result was great. Taking the time and taking the decision was essential. Taking the essential decision is always right and waiting up was essential.

    Band 6-7

    When I have completed my Pledge II studies, I have waited to decide on whether to join in Geetam University or KLU University and I finally decided on joining the Geetam University because it has good facilities, great faculty, amazing placements and I have spoken to some of my seniors and friends, family friends and asked them about the university and I got the positive reviews than KLU University and I have waited quite some time, I have waited about 2-3 months to take decision about Geetam University and while I am waiting to decide on where to join, I have felt so miserable, I have self-doubt about me, I have doubts about whether I am doing the correct thing or wrong thing, I was worried about the time, I was worried about the fees, I was fluctuated, my moods are fluctuated and it was horrible but at the end, I think I made the good choice.

    Band 6-7

    It was the time of my birthday month, where also it was coincidentally the Amazon Big Billion Day sale also, which starts around October. So there was this watch that I had been eyeing for several months. It was the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic and I wanted to buy that. So I was waiting for this sale to happen, but what I didn't realize was that it was out of stock frequently. So there were other options in the market, but I so wanted that watch specifically because of its cool design and the amazing features that it provides. Although it was a bit more costly and expensive than the rest of the watches, I thought it will be worth the wait. So I waited for the watch to get back into stocks and when it was in stocks I also had a dilemma on whether I should buy it or not because of the rate. But eventually after several days I decided to buy it and waiting actually backfired because I had to pay at least 2000 rupees extra if I had bought it 2-3 days before. But eventually I got the watch which was also delivered 2 weeks late and many people asked me why I chose this watch and to that I have to say that I have never had a smart watch in my entire life. So I wanted my first watch to be special so that's why I chose.

    Band 6-7

    After evening of my college days, we have decided to go for a film in the cinema. So I had the scooter and one of my friend's accommodation was near to the college. So he told like after visiting to the hostel, he will come, you can leave to the cinema and I will be there. So I went bit earlier. So in the case, I reached before an half an hour of the cinema. So I was waiting for my friend and he didn't appeared after the half an hour. Moreover, he was a kind natured boy, he had been with me in the thick and thin times. So I thought going for the cinema hall is not a good approach towards him, let's wait for him. This didn't felt me like I was, I felt like I am in on pressure. Moreover, I felt like a sacrifice for my friend, mainly because he was every time with me in my difficulties and he also guided me in order to achieve my goals. I didn't hesitate for a single time, I always kept waiting for him. After reaching sometime, he appreciated my kindness towards him. Furthermore, he purchased some of the popcorns without any amount from me. That made me very enjoyed because it is common that in cinemas, it is high price tagged items

    Band 6-7

    So, this was during my college time after my entrance exam for MBA and I had given an interview for three institutes. I had already received responses for two of them, but the institute that I wanted was the third one as it was a very good institute with fabulous facilities and faculties and also my friends were going to be with me there. So, for the third institute I had waited for three to four days. I waited as I wanted that institute as it has a prestigious name in the country, in the city as well. And while waiting I think it was a very difficult task for me to wait as it made me realize that some things can take time and if it is for the greater good it will definitely happen.

    Band 6-7

    This happened about a month ago. The university that I had applied to, they emailed me saying that they had put my application for further consideration. And it honestly felt devastating because I was expecting a confirmatory response from their side, but to be put on hold was not what I had planned. And it really derailed all my plans that I had. But my mother actually advised me to apply for other universities and see other career options. But I had this intuition that I should wait. I should wait like the university has told me to and see what decision they make. My parents were very against it because they said time was invaluable and I couldn't be wasting it, waiting for the university's decision. They advised me to get enrolled in another university or try out other career paths, like work in a clinical setting and get some experience. But I had this inner feeling, it was a very strong feeling that I should wait. I waited for two to three weeks. The waiting period was agonizing. It felt like hopeless. There was a point I really felt hopeless and I wondered if I'm doing the right thing by waiting. But luckily in my waiting there were fruitful results. The university did reply back to me after three weeks. They said that my application was selected and thankfully I didn't apply to other universities because I probably wouldn't have gotten in. So yeah, that's it.

    Band 6-7

    So this was during my first year of college when the management announced that we all need self-driving vehicles for transportation from college to hostel. So this was kind of a time where my parents were financially struggling and I didn't want to put the extra burden on my family that I need another vehicle for transportation. So we all went and complained to the management but they didn't pay any heed. So I decided that I would wait until my parents get financially stable so that they could provide me with another vehicle. So everybody in my college got their new scooties and they were all flaunting it. This was kind of a really low point in my life for me because I had to depend on others for transportation and the waiting kind of felt hard. But the end result was really amazing because I got my four-wheeler instead of a two-wheeler because my parents couldn't afford a two-wheeler at this point so they gave me the existing four-wheeler in my house. So they just gave me the car telling me that they do not want me to depend on others and that actually made me emotional but at the same time it actually gave me the confidence and also there is a saying that if you wait you will actually be given bigger blessings. So that actually happened for me.
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