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Describe a time you saw children behave badly in public: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

  • Where was it?
  • What were the children doing?
  • How do others react to it?
  • And explain how you feel about it.
Show all 151 answers

Cue 1:Where was it?

  • Begin by describing the location where you witnessed the children's behavior, making it relatable and vivid.
  • Mention any specific details about the environment that contributed to the situation.

Example

I was at a busy shopping mall in Mumbai last summer, a place filled with families and children enjoying their day out. The mall was bustling with activity, and the atmosphere was lively, with music playing and people chatting.

Cue 2:What were the children doing?

  • Clearly explain the actions of the children that you considered to be bad behavior.
  • Provide specific examples of what they did that stood out to you.

Example

While I was waiting for my friend near a toy store, I noticed a group of three children, probably around 7 to 10 years old. They were running around, shouting loudly, and even knocking over some displays. At one point, one of them threw a toy at another child, which was quite alarming.

Cue 3:How do others react to it?

  • Describe the reactions of the adults and other children around the situation.
  • Mention if anyone intervened or if people just ignored the behavior.

Example

The adults around seemed quite shocked. Some parents looked at their children with concern, while others just shook their heads in disapproval. A store employee approached the group and asked them to calm down, but the children just laughed and continued their antics.

Cue 4:And explain how you feel about it.

  • Share your personal feelings about the situation, whether you found it amusing, concerning, or frustrating.
  • Reflect on what this behavior might indicate about parenting or social norms.

Example

I felt a mix of frustration and concern. It was troubling to see such behavior in public, as it reflects a lack of discipline. I wondered if the parents were aware of how their children were acting. I believe that children need guidance on how to behave in public spaces.

Conclusion

    Example

    In conclusion, witnessing children behave badly in public can be quite unsettling. It serves as a reminder of the importance of teaching children proper behavior and respect for others in shared spaces. Such experiences highlight the role of parents and society in shaping children's conduct.

    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. Candidates often fail to provide specific details about the situation, which can lead to a lack of engagement from the examiner.

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    Tip

    Include specific details about the location, actions of the children, and the reactions of others to create a vivid picture.

    2: Neglecting Personal Feelings

    Not expressing your personal feelings about the situation can make your response less engaging. Candidates often forget to share their emotional reactions, which are important for a complete answer.

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    Tip

    Reflect on how the behavior affected you and share your feelings to add depth to your response.

    Ignoring Others' Reactions

    Failing to mention how others reacted can leave your answer incomplete. Candidates sometimes focus only on the children and miss the broader context of the situation.

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    Tip

    Describe how bystanders or parents reacted to the children's behavior to provide a fuller picture of the event.

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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

    An incident that occurred which I happened to witness which was regarding children misbehaving occurred on an aeroplane. I was flying from Kolkata to Andaman and Nicobar Islands and it was quite a long flight. The flight duration was about 5-6 hours including a bit of time which got consumed by a layover. The children were kicking and pushing the seats in front of them as well as constantly using extremely offensive language which can only be described as adult language and it was astonishing to observe the parents not reacting to it at all. The children then also ran around the aeroplane despite repeated warnings from the air hostesses to sit down citing safety concerns. The parents just used the excuse of kids will be kids and they need to have the freedom. I disagree with this statement because children need to be taught how to behave and they also need to learn how to behave in public and it is completely the responsibility of the parents to teach them so. Other passengers on the aeroplane reacted quite negatively to it with some teenagers posting it online and I happened to come across that reel on my social media as well later on.

    Band 6-7

    Once I was at a supermarket where I saw a child rolling off on floor crying and throwing a tantrum shouting that he wants a toy. I saw that that kid was getting very desperate to get a toy as passerbys were very shocked to see a child throwing a tantrum in public like that. Even I was shocked. Her parent was trying to get her in control but that child was very stubborn. People laughed or some even made some faces because of the disturbance caused in the supermarket. At the end her parents did not agree to buy the toy because she threw a tantrum and it was very disrespectful for her to do that towards her parents. So she had to walk off with nothing at the end.

    Band 6-7

    So the last time I saw children behaving badly in public was in a train journey a few months ago. So it was during a very long, almost 12 hour journey. The parents were of course accompanying the children. So the reason they had bad behavior is because they were yelling a lot and threw tantrums, temper tantrums when they weren't allowed to use their mobile phones or their parents' mobile phones that is. And they weren't able to, I think little children they need a lot of stimulation and they want to run around and it's hard for them to do so in a train carriage which I can sympathize with on some level. But I'm concerned about the tantrums they throw when they don't get to use a mobile device or any device. The other adults in the train carriage were disturbed but they didn't actually make any move to silence or tell anything to the kids because I think many people are afraid of confrontation. And the parents themselves were a bit too tired to do anything about it which is also, which is not good because as parents they have responsibility to their children that's their primary responsibility. But as adults we do understand that it can be tiring to take care of little kids who are very very very active.

    Band 6-7

    There are very few instances when I have observed someone behaving badly. One such recent experience which I would like to share here would be on last Sunday, I had visited a garden and the garden was so beautiful, there were so many herbs and vegetables grown there. Moreover, I was closely observing a group of children somewhat ageing around 8-14 years and they were doing bad things such as eating tobacco, drinking alcohol and using foul words which really disturbed the environment. Later on, old people came to console them and guide them the correct path. In contrast, the youngsters have disagreements on their views and started shouting on them. Later on, old people facing defeat, they just move on. Lastly, I felt very pity for them, not just old people but the children who were disobeying the elderly people just for their sake of pity temptations which really broke my heart and it gave me a drastic example of how the world is going to be in future.

    Band 6-7

    I would like to start by saying that good personality training starting from childhood is essential in upcoming life. This happened a year ago, it was a time when I was doing my bachelors degree in a university which is located in my hometown. Back in the days, me and my friends used to hang out in the park on the weekends. That was a time when we came across this bizzare situation, we were going to buy some ice cream together, then I suddenly saw two children fighting for food. My first expression was a little bit furious, I was kinda figuring out why these children are fighting for food, such a small thing. Then I realized that they are still kids, they make mistakes, they can grow from that. Then me and my friends decided to solve the issue.

    Band 6-7

    So a time I saw children behave badly in public was when I was younger and we were at a function where a friend of mine, an acquaintance of mine who had small children around 7, 8, they were behaving very badly. So they would imitate elders and poke fun at them so it got me really worked up at the time. I felt like if I was in their place, in the parents' place, I could give them a good spanking. But as I matured, I feel like even if children are behaving badly, the root cause is not usually what's obvious that they are behaving badly out of their own desire to behave badly but something else, some deeper factors like their unhappiness at home or their parents not giving them sufficient attention and because of all that, they could be having behavioral problems in public. So I would suggest that perhaps...

    Band 6-7

    Frequently, I was roaming with my friend at the park and suddenly I found a small boy of age of around 5 years crying and sobbing a lot. He had his parents with him trying to console him but he was crying and desired for a remote control car which was besides them in a toy shop. His parents were not looking rich and were from poor sections. They tried to explain him that they don't have much money to pay for it. They promised him to let him give the toy next year but he was not listening and misbehaving around the park. Many other people joined them and tried to console him but he was not at the stake to listen to them and was wailing continuously. At that time, I felt very bad for the parents. They earn so much but however, the children don't care for what they earn and give to them. They never understand their bad situations and problems. However, after lot of problems, his parents finally gifted him with that remote control car and finally that boy became quiet and happily went home.

    Band 6-7

    I would like to share the story of Vishal, moreover one day he behaved very badly in public 2 years ago. He was a 10 year old child, but he did not go to school because his parents never signed him, because they thought there is no importance of education in our life. Additionally, he was habitual of taming the dogs such as the Labra and the Bulldog breed. He resided in my street, one day my aunt was going to purchase some vegetables and the grocery, suddenly his dog came and tried to bite her. As soon as she was successful to run away and protected herself from the dog. After few minutes, again she came with her husband to his house to meet his parents regarding the complaint. Then he yelled at her publicly and used some abusing words for her. That was that moment was unforgettable because I was also watching all these things and his parents felt very guilty for their nurturing because they did not see before that. They were shocked to see his behavior very badly publicly, but they apologized for his actions and came to know about the value of education. At that time, they get to know the importance of the education and they decided to send him in the school because now they know they knew what can the education, what can the education do in our life and how it can change our lives. That means a student never can never use the abusing words and the parents can never filthy against in front of the people.

    Band 6-7

    A few days back I went to the mall. I saw two siblings along with their parents. The parents had obviously took their kids to the mall for having their enjoying the day off. However, there was a store which had a lot of toys for those kids and the kids stood adamantly in front of the store even when the parents were requesting them to move on and have their food at an outlet. I saw the parents struggle for a while to make their kids understand but the kids being adamant did not understand. After few minutes they started rolling on the floor shouting, screaming on the top of their voices and they caught the attention of everyone around. It was really, really embarrassing for the parents and it was really disturbing for the people around because everyone was enjoying their time off and they weren't able to cherish their moments because of the nuisance that was created. It made me wonder what else could have the parents done and how can we make children more empathetic and understanding towards their parents.

    Band 6-7

    Once, I went to a very nice toy shop which had vast varieties of toys for the kids. Even for the middle aged children. I saw a kid who was with his family. The kid was around 5 years old and he was deliberately insisting his parents to buy him a car that he liked very much. He was rolling on the floor to convince them and crying. The entire shop was disturbed by the stunt of this little kid. The parents of that kid were vulnerable to deny their kid which was quite a scene for not only the family of the kid but also the people present in the shop. I kind of felt that it is related to the upbringing. I think the parents are partially responsible for this behavior and the upbringing of this kid has to be studied by the school.
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