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Describe A Travel You Were Looking Forward To But Was Delayed: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

  • Where were you going?
  • Why was it important for you?
  • Why was it delayed?
  • What happened in the end?
Show all 42 answers

Cue 1:Where were you going?

  • Begin by mentioning the destination you were excited to visit.
  • Include details about what attracted you to this place, such as its culture, scenery, or activities.

Example

I was looking forward to visiting Goa, a beautiful coastal state in India known for its stunning beaches and vibrant nightlife. I had planned this trip for months because I wanted to relax by the sea and experience the famous Goan culture.

Cue 2:Why was it important for you?

  • Explain the personal significance of this trip, such as a special occasion or a much-needed break.
  • Share your feelings about the anticipation and excitement leading up to the trip.

Example

This trip was particularly important for me because it was my first vacation after a long year of working hard at my job. I was feeling quite stressed, and I believed that a few days in Goa would help me recharge and enjoy some quality time with my friends.

Cue 3:Why was it delayed?

  • Describe the reason for the delay, whether it was due to external factors like weather or personal circumstances.
  • Make sure to convey your disappointment and how it affected your plans.

Example

Unfortunately, my trip was delayed because of unexpected heavy rains in Goa. The weather forecast predicted a storm, and my flight was canceled just a day before we were supposed to leave. I felt really disappointed as I had been looking forward to this getaway.

Cue 4:What happened in the end?

  • Discuss how you handled the situation and whether you were able to reschedule your trip.
  • Share any positive outcomes or lessons learned from the experience.

Example

In the end, I managed to reschedule my trip for the following month. Although I was initially upset, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise as the weather was perfect during the new dates. I had an amazing time in Goa, and it was worth the wait!

Conclusion

    Example

    Overall, while the delay was frustrating, it taught me the importance of patience and flexibility in travel plans. Sometimes, things don’t go as expected, but they can still turn out wonderfully in the end.

    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

    Candidates often provide vague answers without enough detail. This can make the response less engaging and informative, leading to a lower score.

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    Tip

    Include specific details about the destination, your feelings, and the significance of the trip to make your answer more vivid and interesting.

    2: Ignoring the Delay Reasons

    Some candidates forget to explain why the trip was delayed, which is a key part of the cue card. Omitting this can leave the answer incomplete.

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    Tip

    Clearly explain the reasons for the delay, whether it was due to weather, personal issues, or other factors, to provide a full picture.

    Rushing Through the Conclusion

    Many candidates rush their conclusion, failing to summarize what happened in the end. This can leave the listener unsatisfied.

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    Tip

    Take a moment to reflect on the outcome of the trip and share any lessons learned or feelings about the experience to wrap up your answer effectively.

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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

    I have been looking forward to travel to Ujjain, that is in Madhya Pradesh, however I am unable to travel there because usually whenever I am planning to visit, the schedule gets changed because of some family issues or the exam comes in between. Additionally, as I am a female, there are feminine issues every month in the menstrual cycle and during that period I cannot travel to a temple. I always wanted to go to Ujjain's temple because there is Mahakaal temple in Madhya Pradesh which is very famous and I have a lot of faith in Lord Shiva and that is the major reason why I want to go to Ujjain. Moreover, the plan I am planning is from quite, it is getting delayed because I think everyone has different priorities in their life and I want to take my mom along but I am unable to and still I am planning and planning, the planning goes on and I am not able to travel. I think moreover in some few months I might travel with my mom and if my mom is not allowing me to travel along with her then I might go on my own. I need this travel for re-treatment and enjoy myself.

    Band 6-7

    recently me and my friends started to plan for Varkala trip it was very important to us because it would be the last trip due to our higher studies in abroad countries and the working opportunities we would not be able to meet later so Varkala trip would be the first and last of our of our trip we have planned to see the sunset at the sea shore but unfortunately due to delay of train we missed the choosing moment in Varkala sunset would be the most fascinating one and to be honest we have to enjoy the sunset with a group of your friends who you may not meet in the upcoming years so was really upset because of the delayed train i would be grateful enough to gather all my friends in the upcoming years again to start a journey in the train and to see the sunset across the beautiful sea shore of Varkala i feel really sad to miss the beautiful sunset in Varkala which is one of the most aesthetic and valuable one

    Band 6-7

    I was going to Kedarnath temple in Uttarakhand to see the temple of Lord Shiva which is very beautiful in between of mountains but due to some landslide government closed all the routes and cancelled the travel of that place due to that the travel of Uttarakhand cancelled all the registration of people who are going and because of that I got delayed in my travel

    Band 6-7

    Recently, I have planned a trip to Bangalore with my family for a three-day trip but unfortunately due to my university exam I was not able to go looking and I was more the Bangalore trip was most looking forward trip but later after university exam I have rescheduled the travel and last week I went to Bangalore with my family and that was so enthusiastic that it was for 3D trip and we were able to explore each aspects of Bangalore as we know it is a shopping paradise we were able to explore and indulge the shopping culture like commercial street, brigade road and chickpea. Additionally, we visited Nandi hills as the morning

    Band 6-7

    whenever I feel a bit low or you can say maybe depressed I feel like going to the mountains and enjoying this beautiful sceneries and views looking at the snow covered mountains and greenery lush valleys and things like that so I wanted to go somewhere hilly but due to the recent events like the rain and the security of geopolitical events I will I am not able to go there because of the tension which is created on there but I am looking forward to it I will be going somewhere which is like mountainous and to enjoy the winds the snow-covered mountains the lush greenery the hills the valleys lakes and stuff like that so in the end I will be going but right now it's not possible

    Band 6-7

    As the winter in December begun and the Christmas bell started ringing, the most anticipated holiday of my life was delayed. I was so looking forward to go on a Himalayan trek, but unfortunately the agency with which I had registered was on hold with my application. I was shortlisted or may I say waitlisted because of the constraints that they had put in. I did not clear the fitness checkup that was a prerequisite for this trek. I felt disheartened, but that did not discourage me. I still did have some time to work on my shortcomings. I had to complete 5 kilometers under 40 minutes, which was a huge task for me given my poor exercise routine. I was resilient and tried my best to cover the requirement and once I did fulfill the prerequisite, I submitted my medical records to the agency and they let me go on the hike and that was the most memorable experience of my life.

    Band 6-7

    As many of you might have a group of friends whom you might have decided to go for a trip. In same way I also have few of my friends group whom we decided ok so this is the trip we have to go and we planned for Rajasthan. But as you might have guessed our trip had got cancelled at the last minute. The reason was that I could still remember the reason that one of my friend had decided not to go in the last minute because he had some of his girlfriend issues so that's why he had decided he was not allowed to come to the trip. Then what to do then we decided ok he has cancelled however he has cancelled the trip so we might have also might be also cancelled the trip. But after few days one of my friend again called me and told me that we have planned for the Rajasthan this time and it might be great if you could come. So not ignoring this opportunity I joined with them and I was so happy that I joined it was really a wonderful trip that we had planned and enjoyed it a lot. And I would definitely remember this for a whole lifetime about this trip and would definitely want to plan it once again to go there.

    Band 6

    The place that I was planning to visit with my family was Kashmir, Kashmir also being called as heaven on earth, it's a beautiful place with amazing scenery and just breathtaking views of mountains, snowcaps, the rivers, everything feels just so surreal there. I was really hoping to go enjoy and visit the place although I've been there a few times but it always feels less whenever you go there and the reason we had to cancel the trip because of the recent terrorist activities in the area which actually made a lot of people petrified to visit there in the recent times so that is the major reason that we even we are not able to go there and I was genuinely looking forward to to visit the area with my family and spend some quality time with my family and enjoy the place It's just so disheartening that how a terrorist attack can change the scenario of whole

    Band 6

    Okay, basically, travelling. So, I love travelling. I usually travel a lot, you can say, with my friends and colleagues. Recently, we were planning for a hill station called Kodaikanal, okay, with my family, as I've been already with my friends. So, we were about to travel, but due to certain circumstances, which include the marriages and also Eid, what we say, which we celebrate, we could not possibly go ahead with the plan and we possibly didn't go ahead because of these circumstances. Eventually, we are still planning out to go again to the hill station, which is called Kodaikanal, which immensely is a beautiful hill station, which has a lot of landscapes, lot of greenery. If you are having an opportunity to go there, you would eventually feel more convenient, more happy, you can say. The place is just beautiful. With the family, why do I prefer going with family is because we, as a part of family, as a family, we always feel, have a good vibe, positive vibe because we are together, everyone, because we have, my sister has two kids, eventually, who are the joyful nature of our family and we enjoy a lot. And hill stations are certainly something which I look forward every time because of the peace, because of the mental, you can say mentally, very good and also gives us the least pleasure from the populated city and just no traffic, just ease to our life.

    Band 6

    I planned to shift from Jaipur to Bangalore on 7th, then I booked a train ticket, I paid everything to the agent, but at the end, the agent told the tickets are not confirmed. Then immediately I tried to book flight tickets because 9th I was expecting a great meeting with my business partner, so that travel was very important to us to go on time because it was my first time I was meeting regarding a meeting and at the end we booked a flight ticket and I reached on time and I attended the meeting peacefully and it was a great response.
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