Describe a unique animal you've encountered.: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

What animal?
Where & when did you see it?
What makes it unique? How did you feel about it?

27 unique answers with expert feedback

Show all 27 answers

Cue 1:What animal?

Begin by naming the animal and giving a brief description of its appearance.
Mention any interesting facts about the animal that highlight its uniqueness.

Example

The unique animal I encountered was a Nilgai, also known as the blue bull. It is a large antelope with a striking blue-grey coat and long legs, which makes it stand out in the grasslands of India.

Cue 2:Where & when did you see it?

Describe the location where you saw the animal, including any relevant details about the environment.
Mention the time of year or occasion when you saw it to provide context.

Example

I saw the Nilgai during a trip to the Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur last summer. It was early morning, and the park was serene, with the sun rising over the wetlands.

Cue 3:What makes it unique? How did you feel about it?

Explain what makes the animal special or different from other animals you have seen.
Share your feelings about the encounter and any thoughts it provoked.

Example

The Nilgai is unique because it is the largest antelope in India and is known for its agility and speed. Seeing it in its natural habitat was exhilarating; I felt a deep appreciation for wildlife and the beauty of nature.

Conclusion

Summarize your overall experience with the animal.
Reflect on how this encounter has impacted your view on wildlife conservation.

Example

In conclusion, encountering the Nilgai was a memorable experience that deepened my respect for wildlife. It reminded me of the importance of protecting such unique animals and their habitats for future generations.

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 Specific Details

Avoid vague descriptions of the animal. Not providing specific details can make your answer less engaging and informative.

Tip

Include specific characteristics of the animal, such as its color, size, and behavior, to create a vivid image for the listener.

2: Ignoring the Emotional Impact

Failing to express your feelings about the encounter can make your response less personal and relatable.

Tip

Share your emotions and thoughts during the encounter, explaining how it affected you and why it was memorable.

Rushing Through the Story

Speaking too quickly can lead to unclear communication and missed important points about the animal and your experience.

Tip

Take your time to structure your answer, ensuring you cover each cue clearly and thoughtfully, while maintaining a steady pace.

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

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.

All Answers

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

Band 6

My family owns a huge terrace garden and in our garden there are many trees and bushes of flower plants and fruit plants so it's only natural that animals would be attracted to such a garden. Last summer we have found a beehive. It wasn't as big, it was really small, filled with bees. But to my surprise none of them attacked on us. That's when I learned that a bee won't sting you until and unless you have triggered them or caused any harm to their hive. They spend the entire summer on a terrace buzzing around, pollinating and increasing our flowers with their natural habitat. I was surprised by their calm nature and intelligence. Even when I would go up to give water to the plants, I never once got stung by them. This shows that even an animal with the most tiniest brain could be brilliant.

Band 5-6

Elephant is the animal I feel unique because it has the tendency to have a memory of anything. It has a longer memory compared to other animals. I have spotted a wild elephant in Kerala while I have been on vacation. The summer vacation we went as a family for Kerala, near Yanairangal dam I have spotted a wild elephant. It was ferocious and due to its wild nature it has killed more than 10 to 20 people. I came to know it has killed about 2 men in the morning. I felt, suddenly I felt afraid because it may get ferocious at any time and it may use to show the anger in human beings but it is not that wise. After I came about that, the local people told that the two men who got something from elephant were beating elephant for its trunk which is a valuable gift, which is considered to be a priceless and valuable gift of elephant. So they made some tortured and bulleted elephant for that thing. So initially I felt it was ferocious but it was knowledgeable and kind animal. How we

Band 5-6

The unique animal I recently encountered is a dog. I seen that dog in the road near my house and the dog is in a very pathetic condition and I helped the dog. The dog was met with an accident and I helped the dog with giving some first aid treatment and I provide some milk and drools for them. I feed them with good food items and that dog is making me so happy and I really like that dog very much and now that dog changed my life a lot. Dog is the main part of my life and I am considering that animal as my family member because I really love them and the way the dog makes me happy oh my god I can't say that and if I'm having any problem means if I when I'm looking at my dog's face means that makes me happy and my dog name of my dog is Roki and Roki makes me feel so comfortable when I'm in home. I really love my dog and I really like to play with my dog. Dog is lovely pet. I really realize that nowadays that we all want to want to want to have a pet in our home.

Band 5-6

I saw a snake at a snake park once and it it was very long and thick and it stared into my soul so I felt really worried that it would break the glass and come out at me but I I was okay because my parents were there beside me but overall I don't like snakes they make me feel very agitated and very anxious and snakes have a unique sense of attacking and they are very unpredictable very unpredictable so that adds to the factor that snakes are scary in general

Band 5-6

So the unique animal in my point of view is Tiger. Tiger is a very unique animal because it has a lot of unique things. It has an aura that defines it is very unique. Because every animal are scared of tiger and it has a lot of ability to confirm it's uniqueness. Because the Tiger and Leopard and also Leopard have a unique confidence. It's speed, it's roaring, it's hunting, it's action. It is very unique and difficult for other animals. Some animals and some other animals, wild animals have that hunting ability. The Leopard is very fast hunting. In a minor seconds and minutes it hunted and ate all the animals. And I love the Leopard, I love the Leopard's action, Tiger's action. And it's intensity and it's mindset and it's aura. Because the Tiger is a very good animal and every animal have fear of that. And the Tiger is very challenging animal and it's very wild and the conqueror. And sometimes the people are saying the Tiger are the king of the jungle. And I agree with it because it has, because he has the king of the jungle. Because of it's aura, it's action and it's hunting experiences. That's it.

Band 5

I enjoy doing as a child was being with my friends and being with people I love. Now I miss those all because it's not seen like before and I really miss those days which I was enjoying and smiling every day with my people, with my friends and with everyone who were so, so, so loved me.

Band <5

you you you

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