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Describe a way/change that helps you save a lot of time: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

  • How is it?
  • How do you implement it?
  • How difficult is it?
  • And explain how you feel about the way/change.
Show all 62 answers

Cue 1:How is it?

  • Begin by describing the specific way or change that helps you save time.
  • Mention the context in which you use this method or change.

Example

One significant change that has helped me save a lot of time is using a digital planner instead of a traditional paper diary. I started using it about a year ago, and it has transformed how I manage my daily tasks and appointments.

Cue 2:How do you implement it?

  • Explain the steps you take to use this method effectively.
  • Share any tools or apps you use to make this process easier.

Example

I implement this by setting aside a few minutes each morning to plan my day. I use an app called Todoist, where I list all my tasks and set reminders. This way, I can prioritize my work and ensure I don’t forget important deadlines.

Cue 3:How difficult is it?

  • Discuss any challenges you faced when adopting this change.
  • Explain how you overcame those challenges.

Example

Initially, I found it a bit challenging to switch from paper to digital. I was worried about losing my data or not being able to access it when needed. However, I overcame this by regularly backing up my planner and learning more about the app's features through online tutorials.

Cue 4:And explain how you feel about the way/change.

  • Share your feelings about the effectiveness of this change.
  • Mention any positive impacts it has had on your life.

Example

I feel incredibly positive about this change. It has not only saved me time but also reduced my stress levels. I can now focus more on my work and personal life without the constant worry of forgetting tasks. Overall, it has made me more organized and productive.

Conclusion

    Example

    In conclusion, switching to a digital planner has been a game-changer for me. It has streamlined my daily routine and allowed me to manage my time more effectively, which is essential in today’s fast-paced world.

    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. It's important to provide specific details about the way or change you are describing to engage the listener.

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    Tip

    Use clear examples and specific details to illustrate your points. For instance, mention a particular app or method you use to save time.

    2: Ignoring Implementation Steps

    Failing to explain how you implement the change can leave your answer incomplete. It's crucial to show the process behind your time-saving method.

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    Tip

    Break down the steps you take to implement the change. Describe your routine or the tools you use to make it effective.

    Neglecting Personal Feelings

    Not sharing your feelings about the change can make your response less engaging. Personal reflections add depth and interest to your answer.

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    Tip

    Include your emotions or thoughts about the change. Explain how it has positively impacted your life or made you feel more productive.

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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

    A change that has helped me save a lot of time is waking up early in the morning. Initially it used to be really difficult for me but over the time I got used to it. I do it by keeping an alarm which rings in the same time every day and it helps me wake up at the same time every day no matter what. This has helped me to set my circadian rhythm and also save a lot of time. I am able to plan things better for myself. I am able to keep a schedule of all the things going on in my life. I take out time for each activity starting with yoga, then lattes, then cooking food for myself, having a proper meal and breakfast. Everything gets sorted when you have a good start to the day. Also I get to interact more with people as I am able to pick calls from my family members. I have a fresh start to the day. Furthermore adding to it, I think waking up early is a good sign because it helps you be a better person, it helps you be punctual in life, you are able to manage things in a better manner which is a good skill for your future progress. Also I feel you are more bound to getting to know yourself better when you wake up early. Furthermore adding to it, I feel whenever you are not feeling good about it, you should try to do it more often.

    Band 6-7

    A change that helped me to save a lot of time was waking up early. First it was difficult. As you know I am a person who used to sleep till 8 o'clock. So it was very difficult to wake up before 6. But during the days of exams I found it no difficult to wake up at 3 am. But on a usual day I wake up at 8 am.

    Band 6-7

    Jotting down what I want to say in a journal helps me a lot with personal development cause that way I can precisely know what I'm going to do in a day that saves a lot of time and improves my efficiency. It's not that difficult of a process. Jotting down general things that I might need later is very helpful because it helps me remember things and improve my efficiency. Journaling is a very calming activity. It helps me regulate my own emotions and also validate emotions of other people that makes me emotionally more intelligent and helps me maintain my warm personality. I think we should journal on a daily basis cause it helps a lot in living your life and yeah.

    Band 6-7

    So, a way that helps me change, okay I think I have to try again, how is it, I mean what is the way, that is time management and multi-tasking ability, how do I implement it, because of my stress per situation work-life balance, to maintain it I will have to along with this social life I had to maintain, so that my studies are not hampered and my work deliverables are also delivered in the correct, in the appropriate span of time with quality results. How do I implement it? I divide my day into slots, where starting from 8 am I assign myself study sessions, because I log in at 10 am, so it becomes easier for me to start my day at 8, okay prepare myself for self-study, then start slot-wise working sessions for my job. So these slots, this time slots help me to focus and sometimes it becomes difficult, so a way that helps me to save a lot of time is basically time management with multi-tasking ability. So, like being a working professional and a student at the same time, for me managing time is a very important task, otherwise my schedule will get messed up and it will become very stressful for me to complete my task on time, because being a working professional I had to maintain a work-life balance along with my studies, as there is a lot of work pressure and at the same time the modules which I am studying also require equal attention, so multi-tasking ability is essential part with proper time management. How do I implement it is in a way? I start my day at 8 am every day and I divide my day into particular time slots of 2-2 hours, so I don't work 24x7, but dividing my time into slots and first managing my studies before logging for my work and then managing my studies after logging my work with equal amount of breaks of duration around 20 minutes gives a boost to my memory and helps me to deliver my work with efficiency and also complete my learning with quality results. So yeah, I think this essential step which I have implemented in my daily routine has helped me not only to grow myself in the professional field, but also to develop my skills as a student and I am gaining both real and practical world experience because of this ability to manage my task with multi-tasking capabilities and I would really suggest people to implement it as it's a life-changing skill and once if a person master it, it's good for them.

    Band 6-7

    So, one of the ways that I have learned from my professor at the university is time blocking that has saved a lot of my time. So, this technique I basically implemented every day. So, I make a to-do list firstly about everything that I have to do within the day followed by an estimation of how much time each task would take. Then after that, I continue performing the tasks and once the task is done, I take it off from my checklist. This has actually boosted my productivity to the maximum level and I would really recommend it to everyone. To master this task, I don't think it should take more than a week's time. Every day you can just make a list and see how much productive you are and then alter it accordingly. So, I use this time blocking method for almost all of my work such as studying, going to the gym, eating, spending time with my friends. It gives me an overview of my entire day and how I spent it. So, the next day I can be more productive and see where I can spend less time doing the things that are not very fruitful.

    Band 6-7

    A change that helps me save a lot of time is that I have tried picking up the habit of sleeping early and it improves my sleep schedule. It helps me wake up early, get a good start for the day. Along with that, it energizes me. Using this habit of mine, especially in a schedule of MBA where there are strict deadlines to meet, I find that this change in my lifestyle is something which would help me become a more healthy person. Along with that, it has been difficult implementing it because most of the days we are tired by our hectic schedule and by the end of the day, we want to give time to social media or binge watch a Netflix series and these things, even though they are not extremely productive things, have habit of keeping us up late at night and is distracting at times. But despite all of that, I wish that I continue this habit of sleeping early because it gives a good start to my life the next day. It helps me feel energized. Along with that, a healthy sleep is a start to a healthy lifestyle.

    Band 6-7

    I think adopting some good habits can make you change that in a way that helps you save a lot of time like if you wake up early in the morning you are able to do a lot of course like you can make your bed you can clean your room and then you can get ready in time and go to your work or lab or something school where you can you want to go and after coming back you can make a time to rest yourself so I think adopting good habit like getting up early in the morning can make help you save a lot of time and other thing that I can mention is to take things seriously and

    Band 6-7

    Well, as we all know that change is the role of nature, everything got changed as time increased, as with the time. I have changed, I have do a lot of change in my schedule, study schedule since my childhood. In my elementary school I generally prefer to get up early in the morning and go everyday class and then finish my study and complete my school work before evening and after evening get a little dinner, a mild dinner and then I go to bed for sleep. After that, after completing my elementary school and I got in my secondary school, then I go to hostel for study and then I change my schedule. At that time I like to, I prefer study in night time because at that time I think that in night everything is very quiet and the concentration on study increase. My concentration on study, I focus more on my studies at that time. But when I completed my secondary education, I found that it is a very time consuming way because I don't feel healthy and energetic throughout the day. So I change the way and again I adapt my way for elementary school when I get up early and nowadays I get up early in the morning and follow the schedule.

    Band 6-7

    So the one thing that helps me save a lot of time is jotting down all the tasks for the day the previous night. So initially I started off by just writing tasks in the start of the day. That also did help but noting it down the previous day, thinking about all the activities that you need to do, all the task work that you need to get done and noting it down will help you prioritize what exactly needs to be done and you can also even think about how easily you can do it. This gives you a clarity and it also reduces the confusion because most of our time gets wasted in just planning our day out and sometimes you even end up missing because of procrastination or just forgetting stuff. So this practice has helped me a lot because initially I used to find it very difficult but I did it continuously for almost two weeks and it has become a habit and it is part of my routine every day now so every night I sit down and note down things. The next day it actually helps me to get things done faster and I do not worry about whether this is done or not and I do not multitask which I end up doing and not finishing my stuff so this gives me a lot of clarity and a lot of peace of mind. So I would recommend this to be done for all who are struggling with a lot of activities, a lot of tasks to be done on the same day and they have very busy schedules so this could help them all to have a routine in their day to day lives and also help get things done faster and efficiently.

    Band 6-7

    The things which are, the ways I choose, I used to save a lot of time is basically time management. Time management is the most important thing if you want to save a lot of time. Time management helps you everywhere, in work, in school work, in projects, in your college life. Time management is the most important thing. Time management helps you save a lot of time, make your work good and you are always prepared for what you are going to do. As in time management you have to learn how to manage the time, what to do, what you are going to do, be prepared for that. And as you manage your time, you save a lot of your energy, time and your work is done perfectly.
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