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Describe an activity that you do after school/work: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

  • What it is?
  • When and Where do you do it?
  • Who you do it with?
  • And how you feel about it?
Show all 173 answers

Cue 1:What it is?

  • Begin by clearly stating the activity you engage in after school or work.
  • Provide a brief explanation of why you chose this particular activity.

Example

After school, I love to play cricket with my friends. Cricket is not just a sport for me; it’s a passion that brings us all together.

Cue 2:When and Where do you do it?

  • Mention the specific days and times you usually play cricket.
  • Describe the location where you play, such as a local park or a cricket ground.

Example

We usually play cricket every Saturday afternoon at the local park, which is just a 10-minute walk from my house. The park has a nice open space and a few trees that provide shade.

Cue 3:Who you do it with?

  • Identify the friends or group you play cricket with.
  • Share a little about your relationship with them and why you enjoy their company.

Example

I play with my close friends from school. We have been playing together for years, and our bond has grown stronger through our shared love for the game.

Cue 4:And how you feel about it?

  • Express your feelings about playing cricket and what it means to you.
  • Mention any benefits you gain from this activity, such as relaxation or teamwork.

Example

Playing cricket makes me feel incredibly happy and relaxed. It’s a great way to unwind after a long week of studies, and it also helps me stay fit. I love the thrill of competition and the joy of spending time with my friends.

Conclusion

    Example

    In conclusion, playing cricket after school is not just an activity for me; it’s a vital part of my life that brings joy, friendship, and a sense of belonging.

    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: Giving Vague Answers

    Avoid providing unclear or general responses. Vague answers do not give the examiner enough information about the activity, making it difficult to assess your speaking skills.

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    Tip

    Be specific about the activity. Include details such as what you do, where and when you do it, and who you do it with.

    2: Neglecting Emotional Connection

    Failing to express how you feel about the activity can make your response less engaging. Emotions help to personalize your answer and connect with the examiner.

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    Tip

    Share your feelings about the activity. Explain why it is enjoyable or meaningful to you, which adds depth to your response.

    Ignoring Structure

    A disorganized response can confuse the listener. Without a clear structure, your answer may lack coherence and flow, making it hard to follow.

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    Tip

    Follow the cue prompts in order. Start with what the activity is, then discuss when and where you do it, who you do it with, and finally, how you feel about it.

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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

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    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 7

    So, right now, since I have plans to go abroad for higher education, after work I usually study for either my IELTS exam and I plan to give GMAT after this, so I'll be studying for that, but if we consider the regular routine day and I have got nothing on my plate, then I usually go for badminton after work. I book a court and the court is around a kilometre away from my home. I go there with one of my work colleagues and now he's a close friend as well, Vivaan. So, we go there, we play hard out for one, one and a half hour there and then we return back. So, the main reason why I like going there is because it makes me feel exhausted, but not in a bad way, in a very good, satisfied way, because I have always liked playing sports. I used to play a lot of squash and soccer in my college, but the work life has kind of reduced that, but badminton keeps me feeling happy, healthy and makes me mentally okay with all the corporate work exhaustion. My mental health needs to disconnect and get recharged again, so badminton helps me with that. And one more extra benefit of playing badminton is that since I work at a desk job, I don't have a lot of room for moving around. So, badminton keeps my weight and physical health in check as well. So, that is why I like playing badminton.

    Band 7

    Well, I have been fortunate to have multiple hobbies that have shaped me in different ways over the years, but the three that stand out the most are playing chess, singing with the guitar, and managing large-scale events. Firstly, I have been a passionate chess player since childhood. I was even a national chess player, and representing my state at such a prestigious level taught me discipline, strategic thinking, and patience. I became interested in it when I was about 8 years old. My elder brother taught me the basic moves, and over time, I started participating in competitive tournaments. Even now, I occasionally play online matches or engaging friendly games with fellow enthusiasts. Secondly, during my college years, I developed a deep interest in music, especially singing and playing the guitar. I was a part of a college band named T-Scale, and we have performed at several campus events. Singing has always been a form of emotional release for me, and combining it with guitar gave me a new way to express myself and my creativities. I was also a great way to bond with others and build lasting memories. Moreover, another interest I am truly proud of is event management. I was one of the general convenors of FEST, which is the annual cultural fest of Jodhpur University. Organizing such a large-scale event taught me leadership, time management, and how to stay calm under pressure. Coordinating with various teams, handling logistics, and ensuring everything ran smoothly was both challenging and extremely rewarding. To conclude, each of the hobbies has contributed significantly to my personality. While CHEST honored my analytical mind, music nurtured my creativity, and event management enhanced my organizational and interpersonal skills. Together, they have made me a more balanced and confident individual.

    Band 7

    One activity I would definitely do after school is playing football. It's something I genuinely enjoy and it helps me unwind after a long day of classes. Usually I play with a few friends either at a nearby ground or sometimes just practice alone with drills and shooting. Football keeps me physically fit but more than that, it clears my mind after sitting in a classroom for hours. Running on the field feels like freedom. It also helps improve my focus, discipline and teamwork skills which are useful in other areas of life too. Even on days when I feel tired or stressed, once I start playing, my energy comes back. So if I had to choose just one after school activity, football would be my first choice without a doubt.

    Band 7

    So, an activity that I do after school or work is drawing. I enjoy it a lot and I have been doing it from a very young age. From the time that I remember when I was in first or second standard or even before that, I used to come from school and I used to draw. And then as I started drawing, people started telling me that I draw well, so it added to my personality. Additionally, my sister also loves drawing, therefore it developed a bond between us. On the other hand, no one in our family draw, but as me and my sibling do it, they encourage us to do as it uplifts our mood and we both are getting very good at that. It also serves as an escape from the real world as it leads me to be more creative. Because of drawing, I can be the person which I want to be and I don't need to pretend anything. Apart from this, there is one more positive impact of drawing that it is very therapeutic. It leads for me to forget all the negative thoughts that I have and I use that to put in my paintings. The color of my schemes can tell you my mood as my mother says it. One day I was drawing something and then she came and then she was like, oh I think you are not very happy today and she realized it by the way I was using the colors. So I think I love doing this and I will continue doing this in future.

    Band 7

    After my daily task in my duty I usually prefer to spend some time with my guitar since that's something that relieves my stress. I love getting lost in the music that's been played through the strings. Initially I found it tough to play guitar since by pressing on the strings my fingers would hurt but as time passed by I realized that though I had pain it kept my stress under control. I often play guitar and my brother joins me singing. He's a good vocalist. He can sing various ranges of note. He's fortunate to have a high note. Spending time with my brother has improved our bond. Now we often spend time discussing and learning new songs. As for me I started learning various methods of strumming even have improved in my chord progression all thanks to my brother.

    Band 7

    Currently, after work, I prefer recreational activities like DIY projects or painting but I prefer painting over DIY projects more often and I do it mostly to relax and feel good about myself and also increase my skills in painting since I am a self-taught artist. I like to create a bucket list of mediums, art styles and DIY projects that I want to explore and every now and then, like at least once or twice a week, I pursue my bucket list activities and I am quite proud of making my artwork and showing them as well. I also conducted my first art show this year and the positive response is overwhelming and I might do it again pretty soon.

    Band 7

    I often find myself trying to live a healthier life while also trying to maintain a leaner body. So after my work, I usually head to the gym to get a good session of cardio along with some strength training exercises. My trainer at the gym named Krishna Kumar is someone who is absolutely fantastic and charismatic when it comes to helping others achieve their goals. This is something that really pushes me to do my best in the gym. So when I work out, I also have a gym instructor along with my gym buddy Anisha Sethi that performs all sorts of other cardiovascular exercises as well as calisthenics. These exercises help me boost my energy levels throughout the day that make me feel energized and work hard through the day. I usually get to spend around one hour at the gym daily and this is more than enough for any other individual that is inspired to make the move of living a healthier life. It is encouraging when you have best friends around you to motivate you to do the best that you can post work or during working hours that always help us grow as individuals. It is important to surround ourselves with positive individuals that help us attain a realistic goal.

    Band 7

    I am a very ardent reader, and I find it a very relaxing way to wind down after a long day of work. A novel that I recently read is The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong. It's a deeply emotional and poetic story that follows a 19-year-old main character Hai navigating grief, identity, and the weight of his past. What stuck me most was the way it explores found family, how strangers or unlikely companions can become a source of healing and belonging. The characters all carry some form of pain, and yet they come together and give each other second chances they never got from the world. The novel doesn't follow a traditional plot. Instead, it moves through fragments of memory and emotion which makes it feel incredibly intimate. I picked it up last month because I was drawn to the title and had already read Vuong's previous work On Earth We Are Briefly Gorgeous which was all equally blemishing. The writing is beautiful and delicate. The themes felt very personal and it made me think deeply about love, loss, how we create new beginnings even after everything falls apart. As you can see, this novel had a deep impact on my life and this is the way reading is something which gives me a new thought process and helps me navigate through my own life. It gives me a different perspective and teaches me how to be a better person. Moreover, it gives me a good logical reasoning sense and increases my vocabulary and concentration. As you know, attention spans are decreasing all the time and it is something I have to work on on a day-to-day basis to get better at. It is something I have a pleasure of doing every day and I love it very much.

    Band 7

    One activity I enjoy after work is evening walking. I usually go for a walk around 6.30pm in a nearby park which is just a short distance from my house. The park is calm and has a lot of greenery which makes it a perfect place to relax after a long day. Sometimes I go alone to clear my mind and other times I walk with a friend or family member which makes it more enjoyable. I like this activity because it helps me stay active and gives me a break from screens and stress. Breathing in the fresh air and watching the sunset always makes me feel refreshed, peaceful and happy. It's a simple routine but it has a big impact on my mood and health.

    Band 7

    Hi, so an activity or a hobby which I usually enjoy after work is reading. I often read a lot of technical stuff, technical concepts. I read a lot of technical papers and books. I usually do my reading activities post work while on my commute towards my home. I enjoy reading alone, although I sometimes do it with my colleagues, with my friends and with my family members as well. I enjoy reading because it is something which is therapeutic to me, allows me to expand my knowledge, vocabulary, allows me to better interpret my ideas, conceptualize my thinking and better share my knowledge with everybody. It provides me with an ability to enhance my knowledge bases while continuously developing the habit of reading. Reading is something which I often enjoy with my friends, although it is something which I have started in the recent years. I have been reading a lot in different genres with regards to technical, fictional, self-help and what not. Reading is something which I find as religious as it can be to expand one's knowledge.
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