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Describe an expensive item you bought.: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

  • What item was it?
  • Why did you buy it? How much did you spend?
  • Why was it expensive?
Show all 30 answers

Cue 1:What item was it?

  • Begin by clearly stating the item you purchased, including its name and type.
  • Provide a brief context about when and where you bought it.

Example

The expensive item I bought was a high-end smartphone, specifically the latest model of the iPhone. I purchased it last year from a well-known electronics store in my city.

Cue 2:Why did you buy it? How much did you spend?

  • Explain your motivation for buying the item, such as its features or personal needs.
  • Mention the exact amount you spent and if it was a planned purchase or a spontaneous decision.

Example

I decided to buy this smartphone because I needed a reliable device for both work and personal use. It cost me around 1 lakh rupees, which I had saved up for a few months. I had been eyeing this model for a while due to its excellent camera and performance.

Cue 3:Why was it expensive?

  • Discuss the factors that contributed to the item's high price, such as brand reputation or advanced technology.
  • Mention any unique features that justify the cost.

Example

The smartphone was expensive primarily because of its brand reputation and the advanced technology it offered, like a top-notch camera and high processing speed. Additionally, the build quality and design were exceptional, which made it stand out from other models.

Conclusion

  • Summarize your overall feelings about the purchase and its impact on your life.
  • Reflect on whether you believe it was worth the investment.

Example

In conclusion, buying this smartphone was a significant investment for me, but I believe it was worth every penny. It has greatly enhanced my productivity and allowed me to capture precious moments with its amazing camera.

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

Failing to provide specific details about the item can make your answer sound vague and uninteresting. It's important to engage the listener with vivid descriptions.

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Tip

Include specific features of the item, such as its color, brand, and unique qualities to create a more engaging response.

2: Ignoring the Price Context

Not explaining why the item was expensive can leave the listener confused. It's essential to provide context about the cost and its significance.

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Tip

Discuss the price in relation to your budget or compare it to similar items to highlight why it was a significant purchase.

Neglecting Personal Motivation

Overlooking the reasons for your purchase can make your answer feel incomplete. Personal motivations add depth and interest to your response.

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Tip

Share your personal reasons for buying the item, such as a special occasion or a long-term desire, to make your answer more relatable.

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IELTS Cue Cards asked last week

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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

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
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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 6-7

The most expensive buy is a mobile phone. I bought Samsung Galaxy S21 FE as it is one of the favorite phone I have bought. I bought through the mode of payment as called monthly installments and I spent around 50,000 Indian Rupees. I bought this because of its excellent flagship features, excellent cameras. I use this camera for photographic skills and it has a very good processing power so I use it for gaming and editing as well. I am an avid gamer playing games like Battlegrounds, PUBG and other small games. The most distinct feature of this phone is that it has a black color. I love the color. I have searched a lot for this color to get this phone and there is an interesting story behind it. I initially thought to plan to buy for Diwali sale but due to my already existing phone which has some malfunction so it led to me buying this new phone.

Band 6-7

The expensive item that I recently bought was a Nike shoe for myself, although I do not believe in buying expensive items because I feel like I'm not materialistic in that sense. But, however, I really like to treat myself sometimes, so I bought a Nike Air Max running shoe for me very recently. It was a treat to myself as I recently started working and making money. I really like that shoe because of the quality that it provides. Nike is known to provide you the top-notch quality always. It has a brand name, which is why people really prefer buying shoes from that outlet. Not just that, but Nike over the years has gained popularity in terms of its brand name because people these days, especially celebrities, endorse products from Nike, which really attracts people to buy the products from their outlets. And not just the marketing area, but also the comfort. They have always lived up to my expectations. Thus, it is always a treat to get yourself a Nike shoe, which is smart and good looking.

Band 6-7

Well there are so many instances in my life when I purchased an expensive item in my life but here I would like to talk about a time when I purchased a expensive perfume of Dior and that instance still has indelible impression in my mind. Last year I went to Chandigarh to meet my cousin Robin. She was doing training that time of period. She completed her masters in pharmacy and her internship was going on. Before my parents said me to visit there then I went there and me and my sister Robin went to visit Elante mall which is the largest mall of India and I purchased this perfume of Dior to gift my one of best friend Harsh on his birthday because his birthday was coming at that time. This perfume cost around 8000 rupees which is very expensive according to me. The item in Elante mall are always expensive because Elante mall never negotiate in the price and always try to retain their customer especially VIP customer. I must say this Elante mall can cost someone arms and legs.

Band 6-7

An expensive item I have bought recently is my motorbike. I have been planning to buy this motorbike for a long period of time when I was in 10th grade. It was almost, it has been almost 4 years since my dream became true in this year. It's a Royal Enfield Classic 350. It's a vintage bike now rebooted to its new technology and also it is capable of off-roading and long ride. And I was very excited before going to book the bike in the showroom. It was a fine Friday when me and my brother went to the showroom nearby my house. After going we saw several colours in that model. I really liked the black and black with the red one. It was kind of sporty and classic. I really loved it and I booked it on the spot. It took me 2 to 3 days, it took me almost 3 days to get delivery. On the delivery day me and me with my family went to the showroom to pick up my new bike. I was so excited. I couldn't sleep the last night. I was dreaming and remembering the days I have always dreamed about the bike. It was so nice to have that bike. I really went a long trip and explored more in my new bike. So it's my expensive bike. It cost me around 3.5 lakhs on road. It's quite expensive for me and I deserved it.

Band 6-7

An expensive item that I bought was a very beautiful colour zarduzi saree. I bought it last year for my cousin's wedding and I had gone with my husband specially to shop for it and I got it from Old City. It was such a surreal experience because I generally don't go out shopping and this cousin that was getting married was really close to me so it was a very special thing for me to go and get it and I never ever wear sarees so that was also something that was very unique about the experience. The work done on it is colour zarduzi, generally people don't buy colour zarduzi but it was a new thing and I got it for the first time for myself so it was very unique and different I would say. It was really appreciated because like I said I don't wear sarees so it was very appreciated and I bought it.

Band 6-7

No audio text available

Band 6-7

So, one of the most expensive items that I bought was a footwear from Charles and Keith. It was around 8000 rupees after discount and that's something that's quite expensive that I bought for myself. Now why I say this is expensive is because I got it from my first earning when I was in 11th grade. So during COVID, I took online French classes for around 10 students for 15 days like a basic introductory level French course. That's when I earned these 8000 rupees in 15 days from them. My mom said that I should reward myself for earnings 8000 rupees which is a good start to become financially independent and that's why my mom and my sister took me to the mall and they helped me choose a white color heel, Charles and Keith heel. That's one of my most prized possessions. However, recently I had worn it to a party and the sole broke. It felt like my heart broke, it felt like all my efforts have gone down into the drain and I really cried. However, my mom told me not to worry, it could be fixed and later on she sent the footwear to one of the cobblers and the cobblers fixed it so beautifully that it does not look like it broke ever. So that's one of my most prized possessions. I will keep it even if I don't fit into those heels, I will always keep it because they are a memoir of my first earning that I had. So that's a very expensive item that I bought that will always be special.

Band 6

My most expensive purchase which I did recently was a 55-inch Samsung QLED TV which costed me around 1 lakh. So the reason I spent so much on a TV was because I love to binge-watch series on my weekend or in my free time so I used to I love to watch this Korean dramas as well as Japanese animes so I wanted to have one of the best TVs to show me that various colors as well as the screen size mattered to me a lot in my room as bigger screen means it looked like an theater like experience and with the sound woofer and all those things it costed me extra 50,000 where I could get like theater kind of effect while watching the series therefore I don't regret buying this TV rather I am just splendidly happy to watch binge-watch any series or movies. So even my parents were against this purchase but this purchase was one of the most worthy purchase I have done. I said well tremendous joy whenever I am watching a series or whenever I am watching a particular movie it has been twice as great as compared to my previous TVs

Band 6

I am a bit of a cheapskate so I don't prefer spending money on myself. However, there was this time when I bought an ornament for my mother. That was during 2020 when I was working and I wanted to gift my mother on her birthday. So, I decided I would gift her a gold chain. That is why I gifted her that.

Band 5-6

further incident like if we need of money so she gifted me a bengal bengal pear and and she bought it from the sk jewelers which is very famous in the indian market and i think gold gold must be contain a hallmark hallmark which is which is described the precious precious quality of the gold so she gave me the that gold and i i not often wear it but i wear it on the occasion on the traditional occasion and as well as on the family in the family function like in the marriages and societal societal cultural function so it is a part of show show off because we indian show our prosperity through the gold jewelry and beside this my father-in-law also gifted me a pair of earrings which is also in gold so i think gold is a very precious gift in my country and it is it is a way it is a way to give and give an asset if we are gifting it to someone so it is like an asset if we are saving in the locker so it
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