Describe an important plant in your country: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

What it is
Where you see it
What it looks like
And explain why it is important

15 unique answers with expert feedback

Show all 15 answers

Cue 1:What it is

Begin by identifying the plant and its common name in your country.
Mention any cultural or traditional significance associated with the plant.

Example

The plant I want to talk about is the Neem tree, known as 'Azadirachta indica' in scientific terms. In India, it is often referred to as the 'village pharmacy' because of its numerous medicinal properties.

Cue 2:Where you see it

Describe common locations where this plant can be found in your country.
Share any personal experiences or memories related to seeing this plant.

Example

I often see Neem trees in rural areas, especially around temples and homes. I remember visiting my grandmother’s village during summer vacations, where the Neem tree in her backyard provided us with shade and a place to play.

Cue 3:What it looks like

Provide a brief description of the plant's physical characteristics.
Mention any unique features that make it easily recognizable.

Example

The Neem tree is quite tall, reaching up to 20 meters, with a dense canopy of bright green leaves. Its bark is rough and dark, while the small white flowers bloom in clusters, giving off a pleasant fragrance.

Cue 4:And explain why it is important

Discuss the ecological, medicinal, or economic importance of the plant.
Mention any personal or societal benefits derived from it.

Example

Neem is incredibly important in India for its medicinal uses, such as treating skin conditions and boosting immunity. Additionally, it plays a crucial role in agriculture as a natural pesticide, benefiting farmers and promoting sustainable farming practices.

Conclusion

Summarize the key points discussed about the plant.
Reflect on its significance in your life or in the broader context of your country.

Example

In conclusion, the Neem tree is not just a plant but a vital part of Indian culture and health. Its benefits extend beyond personal use, impacting agriculture and traditional medicine, making it truly invaluable.

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: Ignoring Key Cues

Candidates often overlook the specific cues provided, leading to incomplete answers. This can result in missing important details that the examiner is looking for.

Tip

Make sure to address each cue in your response. Structure your answer by clearly mentioning what the plant is, where it is found, its appearance, and its significance.

2: Being Too Vague

Providing vague descriptions can make your answer less engaging and informative. This may leave the examiner with unanswered questions about the plant.

Tip

Use specific details and examples when describing the plant. For instance, mention its color, size, and any unique features to create a vivid image.

Lack of Personal Connection

Failing to explain why the plant is important can make your response feel disconnected. This may lead to a less impactful answer.

Tip

Share personal experiences or cultural significance related to the plant. Explain how it affects your life or your community to add depth to your answer.

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

The plant is new Neem is a plant which is important in our country We can see it everywhere, around every corner of the street It is a normal size and has medium sized leaves It has a bit of dark green color and woody texture Its fragrance is good People usually implant it around their verandas, balconies or gardens It gives very fresh air People in India, especially in Hinduism, this plant is for their religious beliefs Neem is a plant or tree which is famous in our country You can see it everywhere, around every corner of the street People usually implant it around their verandas, balconies or gardens It is a normal size like every tree It has medium sized leaves with dark green shade It has a perfect fragrance which enhances morning mood People in India, especially in Hinduism, have religious beliefs in this plant In ancient times, Neem was used as a medicine for many illnesses

Band 6

Plants are very important in a household and different types of plants can see in every environment and one of the most important and traditional plant which can be seen in every household is Tulasi which is also known as holy basil. It is basically a medicinal plant and it is used for very different medicinal properties it is having and it is used very widely in Indian cultural and traditions. For example, in the point of cultural aspects, Lord Krishna is very much interested in Tulasi garland and we can see that devotees submit this particular Tulasi garland as an offering for the God and also in the aspects of medicine, Tulasi can be used for curing cough, cold and different kinds of sinus infections like that things because it is having the property to cure antibiotic like properties, it is an antioxidant, anti-infectious and antiviral property it is having, it helps to get relief from the cough, cold and all those kind of sinus related issues and it is also a very good antifungal thing which means we can be used when some infections like we got with some rashes and all if we apply this holy basil juice, it is very good for the health and also we can even use it for a drinking water. It is very good to add some Tulasi leaves in the drinking water and to have a drink and it boosts our immunity. So basically there is a concept that every household should have a holy basil plant which kept very cleanly and in a very cultural way and in a very particular way to keep that in a divine atmosphere which shows the culture of Hinduism.

Band 6

The important plant in our country is probably Tulsi because there is a religious belief and sentiment related to it. It is commonly found in households of Hindu people and also near temples as well. It has a religious significance because according to the scripts provided by our ancestors, it says how Tulsi benefits us in different ways. We can also see different ornaments that can be made from Tulsi, like Tulsi wood can be used as a center or probably used for the idols where also the bids of the Tulsi, dried up leaves which we can say so, also can be used for making malas. Malas is also a traditional sentiment that Hindus wear because they think it gives a God near them or rather from that way, it is a respect towards the God or commitment towards the religion. Tulsi also has medicinal benefits in Ayurveda because people in India also consider Ayurveda as much as important and significant. Also I would add more saying, Tulsi provides benefits because it allows good freshness to the plant. It can also be added to chai. It gives relief in throat if consumed everyday. It is also good for lungs as well.

Band 5-6

so the important plant that is herbal tree plant which is mostly located in village sites also we can see a lot in a countryside and it looks like similar to other plants but whenever we get closer to that the herbal aroma is something different from the other plants that that gives a hint to drink that herbal tree immediately so it always been located from the it's always located beside the other plants which are poisonous so whenever you get poisonous we can easily take that herbal plants to cure us also why it is important nowadays our health habits is not that good we are ordering everything through that food apps like Zomato, Swiggy and so on so if we also take some herbal intakes in through food or through tea or whatever it is it would be very very helpful in future and if kids have a potty very healthy hydrated and detoxing so that's it I think herbal plants is more more located in my country especially in the villages

Band 5

The most important plant in my country is mango tree. I find it outside my house when I look over from the balcony. I eat all the mangoes from it. I love to climb up using staircase to go get grab mangoes from the mango tree. The leaves of the mango tree are also very nutritious. The mango tree in summers it grows flowers which are pink in color which are very beautiful to put in hair. I give it to mom. Mom hits me after I break those flowers because those are the flowers which turn into mangoes. I love mangoes. That is why that is one of the most important plant in my country. Because without mangoes I wouldn't like my country. I live for mangoes. I wake up and I want to eat mangoes. I can have mangoes everyday. Mangoes are yellow in color and mangoes are beautiful in shape. Some are thick, some are thin.

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