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Describe an important river/lake in your country: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

  • Where is it located?
  • How big/long it is?
  • What it looks like?
  • And explain why it is important.
Show all 67 answers

Cue 1:Where is it located?

  • Begin by stating the name of the river or lake and its geographical location in your country.
  • Mention any significant cities or landmarks nearby to give context.

Example

The river I want to talk about is the Ganges, which flows through northern India. It originates from the Himalayas in Uttarakhand and passes through several states, including Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, before emptying into the Bay of Bengal.

Cue 2:How big/long it is?

  • Provide specific measurements, such as the length of the river or the area of the lake.
  • You can also mention how it compares to other rivers or lakes in the country.

Example

The Ganges is approximately 2,525 kilometers long, making it one of the longest rivers in India. It is not only significant in terms of length but also in terms of the vast area it covers, supporting millions of people along its banks.

Cue 3:What it looks like?

  • Describe the physical characteristics of the river or lake, including its color, width, and surrounding scenery.
  • Mention any unique features, such as islands, wildlife, or cultural landmarks.

Example

The Ganges is a majestic river with a wide, flowing body of water that appears a muddy brown due to the sediments it carries. Along its banks, you can find lush greenery, ancient temples, and bustling towns, creating a vibrant and picturesque landscape.

Cue 4:And explain why it is important.

  • Discuss the cultural, economic, and environmental significance of the river or lake.
  • Mention any historical or spiritual importance it holds for the people.

Example

The Ganges is extremely important to India as it is considered sacred by Hindus. It supports agriculture for millions of farmers and is a vital source of drinking water. Additionally, it plays a crucial role in the economy through tourism, as many people visit to experience its spiritual significance and beauty.

Conclusion

    Example

    In conclusion, the Ganges is not just a river; it is a lifeline for millions of people in India. Its beauty, significance, and the life it supports make it an essential part of our culture and environment.

    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

    Failing to address all the cues can lead to an incomplete answer. This may result in a lower score as it shows a lack of preparation and understanding of the task.

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    Tip

    Make sure to answer all the cues provided, such as location, size, appearance, and importance, to give a comprehensive response.

    2: Being Vague or General

    Using vague language or general statements can make your answer uninteresting and unclear. Specific details are crucial for a strong response.

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    Tip

    Include specific facts and descriptions about the river or lake, such as its exact location, size, and unique features to enhance your answer.

    Lack of Personal Connection

    Not sharing personal experiences or feelings about the river or lake can make your answer less engaging. Personal connections can add depth to your response.

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    Tip

    Incorporate personal anecdotes or feelings about the river or lake to make your answer more relatable and interesting.

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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

    So, one of the important rivers I would like to talk about is Tunga river. It is one of the most important river in the Western Ghats. So, since I am from Shivamogga, I have very close connection with this river and that is how I love this one. So, Tunga river originates from the Western Ghats. The original place is called Dangamula. From there it flows through two districts that is Shivamogga and Chikmangaluru and then eventually it merges with Bhadra river which flows through Bhadravathi as well. So, it then merges with Bhadra to form Tunga-Bhadra river in a place called Koodli. So, this is the Sangam of the two rivers, confluence of two rivers where it meets and then this river also flows as Krishna river which goes to Andhra Pradesh. So, one of the major cultural significance is that on the banks of this river you can see Shringeri temple. So, this is one of the holy shrines for Hindus which is located in Shringeri. It is called Shringeri Sharda Peetam. And also a major dam called Gajnur dam has been built over this river which you know is the major source of water for Shivamogga. And then this is also Koodli where I was mentioning, it is also a tourist spot because of the confluence of two rivers where it meets and it receives a lot of tourists as well.

    Band 6-7

    There is one river in particular that I remember so vividly. It is the Brahmaputra river in Kerala. Since I am a Keralite, I have personally visited this river bank. This river is quite long, stretching over kilometers. It is often known that the greatest festival known as Mamangam was carried out on the banks of this river. So it has a historic significance. I have visited this river with some of my friends.

    Band 6-7

    The river which I like most is the Totopuzha river. It flows near to my home town, there is 1 km from my home to the river. Especially the bridge, there is a bridge in the river called Totopuzha bridge which I like very much because it is beautiful to watch the river flows from the bridge, I especially like the river because there is a lot of wildlife you can observe, a lot of living beings you can observe while you watch the river, it includes the turtle and the fish, also the kingfisher which fly into the water and catch the fishes, it is very interesting, very exciting moment to watch the catching the fish, also there are lot of pupils comes, stands near the bridges and what they do is that they try to catch the fish by using their fishing net, so lot of things happening, lot of live moments happening around the bridges and there is a cafeteria near to the river side, just beside the bridge and people come to spend their evenings, they often come as couples or family, they came and having a cup of tea and some snacks and they observe the river and so on.

    Band 6-7

    There are many lakes and rivers in my country, and the one that is personally attached to me is the Erarakundu lake. The lake is associated with waterfalls, which are seven in number, and they flow from one lake to the next, creating a step-like pattern, and thus the name Erarakundu, which translated in Malayalam means seven pits. I went there with my family last monsoon, and unfortunately it was raining heavily and we were not able to explore all the areas, the entry was limited to just two lakes, the other five were closed. There are many adventure activities associated with the lake, like free-floating, rafting. I heard about this lake from the reveals posted in social media, which created an impact in most of the people in the surrounding area.

    Band 6-7

    There are many rivers and lakes in my country because as I live in India there is a vast and very diverse geography and lands are very geographically diverse and the river that is really important and people find it really auspicious that is river Ganga and Yamuna as well but the Ganga is the most popularly known for the devoting and in India it is known as Gangama and many auspicious things and people worship that as the goddess and it is really important because it gives us water and many kind of hydropowers and water energy is conducted from that, generated from that and it is quite long and it starts flowing from the Himalayas and there it is running in the form of glaciers and because of the global warming it is heating and the glaciers are melting the level of the Ganga is also increasing and because of the human selfishness many people are polluting the Ganga and because of that the water purity is really decreasing and getting low percentage in the clarity and cleanliness of that. Government have taken a lot of steps to clear it out to make it pure but government is not that much successful into that they are trying their best and I think so every person living in India must take a step forward to save our natural habitants and natural resources so that it can be saved and our future generation can use that and make best use of it as well.

    Band 6-7

    In my country importance of river is the top most priority of the government as well. We have a river called Ganga. It is a spiritual river according to Hindu religion which I believe is true as well. So that river stretches from Himachal to Uttar Pradesh and it is connected to Uttarakhand as well. And it goes on to I don't know till where but it is a super long river. And people go to that river to pray and it is considered that if you take a dip into that river your sins may get vanished and you will come out to be a better person. And I have been there many times throughout my life. Although it is far away from the place that I live in. But we go there occasionally at around almost 1-2 times a year to pray to that river. And it is also a significant river because when a person die in Hindu religion their ashes are dropped at that river so that they can get peace after life. And that river is not as clean as you might imagine it to be. A spiritual river should be clean but it is not. It is dirty but the government is trying to clean it because people do throw garbages into it as well which is not a pleasant thing to do. Moreover I hope that river will become cleaner in the future because it has spiritual connectivity to it.

    Band 6-7

    India is a place of a lot of geographical history. India is known for its rich geographical history. One of the rivers that comes to my mind is the Narmada river. It is the fifth largest river in India. It touches Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat and leads to the Arabian Sea. The Narmada river is a beautiful and pure water body. There are many religious activities, ceremonies and it has been done. The Narmada river has been associated with very large projects wherein I am talking about the Sardar Sarovar dam which was built to avoid the floods. The center of Narmada river, the biggest statue in the world is built. It is also known as the statue of unity. It is a beautiful tourist spot. In recent times, I have visited Narmada river that is located in Gujarat. The water is so pure and it is a very good place for habitation for the fishes and other water animals. This water body is very beautiful.

    Band 6-7

    There are many rivers in my country like Ganga, Saraswati, Yamuna, Kaveri. But the most important lake for people is Ganga because it has a religious basis as well as the cultural basis. Furthermore, it is the largest river in our country. So people used to often consider it as holy water and do prayers in that river which makes it religiously very important for our country. Basically, this river is located on the banks of Uttar Pradesh which is one of the states of our country. This river passes through many several states as well. Furthermore, river Ganga is the holiest river in my country.

    Band 6-7

    As per my opinion, rivers and lakes are often considered as a proper blend of serenity and the connectivity towards your soul when you experience that horizon. And here I would like to discuss about one of the lakes that are adjacent to my house. This lake is present at a holy place named Meshiana which was believed that here incarnation of Lord Shiva was found in ancestral ages. And since that time it is worshipped and it has very significant spiritual value. So this lake is about half a kilometre long and half a kilometre wide. It looks like a board of God and it has lots of fishes in it. I usually go there in evenings. I try not to skip a single day. And I go there in evening to feed the fishes with some flour. And sometimes I also bring some sorts of feedings that are chemical free and are nutritional for fishes. I feel immense pleasure when I feed those fishes. I can see the hope they have that this person will come and feed us every evening. So it is irresistible for me to stop a single day feeding them. So it is a complete gift towards me from Almighty to make some creature happy as in this.

    Band 6-7

    well today I am gonna describe about the important river of my country and also about my state so it is called as river Kaveri which is a very significant river that flows in my state and it is considered as a holy and also a very much prominence for the Hindu culture and traditions and it is also considered as a God according to our people so basically it flows around from a start from the flowing from the Bagamandala which is located in Kaur and it flows to the Mysore and this passes to the Tamil Nadu and later it sends with joining the Bay of Bengal so entirely it flows around 857 kilometers far so the important about this river is it plays a very significant role in agriculture and also in feeding the water for entire the southern part of Karnataka so it is a kind of the major role that is playing for in the fields of agriculture and also education and many other activities that would probably would be helping in most part of the southern Karnataka
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