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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.
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35 unique answers with expert feedback

Show all 35 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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    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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    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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    Anonymous student Band 6.5

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    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.

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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.

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    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

    So, India being a vast country has many important rivers and lakes but particularly the most important is the Ganga which flows in the northern part of India. It is basically considered a holy river by the people residing in India, by the Indians. And currently there is a festival you can say called Makum which is being conducted right now and which is going to end at 24th Feb itself. So basically people go to, it is the most largest human gathering which is happening in the world where people go to Prayagraj, a place called Prayagraj where people take holy showers in river Ganga considering that sins will get washed away and now that's it.

    Band 6-7

    In my country, one of the most important river which flows through it is known as Ganga. The Ganga river is the longest river in my country. It flows from north from Gangotri to the easternmost part of the country and it then goes through many states like Delhi, UP, Dehradun and all and flows continuously to there and lastly from Kolkata, it is distributed in lot of tributaries and then it passes through the country of Bangladesh. It is like longest river and I don't remember the kilometers but it is said that due to Ganga, the Indian delta has been formed like because of Ganga and its tributaries, the northern states are strongly formed and apart from that, Ganga is like the glaciers melt in north and because of that, the river is formed and it continuously flows downstairs. After that, I can say that Ganga also plays an important role in religious aspect. In Hinduism, Ganga is a god who flows from the head of Lord Shiva and from there it drops in India.

    Band 6-7

    I live in a state called Andhra Pradesh and we have a location called Amalapuram where five kilometers away from this location there is located this river called Durgam Cheru which we call it in our native language. That river is amazing as it consists of more number of nutrients which are responsible for the surrounding fields and crops and it also contains more number of fishes which are enormous in size. Most of the people go there and do fishing and they cook the fish which is very delicious. The lake is very, the river is very important because it not only contains enormous amount of fishes or some nutrients in it but people do use that water for many other purposes for washing their clothes, some people to get into the river to like clean their kettles.

    Band 6-7

    I would like to talk about Manichal river which is one of the most important lake located around Kottayam, the district where I live, Kottayam is actually known as the three L's and one L is for the land of lakes, there were so many rivers which were fascinating but Manichal river is the most important one, it became the important one because it provide water resources for so many villagers around Kottayam district and it is very long around 8000 km and it starts from the hilly area from Vagaman and it flows over through various districts in Kottayam, sorry various towns in Kottayam and also in Kerala that is across Pathanamthitta, Kottayam etc. and most of the river falls and also reaches the Manichal river as the destination and there were many villagers live across the river for their livelihood, habitat and for the water resources.

    Band 6-7

    Good afternoon sir. One of the most important and river of significance in my country is river Ganga. So Ganga is one of the holiest river for Hindus. So Ganga is situated in the Himalayas. It flows right from the Himalayas through the plains of the north and traversing the plains it reaches the Bay of Bengal into the Arabian Sea. Ganga is one of the longest and widest rivers in our country and since time immemorial it has been among the religious significance for Hindus. So Ganga is a religiously important river for Hindus. The scenery of Ganga is very beautiful. The water is serene and very pure. Hindus usually take dip in the Ganga during Mahakumbh and Ganga's water has recently come under pollution because of the various industries that dispense their waste into Ganga river and the government has started a campaign to clean the Ganga river. Ganga river has been mentioned in the Hindu scriptures and holds a great religious significance to Hindus. Ganga river is one of the most oldest rivers in almost all the civilizations that I have read. When you visit the Ganga river, the purity of water and the sound of the river.

    Band 6-7

    An important river in my country is Ganga. It's located at the center of the country in a state called as Madhya Pradesh. It is one of the quite long rivers. It is one of the longest rivers in India. It is one of the longest rivers in India. It is located at the center of the country. It is located in state called as Madhya Pradesh in India. It is one of the longest river of our country. Right now there is Mahakumbh going on. This happens every 144 years. It is quite a spiritual river. A lot of people go into the river, take a dip into the water and come back. This is to believe that this will cleanse their soul. All their wrong doings will be cleansed. God won't be angry at them. Currently there are a lot of people going into the river, taking a dip and coming back. One of the important rivers in our country is the Ganga river. It is located in India, Nepal and Bhutan. I am from India. It flows down from the Himalayas and through the northern states of India. Then comes down and meets another river. It is actually located in the Uttarakhand state. It is said that if you take a bath in the river, all your wrong doings and bad things will be cleansed. God will not punish you after life. It is one of the spiritual rivers of India. Copyright© OSHO International Foundation www.OSHO.com copyright OSHO is a registered Trademark of OSHO International Foundation

    Band 6-7

    One of the most important rivers in my country and the one that I find beautiful is the Kallai river in the Calicut district of Kerala. This river has been one of the primary source of timber transportation and transportation of people from one place to the other in the Kollam district that time. But over time now this river has been polluted to a vast extent. During the medieval period and the British period this river has been used as a primary mode of timber seasoning also due to which currently the timber deposits mainly the tannin and lignin pigments have been deposited as silt and is forming a lot of and is being very uncanny and is disrupting the natural flow of the river. Due to this the boats are not being able to transport it in this and the water is being polluted. A Kallai river committee has been formed by the government to and widespread protests are being done to take action against this. Moreover this encroachment of

    Band 6-7

    India is a land which is known for its rich nature, encompassing hills to rivers. India also focuses on worshipping these natural elements, giving them the status of gods and goddess. One such river is the Ganges, which originates from the top of Himalayas and flows all the way through the Deccan Plateau to join another river forming Indus and draining into the Arabian Sea. This particular river thus spans the entirety of North-East to the North-West of India. And has quite significance in Indian culture where the river Ganga is equated to a river that washes away your sins. Not only that, upon research, Ganga also seems to contain microorganisms that help with its cleaning. I believe this is a very important aspect to the river, one that is very much required in the context that this river is being polluted by human activities in the pretext of washing away their sins, be it from burning bodies to taking a dip in this river. Nevertheless, this beautiful river has become irreplaceable in Indian culture.

    Band 6

    I would like to talk about a river which is situated in Kottayam, river's name is Meenachal river, which is situated near the Kottayam district, near to my mom's house, so we are staying very near to that, mom's house is very near to that river, and if you go there we can see many people, they are catching fish from that river, and there are so many boats which is, so many boats, the people they are fishing, so many fishing boats we can see on that river, and furthermore most of the people they use that water for their daily routine like washing clothes, and taking bath etc, so we can see, if you go there we can see people taking, the children they are enjoying like taking bath, and doing

    Band 6

    An important lake that is situated in the heart city of Chennai where I live, it is in India and that's my home country. It is so special because it is believed so auspicious as it has a lot of statues where we worship God. It is in the centre of a temple called Kapaleswarar temple. I hope most of the monumental temples are as famous as this temple. This is believed that when we go take a bath in that particular lake, it winds away all the negativity. It is believed that one who has a lot of skin problems, they used to come and take a bath in this lake. It is almost 1500 square meters big. It is a square shaped place where it is filled with a lot of auspicious water in it. And always people used to do pujas in the steps which is located all the four sides of surrounded. And lots of people from other parts of the world used to come and visit this lake because of lots and lots of statues all around the lake which is prayed and believed that gives us wealth, happiness, satisfaction, everything.
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