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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

    In the northern state of Uttarakhand flows the largest and thereby the most important river in the country, the Ganga. The river flows through at least three states making it the longest one in the country. The first time that I stood in front of the Ganga river, I could not believe my eyes for it looked like a large, I had trouble seeing the other side of it, it even felt like I was in a beach as opposed to standing in front of a river. The Ganga has a lot of religious affinity to it, a lot of Hindu mythology based around the Ganga, there is even a saying that taking a dip in this holy water can wash off the sins of one's past, since the religion of Hinduism is a common, is a majority in the country, this is one of the most prided and important rivers in this country. Although that is the scenario, one might not believe that to be true if you had a chance to see it because it is under completely dilapidated condition with lots of waste flowing into it from nearby factories, there is filth everywhere and one, you might not believe that this is a holy river, Ganges.

    Band 6-7

    River and lake in country is very important as it's one of the renewable source of energy. As a person from a greenery region, I can say that river plays a vital role in our daily routines. One of the famous falls I can mention is Jog Falls which is near to my native, the place near to is Sagar. Sagar is one of the tallest falls in our country, from where the electricity is produced and distributed across the region, places near to the falls. When we speak about the river, as I already mentioned, it plays a very important role in our daily life. As a responsible person, we should be careful about our daily routine.

    Band 6-7

    An important river in my country is the Ganga. As I live in West Bengal, Ganga is the very important river that flows through the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It arises from the Gangotri in the Himalayas and traverses its course across the Indo-Gangetic Plain, supplying all the agricultural fields and drains in the Bay of Bengal. All throughout the history of India, this has been a very important river. It serves as the main source of agriculture, the main irrigation source for all the crops. It also serves as different recreation facilities. Also, the transport facility is available on this river. Though transport is not very important, but it serves definitely as the main source. This river has a very soulful connection to our country. There are many folklores and legions that are associated here. Many people consider the river Ganges as sacred and there are specific festivals where the river Ganga is worshipped like a god. This worship by the normal people also has its base on the help that it provides throughout the whole year by irrigation, by transport, various recreational facilities. Also, this serves as the main source of drinking water and many other resources. The generation of hydroelectric power is also a main source that it provides.

    Band 6-7

    One of the most important rivers of my country, India, is Ganges River. It flows from Bhagirathi and reaches various places of India. Haridwar is considered as the home of river Ganges as there are many Ghats situated there. Basically, one named Harkipudi is considered as a step towards heaven. In terms of length, the Ganges River flows in various states of India from Uttarakhand to West Bengal. Approximately, it is about 2500 km long. The Ganges River is not only fascinating in view but also has some spiritual beliefs related to Hinduism. Also, people worship there every year. It is considered that they wash out their sins in the Ganges and become pure. In terms of view, the Ganges is very beautiful and the water is very clean and cold.

    Band 6-7

    Just like other countries, there are several rivers in India, that's my country. For example, Ganga, Brahmaputra, Yamuna, these are some of the important rivers. Amongst of these rivers, Ganga is treated as the most important and auspicious river in our country. It originates from Gangotri in Uttarakhand and flows from Himachal to Uttarakhand, Punjab and many states of India. When it's seen from the mountains, its serene appearance appears to be just like the crystalline diamond and when it flows from Haridwar and Uttarakhand, its appearance is just similar to that of a silent water body. It's too important and holds a lot of cultural and traditional values as people in our country believes just by taking bath into this river, one can get rid of all its sins and it's treated as a rebirth to a person. Along with that, when a person dies, its ashes and remaining residues are just flown into this river in order to get Moksha. Furthermore, this river holds the cultural importance as it was believed that Ganga was originated from the hair of Lord Shiva. That's why particularly Hindus treat it just as their mother and believes that just by taking its water, one can get rid of all the past sins and can start a new life ahead.

    Band 6-7

    One of the most important river in India is Ganga. It originates from Gangotri Glacier from Himalayas. It runs all over India almost. It travels around 2500 km. The Ganga is rich in spirituality and culture of the country. Most of the people believe Ganga as a holy river. They consider it as a traditional thing. They also immerse ashes of the body which is a belief. It purifies the soul. It is done in the places of Haridwar and Varanasi which is the banks of Ganga river. India is a country which believes in tradition and culture. Ganga is one of the main river which includes its tradition and culture. Ganga also has many sources like drinking water and agriculture to many lands mainly in the area of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. It believes Ganga is a spiritual river which is significant for its culture.

    Band 6-7

    From my point of view, the important river or lake in my country is River Ganga. We usually consider it as Ma Ganga which is full of divine power where we wash our sins and we have regular baths in the river to make sure we overcome all the challenges in life. It is a very vast river which is located in India and have very good positivity around it and people whoever comes over there and feels like they lost all the negative thoughts from their mind. Considering River Ganga as our mother, we pray River Ganga on daily basis to overcome all the obstacles as well as get positive vibes into our lives and encourage other peoples to do the same.

    Band 6-7

    As I am from India, there is a river named Ganga. It flows, it generally flows all over the country but it's majorly located in Prayagraj which is in Uttar Pradesh. Ganga is a very large river by area and by length also. It is an important river because it is very auspicious for Hindus that are in India. Ganga is usually prayed, people pray Ganga.

    Band 6-7

    One important river in my country India that I would like to talk about is the river Ganga. So it is of grave significance in our Hindu culture because there is a strong belief that the river originates from Lord Shiva's head and it's the extension, the river is basically an extension of his head, hair. Cities like Rishikesh and Haridwar in India and the Ganga river that flows through these cities, it holds a very spiritual significance and many people go there during Mahashivrat 3 to take a dip in the river because it is believed that if you take a dip in that river your sins are to be washed away. So this is a very highly practiced, this is a very highly tradition that is practiced in my country and it has been ongoing for centuries.

    Band 6-7

    One of the most important river is river Ganga and also known as Ma Ganga in country of India. So basically this river starts flowing from Uttarakhand and all the way to the Uttar Pradesh, Jagannath Puri and so on. And this is not only a simple river but is also considered as one of the most auspicious river or fortune river in our country. It is also praised, hailed, given the position as a god also. Additionally this river provides some very important rituals support. That is like last rites are also performed in Ganga and birth is also performed in Ganga. Also it helps to create one of the festival known as Kumbh. Every year small Kumbh, every few years, couple of years the Arth Kumbh, every 144 years the Mahakumbh is being organized at the banks of the river Ganga. So this is not only a normal river but also has multiple additional functionalities in the one's life in India. Basically this is considered as one of the most historical and most powerful river that is directly connected with the god like Shiv Shankar. Like it is considered that it starts flowing from the head of the god Shiv Shankar which resides in Kailash. So from there it starts flowing and passes through multiple states in India and along with these states the banks of the rivers are considered for the location for the festival.
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