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Describe an occasion when someone gave you positive advice or suggestions about your work/study: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

  • Who is the person?
  • What he/she said?
  • How the advice/suggestion affected you?
  • And explain how you felt about the advice/suggestions.
Show all 161 answers

Cue 1:Who is the person?

  • Introduce the person who gave you the advice, mentioning their relationship to you, such as a teacher, mentor, or friend.
  • Provide some context about their background or expertise that makes their advice valuable.

Example

The person who gave me positive advice was my college professor, Dr. Sharma. He was not only my mentor but also an expert in the field of environmental science, which is my area of study.

Cue 2:What he/she said?

  • Summarize the key points of the advice or suggestions they provided.
  • Make sure to include specific phrases or ideas that stood out to you.

Example

Dr. Sharma suggested that I focus on practical projects to enhance my understanding of theoretical concepts. He said, 'Real-world experience will make your resume stand out and deepen your knowledge.'

Cue 3:How the advice/suggestion affected you?

  • Explain how you implemented the advice in your work or studies.
  • Discuss any changes in your approach or mindset as a result of the advice.

Example

After his suggestion, I started participating in various environmental projects and internships. This hands-on experience helped me grasp complex theories better and boosted my confidence in my abilities.

Cue 4:And explain how you felt about the advice/suggestions.

  • Share your feelings about receiving the advice and how it impacted your relationship with the person.
  • Reflect on the long-term benefits of the advice on your personal and professional growth.

Example

I felt grateful and inspired by Dr. Sharma's advice. It strengthened my respect for him and motivated me to pursue my studies with more passion. I realized that good guidance can truly shape one's career.

Conclusion

    Example

    In conclusion, receiving positive advice from Dr. Sharma not only improved my academic performance but also instilled a sense of direction in my career. It reminded me of the importance of seeking guidance and learning from experienced individuals.

    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 Specificity

    Being vague about the advice received can weaken your response. Specific details help illustrate the impact of the advice and make your answer more engaging.

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    Tip

    Include specific examples of what the person said and how it directly influenced your work or study.

    2: Ignoring Personal Feelings

    Failing to express your feelings about the advice can make your response less personal. Sharing your emotions adds depth to your answer.

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    Tip

    Describe how the advice made you feel, whether it was motivated, inspired, or relieved.

    Overly Complex Language

    Using complicated vocabulary or structures can confuse the listener. Clarity is key in speaking tasks, especially for non-native speakers.

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    Tip

    Use simple and clear language to convey your thoughts effectively, ensuring your message is understood.

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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 >7

    this is a situation where I completed my intermediate examinations and I also completed MSET examination and the results are out after the results are out I decided to pick my field of branches electronics and communication engineering but I have a confusion whether to take ECE or IT my father who advised me about the both the branches and he told me that electronics and communications have a wide range of opportunities after the completion of the bachelors where he suggested that he there is a chance of also going towards software and also we have an option of government jobs which which we can pass through the gate examinations so he gave me the gave me this advice which I felt it will it will be very valuable as I can get the knowledge of both electronics and communications and as well as I can get a knowledge of programming in different types of languages so the it is so I felt it was a very good opportunity to expose myself to both the fields and I after completion of bachelors I felt that it will be very useful to compete with both electronics students and also with IT students so I decided to pursue my bachelors in the field of electronics and communication engineering

    Band >7

    In my school, one of the occasion was conducted a society. So that occasion was social media of relatives. So that is a sports meet conducted for students to physical fitness. And that occasion one of the guest was came. So she tell about our future life. So it's a begin to start with her name. And sorry to say her. His name was a district collector Madurai. So he tell some words to impress students to return our future goals. So he said one most valuable word that is don't forget our parents before you doing any work. To something wrong. So it's a very remember to our parents to any wrong step to do. So while you working just think positively. So it's a currently to choose correct one. Any step out success to nice something about our future. And one of the most point is to hard touching point is never give up while you work is fail. You just to get home and overcome that.

    Band 7

    One memorable instance when I received advice about my studies was during my second year of university, and the person who gave it to me was my senior mentor, Arjun, who had already graduated from the same engineering program I was pursuing. At the time, I was struggling to manage my workload. The semester was loaded with theory-heavy subjects like electromagnetic fields and signal systems, and a challenging lab in digital electronics. I often felt overwhelmed and unsure how to prepare efficiently for exams while working on my semester projects. Arjun noticed I looked stressed. During one of our university club meetings, he offered to have a chat. During that conversation, he gave me some very practical and strategic advice. He told me to follow a structured approach, break down the syllabus into small, manageable tasks, and set weekly targets, revise regularly instead of cramming at the last minute. He also suggested I identify which topics carried more weight and focus on mastering those first, rather than trying to do everything at once. I found his advice incredibly insightful and motivating. It changed the way I approached my studies. I started planning, scheduling more effectively, and prioritizing smarter, not harder. As a result, I not only performed better in my exam, but felt more confident and less anxious throughout the semester. Looking back, I truly value that conversation. Sometimes, all it takes is a bit of experience guidance to shift your entire perspective. That advice played a key role in shaping my academic discipline.

    Band 7

    One occasion that stands out is when my college professor gave me some valuable advice during my final year of medical school. At that time, I was feeling quite overwhelmed with my clinical training exams and the pressures to perform well. I began to doubt whether I was good enough to pursue a career in medicine. During one of my mentorship sessions, my professor noticed that I wasn't my usual self. He gently asked what was going on and opened up about my fears and exhaustion. He gave me very thoughtful advice. He said, You don't have to be perfect. You just need to be consistent and compassionate. Patients don't need superheroes. They need someone who listens. This advice truly changed my mindset. It reminded me of why I chose the medical field in the first place. To help people not to be flawless. He also suggested that I take short breaks to recharge and stop comparing myself to others because everyone's journey is different. I really appreciated his words because they were not just kind but practical. This advice helped me regain my confidence and approach my studies and future work with a more positive and balanced perspective.

    Band 7

    So, a friend who is also an ex-colleague of mine said to me that I should focus on literal details more and panic less when I try to debug the code I had written. He said this because whenever I was debugging the code, I was missing out on tiny literal details and often missing something obvious, which led to panicking and tensed situations for me. So his advice was to make sure that when I write my code, I iron out the code and go through it before running it once and also have a small checklist of things that I might have missed. This included undeclared variables or uninitialized integers and another thing he said was while I was writing the code, I should always run the code after each small section is completed. Well, that would help to find the problematic areas easily. Furthermore, he told me that I should always use a debugger and not use console locks or system outs for fixing the bugs I was facing. So these advices came in pretty handy and now I am much improved.

    Band 7

    It was my political science teacher in school who had complimented my way of organizing my answers in my answer sheet. She would look at my answer sheet and at one glance be able to tell that I was the one who had written the answer. Furthermore, she was a huge cheerleader of my work and wanted to always bask in my achievements whether they were in school or outside it. She would constantly visit us from time to time at home since she lived nearby. Once I did find her rummaging for something in my bedroom and I realized that she had bought a gift for me for scoring so well in her subject and all the other subjects as well.

    Band 7

    An occasion when someone gave me positive advice or suggestions about my work and study was definitely my father. My father happens to be a doctor and I too am on the course to being a doctor. Now final year of MBBS studies are the most difficult year of a medical student's life. We have to study 11 subjects in a span of only 10 months. I was really confused right at the beginning of the year about how to proceed. It was then my father helped me chalk out a plan to manage my time effectively and which subject I need to focus more on. Not only did he mark my books, he also told me which topics would help me later on in my life and which topics I should focus specifically on and what topics would not help me in the long run. I feel really lucky to have such doctor parents who are always ready to guide me whenever I fall or whenever there is a hurdle in front of me. Moreover it is very important that he calls me up every day and asks me about my preparation which motivates me more to do my work even better and make him even a prouder father. His suggestions have definitely helped me to become a better doctor and not just a better doctor but a better student overall. It has made me more confident when I sit for my viva examinations. I find more confidence as I know that as compared to my fellow batchmates who might not have the privilege of such guidance, I do have.

    Band 7

    One occasion that stand out clearly in my mind was when my psychological teacher in high school, Mrs. Kapoor gave me incredible and constructive advice about my studies. At that time, I was struggling with time management, especially during exam season. I used to study for long hours but not very efficiently, which left me feeling exhausted and unprepared. During one parent-teacher meeting, she pulled me aside and gently told me, you don't need to study harder, you need to study smarter. She suggested I create a study timetable, prioritize subjects based on my strengths and weaknesses, and take regular short breaks to stay mentally fresh. She also encouraged me to start using active learning techniques like summarizing topics in my own words, teaching them to someone else. Her advice has had a profound effect on me. I followed her suggestions strictly for the next few months, and the improvement was almost immediate. Not only did my grades go up, but I also felt much more confident and less stressed. I was finally able to balance my academics with personal time, which I had previously neglected. I felt incredibly grateful and motivated by her guidance. It made me realize that sometimes a small change in approach can bring a big difference. Her words were not just useful for the school, they shaped the way I handled tasks and responsibilities, even now when it's whether college, work, or personal goals.

    Band 7

    During my college years, I had a senior called Harsh. He had advised me that failure is a part of life and that I should not get demotivated in any manner if I fail. It was the middle of the placement season. I was struggling to get a job at a decent company. I was mostly targeting to secure a job at a multinational organization. Although it was difficult, I tried to keep attempting and yet I faced a lot of rejections. My senior advised me to evaluate myself and understand where I was lacking, what are the qualities that I must work upon. Therefore, I improved and I also worked hard. I was able to better myself in about 2 months. Appearing for the tests was one of the hardest parts since I constantly had a fear of failing but I was keeping my senior's advice in my mind. This helped me to land an amazing job at a company called Whirlpool Corporation. I worked there for a while and currently I am at Accenture. I still keep my senior's advice in my mind. Whenever I feel like I am about to fail, I think of it and proceed.

    Band 7

    Asha, she was my hostel mate during my B.Ed. exam and we clicked instantly actually. We were talking about our life, our educational background and she suddenly asked about my interest and my future plans. I wasn't really sure about anything at that time. But she affirmed me with all kinds of fascinating stories about how being a good teacher reflects in our society, how it will be a really reputed profession in the future. Still I was not sure but she gave me a lot of instances from her own personal experience like when she lost her mother, her teachers were like guardian angels for her, they helped her to complete her exams and she is where she is because of the great effort of her tutors. Those stories really made an impact on me and I too started taking my interest on teaching seriously and now I am practicing as an upcoming tutor who always listens to her students, try to communicate with them so that they won't get nervous while talking and they should feel free while talking to me so that they could share any personal problems with me and I can help them with that.
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