IELTS SPEAKING CUE CARD
[PART 2]
A BEAUTIFUL OR A
HANDSOME PERSON
Describe a beautiful or handsome person you met in your life
You should say:
- Who that person is
- Where you met him/her
- What qualities he/she has
And explain why you think he/she is handsome or beautiful
A N S W E R
I consider myself a social butterfly and one of my interests in life is to hop from one jazz bar to another in our city, so every now and then I can meet different kinds of people may they be local or foreign.
Meeting beautiful women or handsome men in bars is somehow ordinary but of course, I couldn’t help but feel thrilled to see those people with good looks especially if I can spend time talking with them.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
A social butterfly [noun] – refers to an easy-going person; sociable and friendly with everyone
Hop from one bar to another [expression] – to go from bar to bar
Couldn’t help (oneself) [phrase] – to be unable to stop doing something
Thrilled [adj.] – excited
TIP
i.) The speaker starts her answer by being creative to show the examiner her ability to use the English language more confidently. The use of ‘I’d like to/I’m going to talk about…’ is fine however if your target is a higher band, make your introductory sentence more advanced.
Well as a woman, it is human nature to first notice and get attracted to the outside appearance of a man. Last month, while I was spending my leisure time alone quenching my thirst with some cocktails at the front bar of Jazz and Blues Bar, a Spanish-looking man approached the bartender. While he was waiting for the bartender to serve his drinks, he stole a glance at me but I saw him doing such so he gave me an endearing smile. I’ve never been snobbish in my life so I smiled back at him.
It’s still very vivid in my mind how attractive he was. He has a muscular physique, a chiseled jawline with some stubble on his face, and stands around 10 inches under 5 feet. He has similar looks to those Spanish actors I saw in Spanish or Mexican TV dramas.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Human nature [noun] – the natural ways of behaving that all people share
Quench [verb] – to satisfy oneself by drinking
Bartender [noun] – a person who mixes drinks at the bar
Front bar [noun] – also called the counter
Steal a glance [phrase] – to look at someone quickly
Endearing [adj.] – lovable; admirable Snobbish [adj.] – being too proud of oneself and disapproving of others
Vivid [adj.] – clear
TOPIC VOCABULARY WORDS for Describing a HANDSOME MAN used by the speaker:
Muscular physique – to have muscles, well-built
Chiseled jawline – having a sculpted-like jawline
Stubble – short and stiff hair on a man’s face
10 inches under 5 feet – another way to say 5 feet tall and 10 inches
If your answer is about a BEAUTIFUL WOMAN, you may use the words below:
Defined lips
Drop-dead gorgeous
Expressive eyes
Long neck
Rosy cheeks
TIP
i.) The speaker recalls her experience meeting that handsome guy. She recollects how she met that man by narrating the events. When narrating events just talk about the most significant details.
ii) The speaker vividly describes how handsome the man is by using some good descriptive words. The topic vocabulary words that the speaker used when she gave the description are advanced, these are very helpful to boost her score in Lexical Resource. Don’t use common words/ and don’t repeat using the same words over and over again.
While I was enjoying sipping my drinks, he came over to the edge of the front bar where I was sitting and broke the silence by saying ‘hi’ to me and introducing himself and I learned that he’s half-blooded – half American and half-Italian. My analysis of his nationality was wrong. We actually had a great time that night because he talked sensibly which I found even more attractive. He’s wise and I think because of his job, he works as a Philosophy teacher in his home country.
Well, that was a memorable acquaintance for I learned some philosophical thoughts from him. I realized that a man with just good looks is not completely interesting but a man who knows how to keep the conversation is irresistibly attractive. Gaius is blessed as he possesses both inner and outer beauty that every woman dreams of marrying.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Half-blooded [adj.] – having parents with different nationalities
Sensible [adj.]; sensibly [adv] – having wisdom
Acquaintance [noun] – a person whom one meets and knows slightly; a state of being acquainted
Irresistible [adj.]; irresistibly [adv] – enticing; alluring
Possess [verb] – to have
TIP
i.) The speaker continues to provide details of her narration to make his story more interesting. Adding more details will surely help you talk more spontaneously but make sure that you know exactly what you’re talking about so your sentences won’t become incoherent.
ii) The speaker ends her story by giving her realization. Giving a life lesson based on the experience is a very good way to end a story as it leaves a very good impression.
PART 3
Do you think being beautiful is important?
If we talk about being beautiful inside, then I can say it is important because having a beautiful heart and a lovable personality can go a long way. When a person possesses admirable characteristics he has plenty of opportunities to be successful in his personal or professional life. People around him will give their trust in him and build meaningful relationships.
In contrast, being beautiful outside is not always essential, we have to remember that the physical appearance of a person will wither or fade as time goes by but a beautiful heart and soul will stay the same and will always glow. Well, lucky or blessed are those people who are gifted with good looks and at the same time with endearing character as they can be attractive to others without any effort.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
(can) go a long way [idiom] – to be very useful or helpful; to attain much success
In contrast [phrase] – is used to compare two things and to emphasize that one is very different from the other
Wither [verb] [used figuratively] – to disappear or weaker
Glow [verb] – to shine
Endearing [adj.] – adorable; lovable
TIPS
i.) The speaker presents two arguments (if talking about inner or outer beauty) and provides each argument with a thorough explanation. This is because the question does not specify whether or not the examiner is asking about inner or outer beauty. The best way to answer this is to talk about each type of being beautiful to make things clear.
ii.) The speaker properly ends his answer by concluding that if a person has both inner and outer beauty then he must be lucky or blessed. It is a very good conclusive statement.
Nowadays, people try to become beautiful or handsome, why is that?
It is human nature that people want to look great because it helps them attract prospective lifetime partners. We cannot deny the fact that good-looking people always get the most attention from others than those plain-looking. To be noticed, one has to invest in grooming himself.
Another notable reason why trying to become beautiful or handsome is a phenomenon is that the appearance of a person plays a very important role in getting a job. Many HR personnel prefer applicants who know how to make themselves look appealing as it indicates that they know how to manage or take care of themselves. Hiring managers mostly have this notion that if applicants can take good care of themselves then it is highly likely that they will also know how to value themselves as workers in the company. These reasons are what made me believe that people recently put much effort into improving their appearance.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Human nature [noun] – the natural ways of behaving that all people share
Prospect [noun] – possibility
Plain looking [adj.] – neither ugly nor beautiful Invest (grooming) [verb] – make an effort to improve one’s looks
Notable [adj.] – remarkable; worthy
Phenomenon [noun] – refers to an event or a situation that can be seen, happened, or existed
Indicate [verb] – show
Notion [noun] – idea; thought
High likely [adv] – most probably
TIPS
i.) The speaker presents two reasons as to why there are a lot of people who try their best to look at their best. Then the examiner explains each of them very clearly and directly.
ii) The speaker uses a cohesive device or transitioning words (Another reason…) to be able to develop his answer more smoothly.
iii) The speaker presents his one-liner statement to just properly end his answer. The last sentence is just simple but a very good way to give a signal to the examiner that he is about to end.
Do you think being beautiful causes problems?
Well, I suppose to some extent but not really a serious one. Perhaps minor problems such as being distracted by others for excessive admiration or adoration. Undeniably, handsome or beautiful people get the most attention, and that sometimes makes them feel uncomfortable. Some really good-looking people despise too much attention as they tend to be more careful of their actions.
Other than that, I see more positive aspects of being beautiful. Good looks can surely attract some opportunities like modeling or becoming an actor.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
I suppose – use this expression when you are not sure about something; this is a very good alternative for ‘I think’
To some extent [phrase] – somewhat; partly
Distract [verb] – disturb
Excessive [adj.] – too much; more
Adoration [noun] – deep love or respect
Undeniably [adv.] – used to express that something cannot be denied
Despise [verb] – to feel a strong dislike of something
TIPS
i.) The speaker answers Yes or No directly, instead he explains that it is possible that it causes a problem. Then he explains what problem a good-looking person may have.
ii.) His last sentence emphasizes his positive opinion about having good looks. This is a very good way to wrap up his answer. Making the examiner know his stance on the subject.
Which is more important to you, inner beauty or outer beauty? Why?
Although outer beauty opens some good opportunities in life, I still give more value to the inner beauty of a person. When a person is kind, thoughtful, compassionate to other people, or empathetic, he is more than attractive to a person whose strength is only his good looks. Having a pleasant appearance is undeniably head-turning but for me, a beautiful soul is way more compelling.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Give more value – give more importance
Empathetic [adj.] – having the ability to understand people and share feelings with them
Head-turning [adj.] – extremely noticeable/attractive
Compelling [adj.] – irresistible
TIPS
i.) The speaker starts his answer by acknowledging that there are benefits of having good looks, then he transitions by stating his opinion that inner beauty is definitely more valuable and supports his opinion with an explanation.
ii) The last sentence is his realization of having good looks and a beautiful soul. This conclusive statement leaves a good impression on the examiner, as it shows that the speaker really understands his thoughts.
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Meaning of Words and Phrases Sources: Collins, Macmillan, Cambridge, Oxford
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