IELTS SPEAKING CUE CARD
[PART 2]
A CHANGE THAT CAN
IMPROVE
YOUR LOCAL AREA
Describe a change that can improve your local area
You should say:
- What it is
- Which local area
- How this change be made
And explain what improvements it would bring
A N S W E R
Right now, I’m living in the city where everything is well-organized and advanced which makes me believe that there’s nothing else to change. So instead, I want to talk about my hometown. My beloved hometown is situated 90 miles away from the city center and to tell you the truth, the roads are ridiculously bad. Most of them are gravel roads – terribly inconvenient to drive, especially during rainy days and when it’s summer as they’re too dusty.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Beloved [adj.] – dearly loved
To tell you the truth [phrase] – expresses frankness (especially when admitting something)
Ridiculously [adv.] – so as to cause surprise of disbelief
Gravel road [noun] – unpaved road surfaced with gravel
Dusty [adj.] – full of resembling dust; dirty
TIP
i.) In this introductory part, the speaker talked about his current residence first as his local area which is for him perfect already. And in order for him to come up with a story out of this topic, he just transitioned to talking about his hometown. He gave a description of his hometown and stated the problem they had in his hometown so that the examiner would be able to visualize what his hometown looked like. In this introduction, he already answered the two key points asked in the cue card.
Honestly, people have been complaining about the roads in our area for innumerable times, however, even up to this day, nothing has changed. We’ve assumed that the road situation in our hometown is being politicized. Actually, some residents in our hometown did not support the incumbent council members during the last election, instead we residents gave our support to the other political party but sadly they failed to secure seats in the council. Now, it’s like we pay the price for not supporting them. It’s just terribly sad and disappointing!
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Innumerable [adj.] – countless; numerous
Politicize [verb] – to make something or someone political
Incumbent [adj.] – an official or regime currently holding an office
Council [noun] – local government; a body of people elected to manage the affairs of the city, town, or municipal district
Pay the price [phrase] – to experience the bad result of something you have done
TIP
i.) Here the speaker gave an in-depth problem of his hometown that best supported his introductory part. That’s really important to give more information about the problem. Giving this relevant information about the existing issue in his hometown makes his story easy to understand. In this part, he talked about the root cause of the problem.
To give you an idea of how poor our roads there, during summertime when it’s too hot and dry, the body of your car is totally covered with dust and the visibility of the road is about less than 70% and because of that, the safety of motorists is jeopardized. On the other hand, when it’s rainy season, the boot or the body of your car is splattered with so much dirt since the roads are muddy. You can imagine how inconvenient driving those times is!
If the council allocates a budget for the improvement of our roads, surely this will improve the lives of the locals. This would mean safer roads to drive on, easier transport of goods, and more importantly healthier respiratory systems for all commuters.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Motorist [noun] – the driver of a car
Jeopardize [verb] – endanger; put at risk
Boot [noun] – the place at the back of a car where you can store something
Splatter [verb] – a splash of liquid or mud
Allocate [verb] – assign; distribute resources
Respiratory system [noun] – the set of organs that allows a person to breathe and exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide throughout the body
TIPS
i.) PARAGRAPH BEFORE LAST: The speaker talked about the inconveniences of the roads they had in their hometown. This part is supplemental to the previous ideas he mentioned in the first few parts of his story. This is a technique that helped him extend his story more!
ii.) LAST PARAGRAPH: This part answered the last two key points asked in the cue card. He used the conditional tense, which is very good, as it helped him get a good mark in the criterion, Grammar & Accuracy. Anyway, he ended his answer by talking about the benefits people would enjoy if the roads in his hometown were paved. It’s a well-developed story! Achieving coherence!
PART 3
Why is it hard for some people to accept change?
In my opinion and based on my observation, I have some friends who are having difficulty accepting change, that is due to the fact that change is inconvenient, uncomfortable, and terrifying. There are some people who are so attached to living a life that is in the sphere of their comfort zone – they are happy and comfortable with that kind of everyday life that they have and stepping outside of it because of unexpected circumstances makes them feel disoriented.
Take, for instance, some young adults in this generation – there are many case studies stating that some young adults become too dependent on their parents and are anxious to live an independent life. That is because they get used to living a comfortable and convenient life with their parents and starting a life without them is petrifying since they will face the realities of living an adult life wherein responsibilities come about such as paying rent, buying one’s own necessities, paying utilities and many more. Well, that is just one of the many situations as to why there are some people who get scared of embracing change.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Due to the fact [phrase] – because
Terrifying [adj.] – causing an extreme fear
Attached [adj.] – full of affection
Comfort zone [noun] – a situation where one feels safe or at ease
Disoriented [adj.] – make someone feel confused
Anxious [adj.] – worried
Petrifying [adj.] – frightening
Come about [phrase] – take place
Utilities [noun] – services used by the public such as electricity, gas, water, etc.
Embrace change [expression] – accept change
TIP
i.) The speaker developed his introduction by stating his observation about the situation and then gave his main answer directly. Right after that, he explained his argument clearly and provided one particular example that would help him explain his reason in a more convincing way. Then, he wrapped up his answer by emphasizing the fact that there were other situations as to why people couldn’t accept change. This answer is organized achieving the criterion, Coherence.
Does change always have a positive result?
I would love to think that a certain change creates a favorable result all the time, however, it does not always work that way since change can be a double-edged sword. For example, in the case of Brexit, Britain leaving the European Union is one radical and massive change in the political and economic union of EU member states. For those who support it, it comes as a simple win in terms of sovereignty. This means Britain will have its full authority over their political and economic affairs, which is seen as a positive result.
However, that change results in policy change with regard to trading, immigration, and tourism, among others, that is viewed by some as advantageous or inconvenient. So basically a change does not only bring one kind of result, most of the time, it surely creates both positive and negative results. However, I believe we have to be flexible enough to adapt to change, as it is the only constant thing in this physical world. Resisting change gives rise to complications.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Double-edged sword [noun] – something that has favorable and unfavorable consequences
Radical [adj.] – revolutionary; reforming
Massive [adj.] – huge; big
In terms of [phrase] – with regard to
Flexible [adj.] – ready and able to change or adapt to change
Adapt [verb] – being able to adjust to new conditions
Give rise [phrase] – to make something happen
TIP
i.) The speaker expressed his belief of wanting change to have always a positive result but he contrasted by stating that it didn’t always work in that way because a change can have two facets. He started answering in a more natural tone. Then, he presented a timely example talking about Brexit and discussed the positive and negative impact of that radical change. That’s a very good example of his argument as it supported his introduction.
Finally, he ended his answer by reiterating the fact that a certain change always has both favorable and unfavorable results. It’s an answer that is well-supported by facts.
Why do you think people living in the community are friendly with others?
I believe the main reason is that they all share the same interests, values, and even cultures. Aside from that, especially in small villages, they know almost every person who lives in their community, as a result, they cannot miss the chance to exchange hellos and wear smiles with one another. That kind of friendly gesture is distinct solely in small communities and is generally absent in most city residences.
As we know, city dwellers are mostly cold which is understandable since people living in cities have different cultural backgrounds. It is impossible for city dwellers to be as friendly as those people living in small communities.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Aside from [phrase] – in addition; besides
Gesture [noun] – sign; signal
Distinct [adj.] – recognizably different in nature
Solely [adv.] – only
TIP
i.) The speaker provided his answer directly talking about sharing the same interests, values, and cultures. He did not elaborate on that answer as it’s self-explanatory, instead, he added another reason and dug deeper into explaining it more. To make his second reason believable, he talked about the character of the people living in small villages that made them become friendly to one another. And he contrasted that to the character that most people in the city have. That contrast technique he used is a very good way to conclude his answer.
What kind of leisure activities do people do in your area?
Well, as I am currently residing here in the metropolis, people enjoy the usual leisure activities that a typical major city offers such as partying, drinking, going to a movie with friends or with their significant others, and eating out. However, in my hometown, people spend their free time in a more meaningful way like fishing, cycling, gardening, and more importantly camping with family.
To tell you the truth, I really struggled to fit in here during my first few months since I got used to a laid-back life in my hometown, however, after meeting some amazing people in school, I learned to adapt to the lifestyle of the people in this city gradually.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Reside [verb] – live in
Metropolis [noun] – capital city
Fit in [phrase] – be socially compatible with others
Laid-back [adj.] – relaxed
TIP
i.) The speaker answered in both ways by talking about the common leisure activities that his current residence has and the activities that the people in his hometown enjoy. This is a good technique if you are confused about the question “in your area” – whether to talk about your current residence or your hometown. So, it’s best if you just answer both! With that, you’re able to extend your answer even more by discussing both.
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Meaning of Words and Phrases Sources: Collins, Macmillan, Cambridge, Oxford
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