IELTS SPEAKING CUE CARD
[PART 2]
A TIME WHEN A VEHICLE
BROKE DOWN DURING
YOUR TRAVEL
Describe an occasion when the vehicle you took broke down during your travel
You should say:
- where you were going
- who you were with
- how you felt it
And explain what impact it had on you
A N S W E R
Many years ago, I traveled to the Philippines from China in order to attend my friend’s wedding. She lived on a small island called Cebu which was not so developed then, where the popular means of transportation was the jeepney. That vehicle was a kind of minibus – it’s so colorful and its design portrays the culture of the Philippines. Inside it is two long cushioned boards that are placed across each other where passengers sit. Actually, it has a narrow space inside that your knees would actually hit another passenger’s knees who is sitting across from you.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Portray [verb] – show; represent
Narrow [adj.] – limited; small
Across from [phrase] – opposite
TIPS
i.) The speaker didn’t start her answer by using the common expression ‘I’d like to talk…’ instead she started using a recalling technique. She developed a background story first before talking about the exact situation that would answer the task.
ii.) Then she introduced the type of vehicle and described it in order for the examiner to understand what type of vehicle she would be talking about. Also, this is very good in order not to lose track of the given topic.
Well, on my friend’s wedding day, my friend’s family rented a jeepney from their neighbor to transport the members of the wedding entourage to the church. I was part of the entourage as one of the bridesmaids! Of course, my friend rode a different vehicle, and that was a carriage together with her soon-to-be husband at that time. That was pretty peculiar compared to the previous wedding I attended.
Anyway, our jeepney was actually following the carriage on the way to the church where they could exchange vows, until all of a sudden, our jeepney got stalled. The driver tried several times to restart the engine but to no avail. I remember how embarrassed our driver telling us – the members of the entourage that his vehicle was broken and that he couldn’t do anything.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Rent [verb] – to pay someone for the use of property
Entourage [noun] – a group of people attending
Carriage [noun] – wagon; a four-wheeled passenger vehicle pulled by a horse or horses
Peculiar [adj.] – special; unique, particular
Stall [verb] – stop running
To no Avail [expression] – without success
TIPS
i.) The speaker continued providing details of the background story of her answer. Adding details to the background story is essential but you should not overdo it.
ii.) The speaker then shifted to start talking about the situation. She explained the problem with the vehicle. This is already the answer to the task being asked. Also, she used some topic vocabulary words related to a particular problem of a car.
One of the groom’s men suggested we walk to the church since it’s just half a kilometer away from where we got stalled. I really admire the positive spirit of the Filipino people, instead of feeling upset, they look on the bright side of things. So, we all walked to church wearing our smiles and had some good laughs. That was actually fun since some people in the streets waved their hands to us and gave us their beautiful smiles. From that experience I learned to become positive in life and that I shouldn’t be stressed out with petty things like the people in the Philippines.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Upset [adj.] – unhappy; disappointed
Look on the bright side [expression] – to find good things in a bad situation
Wear smiles [expression] – to smile
Petty [adj.] – unimportant
TIP
i.) Here the speaker answered the last key point of the cue card about how that experience impacted her life. She talked about her realization in life after experiencing an unexpected incident. This kind of idea makes his ending impactful to someone who is listening to her story.
PART 3
Which kind of transport is famous in your country?
Well, I believe it is the train since the system is really advanced and we can easily access this kind of public transport wherever we go. Also, it is the most convenient public transport because it cannot be stuck in traffic and at the same time, it is always on time except when there is severe weather. So because of that, most of us patronize trains over any other public means of transport.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Access [verb] – enter
Stuck in traffic [idiom] – be caught in a traffic jam
On time [phrase] – not late
At the same time [phrase] – simultaneously
Severe weather [noun] – dangerous weather
Patronize [verb] – be a customer of
TIP
i.) The speaker gave a straightforward answer and explained why trains are the popular means of transportation in his country. Not only one reason but two reasons he mentioned in his answer, this is a very good way to extend his answer a bit longer – as it is expected for him to provide a longer answer for better discussion.
Do younger people prefer public transport to older people?
To be honest with you, I do not have any idea about this, however, I can assume that it is the younger generation who prefers taking public transportation over the elderly. This is due to the fact that younger people have more energy to crowd in on other passengers on a train or a bus without complaining.
For instance, this city has millions of residents, so during rush hours, it is a common scene in train or bus stations to see a tremendous number of passengers queuing and I do not think elderly people can bear that. So based on that situation, it is the younger generation who usually chooses public transportation over the older generation.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Assume [verb] – conclude; presume
Due to the fact [phrase] – the reason is
Crowd in on [phrase] – to move closer together in a group
Tremendous [adj.] – huge; very great; enormous
Bear [verb] – to endure; tolerate
TIP
i.) The speaker was expressing so naturally – he just gave his very honest answer which was really realistic since he didn’t have knowledge. Then to make his answer relevant to the question, he transitioned to talking about the situation in his country and provided a clear example. That surely made his answer well-discussed. Don’t be afraid of being honest, just explain things clearly and everything will be fine.
Are there more and more people using public transportation rather than private cars?
To tell you honestly, I can only speak about the situation in our country since I do not have any knowledge of the actual data about the world statistics of people using public transport. Well in my country, the majority opt to use public transportation because fortunately, we do have an advanced public transportation system. Thanks to our government for putting so much effort into providing an excellent system in terms of public transport. We can travel anywhere in this country by train without any hassle, so private cars are merely for recreational activities.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Opt [verb] – choose
Hassle [noun] – inconvenience
Merely [adverb] – only; just
Recreational [adj.] – relating to activity that is done for enjoyment
TIP
i.) The speaker was using a similar technique to his previous answer and it was also direct and spontaneous. Using some academic expressions like ‘actual data’ and ‘world statistics’ makes him sound wise and confident. It simply showed that somehow he’s a well-read person. This simply shows his confidence in using the language. Observe the expression he used in the introductory part, it made him sound very natural.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of using private cars?
Well, I do not see a lot of advantages to using a private car, I think there is only one benefit and that is convenience. People can easily go whenever and wherever they want when they have a car, they do not need to wait in long queues at the bus or train stations in order to get to their workplaces or homes. Having a car makes them avoid this kind of inconvenience.
On the other hand, the problems of having a car include maintenance and insurance costs which are exorbitant and inevitable. Car owners should set aside some budget to maintain their car’s condition, otherwise, it will be broken. Another problem is the heavy burden when they hit a person while driving or when they collide with another vehicle. This is more serious and I believe each person who owns a car should bear this in mind at all times in order not to be involved in such a situation. So for me, there is only one advantage of owning and using a car but there are a couple of disadvantages.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Exorbitant [adj.] – unreasonably high
Set aside [phrasal verb] – to save something from a larger amount of money to use it later
Bear in mind [expression] – to keep something in mind
Drawback [noun] – problem; challenge
Address [verb] – to deal with
TIP
i.) The speaker provided a non-conventional answer by enumerating all the pros and cons of using private cars. Instead, he just gave one advantage but before doing that, he had already informed the examiner that he only saw one advantage and explained it. Right after that, he provided two problems of owning a car and simply ended his answer by reiterating that there is only one advantage he saw of using a car and a couple of disadvantages.
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Meaning of Words and Phrases Sources: Collins, Macmillan, Cambridge, Oxford
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