IELTS SPEAKING CUE CARD
[PART 2]
AN ADVERTISEMENT YOU
REMEMBER
Describe an advertisement you remember well
You should say:
- What it was about
- Where you saw it
- When you saw it
And explain how you remember it well
A N S W E R
Well, there is this tear-jerking life insurance advertisement from Thailand that is circulated online that I have just recently watched. It’s called Unsung Hero. I believe it’s one of the most famous commercials in the world of insurance. That ad was from an insurance company called Thai Life Insurance. I found that ad very moving and sensational since it captured people’s attention and made some viewers shed a tear after watching. I stumbled upon that ad while I was surfing the net just a few days ago.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Tear-jerker [adj.] – sentimental
Circulate [verb] – pass on; spread
Moving [adj.] – touching
Sensational [adj.] – melodramatic; causing great public interest
Shed a tear [expression] – to cry
Stumble upon [phrase] – to discover something by chance
Surf the net [expression] – to browse contents on the net
TIPS
i.) The speaker gave a direct introduction by describing and talking about the kind of advertisement and then introduced what the ad was about.
ii.) The speaker also used some good topic vocabulary words. That surely helps him get a better mark in the criterion of Lexical Resource.
Well, the ad is about the journey of a man who shows random kindness to randoms, an animal and a plant without expecting something in return. He spares some money to a mother and a child who are beggars on the street, he shares his food with a stray dog, he helps a street vendor push her cart on uneven pavement, he hangs a bunch of bananas on the doorknob of the house of an elderly woman, who is living alone, and he places a dying plant to a spot where it can get some rain.
He continually does these acts of kindness later on, his kindness pays off – the lives of those he extends his generosity and kindness have greatly changed positively.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Random [adj.] – happening without conscious decision
Randoms [noun] [plural] – unknown people
Spare [verb] – give something
Stray dog [noun] – a dog that is wandering
Uneven [adj.] – not level
Pavement [noun] – the hard surface of a road
Bunch [noun] – a number of things gathered collectively
Pay off [phrasal verb] – if something pays off, it means successful
TIPS
i.) After the introduction, the speaker then gave a synopsis of the story, just giving the most relevant information of the story in order for the examiner to visualize and understand what the advertisement was.
ii.) The speaker used advanced vocabulary words and collocations. They are important to be able to describe the story better and to achieve a better mark in the criterion of Lexical Resource.
That commercial was just beautiful because it gave people some hope, despite the cruelty in this world, kindness is never near impossible. There are still people who are willing to help others unconditionally. For me, that ad was really effective because it helped people reflect on some important things in life, not to mention, that they would start getting life insurance.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Despite [preposition] – in spite of; without being affected by
Cruelty [noun] – brutality
Near to impossible [expression] – almost impossible
Not to mention [phrase] – in addition
TIP
i.) The speaker talked about what he felt and what he realized upon watching that ad. He ended his story by talking about the impact of that ad on the viewers.
PART 3
What kind of impact do advertisements have on society?
I believe advertising has both positive and negative impacts on society. As for the positive impact, it helps people get informed about the latest product or service that people might want to buy or avail of. Also, some commercials make people entertained and that helps them get away from depression or stress. However, it is undeniable that it has its downsides that greatly affect people such as being deceptive or manipulative.
For instance, some beauty products define what beauty is subjectively and persuade women to buy products that would help them look better. This is very controlling and it does affect the self-esteem of some people, especially women. These are what I believe the impacts of advertisements on society and for me, people should be more responsible in understanding the objective of commercials in the first place so that they will not be deceived or influenced negatively.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Advertising [noun] – advertisements collectively
Commercial [noun] – another term for advertisement
Avail [verb] – benefit; be of use to
Get away [phrasal verb] – escape; break out
Downside [noun] – drawback; disadvantage
Deceptive [adj.] – misleading
Manipulative [adj.] – to control
Objective [noun] – purpose
TIPS
i.) In the first paragraph, the speaker stated his opinion about the positive and negative impact of ads on society. First, he talked about the positive impact and provided a straightforward explanation then he added another positive aspect. Right after that, he then transitioned to talking about the negative side.
ii.) The second paragraph is the continuation of his answer. Here, he gave a very specific example to support his argument. His example is very realistic which is really detrimental to the people in the society. He then ended his answer by giving his notion of what people should do when watching ads. His answer is very well-explained.
Do you think advertisements have an influence on children?
Well yes, they do, based on my observation, children easily imitate what they see on TV or on the internet. When advertisements have a catchy jingle, children can easily remember what the advertisement is and start singing or dancing. And we all get entertained by what they do and that is really adorable.
In addition, sometimes when children see some commercials about toys, they cannot help but ask their parents to get them one and if their parents deny it, some children throw tantrums. With all of these instances, I believe advertisements are very influential.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Imitate [verb] – emulate; copy
Catchy [adj.] – memorable; unforgettable
Jingle [noun] – a verse or tune designed to be remembered easily and is used in advertising
Adorable [adj.] – lovable
Cannot help (oneself) [phrase] – unable to control one’s action
Throw tantrums [expression] – to have an outburst of childish anger or frustration directed at someone for not getting what someone wants, especially common to children
TIPS
i.) The speaker gave a straightforward positive answer and then provided his explanation to support his argument. Also, he gave specific situations that would help him explain his reasoning better.
ii.) He simply ended his answer by reiterating that ads were influential. Simple but it gave a clue to the examiner that he’s done answering.
What are the advantages of advertisements?
Advertisements are advantageous to both companies that sell products or services to people and the customers themselves. As for companies, through advertising, they make their products or services known to the public. As a result, an increase in profit occurs since more and more people purchase the products or services that they offer.
On the other hand, consumers become informed of the latest products or services that companies offer. Through advertisements, they become aware of the different choices that they have and that helps them know how to buy things wisely. So advertisements are not bad at all when they serve their purpose to the company and the consumers.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Advantageous [adj.] – giving the advantages to people
Purchase [verb] – buy
Aware [adj.] – be informed of/ be conscious of
Wisely [adv.] – in a way that shows experience or knowledge
Serve its purpose [expression] – to be useful
TIPS
i.) The speaker started his answer in a different way confirming that there are advantages of advantages to both people and the company. His way of introducing his answer is completely different from what the majority of test-takers use which usually states ‘ The advantages are…’. Use a different way to start your answer if you can, avoid sounding similar to what test-takers say.
ii.) He then transitioned to answering using the cohesive device ‘on the other hand’ to talk about another advantage and this time for the consumers.
iii.) He ended his answer by giving his realization that ads were not bad at all. A very good way to wrap up his answer.
Do you think there are too many advertisements nowadays?
Yes, as we are in a capitalistic world, it cannot be disputed that advertisements are too prevalent in many forms. Capitalists want to earn more and in order for them to achieve their sole purpose, they invest in advertisements. They advertise their products or services since ads are an effective tool to transmit information. Besides, advertisements are persuasive and can control people’s minds.
This is why when we go out and stroll around a city, we are all welcomed with billboards, LED ads, fliers, and the like. When we watch TV, we spend more time watching various advertisements for products or services than watching the TV program itself. Also, when we surf the net or watch some YouTube videos, we are suddenly interrupted and forced to watch ads. It is annoying but it is something that we cannot avoid as it has become a norm in this capitalistic society.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Capitalism [noun] – an economic and political system in which the trade and industry of a country are controlled by private owners rather than the government
Dispute [verb] – argue about
Prevalent [adj.] – widespread
Sole [adj.] – being only one
Transmit [verb] – broadcast; relay
Persuasive [adj.] – convincing
Stroll [verb] – wander
Norm [noun] – standard
TIPS
i.) The speaker started his answer by being reflective of the situation of advertisement. He sounded economically and politically which made him answer substantially. He talked about the root cause as to why ads were rampant and that’s because of capitalism.
ii.) In the second paragraph, he gave several examples as to where and when we can see ads. That part was very realistic and relatable. That made his answer more credible and insightful.
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Meaning of Words and Phrases Sources: Collins, Macmillan, Cambridge, Oxford
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