IELTS Cue Cards with Sample Answers (Original 2026 Set)

Describe a time you repaired something yourself.
You should say:

• what it was
• what was wrong with it
• how you repaired it

and explain how you felt after repairing it.

Sample answer

I'd like to talk about the time I repaired the table fan in my bedroom last summer, which was a small thing but it gave me a surprising amount of satisfaction.

It was the hottest week of the year, and one evening the fan just stopped spinning. The motor was humming, so I knew it was getting power, but the blades wouldn't move at all. My first thought was to take it to a repair shop, but the shop near us was closed for a festival, and I didn't fancy sleeping without a fan for four or five nights.

So I decided to have a go myself. I watched a couple of short video tutorials, unplugged the fan and opened the front cover with a screwdriver. It turned out there were two problems. A thick layer of dust had built up around the central shaft, and the screw that holds the blade in place had worked itself loose. I cleaned everything with an old toothbrush, added a drop of oil, tightened the screw and put it all back together. When I switched it on, it worked perfectly, and it was actually quieter than before.

I felt really proud of myself afterwards, partly because I'd saved a bit of money, but mostly because I'd always assumed I was hopeless with anything mechanical. Since then, I've been much more willing to try fixing things before I throw them away.

Word count: 237 (roughly 2 minutes at a natural pace)

Describe a small local shop or stall that you often visit.
You should say:

• where it is
• what it sells
• how often you go there

and explain why you like it.

Sample answer

The place I want to describe is a tiny tea stall on the corner next to the bus stop near my college. It's really just a wooden counter with a gas stove and a few plastic stools, but it's one of my favourite places in the neighbourhood.

It mainly sells tea, served in small glasses, along with snacks like samosas, biscuits and, in the winter, roasted peanuts. Nothing on the menu is expensive, so it's very popular with students and with drivers waiting for passengers.

I go there about four times a week, usually in the late afternoon when my classes finish. My friends and I tend to stand around for twenty minutes or so, chatting about our day before we catch the bus home.

There are a few reasons I like it so much. First of all, the owner is incredibly friendly. He has been running the stall for years and he remembers what everyone drinks, so as soon as he sees me he starts making my tea with less sugar. Secondly, it's become a kind of meeting point. If I want to find a friend after college, there's a good chance they'll be there. And finally, I think places like this give a neighbourhood its character. Big coffee chains are fine, but they all look the same, whereas this stall feels like it belongs to our area.

Word count: 229 (roughly 2 minutes at a natural pace)

Describe a skill that an older relative taught you.
You should say:

• who taught you
• what the skill was
• how they taught it

and explain how this skill has been useful to you.

Sample answer

I'm going to talk about how my grandmother taught me to make chapatis, the flat bread we eat with most meals at home.

When I was about twelve, I used to spend my weekends at my grandparents' house, and my grandmother cooked almost everything from scratch. One Sunday I asked if I could help, mostly because I was bored, and she handed me a rolling pin. That was the start of my lessons.

Her way of teaching was very patient. First she let me watch while she mixed the dough and rolled one chapati. Then she made me try. Mine came out in all sorts of strange shapes, like maps of different countries, and she would laugh and show me how to turn the dough slightly after every roll so it stayed round. She never took over, though. She just corrected my hands and told me to try again. It took me several weekends before I made one that actually puffed up on the flame, and I remember feeling ridiculously pleased.

This skill turned out to be much more useful than I expected. When I moved into a college hostel, I was one of the few people on my floor who could cook a basic meal, so I ate better and spent less money than my friends. More than that, every time I make chapatis I think of her kitchen, so it's a skill that also keeps a lovely memory alive.

Word count: 241 (roughly 2 minutes at a natural pace)

Describe a time a stranger helped you with a problem involving technology.
You should say:

• where you were
• what the problem was
• how the stranger helped

and explain how you felt about their help.

Sample answer

I'd like to describe something that happened about a year ago at a busy railway station, when a complete stranger got me out of a difficult situation.

I was travelling to another city for a cousin's wedding, and I'd booked my ticket online. When I reached the platform, I realised two things at the same time. My phone battery was down to five per cent, and the ticket app wouldn't load because the station's mobile signal was terrible. The train was due in about ten minutes, and I was starting to panic.

A woman sitting on the bench next to me must have noticed, because she asked if I was all right. When I explained, she immediately pulled a power bank out of her bag and plugged my phone in. She then switched on the hotspot on her own phone so that I could get online. Within a couple of minutes, I'd downloaded the ticket and taken a screenshot of it, just in case. She didn't make a fuss about it at all. She just said that the same thing had happened to her once.

I felt hugely grateful, and also a little embarrassed that I'd been so badly prepared. It reminded me how much a small act of kindness can matter to someone in a stressful moment. Since then, I always carry a charged power bank, and I keep a downloaded copy of any important ticket on my phone.

Word count: 240 (roughly 2 minutes at a natural pace)