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Written by IELTS Mentor

IELTS Speaking Part 2: IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card.

Describe a journey you went on.

You should say:

• where you went
• why you went to this particular place
• what you did and who was with you

and describe why you enjoyed your journey? Or, if not, why?

[You will have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes. You have one minute to think about what you are going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish.]

Follow-up Questions:

• What is the importance of travelling?
• What type of places do you recommend people to visit on vacation?
• Where do you want to visit in the future? Why?
   

Model Answer 1:

For a person like me, who has lived all his life in a small place like Hong Kong, visiting any other country is always very “liberating” in a sense that I am not afraid to “get lost” in a bigger world. But, visiting Germany was like a fairy tale come true for me.

I started to become curious about Germany after meeting a German co-worker of mine who was working with me in the same company. But when he left Hong Kong after his job contract was over, and when he invited me to visit his country during the summer, I started to plan for my visit. Of course, I went there alone because I have always felt rather comfortable visiting other places alone.

There were just so many things to see and do in Germany. But, after arriving there in the city of “Cologne” (hometown of my German friend), the first thing, I did, was to take a river cruise on the Rhine river which allowed me to enjoy the mesmerizing beauty of the German countryside, with its captivating landscapes, elegant old castles, perched on the nearby hilltops, and vineyards which stretched as far as the eye can see. Then I also went to see the Cologne Cathedral which is over 700 years old and a UNESCO world heritage site because of its masterpiece gothic architecture. I also enjoyed the pastries, apart from other delicious German food, from the pastry shops of literally each and every corner of Cologne so much so that I felt like I was going to spend all my holiday funds on buying pastries!

Anyway, I truly enjoyed visiting Germany mainly because it has such rich traditions and histories. Besides, I think that German arguably is the most beautiful and diversified country in Europe with so many unique things to see and do. Besides, seeing people, who are very disciplined, efficient and organized, not only in their daily lives but also in their rare inventions, from up close is a truly unique experience.

Sample Answer 2:

I like to visit famous places and whenever I get a vacation, I try to visit new cities or places that my friends recommend me. One such trip that I took with one of my friends was in Holland. I would like to talk about this tour that we took 2 years ago.

Both of us wanted to visit Holland and specifically Amsterdam, Hague and Rotterdam very much because we heard stories from our friends about this beautiful and wonderful country. So finally we applied for the visa, bought plane tickets, booked a hotel, packed our bags and our trip began.

We spent a significant amount of time before our holiday, researching all the interesting places to be. According to our plan, we went to Rijks museum, Van Gogh museum, Amstel Beer museum, took a sunset cruise on the water channels, drove to Volendam - a small and beautiful fisherman village, and visited a cheese farm. We went to Rotterdam, which is the architecture city of Holland that stimulates innovation. We enjoyed the architectures and building there as much as we did walking on the beaches. Visiting the famous Anne Frank house was an exciting moment for me. I've read Anne Frank's Diary in my early childhood and witnessing the place was very much exciting.

Every evening we took long walks along the channels, which Amsterdam has a lot of. Street artists were performing everywhere and many people came to watch their show.

We enjoyed everything we did and especially in such a beautiful country. Having my friend by my side on this trip made it even more fun. Since we have never been to Holland, everything we saw and did seemed exciting and completely new to us. People, their way of interpreting their culture attracted us very much. Before leaving the place, both of us agreed that the place is worth visiting and someday we would come back to re-explore it.

Model Answer 3:

Once I was reading an article and came across the lines of the famous poet Rabindranath Tagore highlighting the beauty of Taj Mahal. It stated, “The Taj Mahal rises above the banks of the river like a solitary tear suspended on the cheek of time”. The lines encouraged me to visit the monument of love - The Taj Mahal. I would like to thank you for letting me talk about this trip that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Taj Mahal is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. So, before I thought of visiting any other sight in India, it becomes more of a responsibility to give a visit to this monument of love. It was the prime reason I visited Taj Mahal.

It was a short trip with my family. My parents and my brother accompanied me on my trip. It was a fun-filled trip as after a long time I got an opportunity to spend time with my family. Moreover, we opted for a road trip so that we had the flexibility to visit other famous places in Agra. It is rightly said, that journey matters, and not the destination, and this is what I experienced during my short trip. I would like to take such a trip with my family again.

The Taj Mahal meaning 'Crown of the Palace' is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the south bank of the Yamuna river in Agra and once we reached there, the beautiful architect and surrounding place took our heart away! We stayed there for more than three hours and completely enjoyed our time. It was like witnessing a dream in real life.

Tips for answering this Cue Card question:

You are free to talk about any journey you are comfortable to talk about. It can be a journey to another city in your country - to a historic or tourist place, a foreign country or to a relative or friend's house to a different location. While talking about this cue card topic, make some notes of a journey you remember, particularly about where you went, what was the purpose of going there, how you travelled there, what you saw on your way and at the place, what you did, how long you stayed, whom you met there, with whom you went there.

If you liked the journey tell about some exciting things you watched and did there than the usual things you do. For instance, you can mention some of the great places you visited there, the sightseeing of the journey and so on. Do not focus too much on the place you went rather emphasise what happened on the way. This cue card is a bit different than 'Describe a place you have visited' where you would mostly describe things you watched and did on the place but for this cue card you should mostly tell about your experience during the journey.

Some key points to mention for this cue card:

• You had the plan to visit this place for a long and when you had the journey, you had been excited about the whole thing.
• You would meet a friend or relative after a long and that made you feel good.
• You have some memories related to this place and visiting there was a good experience for you.
• If this is a foreign country, say that you had a longing to visit this country.
• The weather was comfortable and there was no interruption on the way.
• You had friends with you and you enjoyed their company.
• This was not a typical journey that you usually take.
• The natural beauty surrounding the roads was charming.
• You observed a few different customs and cultural aspects there.

Follow-up Questions:

• How travelling can be useful to people?
Answer: There are many important elements associated with travelling. It plays a vital role in developing a person’s character and perspective. It helps an individual to break the barriers of mind and become open-minded. The closed bubble gets burst, and people get an opportunity to come outside of their comfort zone. Travelling is the way to escape from daily chores and get some time for yourself. Sometimes it is really what a person needs to move forward in life. Travelling offers us to learn about various places, people and history and thus it offers us the first-hand knowledge and experience.

• Where, in your opinion, people should visit during their vacation?
Answer: When I say travelling is about breaking barriers, I would restrict myself from recommending any particular places, as it will act as a barrier in deciding the future destination. Even I would like to leave it on time and would prefer to take every opportunity as and when it comes. However, most of the people should have their own preferences for visiting and historic places, in my opinion, should be on top of the I-want-to-travel list.

• What places do you want to visit in the future?
Answer: There are so many places in my home country where I have never been to. I would like to explore my country first and then would like to visit the 7 wonders of the world. Apart from that, I would like to visit Italy, Switzerland, Australia and Thailand in the future.

Part 3: Details Discussion:

Q. What is the importance of travelling?
Answer: That's an interesting and important question actually. Firstly, travelling allows us to meet new people, gather first-hand experiences and have new experiences. Secondly, knowledge about culture, history and overall civilisation is enhanced by travelling and by making new acquaintances people can swap opinions and values, let go of false beliefs and become more broad-minded and less regressive. Lastly, travelling cultivates tolerance and understanding, breaks the barriers of the mind, removes the existing prejudices and results in positive changes in attitudes by reminding everyone that we are all the same and we should treat each other with respect and compassion.

Q. What type of places do you recommend people to visit on vacation?
Answer: As far as I'm concerned, for summer vacation I would definitely suggest that people should go to maritime areas so that they can relax, swim, and enjoy their free time. In other seasons, of course, it depends on people's personality, but I would recommend hillbilly areas. In spring, for example, going to a place and enjoying nature is a very good outlet and helps people relax and oxygenate their brain. Furthermore, in winter, areas with mountains and hills are the best options and they can go skiing and climbing. As mentioned, it is a matter of character and preference, but from my point of view, the above suggestions would make everyone enjoy the vacation.

Q. Where do you want to visit in the future? Why?
Answer:  I want to travel around the world and visit many countries, but since I was a child I have been dreaming to visit America one day. I used to and still do watch American TV series and movies and I really like different things there. For example, I always wanted to see the Statue of Liberty and go to the Brooklyn Bridge. I adore the way people live in that country and the architecture of different houses as well, especially those in the suburbs. Of course, New York, the city that never sleeps, is my main aim, but I would also like to investigate other cities and places. To conclude, I would visit many museums and historic places as well as the White House in the United States. I would also like to see the seven modern wonders of the world.

Tips: America is my personal preference and I have mentioned some of the reasons why I would like to go there. You can mention the same country and add some other details or you can say about other countries. You can also mention a destination in your own country that you have never been to. Just justify your choice.

[Part 3 answers are written by - Mary, UK, Economist with Main Field of Studies in Business Economics]

If you plan to say that you did not enjoy the journey focus on the following points:

• You did not intend to go there but you had no choice.
• The weather was not good and that made the journey difficult.
• You did not like the vehicles that you took for the journey.
• It took a very long time which was tiresome.
• You got sick during the journey.
• There was no interesting thing to do or watch.
• The vehicle was a mode of public transport and stopped several times.

Necessary vocabulary for this cue card:

To arrive, departure, delay, destination, tour guide, map, to visit, reservation, sightseeing, business trip, book, accommodation, backpacking, appropriate clothing, currency, money exchange, security checkpoint, landing.

Did you know?

Journey: A journey refers to the distance we travel from a particular place to another one. A journey could be a long journey in which we travel a really long distance while a short journey refers to our travelling from one place to another one and distance is short. When you visit a relative’s house in another city, this can be a journey.  Your journey to your office or university every day. This is a short and regular journey.

Travel: Travel means going from one to another place. We travel to a local museum, travel to another city country or even to another country.

Trip: Trip usually refers to a short journey to a place for a certain purpose. The purpose could be for personal, business or pleasure. People go on a trip to visit a historic place, to enjoy a special occasion like marriage anniversary in a different city, take a boat trip in the evening or go to a business trip to attend a conference.  

Tour: Tours are usually taken during the holidays and it refers to a journey during which people visits and enjoy different places. For instance, the office employees went on a tour and visited different places in Denmark. The whole journey took more than 2 weeks and this whole experience is referred to as Tour.

Voyage: A voyage is a long sea or air journey. People go on a voyage in the sea or space.

Some other cue card topics that you should be able to answer if you prepare for this cue card:

1. Talk about an interesting journey you took recently.
2. Describe a visit to one of your relative's house.
3. Describe your journey to your hometown.
4. Describe a journey you took to a foreign city.
5. Talk about a journey you disliked.
6. Describe a journey you remember.
7. Describe one of your memorable journeys.
 

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• IELTS Speaking
• Candidate Task Card

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