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

Describe your favourite sport.

You should say:

• what sport it is
• how often you play it or watch it
• how you play it

and explain why this is your favourite sport.

Model Answer 1:
This is one of my most favourite subjects to talk, so thank you very much for this nice cue card topic. Anyway, different people choose different sports as their favourite while I have chosen my own. My favourite sport is football, and I will tell you why in a minute.

But, football or soccer wasn’t really my favourite game all the time because I liked to play cricket and considered as my favourite sport up and until my senior high school years. In fact, I was so passionate about playing cricket that at one point I was even made the captain of my high school cricket team. But, when my parents noticed that my academic performance was getting poor, they suggested me (more like a “warning”) to play some other kinds of sports which could be played within a shorter period of time than cricket.

By the way, cricket usually takes about 8 to 9 hours of time finish a match if we play a limited over cricket, such as 50 overs match, but it could take even much longer if we play the test match. But, on the other hands, playing a soccer match would take only about 90 minutes or so. Therefore, I started to play football with my friends at school.

Initially, I was playing only a few times a month, but now, I play it at least a few times a week. Anyway, football is all about scoring goals, and that is to send the “ball” inside the goalpost of the opponent team.  In a professional soccer match, which is played between two teams, consisting of 11 players each, whichever team scores more goals, they win.

Well, soccer is my favourite sport now for me, primarily because the speed, at which this sport is played, thrills me and excite me like nothing else in this world. It is my favourite sport also because of its unpredictable nature. After all, the winner is not decided in this sport until the very last moment.

Model Answer 2:
Sports is one of my loves in my life. I like almost all major sports and can play football, cricket and badminton very well. Among all these sports that I often enjoy on TV or play with my friends, "football" is my favourite one.

I have been playing football since childhood, but I am not a professional footballer. I have almost made it a hobby. In my school age, I used to play football three days a week, but these days, I have entered into professional life and can not play it as often as I would like. I do follow almost all major European football leagues such as EPL, La Liga and Bundesliga. The Bayern Munich from German Bundesliga is my all-time favourite among the EU football clubs. Among the national teams, Germany is my favourite team and the German striker Marco Reus is my favourite footballer.  

Football as a sport is very famous all over the world. To play football, we need a large green playground with two goalposts on opposite sides. The rules are very simple but everyone has to abide by the rules. The number of players needed for this game is twenty-two and they are divided into two teams. Each team has eleven players, and among them, one is the goalkeeper who safeguards the goalposts. There is a centre where the play starts with the whistle blow sound of the referee. The referee has the power to comment on right or wrong and dictate the games. Two other referees help the main referee from the sideline of the ground. The players have to maintain the rules constantly and if any player violates them, he or she is shown a red card which means he/she can no longer continue to play. The main objective of each team is to score as many goals as possible. The team with the higher number of goals wins the match.

Football was invented in England and is one of the hugely popular sports all around the world. It has spread almost every nook and corner of the world and is enjoyed by millions of fans. I am passionate about this sport so much and it can give me a thrilling experience in and off the field. It's in my blood and I love it so much - be it watching a football competition or playing with my friends.

Sample Answer 3:
Cricket is my favourite sport and I love to play it more than any other sport. I used to play it every day in my childhood and adolescent period but nowadays I play this sport once in a week, mostly on my days off. However, I often watch international cricket tournaments on TV and never miss the event when my country plays cricket in an international tournament.

There are basically three different formats of this sport which are widely popular. They are ‘test matches’ one day cricket’ and ‘T20’. The rules of the game slightly change based on the format of the cricket. One day cricket tournament is the most popular format and two teams, each with eleven cricket players, fight each other to win the match. The captain who wins the toss decides either to bat or bowl first. Each team play for 50 overs, each over consists of six bowls, and the team that bats first sets a run target for the opponent. If the first team can restrict the second team not to collect as many runs as they have scored, then the first team will win the match. On the contrary, if the second team can cross the run their opposite team has accumulated, they will be declared as the winner. A tie is very unlikely, though not impossible! When two teams’ scores stand as exactly the same, it is a tie. Two umpires in the field and another one in front of computer devices monitor the game and decide the rules. The test format and T20 have their own sets of rules but the fundamentals remain almost the same –score runs and restrict the opponent from reaching this run, or accumulate more runs than the opponent has collected.

I have started playing cricket from a very early stage of my life. I have practised a lot and I had been a member of our local cricket team. I would say I am an all-rounder in cricket and I love to score runs. This is the most popular sport in our country and I have an acute enthusiasm for playing and watching this sport. This sport requires fitness, practice, use of techniques, muscle-power, strategy, teamwork, and inherent abilities which are quite exciting to have in a single game. The thrill and excitement the sports offers are the main reason I like this sport. In fact, most of the people in my country would say that cricket is their favourite sport. We play cricket at the international level and that makes this sport very popular among our countrymen.

Sample Answer 4:
I love to take part in outdoor sports and football is my favourite one. In fact, it helps me to get entertained and at the same time, I remain healthy. I would like to thank you for the opportunity to let me talk about my favourite sports.
 
Football is a popular form of sport. Besides, this is a great way to develop good health and mental stability. When the players take part in the sport, they are to run after the ball for a certain period of time. Thus, they have their physical exercise and at the same time enjoy the game. It also helps to increase focus on any issues and the most important issue is that it builds the capacity to play in a team. Actually, without teamwork, it is not possible to win a football match. Further, a football game is also a great source of entertainment for the spectators. They also derive much pleasure in watching the games.

Before joining the college, I had plenty of leisure hours to spend with football. But now due to my academic pressure, I hardly can manage times for practising and participating in matches. Now I play once or twice in a week based on my leisure. I used to join the practice matches every day in the local club. But now I am unable to practice once in a week. If there are any matches available, I practice on that day only. As a result, my performance is decreasing gradually. But if I get a chance, I usually do not miss the football matches on television. Most of the times the matches are held at night and I watch them before going to bed. This is the most impressive sport I have ever experienced, I think.    

Playing football is easy. It requires two teams of players and each of the team will consist of 11 players. Besides, there are some specific positions in the team. Not everyone is allowed to play with the ball always. The team division helps to decide priority with the ball. Some of the players are to attack with the ball while there are some other players to prevent the attack from the opposition attackers. Besides, there are two goalkeepers who try to prevent football to enter the net. The game runs for 90 minutes and there is a break after 45 minutes. All the players take the break to energise themselves. The team which can score more goals becomes the winner.  

This is my favourite sport for some reasons. First of all, it is able to remove tiredness from the body and helps to concentrate on a specific issue. Besides, football players are able to endure a huge amount of physical labour. They are to run for over one hour and thus they become flexible with physical labour. Further, I like the sport as this is a great one that helps to reduce stress. On the other side, it improves cardiovascular functions and bone strengths. If someone wants to reduce body fat, this is a great source for them. Continuous running helps to burn unwanted fat from the body. Another important aspect of the sport is it helps to enhance the confidence level. This game requires fewer costs. Considering all the issues, I like this game very much.

More Ideas to talk about this Cue Card topic:

Cue Card Topic: Describe your favourite sport.

1. Participation in basketball is my favourite form of sport. I frequently take part in the sport at my college in Adelaide. Playing the game requires a ball, several players (5 in a team) and two sets of baskets. Free movement is a must in the game. I love basketball as it is helpful for having a fit body. It also needs to run across the court and thus the players get benefits of running. Moreover, it also teaches teamwork and other issues which are applicable in real-life as well.

2. Field hockey appears an interesting sport to me. This is a special type of competition and not everyone is able to play it. I play it twice in a week in my college playground. In fact, it requires lots of preparations and fitness. The sport needs hockey and a ball. The players try to score goals by pushing the ball on the opponent’s net. This is my favourite sport because it gives me immense pleasure. Moreover, it also helps me keep fit and relaxed. I do not need to have some extra exercises as I regularly;y play this sport.

3. At present, skateboarding is not considered as a popular form of sport but I love skateboarding. I usually take part in the sport almost every day in the week. Actually, I have my own skateboard and I use it whenever I need it. Riding a skateboard needs some special set of balancing skills. Losing balance will result in the downfall of the rider. I love skateboarding because it helps me to move to places easily and avoid traffic congestions. I do not need to ride on external transports here in New York as I am a skateboarder.

4. From my childhood, I have a dream to be a boxer. Unluckily, I failed to make the dream come true but still, boxing is my favourite sport. I take part in the sport occasionally. Boxing needs regular practice or there are chances to get hurt. This is my favourite sport because it helps me learn to protect myself. In fact, it has some real-life applications. You can save yourself from untoward events. So, I like it.

5. Undoubtedly badminton is a great form of sport. I play it once a week. Playing badminton requires badminton racquets and shuttles. It is played in singles or doubles. When played double, two teams compete with each other to defeat by making higher scores. This is my favourite sport as it helps to build muscles. Besides, it is an exciting game as well both for the audience and the players.

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