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

Describe something you borrowed from one of your neighbours.

You should say:

• what you borrowed
• who you borrowed it from
• why you borrowed it

and explain how you felt about borrowing it from your neighbour.

Model Answer 1:
I spent a significant part of my life in a village when growing up as a child, and because of this, I always feel a strong and special connection with villages, especially my own village, even though now, I have to live in a city.

But, the reason for which I brought the subject of having a strong connection with the village is that I like to visit my village whenever I get a chance in order to meet my close relatives like my uncles, cousins and aunts who are still living there. Another special incentive for me to visit my village is that I get to drink fresh coconut water from our own coconut palm trees.

Of course, it is not like I visit my village to drink some fresh coconut water or something, but whenever I visit my village, I do make sure that I am drinking as much fresh coconut water as possible while I am staying there. So, I tried to do the same about a couple of months ago, meaning cutting fresh, young, green coconuts from the trees and drink its water except, of course, the ladder, my relatives used to climb the coconut palm trees, was looked to be a bit too old and weak for my liking. Therefore, I just didn’t want anybody to take the risk of using that weak looking ladder to climb the trees, as high as about 40 feet, and injure himself by having an accident.

Of course, some of my cousins insisted that the ladder was going to be just fine, but I requested them to go to a good neighbour of ours to borrow his ladder. The neighbour was more than happy to loan his ladder to us.

Well, the first thing that crossed my mind about borrowing that ladder from a neighbour was that it is quite a privilege to have such good neighbours who can help.  The second thing, which I felt, was that I needed to be careful with his ladder lest it gets damaged.

Sample Answer 2:
Almost two years ago I had to borrow a rice cooker from one of my neighbours. Her name was Catherine and she was a very good person. She lived next to our house with her husband Alfred and three beautiful children. She was a full-time mom and I liked her amiable behaviour and genuine smile.

I do not cook that often but one day when my younger sister and two of her friends came to visit us, I planned to prepare the lunch myself. When I was in the middle of my cooking preparation, I found that pour rice cooker was not functioning. I had no idea that it was out-of-order. Only then I knocked on Catherine’s house and requested her to lend me her rice cooker. In fact, Catherine had two rice cookers and that’s why it was not a problem for her to lend me one. As far I knew Catherine, she would have lent me her rice cooker even if she had only one of it.

I was really confused when I decided to ask Catherine to lend me her rice cooker. I really needed it to finish my cooking, especially when my sister and her friends were waiting for lunch. This was the first time for me to ask something from Catherine. You can understand my dilemma about borrowing it. On the one hand, I needed it badly and on the other hand, I was quite confused about lending it from one of my neighbours. I was thinking if Catherine rejects my request, it would be quite embarrassing for me. However, finally, I felt totally relieved when Catherine lent me her rice cooker and I returned it just after I was finished with my cooking. Catherine seemed quite surprised but I explained that I did not want to use it more than once. She was laughing and assured me that I should ask her for anything I need without any hesitation.

The rice cooker that I borrowed from Catherine was manufactured by Philips and was one of the latest models. I liked it very much and in a few days, I bought a similar model for us.

Sample Answer 3:
Sadly, I had to borrow some money from one of my neighbours last month to cover the medical treatment of my grandmother. In fact, I was helpless at that moment and the situation compelled me to borrow the money.

My grandmother is an asthma patient. She lives with my family. She is around 78 and requires medications to control her respiratory disorder. Often it happens that she forgets to take the medicines for her old age complications. Besides, she does not ask for medicines if they are finished. So, we have to remain careful about such issues. Suddenly, she felt sick and I had to hospitalise her. Unfortunately, my parents were not at home. So, I with my younger brother took her to the nearest hospital and to meet the initial expenses, I had to borrow the money.

Mr Abhinanda is my neighbour and lives in the next door of the house we live in. He is really a helpful person and tries to help everyone in their troubles. He is an engineer and works with the government of Nepal. Without having any other options, I knocked at his door and fortunately, I found him. I described the situation to him and asked him for some recommendations in this situation. In fact, my parents were absent. Both of them are teachers and had gone to attend a conference of teachers in Sri Lanka. They were set to return in the next week. Though they had managed everything, it was impossible for me to take care. So, I was unable to handle the situation for my young age. As a result, I sought help from Mr Abhinanda.

I made a phone call to the local hospital and they suggested me to hospitalise the patient. My grandmother was having serious troubles in breathing. Her heartbeat slowed down. Actually, she had not been taking her medicines from last day as the medicines were finished. So, the situation deteriorated and needed emergency breathing service. But taking a patient to a hospital requires some formalities, time and most importantly money to pay the charges. I had no extra money with me to take her to the hospital. Basically, we had no idea that the situation will be so extreme. If the grandmother had told me before that she needs medicines, I would have arranged for them. So, being helpless, I had to borrow the money from my neighbour.  

I am an introvert in nature and feel shy to ask for any help to anyone about any issues. So, it was not a happy event for me to seek help from my neighbour for my grandmother’s sickness. In fact, I really felt shy to ask for the money. But I had no other options left. If I did not ask for money on that day, I think I could have lost my grandmother. She was taken to the hospital emergency and the doctors provided her with oxygen to smoother her breathing. Then they pushed some vaccine and arranged for saline. Her nerve turned so weak that she was unable to speak with anyone. However, though I felt nervous for the situations including the money lending, finally I got my grandmother back, and I am happy with that. This was a different kind of experience for me.
 

More Ideas to talk about this Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card topic:

Topic: Describe something you borrowed from one of your neighbours.

1. Although I am not a professional guitar player, I can play it fairly well. So, I borrowed it from a neighbour of mine, Robert. He is a professional guitar player and has his own underground band. I borrowed the guitar to play at the birthday party of my niece. In fact, it was not a big deal for me to borrow the guitar because we have a very good relationship between us. Even he borrows some of his necessities from me. So, he did not mind lending me the guitar.

2. On the early morning of last Sunday, I had to go to the airport to receive my uncle at home. But unluckily my car was not working properly. It was malfunctioning for some mysterious reasons. So, I borrowed the car of my neighbour Mr David. He was a gentleman and lend me the car without asking any further questions when I described everything. Initially, I felt ashamed to ask for the car but later, all the shyness vanished when I came to know that my uncle was waiting for me at the airport.

3. Recently, I needed two extra chairs and I borrowed them from Ms Natasha who lives the opposite door of mine here in Kazan, in Russia. I had to borrow them because I was unable to accommodate all the guests in my living room. I only have five chairs and I had nine guests on that day. I did not feel uncomfortable about borrowing something from Natasha because she is my friend as well. And the case is the same for her.

4. Camping in remote areas is a good idea but when there is no flashlight, you may feel trouble. So, I borrowed a flashlight from my neighbour - Julia. She also loves to spend time camping at night and she has all the necessary camping equipment. As I forgot to buy a flashlight of my own, I borrowed it from her. In the beginning, I felt awkward and Julia discarded my shyness. She took the matter normally and inspired me to plan in a better fashion.

5. Mr Jones is a good reader and has many books in his house. So, I borrowed a book from him. I borrowed it because I did not find the book in the local bookstalls. In fact, it was a very rare book and was written around one century before my birth. Mr Jones is a pure gentleman and he lent me the book. But there was a condition that I have to return the book once the reading is done. I agreed to his condition.    

6. Suddenly, the necessity of a small trip appeared acutely. In fact, I was set to visit Australia for some official purposes and needed a small travel bag. So, I borrowed it from Hans, my neighbour. He is a great man and allowed me to use his travel bag. Actually, I did not have any other way except borrowing the bag. I had no time to go out and get one for me. So, I borrowed the bag and used it during the tour.

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