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

Describe a product you bought and felt happy about.

You should say:

• what it was
• why you bought it
• how long you used it

and explain why you were happy to buy this product.

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

Model Answer 1:
Thank you for allowing me to tell you something on this interesting cue card topic. Just like every other people, I also have to buy things for myself and my family, and it’s not that I always feel happy about my choices or purchases. But, today, I would like to talk about buying a product which really made me happy.

Anyway, the product, I bought that made me feel happy, was a vacuum cleaner for my home which I bought about 3 years ago. I needed to buy the vacuum cleaner because the old one, we had, got damaged because my 3 years old little nephew had poured water in it, apparently because he thought he needed to clean it!

It is worth mentioning here that it was for the first time that I bought a vacuum cleaner, so I was really very sceptic about it since I had almost no or very little knowledge about it. But, however, it turned out to be a really good product in the end. Interestingly, this vacuum cleaner had a beautiful and shiny magenta colour, and it also felt rather light to carry, even though it was relatively bigger than a standard size family vacuum.

Of course, I will have to thank my sister-in-law in a big way for managing to purchase such a nice vacuum cleaner because it was her suggestion, after all, who had told me about what kind of vacuum cleaner I should have bought. She was also kind enough to give me some hints about the brands or the name of companies which manufactured the best kinds of vacuum cleaners.

I was really happy to buy this product, mainly because it ran and still running without giving any kind of troubles whatsoever! I was happy for this nice looking vacuum cleaner also because it didn’t really make much sound like many other vacuum cleaners in the market. Finally, it also had some great safety features if my little nephew wanted to “clean” it (again)!

Sample Answer 2:
This is an interesting topic for me, and I would like to thank you for the chance to let me talk about an item that I purchased and was happy about. Well, I can remember many such experiences, however, after I bought a washing machine for my mother, I was exhilarated.

My mother is a housewife and she does a lot for all of us. She is like a comfortable shadow in our life on a hot summer day. We quite often forget to tell her how much we love her and sometimes we do not even thank her for things she does. But without her, our life would simply be a disaster. After I started my job, I had a plan to buy her something. I saved some money each month and then after a few months, I decided to buy her a washing machine so that she no longer needs to do her laundry manually. I thought that would save her from some tedious weekly works and would allow her to enjoy more leisure hours.

One day I went to a large LG showroom and selected a medium-size washing machine. It was a bit expensive for me to afford at that time but I bought it anyway. After I reached home with this washing machine and surprised everybody with this sudden commodity, I realised how exhilarating it is to be able to make others happy. My mother was very excited that I astounded her this way. She asked me to teach her how to operate it and then cooked some special dishes at night to make the event memorable. This was probably something she wished to own and when I bought it for her, she was very amazed... She was also worried that I had to spend a large sum of money to buy it, but I told her that it is something I always planned to do with my salary.  

After that, I have bought many products and electronic gadgets for me or for others, but being able to surprise my mother with my first earned salary was something very special. The washing machine I bought worked fine for more than 5 years and it was then replaced with a newer one. However, my memory regarding this first washing machine at our home was something I will never forget.

Sample Answer 3:
I consider myself lucky to have a job in a multinational company and I have bought a laptop for my ordinary use at home. I am very happy with the laptop.

I am the eldest daughter of my family and live with them here in Islamabad, Pakistan. Recently I have got a job and found that I have to perform some tasks at home. Besides, it has become impossible for me to use the internet with my old cell phone. Considering everything, I have bought a laptop from the ASUS brand shop. Though I saved a portion of money from sources like private tuition for the laptop for a long time, the best opportunity came when I got appointed to this multinational company. I added the remaining from my salary and brought the laptop home.

This is the age of technology and using the internet with mobile phones is not very efficient. Someone may browse the internet or social networking websites temporarily on a mobile network, but that is not suitable for any large scale jobs. Often I have to perform some official tasks using the internet and this is almost impossible by using the cell phone. Besides, I like watching movies for recreational purposes and my cell phone is unable to come with such support for me. Moreover, my parents are religious and they love listening to recitations from the Holy Quran and a laptop can serve this best. Considering all such matters, I decided to get a laptop but unfortunately could not manage the entire amount. So, when I got the salary, I bought it on the first attempt.   

I have bought a laptop last month and have been using it for around three weeks. By this time, the laptop has proved its worth. It has an outstanding charging back up and the battery lasts for seven hours approximately once it is charged completely. Besides, my parents are also using it and they are happy too. I planned to use the internet modem but my father has arranged a broadband internet connection. So, using the internet is no longer a problem for us. I have two younger sisters and they are also careful about using the laptop. They mostly use the laptop when I am not home and watch cartoons and animated movies on the internet. My mother takes care of the laptop and she is responsible for keeping it safe and clean from dust.

I was really happy to buy this laptop. It may sound weird that it was a dream for me. I have realised the necessity of a laptop when I was at my university. I was unable to complete projects and assignments. I had to rely on my friends who had their own laptops. Though they cordially allowed me to use their laptops, I felt uncomfortable most of the time. On the other side, my father was not rich enough to spend some extra bucks for me to buy a laptop. So, I had planned to have a piece of this device. After lots of struggles, I got the job and finally have my own laptop. So, I am extremely happy to own it and with its so far performance and utilisation.
 

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

Topic: Describe a product you bought and felt happy about.

1. The chopping board was an essential product for me and I bought it last month. I actually needed the chopping board for cooking purpose. I was having trouble cutting the kitchen vegetables. I have been using the board for the past month and I am happy with the board as it has made cooking easier for me. Actually, cooking foods take less time but its preparation is lengthier. With the chopping board, I can cut and prepare the vegetables and other food ingredients easily, thus cooking has become easier for me.

2. Recently, I have bought a Samsung smartphone. I needed the phone for some reasons and have been using it for a month. I am happy with the phone because it comes with the latest features. I can now use the phone for browsing the internet, making phone calls, chatting with friends, playing high-resolution video games and for numerous other purposes. Honestly, I am happy with the phone because it has fulfilled my desire for the latest smartphone. Earlier, I had a Symbian phone set that I used to meet my ordinary purposes and started feeling the necessity of a smartphone. The phone that I have now has met all my needs. I am quite happy with that.

3. I love to wear perfumes and recently I have bought the perfume of a special brand. I have been using the perfume for the last two weeks. When I was in Italy, I used this brand and it was satisfactory. Later, when I returned to my native land, Indonesia, I had been seeking the same brand but could not find that. Luckily, I got a bottle from a brand shop that imported European perfumes. So, I bought it and felt happy to wear it again.

4. I had been looking for a quality baby oil for my child of two years old. I needed that because he had a little bit of dry skin. So, I bought it from an online shop and have been using it since Monday last. I was happy with the baby oil as it was helpful to keep the skin moisture at the desired level. The dryness of the skin was reduced and my baby was comfortable with the oil. Considering all the matters, I was happy with the baby oil.

5. My wallet had torn for overuse and I bought a new one. In fact, I was in dire need to have a wallet but could not get the right one I required. After lots of search and exploration, I got this special piece. So, I was happy. Besides, the wallet was made of complete leather. The seller also ensured its quality and gave a warranty for two years. Moreover, the wallet price was reasonable too. So, based on all the aspects, I was happy with the wallet and using it with deep satisfaction.

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