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

Describe a service that you received for free.

You should say:

• what service it was
• who provided this service
• why you took it

and explain how you felt about it.

[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:

As a student of business administration, I have learnt that “there is no free lunch”. In other words, there is no “free service”. But, still, sometimes we just get lucky as I did about a few years ago when I got some free service from a taxi driver.

Yes, I am talking about a free taxi ride service. Going forward with the story, about a few years ago, I had to spend a couple of days at one of the busiest cities of my country for professional reason, where getting public transportation during the peak business hours can be really challenging. So, I decided not to rely on public transportation (even though, the cost of using them was relatively much cheaper), and instead decided to ride a taxi in order to save my time.

Luckily, I got to meet a very dependable and gentle taxi driver who incidentally happened to be from my hometown. So, as I introduced myself to him, he became really excited, learning that I hailed from the same town as did he, and tried his best to accommodate my request to transport me from one place to another in his taxi for the next couple of days. Anyway, after a couple of days, I was done with my work and needed to go back to my home. So, I called the taxi driver to drop me at the airport, but, when I was getting ready to pay him for the taxi ride for that day, he very politely refused to take the money, saying that it was a complimentary taxi service. He said that, after all, I was from the same town as him, and he was really glad to offer me free service.

Anyway, I felt really glad that someone was being kind enough to offer me a free service just because he and I were from the same town. Besides, I also felt that it doesn’t really take much to relate to other people if we try to open up to others, just I did to that taxi driver by telling him that both of us were from the same town.

Sample Answer 2:

I had to vaccinate my baby recently. Most importantly, it was a free service and I am really pleased with the service I received. My earlier experiences about vaccination were not that much good and I did not get the right service even after spending a large amount of money in the local hospital. It appears a great cue card task for me. I am happy to have it in my share and will explain the matter in brief here.  

The service was provided by a local vaccination provider. It was their responsibility to vaccinate newborn babies. But the parents had to take the babies to the vaccination centre. It was not possible for the volunteers to move in every home and vaccinate the babies. Rather, they asked the parents to come at the vaccination point on a specific date. Accordingly, I went there at the present date to vaccinate my baby boy.   

I took the service for some reasons. The most important thing about the service is that I needed that for my son. Without the vaccines, the babies could develop serious diseases that cannot be prevented in their adulthood. They have to suffer a lot and even may die. So, it is a must to take the vaccination service. Besides, the government provides its support to such services so that the citizens need not pay for the vaccines. Considering all the matters, I had to take the service.

I felt satisfied. In fact, this is my right as a citizen to get such services from the government. I also felt lucky that I could vaccinate my baby and without any hassles. I also felt grateful to the government that it is performing its duty sincerely and caring for the citizens it gets taxes from.

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

Topic: Describe the most polite person you have come across in your life.

1. Recently I got a free health service from the local hospital in Paris. It was a different experience for me. The service was provided by a nurse. I needed to take it as the doctor instructed me. I did not have an idea that I would get it for free. But when I went to pay, they denied taking any money from me. I was amazed at the service.

2. My encounter with a customer service provider from a courier company, here in Greece, was remarkable. I got a free home-delivery service. The courier company provided it. A friend of mine had sent a mobile phone set to me and the courier brought it to my home. I really felt good at this service. And they also followed up some matters later for my betterment.

3. I bought an air conditioner for my home and its installation was completely free. The service was provided by the seller. I took the service because I needed that. And in fact, installation of an air conditioner is a hefty task. I was glad about the service. Though it was meant to be charged a certain amount, the merchant did not take any amount from me and there were no hidden charges too.

4. A restaurant at the end of my street where I live in Indonesia has given a complimentary service. It gave a free beverage to me when I took dinner there. Without a beverage, it is impossible for me to complete my meal. So, I grabbed that and was surprised when I found that was not on the bill. I felt highly glad. It was a free service from the restaurant authority to expand their business.

5. A friend of mine works as a technician and he served me in my need for free. Samuel owns a computer repairing shop in Melbourne and I asked him to repair my CPU. He came to my home and repaired it. It was an emergency for me to get the CPU repaired. I was highly delighted with the service. He did not accept any charges against his service though I tried to pay him.

6. I got served from a legal solution providing company here in Delhi. My dad is their loyal customer and so I also sought their help on a particular issue. The service was provided by the manager of the company. I needed the counselling to meet my legal needs. I was unaware of lodging a legal complaint in the police station. So, I was heavily glad after having the suggestions. They served me for free but charges other clients for such advice. It made me happy.

If you can talk about this cue card topic, you should be able to answer the following topics as well:

1. Describe a time when you were satisfied with the service you received.
2. Describe a time when you received something for free.
3. Describe a recent unusual experience you have had.
4. Describe a recent happy experience.

• IELTS Cue Card
• Candidate Task Card

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