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

Describe your journey to your school or office.

You should say:

• what type of transport you use
• how long it takes
• whether you use the same type of vehicle always

and explain if you enjoy it or not.

[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.]
 

Model Answer 1:

Travelling at least one hour, back and forth, from home to office and vice versa every day may seem to be an easy task on the surface, but when you are travelling at least five days per week, it suddenly doesn’t seem to be so easy unless your journey is reasonably comfortable.

Talking about my journey from my hometown (“Sintra”, which is one of the major tourist destinations of Portugal and a suburb of the capital Lisbon) to my office in Lisbon, which fortunately never gave me any trouble for my last few years of journey mainly because I use the train to travel back and forth even though it costs me a little extra. I always try to travel by “urban” trains which only run between large cities like Lisbon to Porto and Lisbon to Sintra.

There are four different kinds of trains in Portugal, depending on the distance they travel. Anyway, it takes a good 30 minutes to reach my office from my home but it doesn’t feel that long due to the fact that the trains in my country are very comfortable with spacious seats and comfortable temperatures no matter what time of the year you are travelling. And that’s exactly why, I always try to travel by train unless, of course, there is a valid reason to choose other means of transportation.  

I enjoy my train journey from my home to my office and vice versa because most of the area between Lisbon and Sintra is really scenic and beautiful as Sintra itself is a beautiful tourist spot. In fact, Portugal is a very beautiful country with beautiful mountainsides, vineyards, olive trees and sparkling sea coast.  Besides, the environment inside the train is remarkably peaceful with no unnecessary noise. Finally, I absolutely enjoy the train journey because it is never really dependent on the weather and as such very reliable. By the way, I rather enjoy the “rhythmic” sound of a moving train as it helps me take a little nap during my journey.

Model Answer 2:

Thank you very much for the time and opportunity that you have given me here to talk about my jourey to my office. I typically commute to my office by public transportation, specifically by bus. The journey begins with me walking a short distance from my home to the nearest bus stop. Once there, I board the bus that takes me directly to my office building.

On average, the journey takes about 30 minutes, depending on traffic conditions. However, during rush hours, especially in the mornings, it can take a bit longer due to congestion on the roads.

While I primarily use the bus for my daily commute, there are times when I opt for alternative modes of transportation such as biking or carpooling with colleagues. These alternatives provide some flexibility and variety in my commute, especially on days when the weather is pleasant or when I need to run errands after work.

As for whether I enjoy my commute, I would say it's a mix of both positive and negative experiences. On the one hand, I appreciate the convenience of public transportation as it allows me to relax, read, or catch up on emails during the journey. It also helps reduce my carbon footprint, which aligns with my commitment to environmental sustainability.

On the other hand, there are days when the bus can be crowded, or delays may occur, which can be frustrating. Additionally, during inclement weather or when the bus is running late, my commute can become less enjoyable.

Overall, while there are aspects of my commute that I appreciate, such as the convenience and environmental benefits of public transportation, there are also challenges that I encounter from time to time.

Sample Answer 3:

Thank you very much for this nice cue card topic. I am a fourth-year medical student and I have to travel for an hour each day to reach my medical college. Now I would say how I travel to my college on a typical day and how I feel about the journey.

My father owns a car and I mostly use it to travel to and from my college. This is a Honda SUV and is quite comfortable. My college is around forty kilometres away from our home. Considering the road traffic, it takes me around an hour or so to get there.

I would say, I enjoy this daily journey of mine. During my second year, I had to take public buses to commute to my college for about three to four months and the experience of commuting in public transportation was not pleasant. It killed more times per day than it does now. Compared to this experience, I would say I am happy and content to have a private car to reach my college now.

I wake up at around 7.00 in the morning, eat my breakfast, and get ready for college. Afterwards, I call our driver to start the engine. The car leaves our house at around 7.40 am and reaches our college at approximately 8.40 am. During this one hour, I mostly read a newspaper or an academic book. Sometimes, when I do not feel like reading, I enjoy the view on both sides of the road. The only time I dislike this journey is when our car gets stuck due to the bad traffic. On some occasions, let's say once or twice a month, the traffic is so bad that I have to wait for about two hours, double the usual time, to reach my college. Apart from the chocking traffic jams and delays, I mostly enjoy my journey to my medical college.

Sample Answer 4:

I am a doctor and work in a private hospital in the city I live in. The city dwellers often witness notorious traffic congestions and I am no exception. I really appreciate the opportunity to let me talk about my experience of commuting to and from my office.

I am lucky that the doctors in our city are privileged to have official transportation. The hospital, where I work, has a full spectrum of bus service that carries office staff. Mercedes-Benz buses usually carry us and it can take around 20 people at a time. One of the designated buses picks me up from my home early in the morning, and sometimes in the afternoon based on my hospital duty schedule. I would say the bus is comfortable and I like to ride in it to commute to and from my office rather than taking my own car.

The hospital is around 60 miles from my residence and it takes me less than one and a half hours to reach there in the early morning. If I take the same journey in the evening - when the traffic is usually heavy, sometimes it takes me more than two hours.

As far as I know, the hospital authority has four buses that are exclusively dedicated to carrying the doctors and nurses of the hospital. So I take one of these four buses every day. They look so identical that it's hard to tell the differences, you know what I mean. Since the drivers are also on shifting duty, I cannot be sure who will drive the bus the next morning!

I like the journey except for the time when the traffic is bad and we are stuck on the road. I usually carry a book or a magazine that I read on the bus. Sometimes, I listen to music and try to enjoy the side view. But often I have to be on the phone while I travel, though I do not like it very much, to discuss professional matters. On the way back home, I often take a nap to refresh myself and it's funny that I can sleep for a while on the bus almost every day after a busy and tiresome working day. 

Similar other cue card topics you should be able to talk about if you prepare for this cue card topic:

1. Describe something you do almost every day.
2. Describe one of your typical days.
3. Describe a journey that you recently made.

• IELTS Cue Card
• IELTS Speaking
• Candidate Task Card
• Speaking Part 2

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