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

[The topic for your talk will be written on a card which the examiner will hand over to you. Read it carefully and then make some brief notes.]

Describe a time when you had a disagreement with someone.

You should say:

• when it was
• who you had this disagreement with
• why you had this disagreement with that person

and explain how you two resolved the issue.

[Instruction: 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.]

[Examiner: All right? Remember you have one to two minutes for this, so don't worry if I stop you. I'll tell you when the time is up. Can you start speaking now, please?]

Model Answer 1:

I think that we all have disagreements with our friends, colleagues and families at some point in our lives over different issues. Today, I would like to talk about one such disagreement that I had with one of my former co-workers. And interestingly it was about an insignificant issue but we were both serious about our opinion.

It was about a few years ago when I had this disagreement with this colleague. At that time, my former colleague used to drive a Japanese car while I used to ride my old motorbike to commute back and forth from work. Although I didn’t own a car, I just loved to learn about different types of cars and their features, and that’s probably why I thought that German cars were far better than Japanese cars. But, my former, good co-worker disagreed, saying that Japanese cars were more reliable than any other car brands in the world.

Of course, I was very much aware of the fact that my friend had this opinion on Japanese cars not because he owned one but because he genuinely believed what he had said. In other words, he rated Japanese cars above German cars because he was more biased towards Japanese cars. Our disagreement continued for almost a whole week while we both tried to present our own facts and pieces of evidence in favour of our own, chosen brands of cars. But the more fact and pieces of evidence we provided, the more we both were convinced that our preferred brands of cars should have been rated over the other. Finally, we both agreed to resolve our disagreement by going to an experienced “car salesperson” in our area.

The car salesperson lectured us for almost 15 minutes about both the Japanese and German cars, and the summary of his lecture was that German cars were actually far better than Japanese cars in all aspects except for the cost factors. In other words, the only advantage Japanese cars had was that they were cheaper than German cars. Now, I am not too sure if my co-worker really agreed with him, but he didn’t argue with me about Japanese cars after that event.

Sample Answer 2:

Introduction: 
Thank you very much for this topic. Here, I would like to talk about a time when I had a disagreement with someone. I will also share why I had this disagreement with this person and explain how I resolved the issue.

When it was:
The disagreement occurred a few years ago when I was in college. Perhaps, I have become a little wiser nowadays as I know that we will have differences in our opinions and I am much more tolerant of these differences. However, back then I was not so wise, I guess. 

Who you had this disagreement with:
I had this disagreement with a close friend of mine who I had known for years. His name is Ratul. 

Why you had this disagreement with that person: 
The disagreement started because my friend had borrowed a significant amount of money from me, which I had given to him in good faith. However, he was unable to pay me back on time, and as the deadline passed twice, I started to worry about getting my money back. I could not agree with the reasons he was giving as excuses for his delay to repay the money.

And explain how you two resolved the issue:
At first, I tried to talk to him about the issue and asked him to pay me back as soon as possible or at least give me a reasonable excuse. However, either he was unable to explain the situation or I was not in the mood to accept the excuse. As a result, we stopped talking to each other for a few weeks. Eventually, I decided to meet him in person and try to resolve the issue. We talked about the problem and why he was unable to pay me back. He explained his situation and his mother also backed him, and I realised that he was genuinely struggling financially. Instead of demanding my money back, I decided to give him as much time as he needed. Eventually, we resolved the issue, and he paid me the money back two months later. 

Model Answer 3:

Introduction: 
Disagreements are a natural part of human relationships and can arise at any time among us. They can be challenging, but resolving them reasonably can also be a learning experience for us. I have also learned from many such disagreements in my life. In this topic, I would like to talk about a time when I had a disagreement with my mom.

When it was: 
The disagreement occurred a few months ago when I wanted to attend a party at one of my friend's houses.

Who you had this disagreement with:
I had this disagreement with my mom, who was against the idea of me attending the party.

Why you had this disagreement with that person: 
The reason for the disagreement was that my mom was concerned about my safety and well-being I guess. She didn't know my friend's parents well and was worried that there might be alcohol at the party. She also felt that I was too young to be going to parties and wanted me to focus on my studies instead.

And explain how you two resolved the issue: 
At first, I tried to argue with my mom and convince her to let me go to the party. However, she was firm in her decision and refused to change her mind. As a result, we started to have arguments, and our relationship became strained. I didn't understand why she was being so overprotective, and she didn't understand why I was so insistent on going to the party.

Eventually, we sat down and had a heart-to-heart conversation. I listened to her concerns and explained to her why I wanted to go to the party. I promised to behave responsibly and not do anything that would put myself or anyone else in danger. My mom, in turn, agreed to trust me and let me go to the party as long as I followed certain rules and checked in with her regularly.

This experience taught me the importance of compromise, understanding, and communication. It's essential to listen to each other's concerns and find a middle ground that works for both parties. It's also important to understand that parents have their children's best interests at heart, and sometimes their decisions might seem overprotective or restrictive. However, it's important to trust their judgment and be patient with them.

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

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