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

Describe what you usually do in your leisure time.

• what you do
• who you do it with
• where you do it

and explain why you like to spend your free time this way.

Follow-up Questions:

• What are some constructive leisure time activities? 
• How leisure time activities have changed in the last 10 years?
• What type of activity would you suggest to your kids?

Model Answer 1:
Finding little leisure time in this modern, tough and complicated world, where we are all so busy, is never an easy proposition. And, this holds true at least for me. So, whenever I manage some leisure time, I make sure that I do make the best use of it by visiting a nearby park.

Yes, as I've just mentioned, I like to visit a park, preferably having a lake in it, with some of my friends and neighbours whenever I get an opportunity (by the way, sometimes, I have to go alone because others may have different priorities). I also don’t forget to grab a food basket and a blanket/bed sheet for a lazy feast on the grassy lawn of the park unless, of course, it rains. Finally, accompany with us are some fishing rods and camera as well.

Anyway, once we arrive at the park, the first thing we do is to wander around in it for a while and warm ourselves up for the next big “thing”, which is taking pictures of different kinds of plants, as well as the local animal residents who are never scared to get “cosy” with us. Our picture taking activities, while wandering around, continue until we get tired and hungry. So, we just grab our food and eat them for as long as we could in a very lazy manner by sitting on the grassy park lawns. Food makes us even more tired and lazy, because of eating too much of it, but never tired enough to do our next significant thing, which is to do some fishing in the lake. Needless to say, of course, we seldom catch any fish, not even after making some “valiant” efforts.

I like to spend my leisure time in this way mainly because it perfectly fits with my “laidback” lifestyle. Besides, it allows me to get close to Mother Nature and to enjoy it while also doing some fun and recreational activities. Finally, it helps me recover from the hectic work schedules of a long week.

Sample Answer 2: 
I have classes 5 days a week, I attend a diploma course on Computing and I do some tuitions as well and all of those activities and my study make my days busy. However, I maintain some leisure activities and in my day-off, I go through a different routine.

I love to read books and maintain my own blog. Whenever I get time either I read books or write/ moderate my blog. Besides reading and writing for my blog, I play some indoor games with my friends and family members like chess, computer games etc. If it's an outdoor game, I play with my neighbours or friends.

I read books mostly in my study room and sometimes in the nearby library. I work on my computer to update my blogs. I mostly read fictions and historical books. The blog I maintain is mostly technology related and I add the details with images for my blog readers. Two friends of mine are now the moderator of this blog and they contribute to this blog as well.

I like to utilise my leisure time and enjoy very much what I do. Reading books is the most prudent investment of leisure time and I learn many things from reading. Maintaining a blog is a great way of improving the writing and sharing knowledge and that helps me greatly to explore new things as I need to read a lot to generate ideas to write.

The indoor game like chess is a great way of passing time and it also helps to do some brainstorming. I take part in the outdoor games to both enjoy the game and to keep my body and mind fresh and fit.

Part 3 – Two-way discussion:

Q. What types of leisure activities are popular in your country?

Q. Why it is important for people to have time for leisure activities?

Q. Why are some leisure activities more popular than others?

Q. Are the types of leisure activities that are popular today the same as those that were popular when your parents were young?

Q. What types of leisure activities may become more popular in the future?

Q. What type of leisure activities helpful for children? Why?

Q. Some people do not have any leisure activity. Why it is the case?

Tips for answering this cue card question:

Pick a leisure time activity that you usually do. You can talk about one of the following topics or the one you really do:

• Take your parents or children outside for walking.
• Play indoor games like chess, computer games etc.
• Go out for walking, running or for other forms of exercise.
• Take care of the garden you have.
• You visit your friends and spend time with them.
• You watch TV, movies or listen to music.
• You learn something like singing, playing musical instruments, cooking, dancing, sports, art etc.
• You do some freelancing jobs.
• You write for your blogs and surf the internet.
• You read books.
• You visit your relatives.
• You spend time with your family members, help them completing their household chores etc.
• You actively participate in social works.
• You go to the nearby park or open space for fresh air.
• You have a hobby and you spend time on that.

Not necessarily you have to talk about one particular thing you do in your leisure time, you can say a combination of things you do in your leisure time like sometimes you surf the Internet, sometimes you go out for walking and sometimes you spend time with your family members and help them on their tasks.

People usually do their leisure activities from their interest, passion and need. So describe your reasons for doing things you do in your leisure time. Besides, you should describe how you enjoy doing it and how it is beneficial for you.
 

You should also be able to talk about the following cue card topics if you get prepared for this cue card:

1. Describe your hobby.
2. Describe how you like to spend your free time.
3. Talk about an activity you do.
4. Talk about how you spend your days-off.
5. Describe a thing you like to do.
6. Describe a healthy habit you have.
7. Describe how you help your family members.
8. Describe something you do besides your study or job.
9. Describe an outdoor activity you perform.

• IELTS Cue Card

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