Cue Cards Samples with band 8 answers
Describe a game or sport you enjoy playing - Cue Card # 51
- Details
- Last Updated: Tuesday, 15 April 2025 10:34
- Written by IELTS Mentor
- Hits: 347851
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 game or sport you enjoy playing.
You should say:
- what kind of game or sport it is
- whom you play it with
- where you play it
and explain why you enjoy playing it.
[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:
We love to get involved in different kinds of spectators and individual sports in our country. In fact, our government also encourages us to play sports. For this topic, today I'd like to talk about a sport, which I enjoy playing the most like millions of others in my country.
The name of this sport is "football". In fact, football is by far the most popular sport in my country, followed by Golf. The popularity of this sport gained huge traction after the modern National Football League was formed in our country in 2002. Besides, football has a long and rich tradition in my country as we used to be one of the best Asian teams along with Iran and South Korea, winning Asian Games football tournaments twice, as well as being the runner-up in the Asian Cup. Our national youth team has also won Asian youth championship titles several times.
Anyway, when I was younger, I could play this sport anywhere in our streets, where I lived, with my friends and neighbours because back then, the streets were not really that busy. But, as I've grown up now, I only play this great sport on the field by dividing ourselves, including my friends and neighbours, into two teams, with 11 players in each team, and we play like true professionals. We even organize a “friendly cup” football tournament for our local city authority in our town every year where the champion team receives an award.
When our “local” team plays in this friendly cup football tournament, we support our own teams by chanting and screaming for them so that they become spirited and energized to score goals.
Well, I enjoy this sport because it allows me to socialise and mingle with my friends and neighbours while also having fun in the field. The game helps me recuperate from the fatigue and tiredness of my busy working life. Finally, the sport also allows me to remain physically fit and healthy like no other game.
Model Answer 2:
Introduction:
I am not a huge fan of different kinds of games and sports, unlike most of my friends who are die-hard sports fans, but there is one game that I always find enjoyable to play. That game is table tennis, also known as ping pong.
What kind of game or sport it is:
Table tennis is a game that is played with two or four players. It is an indoor game that is played on a table with a net dividing it into two halves. The game is played using small rackets and a lightweight ball. The objective of the game is to hit the ball back and forth over the net without letting it touch the ground on your side of the table.
Whom you play it with:
I usually play table tennis with my friends or family members. It is a great game to play with a group of people, and it always ends up being a lot of fun. We often play doubles, which means that two people are on each team.
Where you play it:
We usually play table tennis at my friend's house as he has a table in his basement. However, we also play at community centres or recreational facilities. It is a game that is easy to set up, and all you need is a table and a few rackets, making it a great option to play almost anywhere.
And explain why you enjoy playing this game or sport:
I enjoy playing table tennis because it is a game that requires a lot of focus and concentration. It is a fast-paced game that requires quick reflexes, and it always keeps me on my toes. It is also a great way to get some exercise and stay active. Additionally, playing table tennis is a lot of fun and a great way to socialize with friends and family. It is a game that can be played by people of all ages and skill levels, making it a great option for everyone.
Sample Answer 3:
Introduction:
Football is one of the most popular sports in the world, and I've been playing it since my childhood. In this answer, I would like to describe my experience of playing football, a game that I really enjoy.
What kind of game or sport it is:
Football is a team sport that involves two teams with eleven players on each side. The objective of the game is to score goals by getting the ball into the opposing team's goalpost.
Whom you play it with & Where you play it:
I usually play football with my friends at the local sports ground. We all have a common interest in football and try to play at least once a week. We are a group of twelve people, and we divide ourselves into two teams to play the game.
And explain why you enjoy playing this game or sport:
Football is a sport that requires physical fitness, teamwork, and strategy. Playing this game helps me to stay fit and healthy, and also allows me to spend time with my friends. Football is a game that tests your skills, and I find it challenging and exciting. Moreover, it is a great stress buster for me. When I am on the field, I forget about all my worries and just focus on the game. It is an amazing feeling to score a goal or make a great pass to a teammate. Football has taught me the importance of team spirit and has helped me in my personal and professional life. I am so passionate about playing this sport.
Idea generation for this Candidate task card / Cue card topic:
Below are some engaging ideas about different games and sports you might enjoy playing. Choose one from this list and expand your answer based on personal experiences:
1. Football:
I enjoy playing football, which is a popular outdoor team sport. Usually, I play with my close friends at a local park every weekend. The excitement and energy involved make it incredibly enjoyable. Moreover, it helps me stay fit, sharpens my teamwork skills, and brings us all closer together through shared enthusiasm and friendly competition.
2. Badminton:
Badminton is a fast-paced racquet sport that I frequently play with my siblings or friends at our local community sports centre. It's thrilling due to its dynamic and competitive nature. Playing badminton enhances my agility, coordination, and reflexes, and the cheerful rivalry among friends adds extra fun to it.
3. Chess:
Chess is a fascinating indoor game of strategy and intellect that I love playing with my cousins and father at home, usually on quiet evenings. It requires deep concentration, strategic planning, and critical thinking. The mental challenge and satisfaction of outsmarting the opponent is what makes it particularly appealing to me.
4. Table tennis:
I find table tennis incredibly enjoyable and play it regularly with my colleagues at our office recreation area. It's a quick, reflex-based sport that helps improve hand-eye coordination and offers great stress relief after busy workdays. The friendly matches bring about good laughter and camaraderie among colleagues.
5. Swimming:
Swimming is an individual sport that I engage in frequently at a nearby fitness club's swimming pool. I enjoy swimming alone or sometimes with a group of close friends who share my passion. It's highly relaxing, refreshing, and beneficial for physical fitness. The tranquillity underwater offers me peace of mind and boosts my overall well-being.
6. Basketball:
Basketball is a dynamic team sport that I usually play with my classmates in our college sports facility. The teamwork, fast pace, and the adrenaline rush when scoring points make basketball extremely enjoyable. Additionally, it fosters teamwork, improves physical stamina, and enhances quick decision-making skills.
7. Cricket:
Cricket is an outdoor team sport popular among my neighbours, and we often organise friendly matches in the community playground. It requires strategic thinking and teamwork, making each match a thrilling experience. Cricket brings together a strong community spirit, enjoyable competition, and a fantastic way to spend leisure time outdoors.
8. Cycling:
I particularly enjoy cycling with my family members or close friends in the nearby countryside trails or parks. This outdoor activity allows me to explore nature while staying physically active. It is rejuvenating, improves cardiovascular health, and gives me a chance to disconnect from daily stresses and bond with my companions.
9. Volleyball:
Playing volleyball is a favourite activity of mine, especially during beach visits or at our local gymnasium. I usually play this sport with a group of my friends or cousins. It's incredibly enjoyable due to its teamwork dynamics, quick reflexes, and competitive spirit. Volleyball enhances social bonding, physical fitness, and overall coordination.
10. Tennis:
I often play tennis with one of my friends at our nearby tennis club. Tennis involves physical agility, tactical thinking, and precision, which makes it very exciting for me. It's a great workout, sharpens my focus, and the friendly competition keeps me highly motivated and enthusiastic.
Model Answer 4:
Introduction:
Snooker is a popular cue sport played on a rectangular table with pockets in each of the four corners and the middle of each long side. This sport requires practice, skills and precision, as well as strategy and patience. Since I have been playing this game for a few years now, and sometimes I can play it really well, I love to play it whenever I can.
What kind of game or sport is it:
It is played with a cue stick and a set of 21 balls, including 15 red balls worth 1 point each, six coloured balls worth different points and a white cue ball. The players of this game aim to score points by potting balls in the pockets, with players alternating turns until all the balls have been potted.
Whom you play it with & Where you play it:
I enjoy playing snooker with my friends at a local snooker hall. The hall has several snooker tables that are well-maintained, and we usually reserve a table for a couple of hours. It's a great way to spend time with friends and enjoy some sort of healthy competition.
And explain why you enjoy playing this game or sport:
I enjoy playing snooker because it requires a lot of skill and strategy. It's not just about potting the balls, but also about positioning the cue ball for the next shot. It's a game that requires a lot of concentration and patience, and it can be very rewarding when you successfully pot a difficult ball or execute a difficult shot. Additionally, it's a great way to unwind and socialize with friends. Since I enjoy playing this game and it allows me to spend some quality time with my friends, I enjoy playing it so much.
Sample Answer 5:
The game that has fascinated me since my early childhood and that I particularly enjoy playing, is chess. Unlike most conventional sports, chess is not about physical prowess; rather, it's an intellectual duel that tests one's analytical and strategic thinking and thoughtful moves.
Chess is essentially a two-player board game played on a checkered square board, comprising sixty-four squares. Each player commands an army of sixteen pieces, including pawns, knights, bishops, rooks, a queen, and, most importantly, the king. The objective is deceptively simple which is to checkmate the opposing king, rendering it unable to escape capture. But beneath this simplicity lies remarkable depth, complexity, and infinite possibilities.
Typically, I play chess with my close friends and cousins, who share the same enthusiasm for the game. Occasionally, I match wits against my father or elder family members, which adds a delightful challenge due to their experience and tactical sophistication. Given that chess requires minimal setup, just a board, a set of pieces, and two focused minds, it can be played almost anywhere. I prefer playing it on our veranda during tranquil evenings or occasionally in the serene environment of our garden, allowing nature's calmness to complement the cerebral intensity of the game.
My fascination with chess springs from its enthralling nature and the intellectual stimulation it provides. Each match resembles a silent battle of strategies, with each player plotting moves and counter-moves, anticipating their rival’s tactics, and attempting to unravel hidden plans. It's this cerebral challenge that keeps me deeply engrossed. Moreover, playing chess sharpens my problem-solving skills, improves concentration, and cultivates patience and foresight. In many ways, chess resembles a metaphorical clash between two kingdoms, where intellect, not brute strength, decides the victor. In essence, chess is more than just a pastime to me; it's an intellectually invigorating pursuit, a game where imagination meets reality, and every victory feels like a beautifully crafted masterpiece.
Tips for answering this Cue Card Topic:
Since this candidate task card is about a game or sport you like to play and enjoy, you can talk about any indoor or outdoor game or sport you play or know about. Alternatively, you can talk about computer games as they are in a sense indoor games and are hugely popular among youngsters these days. If this is an indoor game you want to talk about, pick chess, card games, table tennis, bowling, carom, computer games, gaming device games or any other game you prefer. For indoor games, you can mention that you regularly play it with your family members or friends and enjoy it a lot. Generally, physical exercise is not involved in most indoor games except table tennis and you should focus on the "excitement" the indoor games offer while talking about the topic.
If you pick an outdoor sport, like cricket, football, badminton, or rugby you should mention that you play it with your friends and some of the neighbours. Sometimes unknown people join in such games where more than 7-8 players are needed. Mention that these games are refreshing and a good way of remaining fit.
For the question "why you enjoy playing this game", you should mention that you have a great passion for this game or sport and you have been playing it for a long time. You can also mention that you are usually good at it and your percentage of winning the game is very good. If you talk about an indoor game, mention the excitement it offers and the way you enjoy playing it with your family members and friends. For the outdoor games mention the health benefits it offers and the way you enjoy playing it.
Part 3: Two-way discussion/ Detailed discussion:
Discussion topic: Children’s games
Q. How have games changed from the time when you were a child?
Q. Do you think this has been a positive change? Why?
Q. Why do you think children like playing games?
Discussion topic: Games and competition
Q. Do you think competitive games are good or bad for children? In what ways?
Q. How can games sometimes help to unite people?
Q. Why is competition often seen as important in today’s society?
Please click on IELTS Speaking Test Sample 92 for the answer to those Part: 3 Questions.
Following are a few more Part-3 questions that you can prepare for this topic. Please note that you will be asked around 6 questions in total in this part of the test.
Q. What types of sports are popular in your country? Why?
Q. What are the benefits of playing a sport or game, in your opinion?
Q. Do you think the types of sports that are popular will change in the future? [Why? / Why not?]
Q. How can sports bring people from different countries closer together?
Q. What are the advantages of hosting different international sporting events in a country?
Q. How can we encourage children to participate in different types of sporting activities?
Q. What types of sports are popular in your country? Why?
Answer: If there is one thing that brings and unites the people of my country, then that thing has to be sports. So, yes, we love sports, especially if they are soccer, hockey and cricket, whether we are good at playing them or not. After all, for a huge majority of people in my country, these sports are a pure form of entertainment. Apart from soccer, hockey and cricket, sports like badminton, volleyball and long tennis also attract considerable attention from a large number of crowds in my country, particularly when some international tournaments in any of these sports take place.
Q. What are the benefits of playing a sport or game, in your opinion?
Answer: One has to be really naïve to discount the benefits of playing a sport or game because sports can actually change our life for the better, especially if someone wants to feel fitter, healthier and mentally strong. Sports can also be a pure form of fun and joy, especially when they are played with family members and friends in an informal environment. Finally, sports can also develop great leadership qualities within us and provide individuals with a great opportunity to shine in both their personal and professional life.
Q. Do you think the types of sports that are popular will change in the future? [Why? / Why not?]
Answer: The answer to this question is “perhaps not”. In fact, if the past of some of our present-day popular sports is any indication, we will find that they are still as popular today, if not more, as they were centuries ago. For example, soccer or football is very much kicking and alive still today even though it started its journey back in 206 B.C.! Similarly, the modern-day game, hockey, emerged in the mid-18th century, but it is still being played today in different parts of the world!
Of course, the rules of the games may change a little, here and there, but the fundamentals of these games would probably never change.
Q. How can sports bring people from different countries closer together?
Answer: Sports generally spark very intense kind of emotions and passion among sports lovers, unlike anything else, because of supporting some particular teams or players. And it’s these intense emotions and passion that make people think positively about each other even though, they belong to different countries, cultures and customs.
Besides, many a time, countries invite other countries to play some international sports tournaments, and usually, when this happens, countries try to be friendly to other countries in order to make the sporting events more enjoyable and accessible to everybody.
Q. What are the advantages of hosting different international sporting events in a country?
Answer: Hosting different international sporting events on the soil of a country has some great advantages. One such advantage is that it helps generate a huge amount of revenue for the host country, apparently because people from all around the world visit that country and spend their money to watch sporting events. It also helps promote their tourism sectors in a new light to attract more visitors. Finally, it also helps create new infrastructure, structures, buildings, roads, hotels and other facilities which, in turn, then also helps create new employment opportunities for their people.
Q. How can we encourage children to participate in different types of sporting activities?
Answer: We can encourage children to take part in different sporting activities in many ways. One of those ways could be to actually take them to different sporting events and enjoy the games together. Another way could be that we can play some sports – sports which are actually preferred by the children - together with kids and cheer them up when they score or perform well. Finally, schools can also encourage children to play sports by offering them extra “credits” or “marks” for participating in different kinds of sporting activities.
Vocabulary for this Candidate Task Card / Cue Card topic:
Talking about games or sports that you enjoy playing involves describing the type of activity, the setting, companionship, enjoyment, and the associated benefits. Here is a comprehensive selection of some useful vocabulary and expressions specifically tailored to enhance your IELTS speaking response on this topic:
Strategy – A planned approach to achieve a specific goal or result.
Agility – The ability to move or think quickly and easily.
Reflexes – Quick and automatic responses to stimuli, often important in sports.
Team spirit – Feelings of camaraderie and cooperation among teammates.
Endurance – The capacity to sustain prolonged physical or mental effort.
Rejuvenating – Restoring energy and making one feel refreshed and relaxed.
Rivalry – Friendly competition or opposition between participants.
Exhilarating – Extremely exciting, thrilling, or energising.
Tactical – Related to careful planning, especially in competitive situations.
Coordination – The ability to use different parts of the body smoothly and efficiently.
Camaraderie – Mutual trust and friendship among people who spend time together.
Stimulating – Encouraging or arousing interest, enthusiasm, or excitement.
Invigorating – Making one feel strong, healthy, and full of energy.
Engaging – Highly interesting or captivating, keeping one's attention fully occupied.
Recreational – Related to activities done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure.
Intellectually challenging – Requiring mental effort, strategy, and careful thought.
Stress-relieving – Reducing or alleviating stress and tension through enjoyable activities.
Passionate about – Having strong feelings of enthusiasm and interest toward something.
Benefits – Advantages, positive outcomes, or improvements gained from an activity, like health, fitness, or happiness.
Enthusiastic – Having or showing great excitement and interest in something.
Adrenaline rush – A sudden burst of excitement and energy typically experienced during thrilling activities or competitions.
Competitive edge – An advantage over others in a competitive situation due to superior skills, strategies, or attributes.
Being able to answer this question would help you answer the following cue card topics also:
1. Describe something you enjoy doing at home.
2. Describe something you do often.
3. Describe an outdoor activity you enjoy doing.
4. Describe a healthy habit you have.
5. Describe a game or sport you often play.
6. Describe something you do with your friends or family members.
7. Describe a popular sport or game from your country.
8. Describe something you enjoy doing.
Report