Details

Written by IELTS Mentor

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

Describe your favourite shopping mall.

You should say:

• where it is
• how often you go there, and what you buy from there
• what types of people usually go there

and explain why this is your favourite shopping mall.

Follow-up Questions:
What are some advantages and disadvantages of a big shopping centre?
Tell me about some newly built shopping centres in your city.
Why are supermarkets gaining more popular nowadays?

Model Answer 1:

Well, this is a rather tough topic for me because I have visited several shopping malls, that I like, and it is not really easy to pinpoint one of them as my favourite. But, I would still go ahead and pick one of them as my most favourite to keep our discussion interesting.

The shopping mall, I want to talk about, is called “Eastern Plaza” which is conveniently located several kilometres away from where I live in my city. Considering how people from all directions can arrive at the mall rather easily, I would say that the mall is located at a perfection location.  Having served the residents of my city for more over 20 years, Eastern plaza mall easily is one of the largest and busiest shopping destinations of my country which has 6 floors and an area of almost 400,000 square feet.

Having a very beautiful and contemporary architectural design, this mall is home to almost 300 stores which include some of the world’s top-class collection of designer labels and luxury brands. I like to visit this shopping mall as often as I can in order to buy my clothes, shoes and perfumes, but I just can’t make it more than once a month because of my busy schedule.  

But, no matter when I visit this shopping mall, I see that all kinds of people from all age groups, professions and backgrounds are visiting this place. I have even noticed that many people from other cities, far, far away from the city in which the mall is located, come to do shopping at this mall.  

Anyway, it is my favourite shopping mall, mainly because it is close to where I live, and it takes about only 15 minutes to drive there. I also like visiting the mall because it has a rather huge selection of products for all ages and sizes, making it almost impossible for a shopper to leave the place without buying what he or she really needs. Finally, it is my favourite mall also because it looks very organized, and the prices there are very reasonable.

Sample Answer 2:

I am from Ho Chi Minh City and I like the Diamond Plaza shopping mall that I often visit. It is best known as the Diamond Plaza and is situated at 34 Le Duan Street, near the Notre Dame Cathedral. I visit this shopping mall almost twice in a month and sometimes more frequent than that.

People from nearby places and from the city are the most frequent visitors but it's not uncommon that tourists and shoppers from other cities come and shop from this shopping mall. This shopping centre includes a 22 story building plus an adjacent 15 story building and offers a great shopping experience including restaurants, cafe, hospital, lounges, Cinema Theater. There is a helicopter pad on the roof of this shopping mall and offers many other facilities.

The Diamond Plaza shopping mall hosts many renowned brands and offers a distinctive shopping experience. You can find almost everything you need to shop from here. Many fashion fans find it as their prime place for shopping and the shopping environment is unmatched. One does not need to be rich to come and shop here as the goods offered suits the people from economic status.

The food court is something you would love about this shopping mall. There are more than hundreds of food shops that you can pick from and the gaming zone attracts mostly the game lovers and teenagers. The movie theatre of the Diamond Plaza is called Lotte Cinema and is on the 13th floor. With the most modern facility and the safe environment, this is an ideal shopping centre for all types of shoppers.

I like this shopping mall mostly because of the quality products and good price offering. Apart from that the security, customer service and nice environment also attract me. Another reason that affects my shopping decision from this shopping mall is its distance from my living place. It takes only 15 minutes to reach there and this is one of the reasons I mostly decide to shop there.

Tips for Answering this Cue Card Topic:

This cue card topic should be an easy one for you to talk about as the listed questions give you advantages while talking about this cue card. First, say the name of the shopping mall (this can be an entire shopping complex or can be a shopping mall at the ground of a shopping complex). For instance, a shopping mall like M&L is a 15 stories building and this comprises more than 150 shops of different brands. Alternatively, you can pick a brand shopping mall like Hallmark which is a single shopping store. Say the location of the building or mall in regards to the prominent landmarks of the area and give a rough estimation of how you reach there.

About your visiting frequency to the shopping mall, you should mention how often you go there. Is it very frequent like 1-2 times a week or once in a few months? Then mention the type of brands, products available there and mention what you usually purchase from there. Regarding the third question “what types of people usually go there”, you should mention the age group, economic and social status of the people who usually go there for shopping. Also, mention if mostly female or male go there for shopping. The final two questions require the most attention of your answer - “describe the shopping centre” and “why you like it”. For the first one, give the details of the physical structure of the shopping mall, types of shops and products available there and give an overall description of the shopping complex. For the final question you can mention the following points to say the reasons for your liking the shopping centre:

1.    The environment is nice and it’s not too much crowded.
2.    There are plenty of shops and products there and you usually get everything you need to purchase from a single place.
3.    The security of the shopping complex is good and you feel comfortable being there.
4.    This is situated in a convenient location and you can easily reach there for shopping.
5.    You often meet your friends and there is a floor dedicated to food courts and social gathering.
6.    The movie theatre of the shopping complex offers new and good movies and as a movie lover, you often go there.
7.    The prices of the products in this shopping complex are reasonable.
8.    The shopping complex offers a variety of shops and you can always compare the prices before finally purchasing the products.

Similar Cue Card topic:

1.    Describe a place you often go to.
2.    Describe a movie theatre
3.    Describe a place where you often meet your friends.
4.    Describe a place near your home.
5.    Describe a place in your town.
6.    Describe a shopping mall you often visit/go to.
 

• IELTS Cue Card
• IELTS Speaking
• Candidate Task Card

• Prev
• Next