Describe a character from a movie: IELTS Cue Card
Bhargavee Sisodia24 May 2024
International English Language Testing System or simply IELTS, is a standardized test jointly conducted by IDP, and Cambridge English for non-English speaking people who are aiming to certify themselves as an affluent English speaker. The IELTS exam is a benchmark for every student or job seeker who is aspiring to flourish in a foreign country. Hence your IELTS preparation and IELTS coaching are the stepping stones for you to ace your IELTS English Test and attain a great score.
The IELTS exam consists of all the basic language-related testing processes such as the IELTS Reading Test, IELTS Writing Test, IELTS Speaking Test, and IELTS Listening Test. Each exam has its own IELTS Academic structures and matrices on which you will be scored. In this section, we will be talking about the IELTS Speaking test, more specifically the IELTS Cue Cards.
IELTS Cue Card: Structure and Concept
The IELTS speaking test has a cumulative time limit of approximately 14 minutes among which the IELTS Cue Card is a crucial part. The IELTS Cue Card section takes up about 3 - 4 minutes including preparation time. You will be handed over a cue card with an IELTS speaking topic written on it along with some bulletin pointers which need to be included in your answer. You will be given 1 minute to prepare and arrange your thoughts and then 2 minutes to speak on the topic assigned to you. Your examiner will time you, check your fluency, and score you based on the IELTS speaking test matrices.
Hence it is of utmost importance to prepare for your IELTS speaking test according to the IELTS academic structure. During your IELTS coaching, you need to emphasize the IELTS speaking practice and prepare well from the list of IELTS speaking topics and IELTS speaking questions asked over the years. As a part of your IELTS coaching, you can go through our IELTS speaking topics with answers to get a good idea about the task you are entitled to do in each section. Let us discuss one such topic as a part of your IELTS preparation for the Cue Cards section.
You can also read related article: Describe something that surprised you and made you happy: IELTS Cue Card
Describe a character from a Movie: IELTS Cue Card
Here are some quick and valuable pointers before we dive into the model answers:
- It doesn’t matter which language the movie is in. It can be English, Hindi, Tamil, Korean, Chinese, or any other language so to speak.
- The character which you are discussing can be the male protagonist, the female protagonist, or even a supporting character.
- Your aim is to describe what attracted you to the character and the way it impacted you.
- Lastly, try to paint a picture to leave a lasting impression on the examiner. A simple but unique answer is always bound to stand out on the IELTS speaking test.
We have dished out some model answers along with some follow-up questions that will help you prepare for your IELTS Speaking Test and enable you to get a comprehensive idea about the IELTS speaking topics.
IELTS Cue Card - Model Answer 1: Describe a character from a movie
A crisp introduction :
Every individual, irrespective of age, occupation, or preference, has been influenced by at least one character from a movie they have watched. Today I am going to share my views on one such character from a Hindi movie which greatly influenced me. The name of the movie is “Thappad” and the character which blew my mind was the female protagonist - Amrita.
A basic synopsis of the plot of the movie :
The movie is about a very ordinary married woman Amrita and her husband Vikram. Amrita and Vikram lead a very mundane married life where they laugh and bicker like every married couple. Things went south when during a party hosted by them, Vikram slapped Amrita while they were having a row.
What attracted you to the character :
There was a scene in the movie where Vikram was urging Amrita to move back to their house and forget the matter. He said “It happened only once. Just forget it” to which Amrita replied “Who can guarantee me that it won’t be repeated?” and this sentence stuck to me. The character of Amrita, played by Tapsee Pannu, had her strengths and insecurities which were extremely relatable to women of all generations. She stood by her decision to part ways with her husband and not let this matter be forgotten because deep down she knew she would never be able to forget it.
A noteworthy conclusion:
The movie portrayed the strength and patience of a woman in a very realistic way and I urge every single person, irrespective of gender or occupation, to watch it and get inspired by the character of Amrita. I am sure every viewer would understand the fight and journey of the characters because of its seamless writing and effortless acting.
IELTS Cue Card - Model Answer 2: Describe a character from a movie
Choose a light but thoughtful movie:
During my IELTS preparation, I got a helpful suggestion, which was to watch English movies to understand and grasp the language properly. So as a part of my IELTS speaking practice, I watched a lot of English movies and Dr. Strange was one such movie. Dr. Strange is the story of a sorcerer who masters the art of magic and teleportation. He is a beloved character in the comic books by Marvel Comics. I was truly moved by the character of Dr.Stephen Strange and hence I chose him as a topic of discussion for today.
Emphasize the character’s graph in the story:
Dr. Stephen Strange was an egoistic neurosurgeon who lost his ability to operate due to a car accident. His hands, his prized possession, were rendered worthless after this mishap. In some turn of events, he somehow ended up at a mystic place where he started learning the art of sorcery and soon became a master in it. The character’s graph from an arrogant surgeon to a humble and jovial sorcerer was tremendous. Dr.Strage’s character had a painful past, a genuine fight for survival, and a very satisfying outcome that is bound to stay with the viewers for a long time.
A brisk conclusion:
Dr.Strange is a very beloved character among the Marvel comic characters and Benedict Cumberbatch’s amazing acting made the character come alive. The movie is very well made and the story is kept minimal yet appealing, which is a trademark for most of the Marvel Movies. I am eagerly anticipating more movies from the Dr.Strange series since I have become a big fan of the character.
IELTS Cue Card - Model Answer 3: Describe a character from a movie
Begin with:
There is one Hindi movie that I have watched multiple times and that is “Jab We Met’. The movie was a blockbuster hit in the year 2007 and the character of Geet and Aditya became household names for a long time after its release.
Plot and Character Analysis:
Geet was a jovial and bubbly character from Punjab and Aditya was a business tycoon who was going through a rough patch. They met accidentally on a train and were forced to take a journey to Bhatinda, which was Geet’s hometown. On this journey, Aditya was inspired by the ideology of carefree Geet which ultimately drew him out of the rut he was experiencing. Geet, on the other hand, ended up depressed after her partner dejected and abandoned her. The story ends with Aditya reuniting with Geet, who finally understands the essence of being loved by Aditya, the man she ultimately married. Among the two leads, Aditya’s character stood out to me. I was enticed by the selflessness of the character and the pure love he had for Geet. He showed Geet, the worth of love and the importance of having a loving partner. The evolution of the character from a depressed person to a balanced and focused man was portrayed very well by the actor Shahid Kapoor.
Short and Simple ending:
All in all, I would say every woman deserves to have an Aditya in their life who understands and loves her genuinely. I have watched this movie so many times that I have most of the dialogue memorized. I recommend everyone to watch this movie.
Part 3 of the IELTS speaking test: Follow-up questions
The third and last part of the IELTS English Test is the follow-up question section. In this section, to test your IELTS Speaking skills, you are asked some follow-up questions on the answer you gave in the IELTS Cue Card section. So you must understand and practice answering follow-up questions as a part of your IELTS speaking practice. We have listed a few follow-up questions for your IELTS speaking topic with answers to your IELTS speaking questions.
IELTS exam preparation: Follow-up questions 1
Question: Do you think an actor’s job is easy?
Answer: Most definitely not. I feel an actor’s job is extremely difficult. As an actor, you need to understand the psyche of a character just by reading a few lines on paper and depicting their story in a realistic and relevant way. It requires tremendous command of the art and a lot of skill to ace as an actor and succeed. Also as an actor, you need to draw a line between your characters and yourself, or else your mental health might get affected by it. Not to mention, constant attention from the public can be very difficult to handle.
IELTS exam preparation: Follow up questions 2 (From Model answer 3)
Question: Most of the people who watched “Jab We Met” loved Geet as a character. Why do you think your opinion differed?
Answer: According to me, liking a character from a movie depends on the mentality of the viewers. I have a picture of an ideal partner in my mind and Aditya’s character from “Jab We Met” resonated with that image. Geet’s character was written in such a way that it could easily overshadow the character of Aditya, but it was the acting prowess of Shahid Kapoor who brought Aditya to life. Aditya and his subtle acts of love appealed to me more than that of Geet, thus forcing me to like him more than the strong female lead of the movie.
IELTS exam preparation: Follow up questions 3 (From Model answer 1)
Question: Do you think the feminist inside you was awakened by the movie Thappad and that was the reason behind you liking Amrita as a character?
Answer: I feel that I could relate to and understand the character of Amrita because of her mental strength and power of affirmation, not because of her gender. I would have felt the same way if the movie was made about the male lead. The way Amrita fought against everyone and stuck to her decision and refused to give up in adverse situations was inspiring to me as a person not just as a woman. So to answer your question, No, I don’t think the feminist inside me provoked me to like the character of Amrita. It was her strength and patience that influenced me.
Some more tips to ace your IELTS speaking test:
Reviewing different IELTS speaking questions and practicing your speech regularly, definitely helps in IELTS preparation. In this context, we have some Frequently Asked Questions and their answers to help you a bit more in your IELTS coaching.
- If my answer is not completed within the allocated 2 minutes during my IELTS Cue Cards section, can the examiner stop me abruptly?
- Yes, the examiner can stop you abruptly if he/she feels that you are exceeding your time limit for the answer. Hence it is very important to keep your answers short and simple and manage your time well. You should try to end your answer 5 - 10 seconds before the allocated time to give the examiner time to think about the follow-up questions. In this context, your IELTS speaking practice can play a crucial role.
- Can we choose a topic from a set of IELTS Cue Cards?
- No, you will not be allowed to choose your desired cue card for your IELTS exam. The examiner will hand you a random cue card with a topic written on it, and you will have to frame your answer based on that topic itself.
- Can my cue card topic be changed?
- No, you will not be able to change the topic of your IELTS Cue Card.
- Can we take notes while preparing for your answers in the IELTS Cue Card section?
- Yes, you can write down points that you want to include in your answer during the 1 minute you get to prepare. Since it is a very short time, it is highly advised to not write full sentences, but just words and points in sequence to help you frame your answer.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the IELTS cue card is an important part of your IELTS speaking test, thus it's imperative for you to prepare and practice well before the IELTS exam to avoid getting nervous. Here at D-VIVID, we can guide you through every step of your IELTS exam preparation journey with proper IELTS coaching. We have prepared several IELTS speaking topics with answers like Talk about a TV show you like to watch, Describe a piece of good news, and many more to help you approach your IELTS speaking questions strategically. We wish you all the luck and success in your IELTS exam journey. Just remember, we are always there to help you.
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