Describe a special meal that someone made for you: IELTS Cue Card
Bhargavee Sisodia19 Nov 2024
The IELTS exam is one of the most prestigious English certification exams for any non-native English speaker aspiring to settle or study outside their country. The IELTS test consists of four major sections namely the Listening test, the Reading test, the Writing test, and the Speaking test. The IELTS speaking test is divided into three sections consuming an overall time of 11-14 minutes per applicant. The first part of the IELTS speaking exam is the general introductory round where the examiner inquires about your educational background, your hobbies, and other preferences. This round is like an ice-breaker round for the candidate and it takes 3 to 4 minutes. The following round is the IELTS Speaking topics round commonly known as the Cue Card section. In this round, the examiner provides you with a random topic written on a Cue Card and expects you to speak on the topic for 2 minutes. You will get 1 minute to frame and prepare the answer in your mind after which you should begin your speech. The third and last round of the IELTS speaking test is the follow-up questions round. In this round, the examiner asks a few questions based on the IELTS speaking topics or your answer on that topic. There are a few pointers you need to keep in mind during your IELTS preparation and we have jotted them below for you.
- You must practice the speech on common IELTS speaking topics and time your answers so that it does not exceed 2 minutes.
- You should prepare by answering the related IELTS speaking questions from the follow-up sections of the IELTS speaking topics materials.
- Make sure to undergo at least one IELTS sample test regularly.
- Try to evaluate the mistakes from your IELTS practice test and understand the means to rectify them.
- Browse through as many IELTS exam sample as possible. This practice would help in boosting your confidence.
- Analyze and understand the IELTS speaking questions before speaking to avoid any miscommunications.
We have prepared some model answers and follow-up questions with their responses on one of the IELTS speaking topics for your better understanding of the format and structure of the IELTS speaking questions.
IELTS sample test topic:
Describe a special meal that someone made for you
Who made the meal and why?
After my 10th-grade finals, my geography tutor called all her students for lunch to celebrate the end of a big chapter of our lives. She was one of our favorite tutors and she used to be a source of motivation for all of us. We were a batch of 6 students and she fed all of us with a lot of love and care. She wanted to reward her students for enduring the journey and successfully completing the first chapter of our educational journey.
Describe the meal
She made us chicken nuggets and veg spring rolls for starters along with mango shakes. For the main course, she made us Biriyani and chicken chaap with pickled curd. She served each one of us individually and fed us with careful supervision as if we were her own children. For dessert, she made a chocolate moose with crushed almonds which we loved so much that we asked her for her recipe. At the end of the meal she carefully wrote down the recipe of her signature dishes for us to try if we ever wanted. The meal was so memorable for every one of us that we discuss and reminisce about it to this day.
Concluding emotions :
She was an amazing tutor for all six of us as she made geography fun for us. Instead of boring lectures and lengthy mock tests, she used to arrange fun quizzes and diagram-making competitions to draw our attention and make the subject fun for us. The lunch was her way of rewarding us for enduring the first hurdle of our educational journey with grace. We ended the day with a group picture of all of us with our favorite teacher to keep the memory of that day alive in our hearts. It was truly one of the best memories of my school life and one of the most loving meals I have ever had in my life.
IELTS sample test topic:
Describe a special meal that someone made for you
A meaningful start
Last year on my birthday, a friend of mine along with her partner, welcomed me to their home and cooked me a huge birthday meal. I was staying away from my family at that time so the meal was all the more meaningful and emotional for me. She cooked me an elaborate birthday lunch with a lot of love and care and made sure that I didn't miss my family.
Menton the items
My friend made me a cool lemonade and some cheese potato bites as appetizers. For the main course, her husband roasted a whole chicken with mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables on the side. He also made a rich gravy with bits and pieces of chicken and its stock to go with them. The food was so well cooked and so delicious that I had more than my usual amount. Both of them supervised me while I ate one of my best birthday meals. As a dessert my friend baked small muffins and apple pudding which is my favorite dessert. I devoured the pie like a hungry monster, even though I was full after the main course.
Capping off with :
When a food is cooked with love and affection, its taste elevates by leaps and bounds. My friend and her husband worked really hard to make my birthday special for me and I felt truly fortunate to have gotten friends like them. The food tasted all the more delicious because of the emotions with which they cooked it for me. I am eternally grateful to both of them for serving such a memorable meal on my special day and will remember it for the rest of my life.
IELTS speaking test: Follow-up questions
The IELTS speaking topics are followed by a series of follow-up questions based on the answers in the Cue Card section. This section is one of the toughest sections for a non-native English speaker as it demands quick thinking, adequate conversation skills, and the talent for articulation. To ace this section of the IELTS speaking test, you should practice answering the common IELTS speaking questions and take part in the IELTS practice exam. We have mentioned some pointers below to help you analyze and frame your answers well for the follow-up questions section of the speaking test.
IELTS exam follow-up questions: Tips and Tricks
To finish the last part of your IELTS speaking test with flying colors, you might need a small nudge. The tips listed below would definitely help in your IELTS preparation for this section.
- It is not necessary that all the follow-up questions would be based on your answer from the IELTS cue card section. It might be a generic question on the IELTS speaking topics. You need to understand the questions and answer accordingly.
- Make sure to articulate your answer well so that your opinion is conveyed to the examiner in the appropriate manner without any misunderstandings.
- Practice answering the IELTS speaking questions for different IELTS speaking topics during your IELTS exam preparation.
- Try to improve your vocabulary and communication skills while you prepare for this section of the IELTS test.
- Follow-up question
Do you prefer home-cooked meals over restaurant food?
Answer: I used to prefer restaurant food over home-cooked meals when I stayed with my parents as I used to take it for granted. But during my time away from home, I understood the real worth of a proper home cooked meal. I missed the essence of my mother’s cooking the most while I stayed away from my family for my master’s degree. Restaurant food might seem tastier, but the emotions with which a meal is cooked by your loved ones cannot be compared with it. On top of that, a home cooked meal would never hurt your stomach, but a restaurant bought food can easily make you sick if consumed on a daily basis. Thus after understanding the essence of a meal cooked at home, I prefer it over restaurant take outs.
What would you prefer, eating or cooking?
Answer: Both. I am a foodie at heart so I love all the aspects of food, from preparation to plating. I love to try out new dishes and cook them for my loved ones. I have cooked for my father on numerous occasions since he loves my cooking as it reminds him of his mother’s home cooked meals. I love trying out new recipes for him and he devours them with love and sometimes provides his honest reviews. I also love to eat the food made by my mother since she is an amazing cook and she knows my likes and dislikes. For me, food is an emotion. A delicious piece of chocolate brownie or a plateful of Biriyani has the ability to lift my mood in any situation.
Do you think modern cooking has slowly replaced ancient cooking methods?
Answer: Not necessarily. I think both modern and ancient cooking methods have their own merits. The modern techniques of cooking are meant to save the time and energy of the chef, whereas the ancient methods of cooking are meant to keep the taste of the food intact. Ancient ways of cooking give the food the correct amount of flavors, while modern cooking methodologies stress the health and nutritional factors of the food. Both the cooking methods have their own benefits and the preference of one over the other depends on the health and perception of the consumer.
Conclusion
Our D-VIVID staff is here to help, mentor, and support you while you go through the IELTS exam process. We offer excellent responses to a variety of IELTS speaking topics, personalized study resources for the IELTS exam sample, and many ways to take the IELTS sample test and IELTS practice test. Our highly skilled counselors assist your IELTS exam preparation and help you achieve a high score. Hurry and get in touch with us right now to have a fantastic IELTS preparation journey.
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