Describe an outdoor activity you did: IELTS test Cue Card

Bhargavee Sisodia

03 Jul 2024

The International English Language Testing System, or IELTS exam as it is popularly known, consists of four primary tests: Writing, Reading, Listening, and Speaking. Before taking the IELTS test, it's crucial to understand the format as each test has a different one. You must adhere to a suitable IELTS exam preparation program in order to accomplish this.

The most significant of the four tests is the IELTS speaking examination, which assesses a non-native English speaker's fluency, pronunciation, grammar, and opinions. Consequently, understanding the IELTS speaking topics and questions accurately is the most fundamental component of the test.

You must practice answering the most common IELTS exam sample questions in addition to studying the often-asked speaking questions on the test and trying to gauge how to answer them. 

Examiners will inquire about your career interests, educational background, and personal information during the first section of the IELTS speaking test, known as the general interview. Your preparation for the upcoming speaking test segments is the aim of this section. It's a good idea to have a broad introduction ready when you study for the IELTS speaking test if you want to prevent feeling anxious in this section of the test. You can practice narrating the introduction a few times and it will help you to be fluent, confident, and aware of what to say.

The second part of the IELTS speaking test is called the Cue Card section. In this step, you will receive a Cue Card with a topic that you have to discuss for approximately two minutes. You have one minute to think things through and get ready to respond.  

As part of your IELTS preparation, time yourself when rehearsing your monologues on the most often asked IELTS speaking questions. You will not be allowed to exceed the allocated time. It is also required of you to take more than a minute to complete the answer. As part of your IELTS exam preparation, you should practice speaking on common IELTS speaking topics from our blogs to help you understand the format of each section of the exam.

The next part of the IELTS speaking test is the follow-up questions section, where the examiner will ask you a few more questions based on how you answered the Cue Card. Responding to follow-up questions on the IELTS speaking questions requires candidates to provide answers in a way that shows that they are confident, and talk about their opinions.

This might seem to be intimidating, however, the more you go through IELTS practice test questions and framing the IELTS sample test answers, the more this will get easier for you. Now let's go through one of the examples of IELTS speaking topics "Describe an outdoor activity you did" and go through the sample answers and follow-up questions. If you want to go through other sample IELTS speaking questions and their answers, you can visit our Blog Page.

IELTS sample test topic: Describe an outdoor activity you did

The ideal strategy to answer cue card questions in the IELTS speaking test is by separating it into smaller chunks. Consider it this way: an introduction, vital information, and a conclusion are always included in each piece of writing regardless of the topic. You need to follow the same while answering any question verbally. 

For example, for the topic "Describe an outdoor activity you did," the introduction can be your initial brief about the activity. Then you can talk about when and with whom you did the activity, followed by describing how you did it. This will transition into you talking about how you felt about the activity and then concluding the answer by summarizing the points.

Once you have these points in mind, you will know the sequential flow of your answer during the speaking test. And if you choose to speak about an activity that you did in your real life rather than making something up, it will get even easier for you to decide on the content. Let's go through the sample answers to understand how to frame the answer.

IELTS practice test sample answer 1: Describe an outdoor activity you did

Introduction:

One of the most enjoyable outdoor activities that I did was rock climbing in Darjeeling.

When and with whom did you do the activity:

I had visited Darjeeling a couple of years back with my parents. However, I went rock climbing alone, while my parents waited in the car. Although I did the activity solo, it was extremely thrilling and I had one of the best times of my life.

Describe how you did the activity:

As soon as I saw the Tenzing Rock Climbing site, I asked our driver to stop the car as I wanted to try it out. It took me a moment to convince my parents, who were initially worried, however, they did let me go for it. I registered with the fees, filled out the form, and then got ready wearing the gear, helmet, and safety pads provided to me. Once, I was given the briefing on how to get the grip, I was harnessed safely with a cable which was fixed on top of the rock, and started with the activity. The height of the rock was the same as that of a first-floor building, and it took me almost half an hour to get to the top.

How did you feel about it:

I felt an extreme sense of satisfaction when I reached the top. The view was marvelous, but for a change, it was not about the view. It was about me achieving something which I thought I might never be able to do. I am not a fitness enthusiast and thus, climbing a rock is something that is not a piece of cake for me. It was hard, and I felt like giving up while climbing because it was taking a lot of stamina and effort. However, at the end of the day, it gave me immense happiness that I could push my limits and complete the challenge.

Conclusion:

As the only attempted adventurous activity in my life, this one surely will stay in my memories.

IELTS practice test sample answer 2: Describe an outdoor activity you did

Introduction:

The best memories from the recent time would be my camping experience at Gandikota.

When and with whom did you do the activity:

Me and my friends decided to visit Gandikota in Andhra Pradesh in February this year. It was an impromptu trip and we made the plans within 3 days, made the bookings, packed our stuff, and left for our camping destination.

Describe how you did the activity:

It is a beautiful camping spot by the river Penna. The river flows through a canyon and on top of the cliff there is a camping site. There are arrangements for tents and we booked a couple of tents for the four of us for the 2-day camp. On the first day, we hiked to the Belum Caves which was a few kilometers away from the canyon. We were told to return to the campsite by the sunset as the view of the setting sun behind the canyons was a treat to watch. We clicked pictures of the sunset and sat with strangers we met during the camp for a bonfire. The next day we visited the nearby forts and temples after watching the amazing sunrise at the canyon and then by late night returned back to Hyderabad from where our journey had started.

How did you feel about it:

It was the first camping experience of my life, and I was more than overjoyed. The best part about the activity was that I could spend some amazing time with my friends in those couple of days. The thrill of spending a night under the stars, dancing, and singing in a bonfire, and sleeping in a tent is something that was such a special memory.

Conclusion:

If given a chance, I would try to camp again in any exciting location with my friends.

IELTS test next step: Follow up questions

Follow-up Question 1: Is there any outdoor activity that you want to try in the future?

Answer: Yes, paragliding is one activity that I want to try in the future. From childhood, I always had a dream of flying. Whenever I used to see the birds in the sky, I told my mother that it was unfair that humans couldn't fly. I think paragliding will give me the nearest experience that I might have to flying and thus it is something I will definitely try in the future.

Follow-up Question 2: What is the one outdoor activity that you will never want to try?

Answer: Anything related to water is something I want to avoid. Be it scuba diving or river rafting. I have a phobia of water and although I know it is important for me to get out of my fear, I find any water activity scary and dangerous. I wouldn't want to do anything that scares me. Participating in any activity should be fun and bring us happiness, and if I am not able to enjoy myself, I see no point in participating in it just for the sake of it.

Follow-up Question 3: How important do you think outdoor activities are for us?

Answer: The importance is immense. Especially since the pandemic, a lot of activities are anyway done from home. Right from education, to courses, work, and hobbies, everything is accessible online from the comforts of home. This makes us disconnected from nature in an unhealthy way. Even if we are going outside, a lot of the time it is strictly just to travel to work, school, college, or for any leisure to the theaters or shopping-malls. This is not a healthy lifestyle and being in nature as a part of it and enjoying the process of doing any activity amongst nature breaks the monotony for us and brings us normalcy. 

Conclusion

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