A speaking section might appear simple at first to many of the IELTS candidates. Many candidates also have misconceptions about it, that is, if a candidate has good speaking skills, achieving a good score in the speaking section of IELTS is very easy. It might be true to some extent but only being fluent in English will not fetch you a good band in the IELTS examination.
Examiners judge you not only on the basis of English fluency but on many other criteria that will be discussed in the following paragraphs. You have to prepare yourself according to these criteria to achieve the desired score.
You also need to research the tricks and tactics to be used for the speaking section, so that you are able to describe the cue card topics in the given time.
Now, let’s read this article till the end to find out the right answer for the cue card topic – describe a quiet place you like to spend your time in.
IELTS Speaking Exam Section Criteria
Examiners assess the speaking skill of the candidate during the IELTS exam on the basis of the following points. Take a note of each point and make sure that you keep them in mind even while you are practicing.
You need to bring them into your habit so that you are making yourself habitual of all these points. Missing out on any one of them can cost you huge during examinations, hence it is suggested that in the 2 minutes given to you after revealing the cue card topic, you should recall all these points and align your thoughts with what you will speak.
Also Read:- How to Get a Good Score in IELTS Speaking? Check these Tips to Score 8+ Band
1. Fluency & Coherence
This criterion assesses the candidate’s ability to speak fluently, without pause or hesitation, and without self-correction. It also evaluates the effective use of pronouns, connectors, and conjunctions. You must speak with an accent and in a language that the examiner can understand. Try to align your thoughts with what you are speaking, this way you are making sure that you are following a structured thought process. Don’t use fillers like “Ahh”, “Like”, “umm”, “And”, as they give a bad impression to the examiner.
2. Pronunciation
Focus is on your ability to use intonation, that is, the voice modulation when you are speaking and the way you pronounce any word. Your accent must be clear enough for the examiner to understand. Each language has its own set of tongue, jaw, and lip movements, and some of them we use in English can be very strange in other languages. If you have difficulty making a particular sound in English, the examiner may find it difficult to understand what you are saying.
3. Lexical Resource
The examiner gets to decide if you are using a wide range of vocabulary or not. Candidates should try to convey the meaning using different words which are uncommon yet can be understood by the examiner. The candidate also needs to take collocations and paraphrasing into consideration within this criteria. As you are only given 15 minutes for the speaking section, you should avoid any kind of mistake that can steal your chances of getting a good band in the IELTS Exam
Also Read: How to Improve Pronunciation for the IELTS Speaking Questions? Tips to Boost Your Preparation
4. Grammatical Range & Accuracy
Another important criterion is sentence formation. It includes proper grammar, sentence structure, and the use of idioms and phrases. The more rich grammar you use the more impressive answers you build on. But when you are focusing on the grammar make sure that you are making sense out of it. Your speech should be structured and should create a flow that will help you describe the cue card topic given to you. You should start with the general introduction of the topic, followed by the main body where you are describing the topic and the conclusion, where you are wrapping up the content that you spoke about earlier.
Cue Card Topic Sample Answer – Describe a Quiet Place You Like to Spend Your Time In
1. Where is It?
Sometimes moving away from the noise is what gives us relief. When we are disturbed or we are going through a bad phase, silence is what gives many answers to our troubling thoughts. In such places, we get space to think and get away from everybody just to clean up our mind or even vent out our thoughts. But the sad part here is that not many people are able to find such a place for themselves in their life, they keep on struggling to find one, but only a few handfuls of people are able to enjoy the bliss of silent places. I consider myself one of those lucky people who has found such a place. It is in Delhi where I am living for my education purpose.
Also Read: Describe Something You Enjoy doing with a Group of People: IELTS Exam Cue Card Topic
2. How Did You Know it?
My discovery of this place has a long story which I would like to share with you at this point in time. During my second year of graduation, I was going through a bad phase because of some personal reasons. My friends were there to support me in my gloomy days. It is said that when you share your feelings with your friends you feel so relaxed, and it has happened to me so many times, but this time it was different. I shared my feelings with my friends, but I didn’t get the expected result that is less anxiety and a more relaxed feeling. It stayed the same way.
One of my friends empathized with my problem and took me to a place where she usually went, to take a deep breath and have her mind relaxed. When she took me there I was very skeptical about it, and when she left me at that place for half an hour I felt the magic.
3. What do You do There?
When I sat at that place for the first time I realized that there were very few people around me. It was a beautiful park with a magnificent fountain. Not many people visited the place because it was restricted to the local people only. As I lived at that place I was allowed to visit it as many times as possible. More old people visited the place to have fresh air. When I went there for the first time with my friends, I just sat there, looked around, and took a deep breath. I closed my eyes and asked a few necessary questions. When I opened up my eyes I felt better. After a week I was feeling such a relaxed feeling.
Also Read:- Describe a Polite Person: Cue Card Topic for IELTS Preparation
4. How Often do You Go There?
When my friend got back she asked me about how I feel now, and the only word I spoke was “Lighten”. She understood that the place had its magic on me. Since then whenever I visit this place I sit on a bench, look around, close my eyes and ask questions to myself. I visit that place twice a week and when my schedule is power-packed I visit it once. But to relax my mind I make sure that I visit it every week.
That place gives me a sense of being strong and makes me more confident towards my capability to handle things myself. I am not sure what is that exact thing about it makes me so relaxed, but the aura it has is magical.
IELTS Speaking Follow-up Questions
During IELTS exam preparation many candidates miss out on the follow-up questions that are asked by the examiner towards the end of the speaking section. Once you have described the topic given to you, you will be given a few follow-up questions on the basis of the topic given to you. You have to answer these questions keeping all the above-discussed points in mind.
Also Read:- Describe a Product or Application Which is Based on Artificial Intelligence: IELTS Cue Card Sample Question and Answer
1. Is it Hard to Find Quiet Places in Cities?
Yes, with the regular development of social and cultural values we have fewer quiet places left around us. The quiet ones are most dangerous because of the fewer presence of people. But we can find few quiet places in the society that has restricted entry of the outsider which makes the place safe.
2. Why Do Some People Not Like Quiet Places?
Some people are hyperactive, they like to talk a lot, they like to move and roam around. Such people look for companions wherever they go. For them, silent places will not be a stress reliever but the opposite of that, which is being a stressor.
3. Do You Need a Quiet Place When You are Working?
Yes, I need a quiet place to work. I have tried working in noisy places as well but I have noticed that I am not able to concentrate when I work in such places. My productivity level dips downwards hampering my working capability, this is the reason I avoid noisy places to work.
Also Read:- Describe a Time When You Felt Bored: An Interesting Cue Card Topic for IELTS Speaking Practise
Conclusion
If you are preparing for the IELTS examination it is important for you to do thorough research on each of the sections. For the speaking section you need to know all about the criteria mentioned above in this article which is used by the examiner to assess your English speaking skills, you also need to practice the cue card topics like the one given above: Describe a quiet place you like to spend your time in cue card, with the sample answer for your better understanding. Try to practice as many cue card topics as you can, to practice with the sample answer you can refer to the IELTS Ninja website where you can get interesting cue card topics given in the speaking section.
English 
Hindi