The IELTS Cue Card Section, which is the second segment of the IELTS Speaking Test, is often viewed as one of the most difficult sections of the IELTS test.
Why? It is due to the fact that you are offered a topic about which you may not have sufficient knowledge and have no choice but to discuss it.
To make matters worse, you have less time to prepare and must talk for a longer period of time on your own, without interruption or questions from the examiner. But there’s no need to be concerned!
This article contains sample responses to the cue card topic ‘Describe a hobby that you do with your family.’ Continue reading to find out more.
What is the IELTS Cue Card Question?
The examiner will provide you a cue card or a task card comprising 3-4 questions and instructions on how to answer the themes in the IELTS Speaking Task 2.
Personal experiences will be used to create the content. After being given the topic, you have one minute to prepare before speaking for roughly 1-2 minutes before the examiner tells you to stop.
If you choose, a piece of paper and a pencil will be provided so that you can write down your views on paper.
While you are speaking, the examiner will not interrupt you. Instead, he or she will simply nod in encouragement.
Soon after the two minutes are over, the examiner will stop you and ask you a few questions about what you said, to which you will have to give brief answers.
How to Answer this Specific Cue Card Question: “Describe a Hobby that You Do with Your Family”
Topic/ Question
Describe a Hobby that You Do with Your Family
Guidelines to answer this question
You should say:
- What hobby it is
- When you usually do it
- How it is done
And explain how you feel when you do it with your family.
- Think of a hobby or any recreational activity that you and your family are fond of doing. If you do not have any activity where your entire family is involved, it could be something which only a few of your family members participate in. Whatever it is, ensure that you have enough details and information so that you have a lot to share later on.
- The moment you have a specific hobby in mind, stick to it. Remember that you only have 60 seconds to plan your speech.
- Begin taking notes right away. State what hobby it is and how it is done. Discuss how often you do it with your family and who among your family members participates in it. Remember to explain how you feel when you do this with your family.
- Since you have very little time to prepare, it will help if you only write keywords and sentences instead of sentences.
- Use complex terminology and challenging grammar patterns extensively. This will astound the examiner and help you score well in this area of the test.
- Take fast notes, but make sure your handwriting is legible to yourself. The examiner will not care what or how you have written on your notes. Your grade is determined by the content and performance of your speech.
- Take a peek at the notes you have made every now and again. It is fine. The examiner will not prevent you from doing so.
Sample Responses for “Describe a Hobby that You Do with Your Family”
Sample Response 1:
“We are a close-knit family and I can say, I’ve had various hobbies I do on my own. I’d like to discuss with you something my family and I enjoy doing. Well, not my entire family, but myself, my older brother, James, and younger sister, Sue. We’ve always been physically active in some fashion, whether it was running, biking, hiking, or swimming. We are also enrolled in a karate class.
When we started karate, the routines became more demanding and were aimed to increase physical strength and quickness. Later on, we began doing more weight training and strength training in the gym, which helped me improve my performance in other sports. Obviously, the amount of time we spend exercising varies, but if I think about it, we normally go for a run at least three times a week, which amounts to around two hours altogether.
For me, I enjoy being active and exercising; it’s something I’ve always done, and it makes me feel good when you’re weary after exerting yourself, but it’s a good tired, and it’s really rewarding, which is probably why I enjoy it so much. There are additional advantages, such as the challenge that exercise may provide. It’s a good way to blow off steam too if you’re feeling unhappy, upset, or simply want to focus on something different for a while.”
Follow-up Question 1:
Would you rather spend your hobby with your friends or your family? Why?
Response:
“Well, it depends. There are hobbies that I’d like to do with friends while there are also those that I’d rather do with the family. Watching movies and shopping, for example, is something that I like doing with my friends. On the other hand, hobbies like cooking and gardening are something that I’d rather be doing with my family.”‘
Follow-up Question 2:
How do you feel about those whose hobbies require a decent amount of money?
Response:
“I don’t see any problem with that at all. I mean, as long as they are able to sustain such a lifestyle without doing anything immoral or wrong, it is okay. It is their choice and above all, their money.”
Sample Response 2:
“Today, I’m going to talk about a hobby of mine that I enjoy doing with my family; my parents and my younger sister, Becca. You probably won’t be able to predict what my passion is because it’s rather uncommon! In our leisure time, my family and I volunteer at an alpaca farm! An alpaca is a breed of mammal raised for its fleece; they resemble sheep but have a much longer neck.
Working with the alpacas and other farm animals necessitates that we arrive early in the morning. Visitors to the farm are frequently present, and my dad and my mom give them a direct tour and familiarize them with all of the different animals. My sister and I assist with special duties to care for them at certain times of the year, such as giving injections to prevent them from illnesses. My favorite time of year to volunteer is when the young alpacas are born in the spring. It is fantastic to behold.
We assist the farm manager on the farm. He’s a very nice and hilarious guy. I’m glad my family and I can get out into the countryside and do some physically demanding activity that is completely different from what I do at work. In the winter, though, it may be bitterly cold, and wading through three feet of snow to feed the animals is hard. On those days, I’m thankful that working with the alpacas is merely a hobby, and that my family and I can spend the rest of the week indoors!”
Follow-up Question 1:
Why do you believe people enjoy having a hobby?
Response:
“One reason could be that it is something people get the chance to ‘lose’ themselves, sort of like an escape from other things going on in their lives. It’s like taking a mental break from studying, job, and just to focus on something different.”
Follow-up Question 2:
Do you believe that having a pastime can help you learn something?
Response:
“Absolutely! How much you can learn depends on your particular passion. If you love to read, you might learn a variety of things from the types of books you enjoy reading. If you enjoy yoga or anything similar, you can learn everything there is to know about the spiritual part of your existence, as well as relaxation techniques and so on. Depending on what you like doing, there is virtually no limit to what you could learn.”
Vocabulary List for Answering the Question: “Describe a Hobby that You Do with Your Family”
Below are some terms from the sample responses for the cue card topic ‘Describe a hobby that you do with your family.’ with their definitions and example sentences for your reference.
| Word | Part of Speech | Definition | Example Usage of the Word in a Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| active | adjective | Physically vigorous tasks are being pursued or are about to be pursued | “In the chilly weather, try to stay active.” |
| behold | verb | View or notice something or someone, especially if it is amazing or impressive | “The suspension bridge is a breathtaking sight to behold.” |
| bitterly | adverb | To an unusually strong, forceful, or violent degree | “It was now bitterly cold outside, and the ground was solidly frozen.” |
| blow off steam | idiom | To get rid of any bottled-up energy or powerful emotions | “Things had gone terribly wrong all day, and I needed to blow off steam.” |
| close-knit | adjective | Unified or bound together by common interests and strong relationships | “The rural family was close-knit, with three generations living under the same roof at times.” |
| demanding | adjective | Needing a great deal of expertise or effort | “The rigors of the tour were too demanding for him.” |
| fleece | noun | A sheep’s or goat’s fuzzy covering | “In the center of the stage, a lamb’s fleece was splayed.” |
| hilarious | adjective | Incredibly amusing | “Our dance attempts were hilarious, as we kept falling over each other.” |
| immoral | adjective | Not adhering to recognized moral standards | “They were accused of subsisting on immoral profits.” |
| karate | noun | An Asian unarmed combat style that uses the feet and hands to strike and deflect strikes, commonly accepted as a sport | “He is a karate black belter.” |
| necessitate | verb | To persuade or coerce someone to accomplish something | “Your plan will necessitate additional financing.” |
| predict | verb | To say or expect that a specific event will occur in the future or will be a result of anything | “The world is now better equipped to predict future climate change patterns.” |
| resemble | verb | To have attributes or features, particularly those of appearances, in common with something or someone; appear to be like | “It’s astonishing how much the grandfather and the grandson resemble each other.” |
| routine | noun | A set of acts that are performed on a regular basis; a fixed program | “Make physical activity a part of your everyday routine.” |
| sustain | verb | To physically or mentally fortify or support | “He struggled to sustain the children’s attention.” |
Additional Reading — IELTS Speaking Cue Card Questions
- Describe a Person You Admire
- Describe Your Best Friend
- Describe Someone Famous that You Want to Meet
- Describe a Person Who You Think is a Good Leader
- Describe a Neighbor You Like
- Describe a Place You Want to Travel Next
- Describe a Historical Place that You Have Been to
- Describe a Place You and Your Friend Went to Recently
- Describe a Place Where You Spend Most of Your Free Time
- Describe a Country that You Want to Visit
- Describe a Gift that You Have Received Recently
- Describe an Item of Clothing that You Bought for Someone
- Describe a Piece of Art that You Want to Buy
- Describe Something that You Recently Lost
- Describe a Vehicle that You Want to Buy
- Describe an Activity that You Find Enjoyable
- Describe a Place Where You Love to Shop
- Describe an Event that You Recently Attended
- Describe One of the Busiest Days of Your Life
- Describe a Difficult Decision that You Made
- Describe a Time When You Felt Lucky
- Describe the First Time You Had a Mobile Phone
- Describe a Time When You Helped a Stranger
- Describe a Time When You Tried to Do Something but Weren’t Successful
- Describe Your Favorite Teacher
- Describe Your Favorite Photograph
- Describe Your Favorite Subject in School
- Describe Your Favorite Song
- Describe Your Favorite Actor
- Describe a Situation that Made You Upset
- Describe a Time When You Had an Argument with Someone
- Describe One of the Happiest Travels You Ever Had
- Describe an Incident When You Got Scared
- Describe a Time When You Felt Relieved
- Describe a Workaholic Person You Know
- Describe an Interesting Course You Took
- Describe a Time When Someone at Work Gave You a Compliment
- Describe a Quiet Place at School Where You Like Spending Your Free Time
- Describe a Time When Something Unfortunate Happened at Work
