IELTS Cue Card Question 81 With Model Answer:
[You will have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes. You have one minute to think about what you're going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish.]
Model Answer 1:
Travelling to overseas is always fun for me and I do not miss the chance of shopping during the trips. Last summer I went to Singapore for an official visit and had bought a faded jeans pant that I did not like.
I went to Singapore from my office to train up the local employees. The training issues were diversified and I was stressed after the day-long training. Thereby, I went at Bugis Street to get some knickknacks and clothing for my family. A Singapore office staff accompanied me. This was a street market and pretty nice. So, I got some essentials for my family according to their list and also bought a faded light white-coloured jeans pant for me. The pants looked gorgeous and the style was different too. Moreover, the price was reasonable too. The seller wanted to sell another piece of the same colour pants but my wallet vetoed there.
When I arrived at Singapore, my colleagues were saying that the street markets are the place to get the good things at a reasonable price. Since it was my first visit to the country, I did not have any clear idea of shopping here and accordingly went to the Bugis Street, one of the largest local street markets selling a good number of things. A local of the city and our office Singapore branch employee guided me through the market and helped me cordially to get the desired things. I bought the pants from the clothing section and I also bought some other attire too for my family members after their demands on the list. The jeans pant was light white and in colour with a fade shade and importantly it was the right fit for me.
Usually, I wear tailor-made attires but regarding jeans, I have a specific choice. I prefer the slim fitting pants and if the pants do not get fit with my body shape, I do not get them. The jeans pant was the classic style and fitted me perfectly. But there were some designs on the hip pockets and few fabrics were twisted on the front side which attracted me. There were some other colours available at the shop like light blue, medium blue, dark blue, faded jeans and more. The light white faded jeans received my attention.
The jeans pant was fine for me until it was taken to have a wash. It was the first time I gave the pant with other clothes to be washed at the hotel I was staying in Singapore. When they delivered the clothing, it was a sad event for me. The faded jeans pant turned more fade. Besides, the designs in front and back lost their beauty for the cleaning and some of the fabrics were torn too. When asked about the worst condition, the cleaners replied that the fabric turned weak after it was washed with soapy water. They also pointed that the fabric quality was not up to the mark and thereby it was sold in an extremely cheaper rate. In fact, I should have been careful in buying the jeans pant.
Model Answer 2:
I do not usually like to dress in formal attire, and hence I do not have any formal dress. It may sound strange to many that I love to be casual always. But recently I had to purchase a formal jacket that I could not like much. Thank you much for the question and it reminds me of an abnormal experience of my life that I underwent a few days ago.
I had to buy the formal jacket to attend an interview. I have recently crossed my graduation barrier and now seeking jobs here and there. As part of the job search, I was selected by a reputed organisation to be their field representative. They invited me to take part in a formal interview and asked me to wear formal attire. Accordingly, I had to buy the formal jacket. But I was quite uncomfortable with the attire and did not use it for long.
I bought the jacket from a local market here in Singapore. In fact, it was not possible for me to go to a tailor and order for the jacket. So, I bought it from a local formal attire selling the shop. The shop is specialised in selling formal attire like formal pants, shirts, ties and jackets. I did not need the other clothing but only the jacket. Besides, it was necessary for me to get a good look on the interview day as the job was important for me. So, I bought the jacket after a reasonable haggling with the seller. Initially, the seller asked an unreasonable price. He understood that I was in a hurry and thus he wanted to get some benefits of my rush. But I got the jacket at a reasonable price and it was for my wisdom at that moment. I know how clever they are, and if there were someone else, they would have taken the advantage indeed.
The jacket was black in colour. It was a double-breasted jacket that suited me perfectly. But I was worried about the colour as they did not mention about the colour of the dress. So, I thought that black will suit me most. Accordingly, I also wore a white shirt and a red tie with the jacket. I looked very smart on that day and my family members were happy seeing me in the formal outfit. In fact, it was a kind of surprise for them to see me in the formal attire. Earlier, they had tried many times to convince me wearing formal attire. But I declined their requests all the times. So, they were surprised about the attire and asked me the secret. I smilingly replied it all was about attending an interview. But they were happy with me now and prayed that I should continue the outfit, at least I should continue wearing formal pant and shirt.
I could not like the jacket for some specific reasons. I was okay with the pant and shirt. But it appeared that the jacket was limiting my movements. I could not move my hands freely as I can do with my T-shirts. Besides, the feeling was unusual to me as I never wore a jacket before. I was looking smart with the attire outside, but I was feeling a sense of discomfort inside my mind. I was unable to move my hands and even felt trouble in answering phone calls. Later I realised that it was my inexperience with the jacket and if I continue wearing it, the movement problems will be solved. But I did not want to. In a single word, the jacket made me feel caged within. So, I did not like that.
Let's talk about clothes...
Q. What kind of clothes do people in your country usually wear?
A: Fashion primarily depends on dresses and attire in Australia and there is no national costume for the country. But the fashion style is quite different from the other nations like Europeans or Western. Australian dresses are mostly casual. People usually prefer clothes based on their climatic conditions, identity and lifestyle and the dresses are designed so. Women prefer short sleeve dresses, jumpers, maxis, wrap dresses, collarless shirts, tops, skirts etc. with different styles and they vary on occasions while the males put on polo shirts, jeans, formal shirts and pants, suits, tie, jackets, trousers etc.
Q. How important is it to wear fashionable clothes in your country?
A: People here prefer comfort than fashion. The climatic conditions are one the best determiner for your dress. For instance, if you are in winter, you cannot wear a half sleeve dress and get out for any event, rather you are to take full sleeve dresses with proper cold preventing attire. When it is hot in the summer, you are to wear light coloured dresses for your comfort. But the dresses are fashionable and let you express yourself amid others.
Q. Do older people and younger people wear different coloured clothes?
A: Commonly the older people start preferring the light coloured dresses while the younger people prefer the dark. It is a popular culture when people turn older, they start using light coloured dresses to mark their superiority, and like the other youths of the world, and they use dark and deep coloured attire.
Now let's talk about spending money on clothes...
Q. Are clothes expensive in your country?
A: The reasonable price has made the fashion in Australia a common fact for all to participate. Almost all the people use clothes with different styles and designs and it is supported by the lower price of attire comparing the other countries. You can get a fine quality pant and a shirt for men spending around 200 dollars while it is less for the females.
Q. Do people wear more expensive clothes to work in your country?
A: Australian people are at work use casual dresses for comfortable working hours. Women in Australia mostly wear skirts and tops with heeled sandals during their work unless there are any special instructions issued by their respective offices. Males, in Australia, also follow the similar fashion with comfortable full sleeve shirts, tucked in with formal pants and shoes. Some professionals wear expensive dresses in workplaces but a majority of Australian professionals wear casual dressed that are not too much expensive.
Q. Do you think people spend too much money on clothes nowadays?
A: Currently people spending money for their clothes but it is not in an excessive amount. The expenses in Australia are moderate comparing the income level of the citizens. There are many other things to do for a standard living and the earnings are distributed to meet the daily needs of the citizens. During the shopping, most of the people try to have the required things first and then invest in their luxury. Similarly, if they need to have new garment, they seek the options to have the best one within their estimated budget. So, there are fewer chances to spend more for clothes as it is thought.
If you can talk about the cue card topic "Describe an item of clothing you purchased that you didn’t like." you should be able to talk about the following IELTS cue cards as well:
Describe an item of clothing you purchased that you didn’t like.
You should say:- what the clothing is
- where and why you bought it
- what colour and style it is
[You will have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes. You have one minute to think about what you're going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish.]
Model Answer 1:
I went to Singapore from my office to train up the local employees. The training issues were diversified and I was stressed after the day-long training. Thereby, I went at Bugis Street to get some knickknacks and clothing for my family. A Singapore office staff accompanied me. This was a street market and pretty nice. So, I got some essentials for my family according to their list and also bought a faded light white-coloured jeans pant for me. The pants looked gorgeous and the style was different too. Moreover, the price was reasonable too. The seller wanted to sell another piece of the same colour pants but my wallet vetoed there.
When I arrived at Singapore, my colleagues were saying that the street markets are the place to get the good things at a reasonable price. Since it was my first visit to the country, I did not have any clear idea of shopping here and accordingly went to the Bugis Street, one of the largest local street markets selling a good number of things. A local of the city and our office Singapore branch employee guided me through the market and helped me cordially to get the desired things. I bought the pants from the clothing section and I also bought some other attire too for my family members after their demands on the list. The jeans pant was light white and in colour with a fade shade and importantly it was the right fit for me.
Usually, I wear tailor-made attires but regarding jeans, I have a specific choice. I prefer the slim fitting pants and if the pants do not get fit with my body shape, I do not get them. The jeans pant was the classic style and fitted me perfectly. But there were some designs on the hip pockets and few fabrics were twisted on the front side which attracted me. There were some other colours available at the shop like light blue, medium blue, dark blue, faded jeans and more. The light white faded jeans received my attention.
The jeans pant was fine for me until it was taken to have a wash. It was the first time I gave the pant with other clothes to be washed at the hotel I was staying in Singapore. When they delivered the clothing, it was a sad event for me. The faded jeans pant turned more fade. Besides, the designs in front and back lost their beauty for the cleaning and some of the fabrics were torn too. When asked about the worst condition, the cleaners replied that the fabric turned weak after it was washed with soapy water. They also pointed that the fabric quality was not up to the mark and thereby it was sold in an extremely cheaper rate. In fact, I should have been careful in buying the jeans pant.
Model Answer 2:
I do not usually like to dress in formal attire, and hence I do not have any formal dress. It may sound strange to many that I love to be casual always. But recently I had to purchase a formal jacket that I could not like much. Thank you much for the question and it reminds me of an abnormal experience of my life that I underwent a few days ago.
I had to buy the formal jacket to attend an interview. I have recently crossed my graduation barrier and now seeking jobs here and there. As part of the job search, I was selected by a reputed organisation to be their field representative. They invited me to take part in a formal interview and asked me to wear formal attire. Accordingly, I had to buy the formal jacket. But I was quite uncomfortable with the attire and did not use it for long.
I bought the jacket from a local market here in Singapore. In fact, it was not possible for me to go to a tailor and order for the jacket. So, I bought it from a local formal attire selling the shop. The shop is specialised in selling formal attire like formal pants, shirts, ties and jackets. I did not need the other clothing but only the jacket. Besides, it was necessary for me to get a good look on the interview day as the job was important for me. So, I bought the jacket after a reasonable haggling with the seller. Initially, the seller asked an unreasonable price. He understood that I was in a hurry and thus he wanted to get some benefits of my rush. But I got the jacket at a reasonable price and it was for my wisdom at that moment. I know how clever they are, and if there were someone else, they would have taken the advantage indeed.
The jacket was black in colour. It was a double-breasted jacket that suited me perfectly. But I was worried about the colour as they did not mention about the colour of the dress. So, I thought that black will suit me most. Accordingly, I also wore a white shirt and a red tie with the jacket. I looked very smart on that day and my family members were happy seeing me in the formal outfit. In fact, it was a kind of surprise for them to see me in the formal attire. Earlier, they had tried many times to convince me wearing formal attire. But I declined their requests all the times. So, they were surprised about the attire and asked me the secret. I smilingly replied it all was about attending an interview. But they were happy with me now and prayed that I should continue the outfit, at least I should continue wearing formal pant and shirt.
I could not like the jacket for some specific reasons. I was okay with the pant and shirt. But it appeared that the jacket was limiting my movements. I could not move my hands freely as I can do with my T-shirts. Besides, the feeling was unusual to me as I never wore a jacket before. I was looking smart with the attire outside, but I was feeling a sense of discomfort inside my mind. I was unable to move my hands and even felt trouble in answering phone calls. Later I realised that it was my inexperience with the jacket and if I continue wearing it, the movement problems will be solved. But I did not want to. In a single word, the jacket made me feel caged within. So, I did not like that.
Part 3: Two-way-discussion
Let's talk about clothes...
Q. What kind of clothes do people in your country usually wear?
A: Fashion primarily depends on dresses and attire in Australia and there is no national costume for the country. But the fashion style is quite different from the other nations like Europeans or Western. Australian dresses are mostly casual. People usually prefer clothes based on their climatic conditions, identity and lifestyle and the dresses are designed so. Women prefer short sleeve dresses, jumpers, maxis, wrap dresses, collarless shirts, tops, skirts etc. with different styles and they vary on occasions while the males put on polo shirts, jeans, formal shirts and pants, suits, tie, jackets, trousers etc.
Q. How important is it to wear fashionable clothes in your country?
A: People here prefer comfort than fashion. The climatic conditions are one the best determiner for your dress. For instance, if you are in winter, you cannot wear a half sleeve dress and get out for any event, rather you are to take full sleeve dresses with proper cold preventing attire. When it is hot in the summer, you are to wear light coloured dresses for your comfort. But the dresses are fashionable and let you express yourself amid others.
Q. Do older people and younger people wear different coloured clothes?
A: Commonly the older people start preferring the light coloured dresses while the younger people prefer the dark. It is a popular culture when people turn older, they start using light coloured dresses to mark their superiority, and like the other youths of the world, and they use dark and deep coloured attire.
Now let's talk about spending money on clothes...
Q. Are clothes expensive in your country?
A: The reasonable price has made the fashion in Australia a common fact for all to participate. Almost all the people use clothes with different styles and designs and it is supported by the lower price of attire comparing the other countries. You can get a fine quality pant and a shirt for men spending around 200 dollars while it is less for the females.
Q. Do people wear more expensive clothes to work in your country?
A: Australian people are at work use casual dresses for comfortable working hours. Women in Australia mostly wear skirts and tops with heeled sandals during their work unless there are any special instructions issued by their respective offices. Males, in Australia, also follow the similar fashion with comfortable full sleeve shirts, tucked in with formal pants and shoes. Some professionals wear expensive dresses in workplaces but a majority of Australian professionals wear casual dressed that are not too much expensive.
Q. Do you think people spend too much money on clothes nowadays?
A: Currently people spending money for their clothes but it is not in an excessive amount. The expenses in Australia are moderate comparing the income level of the citizens. There are many other things to do for a standard living and the earnings are distributed to meet the daily needs of the citizens. During the shopping, most of the people try to have the required things first and then invest in their luxury. Similarly, if they need to have new garment, they seek the options to have the best one within their estimated budget. So, there are fewer chances to spend more for clothes as it is thought.
If you can talk about the cue card topic "Describe an item of clothing you purchased that you didn’t like." you should be able to talk about the following IELTS cue cards as well:
- Describe something you have recently bought.
- Talk about something you have planned to buy.
- Describe an item of cloth you used to wear.
- Describe something you waste money on.
- Describe an item of clothing which was fashionable once.
- Describe something you bought but wish you did not.
- Describe a dress you like to wear.