IELTS Cue Card: Describe a piece of equipment in your home
You should say:
What it is
How often you use it
Who you usually use it with
And explain why this item is important to you
Sample Answer 1
The past few years is the golden era of advanced technology, and I suppose household appliances is no exception. I’m going to describe the refrigerator as a household equipment that I find most useful for my family.
My mom loves cooking and she’s actually a good cook. She’s mainly responsible for shopping for healthy food and cooking scrumptious meal for all of us. And as a matter of fact, our refrigerator is essential when it comes to food storage. Its size is perfect for the corner area in our kitchen, yet big enough to store a large amount of food for the whole family. We keep the vegetables and certain kinds of fruits at the bottom, whereas the leftovers are kept on top. And some cakes that are made by my mom are kept cold in the middle. As regards my family meals, fresh meat and seafood is a must. In particular I cannot go a day without a single piece of pork or beef. Thus, the fridge has always done a great job of keeping the meat and seafood fresh all the times. Besides, ice cream bought by my dad every two to three weeks is also stored in the same freezer.
Refrigerator is a wonderful technological invention I must say. It is an indispensable appliance for almost every household. Since the country possesses tropical weather and particularly quite high outside temperature these days, it is difficult to keep the vegetables or meat fresh even for a few days. I think down the line if I ever move away, fridge is definitely on top of my must-have list.
Vocabulary
Household appliance (n) a machine that is designed to do a particular thing in the home, such as preparing food, heating or cleaning
To be responsible for (adj)/To take the responsibility to Having an obligation to do something, or having control over or care for someone, as part of one’s job or role
Scrumptious (adj) very delicious
As a matter of fact (phrase) in reality
When it comes to Sth/V-ing (phrase) speaking about
At the bottom/in the middle/on top (adv)
As regards (expression) in regard to
To be a must (adj) to be highly required
To go a day without (v) Sth that is not necessary to do on a certain day
To do a great job (v) to do Sth well
Indispensable (adj) absolutely necessary
Tropical weather (n) Very hot and humid
Down the line (idiom) in the future
Must-have (n/adj) Essential or highly desirable
QUESTIONS FOR PART 3
1. Has (the item you choose to talk about) changed much over the years?
As far as I’m concerned, innovations of refrigerators have taken place extensively in terms of size, price ranges and quality in accordance with different usages. For instance, while families prefer fridges that are large-sized and have high electric capacity, fridges which are specifically used for laboratories are more advanced for chemicals storage.
Vocabulary
In accordance with (phrase) in agreement with something
2. Do you think everyone needs to know how to use [the item you choose to talk about]?
Unlike other electrical household appliances, refrigerators are way easier to use, even for children, unless they are too short that they cannot reach for their favorite ice cream stored in the freezer. However I suppose when purchasing a fridge, people should at least bear in mind what they’re going to use the fridge for as well as how to make the most of. Besides, due to frequent functioning, fridges sometimes have electrical problems that had better be fixed by specialists.
Vocabulary
Way (adv) at or to a considerable extent; far (used before an adverb or preposition for emphasis).
To bear in mind (v) to consider
To make the most of (phrase) to exploit something; to get as much out of something as ispossible.
3. What kinds of electrical appliance are most used in the home, besides the telephone and computer?
A number of electrical appliances are being used nowadays in order to enhance the efficiency of doing household chores within less time. Due to varied demand and preference of the family, it is difficult to rank which appliance is mostly used, so I’ll just make a guess. I think the most useful piece of household equipment ever is the refrigerator, for its wonderful capacity of storing almost all essential daily foods for a long time.
Vocabulary
A number of Sth (plural) (phrase) a large number of Sth
Household chores (n) a routine task at home
Demand (n) need
4. What are some examples of electronic or electrical equipment that are used commonly for communication?
Two common means of communication from home are telephone and desktop. Despite the fact that smartphones are more popular among young family members, our parents or grandparents are way more familiar with using conventional dial telephones. Although the phone bill have risen significantly, telephones are still in need for some families to b with each other. Desktop with high-speed Internet connection is another good tool for communication, especially for video calls with relatives living miles away. Physical distance no longer matters.
Vocabulary
To outweigh (v) to provide greater benefits compared to many other things
To be in need (adj) to be required
Physical distance (n) distance that can be measured
Sample Answer 2
Cooking is an art, and what has made cooking easier over time is the kitchen equipment. It is of great help and assistance in maintaining the cleanliness or orderliness in the kitchen. Here, let me describe a piece of equipment that is important in my home, the Air Fryer. As everyone in my home loves eating fried food items every week, I decided to purchase an air fryer as the airfried foods have a lower fat content than deep-fried foods, which can help in weight loss and are completely safer and healthier when compared to deep-fried food items, which contain a lot more fat than foods cooked in other ways. Air fryers are user-friendly kitchen appliances that circulate heat at high temperatures to fry, bake, or grill the food with minimal use of oil. All we need to do is add the respective veggies or non-vegetarian food item, and we need to add one tablespoon of the negligible amount of cooking oil and set the time and temperature gauge. However, the meal gets ready within 15 to 20 minutes when the timer goes off. I use the air fryer thrice a week whenever my family desires to eat the fried food items. It requires less oil and produces a similar taste to what we can expect in deep frying methods. Also, it eases up and fastens my cooking time. From my personal point of view, the Air Fryer is essential as it enables me to cook fried food items easily with less oil. It ultimately produces healthier foods than most deep-fried foods. In addition, they’re mess-free and very convenient to use. Besides, the air fryer is a healthier option because it has fewer calories, promoting weight loss.
Vocabulary for IELTS Speaking Part 2
Assistance – the provision of money, resources, or information to help someone.
Eg: The financial assistance by the government was helpful.
Deep-fried – (of food) fried in an amount of fat or oil sufficient to cover it completely.
Eg: The doctor advised the patient to avoid deep-fried food items.
Circulate – move continuously or freely through a closed system or area.
Eg: The teacher circulated the exam papers to the students.
Negligible – so small or unimportant as to be not worth considering; insignificant.
Eg: The loss seemed negligible for the company.
Ease – absence of difficulty or effort.
Eg: The doctors performed the surgery with ease.
IELTS Speaking Part 3 Questions (Discussion)
How do you think modern technology has changed the way we work (compared to the past)?
Modern technology has transformed the way people used to communicate or work in the past. With the advent of technology and the arrival of the internet, the working style of businesses across the world has completely revolutionized. Moreover, technology has helped us to connect with people anywhere and at any time. Computers have replaced manual work; automated machines have replaced the work done by the employees. To summarize, the impact in the workplace is incredible.
Do you think that operating equipment at work can ever have some bad effect on the body?
Well, I don’t agree completely. Operating equipment at work can have fewer negative effects if the employees are trained and taught to use and operate the machines. They should also be made to understand the risks and possibility of dangers such as accidents, death, or occasional injuries that can occur if these operating equipment are mishandled or improperly used.
Do you think it’s important for employees (in-industry) to be trained to use the equipment at work?
Of course, the in-industry employees need to be trained to use the operating equipment at work to understand the functioning and nature of that specific equipment. It can be dangerous for the employees’ lives if they are not taught about the working process of the equipment.
Do you agree that older people have difficulties in using (advanced) modern equipment? How can we help elderly people to use these modern devices?
Yes, I totally agree that older people have difficulties using modern technological devices as they’re less inclined to use them and are intimidated by electronic gadgets. However, we can overcome this problem by assisting and guiding older people to use these modern devices more efficiently and help understand the value/ usage of the internet/ search engines, digital payments, online shopping, etc.
Are there any disadvantages of using modern equipment too much in the home?
Yes, there are. Children and youngsters in the family are so engrossed in modern devices like mobile phones that they completely forget about their studies, while the older people are so engaged in television that they forget about their work. Similarly, mothers are extremely dependent on their kitchen equipment like dishwashers and microwaves, that work comes to a standstill when the equipment doesn’t work.
Vocabulary for IELTS Speaking Part 3 (Discussion)
Engrossed – absorb all the attention or interest of.
Eg: She was engrossed in the climax of the movie
Engaged – busy and occupied
Eg: Jack was so engaged in his work that he forgot to visit the doctor.
Standstill – a situation or condition in which there is no movement or activity at all.
Eg: Machines come to a standstill when the power goes off.
Intimidate – frighten or overawe (someone), especially in order to make them do what one wants.
Eg: I was intimidated by the heights of roller coasters.
Mishandle – manage or deal with (something) wrongly or ineffectively
Eg: The labourers mishandled the heavy machinery, which led to injuries.
