Sample Band 8 for IELTS Speaking Part 2 & Part 3: An Item You Spent on More Than Expected

IELTS Cue Card: Describe an item on which you spent more than expected

You should say:
What it is
How much you spent on it
Why you bought it
And explain why you think you spend more than expected

Model Answers for IELTS Cue Card: Describe an item on which you spent more than expected

Recently, my old mobile phone broke down (to stop working), therefore, I had no choice but to buy a new phone. I was always a big fan of Apple, but I was on a tight budget (not having much money) so I had to consider carefully before buying something. But that time I couldn’t help myself (to be unable to prevent yourself from doing sth you should not do) and decided to buy a brand new iPhone 13.

The phone priced at $999, which costed me an arm and leg (very expensive). But I wanted this so bad, so I still went for (to do what you need to do without additional thought) it. Previously, I used a Samsung mobile phone, and I found it handy (useful and convenient) for me. But after using Iphone 13, I felt it way (used to emphasize degree or separation) better. It has a skylight color with a 6.1-inch display, a dual-camera setup, and an aluminum frame.

Although it was much more more expensive than I expected but I was still happy with my decision to buy it. I am keen on (fond of, like) taking photos of the breathtaking (extremely good, beautiful, or exciting) landscapes during my trips so this phone is extremely useful for me. I have had a high-end (of very good quality and usually expensive) cinematic experience with just an iphone which I can carry in my pocket. On top of that (besides), I usually drop my phones and broke my previous phones a couple of times, but luckily this phone has stainless steel band which protects it from being broken easily.

IELTS Speaking Part 3 : Follow up Questions

Here some IELTS Speaking Part 3 questions ( follow up questions ) possibly asked during your IELTS speaking part 3 discussion by the IELTS examiner related to IELTS cue card “describe an item on which you spent more than expected”.

1. Do you often buy more than you expected?
Yes, I am a shopaholic (a person who enjoys shopping very much and does it a lot), so I go shopping a lot and often buy way (used to express the degree) more than I need. For example, I will buy two identical (exactly the same) dresses if they are on sale (being sold for a lower price than usual), even if I need just one.

2. What do you think young people spend most of their money on?
Nowadays, youngsters spend most of their money on clothes, high-tech gadgets (often small mechanical or electronic devices with a practical use) and other fashion accessories like bags, shoes, etc. They live in a materialistic world  (believing that having money and possessions is the most important thing in life) with a higher standard of living, therefore, it is hard for them to resist the strong temptation (the desire to have or do something, esp. something wrong, or something that causes this desire) from these things.

3. Do you think it is important to save money? Why?
Yes, I think saving money, especially savvy (having practical knowledge and experience) saving is highly important to us. It can provide peace of mind (a feeling of calm or not being worried), open up (to create new opportunities) options which help improve your quality of life (the level of satisfaction and comfort), increase your wealth due to compound interest ( interest computed on the sum of an original amount of money and on the interest that has been added to it ), and allow you to retire early. On top of that, the world is changing quickly with a lot of imminent epidemics (=pandemic) and catastrophes without any warnings or signals, so it is better to have a considerable amount of money saved for the future to tide over (to help someone to work or operate normally through a difficult period) the difficult times.

Other possible IELTS Speaking Part 3 questions:

Why do people sometimes buy things that they do not need?
Should parents teach their children how to save money from a young age?
What are the kinds of items that young people spend most of their money on?