IELTS Speaking Part 2

Describe some technology (e.g. an app, phone, software program) that you decided to stop using: IELTS cue card with sample answer

An IELTS cue card for Speaking Part 2 with a Band 8 sample answer, the one-minute plan behind it, the vocabulary that lifts it and the Part 3 follow-up questions the examiner can ask next.
  • 245 words
  • An object
  • 1 minute to prepare
  • 2 minutes to speak

The cue card

Describe some technology (e.g. an app, phone, software program) that you decided to stop using.

You should say:

  • →When and where did you get this technology?
  • →Why did you start using this technology?
  • →Why did you decide to stop using it?
  • →And explain how you feel about the decision you made.

One minute to prepare, then speak for one to two minutes.

An object

How to answer this cue card: a one-minute plan

  1. 1

    Identify the specific technology and why you acquired it during the first thirty seconds.

  2. 2

    Focus your middle section on the turning point that made the technology feel negative.

  3. 3

    Use the final minute to reflect on the psychological benefit of your decision.

Model answer

Band 8 sample answer

Band 8245 words, about two minutes at a natural pace. Details are invented; use your own.

A couple of years ago, I became quite obsessed with a fitness tracking app called 'PeakPulse'. I downloaded it onto my smartphone while I was living in Manchester, prompted by a New Year’s resolution to get into better shape. At the time, I was working long hours in an office and felt my sedentary lifestyle was catching up with me. The app promised a personalised, data-driven approach to health, offering everything from calorie counting to elaborate sleep cycle analysis. Initially, it was incredibly motivating to see my progress visualised through colourful graphs and streaks. However, after about six months, the novelty started to wane and it began to feel like a chore rather than a tool. The constant notifications demanding I log every single meal or walk felt intrusive, and I realised I was becoming fixated on the numbers rather than actually listening to my body. It reached a point where I felt anxious if I forgot to wear my watch or record a snack. Consequently, I decided to delete the app entirely. Stepping away from that digital scrutiny was liberating. It forced me to re-establish a more intuitive relationship with my wellbeing. I no longer feel the need to justify my activity levels to an algorithm. Looking back, I am genuinely pleased with the decision to uninstall it, as it helped me regain a sense of mental clarity and freedom from the pressure of quantification that is so prevalent in our modern digital lives.

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8 words

Useful vocabulary for this cue card

  • sedentary

    involving little exercise or physical activity

  • wane

    to become weaker or less intense over time

  • intrusive

    causing disruption or annoyance through unwanted presence

  • fixated

    obsessed with or unable to stop thinking about

  • liberating

    providing a feeling of freedom and release

  • scrutiny

    critical observation or close examination of something

  • intuitive

    based on what one feels to be true

  • quantification

    the process of expressing something in numerical terms

6 questions

Part 3 follow-up questions

  1. 1What kinds of computer games do people play in your country?
  2. 2Why do people enjoy playing computer games?
  3. 3Do you think that all computer games should have a minimum age for players?
  4. 4In what ways can technology in the classroom be helpful?
  5. 5Do you agree that students are often better at using technology than their teachers?
  6. 6Do you believe that computers will ever replace human teachers?

Answer each in three to five sentences: position, reason, example, limit. See how to answer IELTS Speaking Part 3.

Frequently asked questions

How should I start the cue card "Describe some technology (e.g. an app, phone, software program) that you decided to stop using."?+

Identify the specific technology and why you acquired it during the first thirty seconds.

How long should I speak on an IELTS cue card?+

You get one minute to prepare, then speak for the full two minutes, about 220 to 280 words at a natural pace. The examiner will stop you at two minutes, which is a good sign, not a problem.

How is the cue card scored?+

Part 2 is not scored on its own. Your whole Speaking test gets one band from four criteria: fluency and coherence, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation. The cue card is where the examiner hears whether you can keep going for two minutes.

Can I use this sample answer in the exam?+

Use its structure and vocabulary, not its sentences. Examiners recognise memorised answers and mark fluency down; a shorter answer from your own memory scores higher than a recited one.

Keep practising

More cue cards: an object

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