IELTS SPEAKING CUE CARD
[PART 2]
A MOVIE OR A TV PROGRAM
THAT MADE YOU LAUGH
Describe a movie or a TV program that made you laugh
You should say:
- What the film or program is
- When you watched it
- Who you watched it with
And explain why it made you laugh
A N S W E R
I’ve always been a big fan of watching comedies as it helps me forget all the troubles I have in life. I’d like to talk with you about the program Just For Laughs. You may not know it, but it’s a Canadian silent comedy reality TV program in which they show various episodes of tricking people or making fun of the public.
Notes:
*The First line talks about oneself, relating the topic to one’s character – a very good way to start a story
*The second line gives the name of the program and adds a little description.
I remember there was this one episode that made me burst into laughter. Last month, my friend and I were on a bus traveling to the southern part of my city to go sightseeing. The public bus that we were taking had a TV screen that showed Just For Laughs, to entertain the passengers. One episode was about Pink Elephants. As you know, pink elephants are a symbol of hallucination when a person gets drunk.
The situation was, that one woman who is an actress in that program approached one man asking him for some help to find her way as she was lost. While that man gave him directions, that woman got a phone call. She excused herself and answered the call. While she was answering the call, a huge pink elephant which was meters away from them crossed the street. The man was surprised!
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Burst into laughter – to suddenly laugh
Pink elephants – hallucination which is experienced by a drunk
He tried to distract the woman, letting her see what he saw, but she didn’t pay attention. And once again, the pink elephant crossed the street. He attempted to make the woman see it but she didn’t mind.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Distract [verb] – to make someone out of focus/concentration
Attempt [verb] – try
When the pink elephant was gone, the woman had finished her call. The man tried to explain what he saw but the woman gave him a strange look as if she was thinking that the man was just drunk.
GRAMMAR
When the pink elephant was gone, the woman had finished her call. -> when there are two things that happened in the past, use the past perfect tense
It made me laugh because of the expression of the man who really made an effort explaining but he couldn’t make the woman believe as he was no proof. And all of a sudden, the woman laughed and pointed at the camera, telling him that he was on TV.
PART 3
Why do you think children like to laugh?
I have never thought about it, however, I suppose most children enjoy laughing since they do not have any serious problem that makes them feel anxious or depressed like us adults.
They live life at the moment that even little things make them burst into laughter such as quirky dance moves from other people or unexpected burping in the middle of a conversation. These things which are construed as ordinary by adults are making them laugh and feel happy. They live their lives with simplicity without being preoccupied with so many worries. And that I believe is the real reason why they love to laugh and we adults need to learn from that.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Anxious [adj] – very much worried
Depressed [adj.] – very lonely
Live life in the moment – enjoying life as it happens without thinking about past or future commitments
Burst into laughter [phrase] – to suddenly laugh
Quirky [adjective] – unusual; weird; unexpected
Burping [verb] – the act of releasing air from the stomach through the mouth
Construed [verb] – understood; interpreted
Preoccupied [verb] – obsessed; concerned
Tip: If the question is somehow complicated, avoid dead air, instead use the expression, “I have never thought about it/ let me think about that”. Use language just to avoid silence.
Is laughing beneficial to children? How about the old people?
Well, laughing is both beneficial to young people and the elderly. As the saying goes, “Laughter is the best medicine.” It has been proven that to laugh often is to make life longer. Laughing has some chemical reaction in a person’s body that increases the level of happiness hormones. And when a person is happy it will help slow down the aging process. Well, children really look charming when they laugh, while it makes the elderly look younger than their age.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Level of happiness hormones – the rate of a person’s happiness
Slow down the aging process – delay the time of getting old
Look younger than their age – the appearance is younger than the original regardless of the real age
Tip: Try using some adage/saying/proverb when it is applicable to the question. It helps you develop a good answer and it is one way of showing to the examiner that you are flexible enough in expressing your thoughts in the English language.
What do you do when you feel sad?
Normally, I really feel it. I mean, when I am really down or lonely, I have to experience it or recognize it. I do not want to deny that feeling because I avoid prolonging that negativity. Denying sadness is tricking myself.
For me, that is not abnormal, every now and then in our lives, we feel depressed for some reason. So basically, I do not do any distractions to invalidate my feelings like going to the bar, drinking, or listening to lively music that other people usually do. For me doing so is deceiving myself.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Deny [verb] – avoid
Prolong [verb] – make it longer
Trick [verb] – cheat; deceive
Distraction [noun] – something that diverts one’s attention
Invalidate [verb] – to not recognize
Tip: We can always express ourselves easily when we are honest. When we think about our experiences in life it makes us articulate in expressing our thoughts.
Develop a story better in Part 2 for
the recent IELTS Speaking CUE
CARD about
A TIME YOU GAVE ADVICE TO SOMEONE
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REVIEWERS FOR PART 2 &
PART 3 Here!
Meaning of Words and Phrases Sources: Collins, Macmillan, Cambridge, Oxford
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