Describe a Time When Someone Asked for your Opinion IELTS Cue Card

IELTS CUE CARD TOPIC

Describe a Time When Someone Asked for your Opinion

You should say:
Who asked for your opinion?
Why he/she wanted to know your opinion?
What opinion you gave?
And explain how you felt when he/she asked for your opinion.

NOTE – The examiner gives you one minute to plan your answer, and to help you prepare for the topic, the examiner provides you with a pencil and a notepad. You’ll have to answer the questions given on the topic for one-to-two minutes

Sample 1

Introduction:

There is no denying this conviction that everybody loves to express opinions on various topics.

As a person, I never give opinions to others; however, if someone asks, I do not shy from giving my verdict on different topics.

Who asked for your opinion?

Recently one of my friends named Andrew asked for my opinion on a problem he was facing in his life.

.Why did he want to know your opinion?

Andrew grew obese due to his sedentary lifestyle, and he asked my opinion on weight loss.

He wanted to take my opinion. In 2022, I also gained weight because I was at home for six months. My homestay was during the lockdown imposed because of the corona pandemic.

During that time, I gained weight and started looking obese, but with determination, dedication and discipline, I became a fit person in just three months.

For my friends, my weight loss journey was an example, which is why Andrew asked me for an opinion on how to become fit.

What opinion did you give?

The opinion I gave him was to focus on diet than exercise. The contribution of physical workouts to weight loss is just 20 per cent, and by focusing on our food intake, we can remain fit.

Andrew followed my advice and ate all his meals between 9 am and 6 pm. It helped him to become fit.

And explain how you felt when they asked for your opinion.

I felt good when he asked for my opinion because I consider it my duty to provide others with unabated support.

Sample 2

Introduction

Being a voracious reader, I know most fields. That is why many people come to me to take opinions.

Recently my opinion helped someone to make an informed decision.

Who asked for your opinion?

My bosom friend Andrew came to me last month. He was in a state of confusion because he was not able to make an informed choice.

He wanted to go abroad for greener pastures, but his father said him that he should stay in his motherland because migrating to another country leads to a brain drain. And being born and brought up in India, Andrew’s bounden duty is to serve his native country.

Why did he want to know your opinion?

Andrew wanted my opinion because, many times, I had helped him in making prudent choices.

What opinion did you give?

The opinion I gave him was to listen to his heart. There is no denying this conviction that we can serve our native country by settling abroad.

Hence, shifting to Canada would be a prudent approach for Andrew because Canada’s earnings are higher than India’s. After earning a boatload of money, he can invest that in India and serve the motherland.

Moreover, I told him that the whole planet belongs to human beings and we should not remain confined to one area.

And explain how you felt when he asked for your opinion.

I felt good after telling him my opinion. He followed my advice, and now he is enjoying his new life in Canada.

Sample 3

Introduction

Although I do not tend to give opinions to others, if someone asks for them, I do not shy from providing them.

Who asked for your opinion?

My first cousin Andrew passed his 10th standard last year and was confused about admission to the 11th class. He needed clarification regarding the stream of education for further studies. He wanted to opt for non-medical, but his friends advised him to opt for commerce.

Why did he want to know your opinion?

As he could not make an informed choice, he came to me for an opinion because, since childhood, I have advised him on various matters, and he was sure to get unbiased advice from me.

What opinion did you give?

I checked his 10th class marks from there; I learned that he scored good marks in Science and Maths, but his score in social studies was below par. After that, I advised him to opt for the non-medical stream because it is prudent for us to work on our strengths rather than our weaknesses.

He wanted to opt for commerce because most of his friends had opted for it, but I told him that while choosing our career stream, we need not be emotional; instead, our focus should be on deciding our career path in such a way that it would lead towards an impressive growth trajectory.

And explain how you felt when he asked for your opinion.?

I felt good when he asked for my opinion because he is the apple of my eye, and seeing him follow the right career path is a dream come true.

Follow-ups

Here are some examples of follow-up questions that the examiner might ask during your speaking part 3 related to the cue card “Describe a Time When Someone Asked for your Opinion”.

1. Why do some people dislike giving their opinions?

There are numerous reasons why some people shy from expressing their perspectives/ideas about things or events. On some occasions, they do not feel confident, and sometimes they do not possess the ability to explain their idea in detail. They have this inner feeling that a counterargument from someone will be an embarrassing moment for them, and defending the opinion would be a daunting task for them. Another reason is that some people are introverted in nature and love to maintain a dignified distance from others.

2. Are any apps designed to collect opinions about products or services?

These days there are many applications available where you can find reviews of almost every product or service.Mouthshut.com is a prime example of this. Apart from this, big companies like Amazon and Flipkart have an inbuilt feature for reviews in their applications.

3. Why do people nowadays like to express their opinions on the Internet?

The prominent reason is that people want their opinion to be heard, and the Internet offers a reliable medium where they can express their views about any product or service while remaining anonymous. The Internet also empowers them with a feeling of freedom to showcase their mind without worrying about what others will say. Also, one can comfortably opt to participate or disengage in communication at their wish.

4. What are the disadvantages of sharing opinions on the Internet?

I believe there are numerous pitfalls to this trend. Firstly, umpteen times people adversely affect each other’s emotions by posting abusive content online. It is usually visible in beaucoup chat forums that people are throwing abuse at each other over minor altercations. Secondly, I postulate that online forums mostly produce no results and waste people’s quality time.

Vocab

1. Bosom friend

Meaning: A very close friend

Sentence: In childhood, we usually have numerous bosom friends, but as we grow, our friend cycle shortens, and we have close friendships with few individuals.

2. Greener pastures

Meaning: a new place or pursuit that provides unique opportunities

Sentence: Although experts call it brain drain, people move to other nations for greener pastures. And, if their native country offers them better earnings, they might refrain from doing that.

3. Bounden Duty

Meaning: A responsibility regarded as obligatory

Sentence: Our bouned duty is to keep the public infrastructure in good shape by refraining from damaging it.