Describe an important piece of news that you received via text message IELTS Cue Card
IELTS CUE CARD TOPIC
Describe an important piece of news that you received via text message.
You should say:
who shared the message with you
what the news was about
how it was written
and explain why the news was important to you.
Sample 1
Well, the news is very important in our lives. Some of the news is very good, and some of it is depressing. I’ve seen a lot of news, and here I would like to talk about some important news which I saw about two years ago.
It happened. I experienced this thing before coming to Canada as if it was happening during the COVID-19 time. I applied for my Canadian visa, and due to COVID-19, we all know that COVID hit us very badly. All things were halted, and the government imposed strict rules on flights, social gatherings, and all.
So, at that time, I lodged my file for a visa, and then suddenly, there were a lot of backlogs piled up in the embassies because of the reduced workforce at their workplaces.
So I was very worried because it’s been like two months since I didn’t get my visa, and like on the one day I woke up. I got an email from my agent, and he shared a message like, I got my visa, and the news was written in a very joyful manner as he congratulated me, and I was so happy.
I was on cloud nine after receiving that email because I was under enormous pressure because of the delay. I had already invested a huge amount of money in fees. And apart from that, I was very worried about COVID-19 because, at the time, the situation was unpredictable. After all, we cannot judge when I got my visa, like if I would go back.
So it was a big relief when I received the news. So yes, I think that’s news that is important to me, and I received it via text.
Sample 2
I have received a lot of news all my life. Some of them are very important, and some are just regular news, like a notification from the company. I want to talk about an essential piece of news I received three years ago. It’s news. It was shared by my agent, who is in Chandigarh; they run their business for immigration, and the news was about the passport request submission request for my Canadian visa. Actually, during COVID-19, I applied for my visa.
My file was stuck due to COVID-19 because all the flights, commercialization, roads, and everything, as you know, were stopped. I was apprehensive because I had already wasted one year and had only six months. So, I was apprehensive about it. So, one day, I woke up; as I recall, it was like 6 in the morning, and it was 18th November, and my agent just texted me, and I just woke up and saw the news. I was thrilled to see that.
I immediately called him and asked him if that was true. He said, yes, it was true. You received your passport submission request, and I was on cloud nine. I immediately told my mother this news, and my mother was happy, too. At some point, she was upset because I was leaving the country now. So, that was essential because I had been waiting for this for two years, and I was also apprehensive because there was only a 50% chance. After all, all the flights were stopped, and the Canadian government was taking stringent action and checking everything before giving the visa. For that reason, I was apprehensive, and that’s excellent and essential news I received.
Follow-ups
How have text messages revolutionized communication in the digital age?
Communication has become easier because of the presence of text messages. People don’t need to call and tell the other person about the whole scenario.
It can be conveyed by a text message, and it is very convenient to type for the sender and receiver because the receiver does not need to get disturbed by picking up and answering the call. They can look at the text messages whenever required and whenever they are free.
Can you discuss the evolution of text messaging platforms and their impact on interpersonal relationships?
Earlier, text messages were only through SMS. But nowadays, there is better internet connectivity because everybody has internet on their phone.
Also, internet prices have gone down because of availability. That has made text messages more accessible, and it doesn’t cost them one rupee for every text message like it used to before. So, it is a convenient method, and people use it daily.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of using text messages compared to other forms of communication, such as phone calls or emails?
Other forms of communication, like phone calls or emails, provide a detailed information format. A text message is short and can be sent anywhere at any time. A phone call or an email requires an effort, whereas a text message doesn’t. It is convenient, and the text message can be sent at any time, and you don’t have to check if the other person will be free to receive the message.
Because they can read the message anytime they are free or whenever they are available. While making a phone call, people must think about whether the other person is busy. Text messages have played a good role, but sometimes there can be miscommunication because of the text messages. As I said, the information cannot be elaborated on by phone call or email.
How do text messaging habits vary across different age groups and demographics?
So, if I talk about different age groups, text messages are very different. Teenagers or young people communicate differently by sometimes sending funny memes or quotes along with the communication aspect.
If I talk about people in middle adulthood or late adulthood, they communicate mostly professionally, and their messages include a wide variety of things. In the case of old age, people prefer to send audio messages because it is convenient, and sometimes they don’t know the language, which is difficult for them.
Regarding other demographics, such as gender or socio-economic status, I believe that gender doesn’t play any role in the difference in the type of communication. It is the same for both genders. If I talk about the socio-demographic status of the person, then there can be differences because, with every stratum of society, the types of conversations are different.
Can you analyze the role of emojis and abbreviations in text messaging and their influence on language and communication norms?
Nowadays, there is a wide use of emojis and abbreviations. The young generation is creating new abbreviations for many things, like YWDYM. That means, what do you mean? If the person is from the older age group, they might need clarification because these abbreviations are popular, especially for teenagers. Every age group is using emojis.
What privacy concerns arise from text messages, and how can individuals protect their personal information?
Anyone can read text messages, and application holders can also source information. But we can always check if the messages are encrypted end to end. For example, WhatsApp has created a safe space by encrypting text messages. So it is safe to use. Fraud can be reduced by doing that.
How do businesses use text messaging for marketing, customer service, and client communication?
Various businesses open their business profile accounts on apps like WhatsApp or Telegram. There are automatically generated messages present, and whenever a consumer texts high automatically, along with that, the response comes. They are doing an excellent job by making the business available and more accessible for everybody to access.
Can you discuss text messaging etiquette and norms, including response times and appropriate use in professional settings?
When it comes to response time, text messages are sent, and after that, it doesn’t tell about the emotion of the responder. So, the response should be given at the appropriate time before it’s too late.
And for professional settings, many businesses have made their business pages so they have automatically generated text messages, which doesn’t take long. The reply comes in the exact second as the sender sends the message. So that is very important.
How do group chats and messaging apps impact social dynamics and collaboration among friends, family, and colleagues?
These days, every person is in a group chat. If I take up my example, my phone number has been added to a class group chat, a friend’s group chat, and a family group chat.
Along with that, there is a group where extended family is present. So that is making the communication easier. Now, if I want to communicate certain things to all the classmates I had in college, I will send that text message to the group itself, and everybody will receive it. They can share their common opinions, and we can determine where the conversation is going.
How have text messages been used in emergencies or crises to disseminate information and coordinate response efforts?
In an emergency, the best way to communicate is a text message. They call the other person and tell them there is an emergency and that it will be the best. But if, for some reason, the person cannot call, then text messaging is convenient. It is fast, and it is safe.
How often do you find yourself using text messaging in your daily life?
In my daily life, I first received messages from my relatives. It’s not like a special; it’s just a regular good morning and good night message. Apart from that, I also got messages as memes from my friends, and I received some regular information about the regular news from an app called Daily News. Also, my mother shares some messages and kind of my house videos, my niece’s videos, and my sister’s videos through WhatsApp.
What are the main advantages of text messaging over other forms of communication like phone calls or emails?
People usually prefer text messages because it’s sometimes challenging and sometimes brutal. For example, we can’t say something on a call that we can easily say through text messages. The message should be the best if we say no to someone. And the same goes for telling someone a piece of good news, you know, words I can describe better. So, for that reason, people’s text messages have that advantage.
Can you share a memorable experience where text messaging significantly facilitated communication or resolved a situation?
Yes, it was a couple of years ago when I was in school, and we had a group project and were very worried. The topic was demonetization, and we barely knew about it. So for that reason, we had, and our instructor clearly gave us the deadlines, and he also told us to refrain from taking any help from others to do our research. So, for that reason, we were apprehensive. But my friend’s sister was working in a bank. So we texted her and were hopelessly waiting for her reply. So, thank God she did reply, and we got a lot of information about the demonetization. So that’s the only situation that fits this question.
What etiquette do you typically follow when texting friends, family, or colleagues, such as response times or tone of messages?
I am informal when texting my friends, family, or colleagues. I never try to be formal. And if someone is going through tough times, so I refrain from, you know, sending them harmful messages. I send them positive messages during that time. Okay.
How do you think text messaging has changed how we communicate with others?
As mentioned, people usually express their feelings through words compared to audio calls. And for that reason, text messages play a vital role. And we can send a lot of it now. We have a lot of features, such as sending stickers, attaching our files, and sending some emojis that enhance our message, which is essential and valuable. So there are these ways. These are the things I have seen recently change in the text messages. I have seen it recently.