For many IELTS test takers, solving the Describe an Interesting Song - IELTS Cue Card topic can open doors of golden opportunity to demonstrate precise speaking fluency and a wide range of vocabulary. But what makes an answer truly “interesting and appealing” to the examiner? It's not about choosing the most famous song or supreme vocabulary words, but about the song’s details and depth you will provide. To help you in answering this IELTS speaking part 2 question, we’ve shared three samples, follow-up questions, tips and more. Overall, this blog post is the blueprint for structuring your response, from what the song looks like to why it is personally captivating you. So, let’s dig and discover this.
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The IELTS speaking section is the most important part of this exam, and it is pretty challenging but score-worthy if solved accurately. This section is divided into three parts: introduction (part 1), speaking on a cue card topic (part 2), and answering follow-up questions (part 3). The IELTS speaking part 2 is a cue card in which students get a topic to speak about for 1 to 2 minutes.
Candidates will receive a card consisting of a prompt, paper, and a pencil to plan their answer. Further, they will get 1 minute to prepare and a few minutes to speak up. Besides, the card includes 3-4 points or cues to give an idea of the topic, basically, it’s questions.
In the IELTS cue cards, many skills are being assessed, such as fluency, coherence, accuracy, grammatical range, pronunciation, and the use a wide range of vocabulary. Structuring the answer is the key aspect; if missed, it can lead to losing scores.
Cue cards often cover personal experience and everyday life topics such as people, places, objects, activities, events, experiences, etc. Thus, it is important to be prepared, as sometimes students get topics from out of the blue that they haven’t prepared for.
So ,after understanding the IELTS cue card, it’s time to know the right way to answer the Describe an Interesting Song - IELTS Cue Card topic, and the next section is all about this. So, have a look.
To answer the IELTS cue card topic effectively to gain an 8+ score band, you can follow these steps.
Before you speak.
During answer
Begin with a clear and concise introduction, with a hook-up introductory sentence. Paraphrase the cue card topic to provide details. You can use “I’d like to talk about,” “I want to tell you about, or share an experience, as a (profession/person), I often,” and “let me tell you about”.
To structure your response, use the bullet points stated in your cue card topic or your own idea to talk about for one to two minutes. Use examples, facts, quotes, and opinions; this will help you elaborate the response more effectively. Also, you have proper grammar, vocabulary words, synonyms, and linking words to connect two ideas and sentences.
Last, when it comes to wrapping up, give a summary of the main points, and share your thoughts or opinions on the topics. Try to reflect your feelings and experience towards the topic.
In addition to this, using the points mentioned in the cue card, you can easily speak for two minutes and explain each of them in detail. For the topic Describe an Interesting Song - IELTS Cue Card, below are the questions that can be asked in this.
Here is the image that depicts what a cue card looks like in the IELTS exam. Have a look at this.
Now let’s check out the three samples on the topic Describe an Interesting Song - IELTS Cue Card, which answer all these questions in detail.
In the first sample of Describe An Interesting Song, the IELTS cue card, you will understand the method to formulate the answer for this IELTS speaking part 2 question. In this example, a real-life instance has been used, so read on to explore more.
For me, music is something that can instantly level up my mood whenever I’m tautened. Usually, individuals find the lyrics or melody of the song most engaging to shift their mood from low to high. I’d like to talk about one of my much-loved songs.
In 2015, Rajkumar Irani released one of his finest and most appreciable movies, “3 Idiots,” and one of his songs titled “All is Well” swiftly gained popularity among both adults and teens., Gained many views and became the best song for millions of people.
The “All is Well” song is all about the life philosophy; we have a propensity for worrying about numerous concerns in life. Whenever we undergo any disputes in our lives, we tend to feel saddened. Listening to this song can help one remain optimistic during difficult situations. The major essence of this song is that if we manage our difficulties well, we can change the unfavourable situation in our lives, which motivates us to go with the flow of life, breaking all the stumbling blocks. The lyrics of “All is Well’ convey the perception that anytime in our life we can find ourselves in bad circumstances, we must tell ourselves all is well. Hence, it can raise our spirits to come up with a solution for the problems. The song shares Rancho’s philosophy that by saying “All is Well”, one can gain the pluck to face life’s overwhelming problems by tricking the heart to remain placid and calm, even if the circumstances aren’t truly solved.
This song became trendy among individuals listening through all walks of life. This song has conveyed a message of self-reassurance and mental fortitude through a catchy tune and relatable scenario. It’s a funny type of song expressing that saying all is well can change the mood. There are innumerable cases of people whose lives experienced a paradigm shift after listening to this song, as they feel inspired after hearing it.
This song is intriguing because it urges us to think out of the box. The fact that we all have an inclination to worry excessively cannot be evaded. The song exhorts us to live life to the fullest. We must make an effort to find a solution even when we are facing challenges that plague our lives.
Whenever I feel low, I listen to this song. Due to its lyrics and melody, I find this song really interesting, and it lifts my mood, and it has helped me whenever I lack enthusiasm and confidence.
In this second sample, the focus is more on using a wide range of vocabulary to express the answer more clearly. This will help you to learn new lexical resources for the IELTS speaking section and can be used during your exam time.
Indisputably, songs play an essential part in our lives, especially when I’m timid and self-doubting; I listen to a motivational song. Today, I would like to talk about the song that I found quite intriguing and propelling.
The song is “Kar har maidan Fateh” from the famous movie “Sanju”. It is the life story of a Bollywood actor, Sanjay Dutt. It is a motivational song sung by the talented singer Sukhvinder Singh.
This song articulates that life is full of rough patches. Individuals have to face ups and downs, and if an individual is going through a tough period of life, we shouldn’t lose hope, as after every storm, there is a rainbow of hope, so better days will come. This song describes how Sanjay Dutt overcame his drug addiction by not giving up. Compatibly, throughout our predicament times, we should uphold our humility. Thus, catastrophe can strike at any moment, and our present good fortune is transient; in a situation, we must accept finite setbacks but never lose infinite hope. Listening to this song at that time can be the best medicine to get rid of stress.
This song gets tremendously popular among all age groups, becoming one of the blockbuster songs, and literally everyone sings it when they feel miserable.
The song is enthralling and motivational; it teaches us how to face life problems competently. Numerous people have a tendency to stop thinking when they confront difficulties. The song’s lyrics inspire listeners to uphold positivity and persevere in times of hardship because we should have faith that better days will soon come in our lives.
I believe this song provides a powerful message to me. Whenever I get exhausted or choose to give up on something, after listening to this, it instantly uplifts me. It made me believe in why I have started this work, and I need to complete the current task to achieve something in return.
We have reached the third sample of Describe an Interesting Song, IELTS cue card. This is the ideal sample to score an 8+ band score through the response. Go through this response to get a reference for answering this IELTS cue card during your preparation.
Songs are the most indispensable aspects of my life, and till now I’ve heard numerous songs, but after graduating from college, I have been listening to one song, and it’s on loop, making me reminisce about the old times I spent with my college buddies. I would like to talk about this specific song.
The song name is “Night Changes” by One Direction. It was published in 2014 and became so famous among the teens, but lately it has been liked by people of all ages people. This song reflects on the passage of time and the life changes, specifically remembering the good old times.
The “Night Changes” lyrics are a captivating depiction of how often we end up not appreciating desirable things when we have them. But, once they are gone, we look back, evoke and regret not having fun at that time. It embodies the inevitable evolution and bittersweet nature of a relationship and life, reminding listeners to accept the changes rather than fear them or keep thinking about them. Overall, the purpose of this famous band song is to accept that change is an inevitable part of life.
The “Night Changes” became a blockbuster song in 2014 and has been getting so many views every day. It has been most streamed on many music platforms. The song has garnered rave reviews and created an enduring bond with its fans due to its profundity and mature lyrical themes of growing up and passing time.
Since I recently graduated from high school and have not been able to see my friends for the past few months, this song actually hit my heart, bringing back all the memories. I would recommend this song to at least listen to this one, take a pause and look back at those memories they relished once.
This is one of my favourite songs whenever I miss the old times spent with my friends, school time, or my childhood. I listen to this song. This brings all the reliving moments to my mind.
In the IELTS speaking section, lexical resources contribute 25% to the total score for the whole section. You get scores based on your ability to use a wide range of vocabulary. Thus, using vocabulary or lexical resources demonstrates your ability to use a wide range of precise, accurate, and well-chosen words and phrases to express your answer and meaning. Here is the table of lexical resources used in the above samples of Describe an Interesting Song, IELTS cue card. Have a look.
| Words | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Tautened | Being stressed, in tension |
| Propensity | Tendency |
| Incline | Tend to be |
| Stumbling block | Something that causes difficulty or trouble |
| Pluck | Courage |
| Paradigm | Examples, for instance. |
| Intriguing | Fascinating |
| Inclination | Feeling or tendency to act or think in a specific way. |
| Evaded | Avoided |
| Plagues | Waves or outbreaks |
| Indisputably | Unquestionably, something is obvious and impossible to make doubt |
| Propelling | Interesting |
| Rough patch | Hard time |
| After every storm, there is a rainbow of hope | After every difficult period, eventually, there will be a period of peace |
| Predicament | Difficulty, hardship |
| Humility | The quality of not considering or thinking about yourself for being better than other people |
| Catastrophe | Disaster or tragedy |
| Transient | Temporary |
| Enthralling | Attractive or captivating |
| Reminisce | Recall old time |
| Garnered rave | Collected something amazing thing |
| Profundity | Perspectives |
| Timidity | Nervousness |
| Relished | Enjoyed |
| Reliving | Remembering |
Here are some of the follow-up questions that can be asked by the examiner based on the responses. So, have a look.
1. What kind of music do young people like?
Answer: Young people listen to an assorted range of songs from culture-based to trendy, depending on their moods. However, nowadays, pop, hip-hop, and rap music is in craze and consistently becoming popular among the young people as it expresses self-expression and storytelling. In addition, music taste can vary significantly with the popular choices from romantic, Indie bands, and different soundtracks.
2. Do adolescents and adults love the same kind of music?
Answer: In my opinion, no, generally, adolescents and adults do not have the same kind of musical taste, as it depends on individual preferences. Adults prefer to listen to some energetic song, rhythmic, fast beats, which release emotions and bring out a sense of excitement. On the other hand, adults may often sink towards music that reflects different themes, lyrical depth, complex melodies, or music that offers logical, emotional, and enjoyable types.
3. Why do you believe that people of various ages have diverse favourite songs?
Answer: People have diverse favourite songs according to their various ages because of the age-specific values, different social and personal choices, and evolving life experiences. Music adds a soundtrack to life, with distinct preferences changing as individual grows by age, taste in listening to songs keeps revolving, from various identities, and they connect themselves with the lyrics and sounds that reflect their realities and emotions.
4. How does music influence your mood or emotions?
Answer: Music significantly influences mood and emotions, specifically when listening to something familiar or moving songs. In addition, a song’s melody, tempo, and lyrics can evoke specific feelings, like sadness that can be induced from slow melodies and happiness from upbeat music. Scientifically, songs directly activate the brain’s limbic system, which produces memory and emotions. Moreover, this activation signals the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter connected with well-being and liking when a song related to your emotion is played.
5. Do you think lyrics or melody are more important in a song?
Answer: I think both lyrics and melody play a vital role in making the best song, but for me, lyrics hold a special place. They express the emotions and message of the song. A melody like catchy, melodic, intricate, and uplifting kind of background music can enhance the song and user experience, but if the lyrics are energetic and match my vibe and resonate with me, it will make the song truly memorable.
Many candidates struggle to respond to the IELTS cue card because of a lack of preparation, time pressure, difficult topics, etc. If you are also facing challenges and don’t want to cry over the split milk, use these tips in your cue card preparation.
Here we have come to the end after exploring three samples, lexical resources, follow-up questions, tips, and more about Describe an Interesting Song, IELTS cue card. Solving IELTS speaking part 2 questions can be a hard nut to crack, but enough practice can lead to scoring well. In addition, if you want to get an expert's guidance to solve the cue card, you can enrol in offline or online IELTS classes at Gradding.com. Experts here will provide a personalised study plan, study material, and mock test to make you proficient in solving the cue cards. Also, they provide tools like the band score calculator and the IELTS self-kit to prepare for the IELTS exam.
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