Describe a Development in Your Country IELTS Speaking Cue Card model answers have been provided below. The answers are centred upon questions - What is the development?, When you heard about it?, How did it influence you?
What is a Cue Card: IELTS Speaking Part 2 includes cue cards containing topics on which candidates are to speak. Candidates get 2-3 minutes time to speak and 1 minute for note-taking. In IELTS Speaking part 2, candidates' proficiency in grammar and vocabulary is assessed along with their confidence to speak in English.
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Topic: Describe a Development in Your Country Cue Card
You should say:
Answer 1:
What is the development?
One of the major developments in my country that has greatly influenced the daily lives of people is the emergence of digital payment systems, particularly the development of UPI, which stands for Unified Payments Interface. This technology has completely changed the way people handle finances and perform financial transactions in their day-to-day lives. Digital payments are now accepted at all shopping malls and even at the roadside stalls.
When you heard about it?
It is only in 2016 that I heard about UPI when our governments initiated a scheme for going cashless soon after demonetization took place in our country. At that time, a lot of advertisements were being sent on different platforms indicating how to connect our bank accounts to application systems so that payments through QR code systems could be done easily.
How did it influence you?
However, as time went by, this change has impacted me quite heavily. Slowly, I began to make use of the UPI system for small transactions and gradually became comfortable with the system. Now, I make use of digital payments on a daily basis for shopping, paying electricity and telephone bills, booking tickets, ordering food, and even paying local vendors such as vegetable vendors or auto drivers. It has saved me a lot of time and made the transaction process very convenient for me.
Answer 2:
What is the development?
One big change in my country lately is how fast transportation has gotten better—especially with all the new metro rails and highways popping up. Honestly, you can feel the difference every day. Getting around used to be a headache. Traffic jams everywhere, never really knowing how long a trip would take. Now, it’s a lot smoother. Traveling is quicker, easier, and way more comfortable for everyone, myself included. It’s just not as exhausting as it used to be.
When you heard about it?
I was able to initially come across this change a few years back when the metro project kicked off in my city. The first days were really unbearable-blocked streets, longer commutes, and plenty of dust and noise annoying everyone. Yet as the lines opened bit by bit and more of the system came online, the benefits started to show. I kept up with developments through news reports, papers, and social media, since the project was a hot topic among locals.
How did it influence you?
This change has made a real difference in my life. My commute is faster now, and honestly, I don’t miss sitting in traffic for hours. I save time and feel less drained at the end of the day. Taking the metro means I don’t have to rely on my car as much, so I spend less money and do my bit for the environment. Getting to work, school, or anywhere else is just simpler now. The city feels more connected, organized, and honestly, a much nicer place to live.
Answer 3:
What is the development?
A huge shift in my country has been the sudden boom in online education. When COVID-19 hit, everything changed almost overnight. Schools and universities shut down, and just like that, everyone had to jump into online learning. The whole system got turned upside down.
When you heard about it?
Back in 2020, I saw this happen up close. One week I was sitting in a classroom, and the next, I was staring at my teachers through a screen on Zoom or whatever new app we had to use. Nobody was really ready—teachers, students, parents—we all scrambled to figure out video calls and strange new platforms. Every day brought another app or website with live lessons, recorded lectures, or flashy study guides. It was all over the news and social media, but honestly, nothing made it feel more real than logging into those online classes myself and learning as I went.
How did it influence you?
The online education experience in my life made many good changes possible. The whole world suddenly became my classroom, which was mostly in my bedroom. I started being able to organize time better, enrolled in additional classes to increase qualification, and began working on being technology-savvy. Since there were no continuous online classroom environments, I had to be able to organize myself alone. It was hard for me to give up the immediate online interactions, the atmosphere of the classroom, and the lack of campus life, but online education opened new horizons for me to gain additional education. This experience in online education wasn’t just about the way we study; rather, it is teaching us for the technological-centric generation we are going to live in.
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