Describe a healthy habit you have: cue card and sample answer

Cue card

Describe a habit you have that helps you stay healthy.

You should say:

what the habit is
when you started it
how often you do it

and explain how it helps you stay healthy.

You have one minute to prepare and should speak for one to two minutes.

Try it before you read the sample. Answer this card out loud with our AI examiner and get an estimated band.

Practise with the AI examiner

Sample answer

About 246 words, or roughly two minutes of speaking.

The habit I'd like to describe is going for a walk first thing in the morning, before I do anything else. It doesn't sound like much, but it has made a bigger difference to my health than anything else I've tried.

I started about two years ago. At the time I was working from home and I'd realised that some days I was barely leaving my flat. I'd put on weight, I was sleeping badly, and I felt sluggish by mid-afternoon. A friend suggested I try a short walk every morning for a month, just to see what happened.

Now I do it six days a week, whatever the weather. I get up at half past six and walk for about forty minutes along the river near my home. I deliberately leave my headphones behind, so it's the one part of the day when I'm not looking at a screen or listening to anything.

It helps in a few ways. Physically, I've lost the extra weight and my back, which used to ache from sitting, hardly bothers me any more. I also fall asleep much more easily, perhaps because I get daylight early in the day. But the biggest benefit is to my state of mind. I use the time to think through whatever is worrying me, and by the time I sit down to work, I feel calm and clear-headed. I'd recommend it to anyone, because it costs nothing and it's easy to stick to.

Why this works: it covers every point on the card in order, gives specific details and a short story rather than general statements, and ends by explaining the feeling or reason, which the last line of the card asks for.

Useful vocabulary

first thing in the morning: very early, before doing anything else
put on weight: to become heavier
sluggish: slow and without energy
whatever the weather: in any kind of weather
state of mind: how you feel mentally at a particular time
stick to: to keep doing something you decided to do

Rounding-off question

After you finish, the examiner may ask one short question, such as:

Would you recommend it to other people?

Part 3 questions: Health

In Part 3, the examiner asks more abstract questions linked to the cue card topic. Give an opinion, explain why, and add an example.

Why do many people find it hard to keep healthy habits?

I think the main reason is that the rewards are slow and the effort is immediate. You feel the discomfort of a run today, but the benefit arrives months later. People also start too ambitiously, with a strict diet or daily gym sessions, and give up when they miss a day. Small changes that fit into an existing routine tend to last much longer.

Are people today healthier than their grandparents were?

In some respects, yes. We live longer, thanks to vaccines, cleaner water and better medical care. But in everyday terms I'm not so sure. Our grandparents walked more and ate less processed food, whereas many people now sit all day and suffer from conditions linked to weight and stress. So we survive longer but are not always fitter.

Now say it out loud

Reading a good answer helps, but speaking is what improves your band. This set includes this cue card, Part 1 questions on keeping fit and water, and a Part 3 discussion.

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This sample answer was written by TestWise Prep to show language that scores well. It is not official IELTS material. Use it for ideas, not to memorise, because examiners mark rehearsed answers down.