Describe a place where you like to relax: cue card and sample answer

Cue card

Describe a place where you like to go to relax.

You should say:

where it is
how often you go there
what you do there

and explain why it helps you to relax.

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 248 words, or roughly two minutes of speaking.

The place I'd like to talk about is a small lake on the edge of my town, about twenty minutes from my flat by bike. It isn't famous or especially beautiful, and most visitors to the town never find it, which is exactly what I like about it.

I go there most Sunday mornings, and sometimes on a weekday evening in summer if I've had a difficult day. There's a path all the way round, which takes about forty minutes to walk, and halfway along there's an old wooden bench under some trees. That bench is really the place I mean.

I don't do very much there, to be honest. I usually take a flask of tea and a book, although I often end up just watching the water. There are ducks, and now and then a man who fishes from the opposite bank and never seems to catch anything. Occasionally I listen to music, but I prefer not to look at my phone at all.

I think it relaxes me for two reasons. The first is that nothing there needs my attention. At home there's always washing to do or an email to answer, but at the lake there's nothing I can fix, so my mind slows down. The second is the cycling. By the time I arrive I've already used up a lot of nervous energy. I always come back feeling that my problems are the same size as before, but that I'm a bit bigger.

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

on the edge of: at the outer border of a town or area
a flask: a container that keeps drinks hot
end up doing: to do something in the end, without planning to
now and then: sometimes, not often
needs my attention: requires me to think about it or deal with it
nervous energy: the restless feeling you have when you are stressed

Rounding-off question

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

Do your friends know about this place?

Part 3 questions: Relaxation and stress

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 relax nowadays?

I think the main reason is that work follows us home. With a phone in your pocket, a message from your manager can arrive at ten at night, so people never feel completely off duty. There's also a kind of pressure to be busy all the time. Many people feel guilty if they sit and do nothing, even though that's exactly what they need.

Is it better to relax alone or with other people?

It depends on the person and the kind of tiredness. If I'm exhausted from dealing with people all day, I need to be alone to recover. But if I've been working by myself, an evening with friends is the best way to switch off. I'd say most people need a mixture of both.

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 parks and furniture, and a Part 3 discussion.

Start this Speaking test

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.