Describe a time you had to wait for something: cue card and sample answer

Cue card

Describe a time when you had to wait a long time for something.

You should say:

what you were waiting for
how long you waited
what you did while waiting

and explain how you felt about waiting.

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

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Sample answer

About 257 words, or roughly two minutes of speaking.

I'd like to talk about the time I waited for my exam results at the end of my final year at university. It's not the longest wait of my life, but it's certainly the one I remember best.

The exams finished at the beginning of June, and the results weren't published until the end of July, so it was about seven weeks. What made it hard was that a lot depended on them. I'd been offered a job, but only if I achieved a certain grade, and I honestly didn't know whether I had.

For the first week I did nothing but worry. I went through every paper in my head and found new mistakes each time. After that, my mother suggested that I find something to fill the days. So I took a temporary job at a garden centre, carrying plants and watering them. It was physical work, completely different from studying, and I was too tired in the evenings to think much. I also started running, which I'd never done before.

On the day itself, the results were due at nine in the morning and the website crashed, so I waited another two hours, refreshing the page every thirty seconds. I got the grade I needed, with almost nothing to spare.

Looking back, I felt two things. During the wait I felt helpless, because nothing I did could change the outcome. But I also learned that keeping busy with my hands was the only thing that worked, and I still do that when I'm anxious.

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

a lot depended on them: they would decide something important
did nothing but worry: only worried, and did nothing else
fill the days: keep busy during the time
the website crashed: the website stopped working
with almost nothing to spare: only just; by a very small amount
helpless: unable to do anything to change a situation

Rounding-off question

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

Are you generally good at waiting?

Part 3 questions: Waiting and patience

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 people dislike waiting so much?

I think it's the feeling of having no control. When you're in a queue or waiting for news, your time is in someone else's hands, and that's uncomfortable. It's worse when you don't know how long it will be. People cope much better with a ten-minute delay they've been told about than with five minutes of silence.

Can patience be learned, or is it part of a person's character?

I believe it can be learned, at least partly. Children are naturally impatient, and most of us improve as we grow up, which shows that experience makes a difference. Activities that give slow results, like gardening, learning an instrument or saving money, are good training. Some people will always find it harder, but anyone can get better with practice.

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 daily routine and snacks, 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.