Describe a city or a town where you live or lived

Describe a city or a town where you live or lived.

You should say:

• where it is located
• what part of it you are most familiar with
• what are the important landmarks and places there

and explain what makes that city or town special to you.

Model Answer 1:
I live in one of the least populated regions of my country which only has about half a million people. Located in the north-eastern part of my country, the city is not exactly known to many people in my country. But, as far I am concerned, this city has always been very special to me, and here I would like to tell you why in a minute.

Anyway, even though, this isn’t exactly a famous place, like many other cities of my country, the legend has it that it is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, regions of my country where people have been living for more than 500 years. Since most of the people here are either involved with farming or small businesses, only a very few industries or companies can be found there. Of course, recently, some agro-based industries are trying to make their ways into this medium-sized city of ours, but the common people there, including me, aren’t too happy or excited about it as it will most likely raise the cost of living of an otherwise very ‘inexpensive” town.

But, inexpensive or not, I have always loved each and everything about this city, especially, its downtown area which is always lively with lots of people, trying to enjoy their afternoon snacks and tea. By the way, I don’t only like this downtown area of my city, but also it happens to be the most familiar part of my city to me because it is in the wide streets of this area where I grew up riding my bicycle and hanging out with my friends as a young boy. The city has a few important landmarks too which includes a very old church, a big public library and a big lake.  

Anyway, a couple of things make this city very special to me. First thing, of course, is that I have grown up here with all kinds of happy memories. Second thing is that I really like the laid-back and easy-going lifestyle of our people here.

Sample Answer 2:
I am originally from Nepal and I have spent most of my life at Kathmandu, which is my place of birth. However, during my graduation period, I had to live in Dhaka, which is the capital city of Bangladesh and is a wonderful city. I stayed in this city for about 5 years and this is the city I would talk about for my cue card topic.

According to the official map, Dhaka is located in the middle of Bangladesh. Dhaka is a small city but it is quite crowded and busy. Set beside the Buriganga River Dhaka city has an area of 315 square miles. In the 17th century, Dhaka was the Mughal capital of Bengal and it still has many old architectural works and buildings of this era.

I stayed at the Dhaka University campus which is near the Shahbagh area and this is the area I was most familiar with. To be honest this is a spectacular and lively city and the rich tradition and Bengali culture make it a unique city. There are a lot of famous and important landmarks in this city including Lalbagh Fort, Liberation War Museum, Ahsan Manzil, Sonargaon, National Museum, National Parliament House, War memorial monument, Sixty Dome Mosque and so on. Interestingly I have visited all of these significant landmarks in Dhaka except Sixty Dome Mosque. I personally enjoyed visiting the Ahsan Manzil, Sonargaon and War memorial monument. The old Dhaka is a unique place with old and traditional buildings and the distinctive lifestyle of people. The university campus was another fascinating place for me. I often went to the new market for shopping and Nilkhet was a very popular place for book lovers.

I believe that the university years are quite memorable and pleasant years for everyone. In fact, I had some of the best years of my life while I was at my university. I spent those golden years in this very city and made many good friends during this time. The friendly people, colourful festivals, pleasant memories, comfortable weather and my exposure to a different culture are the reasons I will never forget this city. This will always be a city I would love to visit and my pleasant time in this city makes it very special to me.

Sample Answer 3:
When I was an undergrad student in India, I used to live in New Delhi. This is one of the most adorable cities I have ever visited. This is also the capital city of India and enriched with numerous historical evidence and events. I am lucky to have this topic for my discussion.
 
New Delhi is one of the largest cities in India. Its foundation was laid in 1911. The city design was done by two British architects. As a capital, the city was opened in 1931 and since then it has been playing roles in the advancement of the country. Presently, this is one of the attractive and massive metropolitan areas as well. This city also contains a good number of architectural edifices of different ages, street shops, foods, markets, and overall human resources.     

New Delhi is a vast city and growing rapidly. The scenarios of the city have been changed after the independence of the country while they were different before independence. The city has different parts and almost all of them are commercially developed. I am familiar with the most notable parts of the city. In fact, I am a non-native here. My family lives in Philippine and I came to India for my graduation with a scholarship at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi which is located in Hauz Khas in New Delhi. As a student, I had to remain occupied with my academic studies and could not manage time for wandering here and there randomly. But I have visited the most attractive spots in the city.

The city comes up with many attractions for its visitors. First of all, there are some museums and historic sites still available and they are taken care of in an exact manner. The National Museum, one of the largest museums of India is located in the city. Further, the India Gate is another landmark for the city. The Gate was built in 1931. The gate has been made with the commemoration of 90,000 Indian soldiers who sacrificed lives in the First World War for the British Raj. Besides, the Rajpath is another landmark for the city and it holds the Republic Day parade each year. The resting place of the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi is also located here in Rajghat. The location is beside the River Yamuna. Another astronomical observatory named Jantar Mantar is also located in the city. Some other museums like the National Gallery of Modern Art, National Rail Museum etc. are also placed in this city.

I like the city for several reasons. This is really a great city to stay and enjoy. New Delhi is decorated with gardens while the gardens look beautiful when the flowers bloom. I have paid visits to almost all of the parks and have spent quality times with my buddies. The city is also special to me for its variety of foods and drinks. I was in love with traditional Indian foods. The inhabitants were also cordial too. They loved me like their own brother. Moreover, in my educational institute, all the teachers and staffs cared for me and tried to comfort me in every possible way. I have lived here for five consecutive years and will come back if possible to pay another visit.

More Ideas to talk about this Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card topic:

Topic: Describe a city or a town where you live or lived.