Decision that took you a long time to make

IELTS Cue Card # 236 – Decision that took you a long time to make

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Last Updated: Thursday, 29 July 2021 00:57

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IELTS Speaking Part 2: IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card.

Describe a decision that took you a long time to make.

You should say:

• what decision it was
• when you made this decision
• why it took you so long

and explain how you felt after you made the decision.

Model Answer 1:
I am usually a prompt person when it comes to making a decision. Of course, when I say that I am prompt, I don’t mean to suggest that I take all kinds of decisions overnight, but rather I mean to say that I don’t waste any unnecessary time in making any kind of decision. But, then there comes a time in our life when we do have to take a long time to make a decision just like I did about 5 years ago.

Back in 5 years, I was actually living in a nice small town while working at a branch office of one of the prestigious real estate firms in my country. After living there for almost 5 years, and trust me, 5 years is a long time, I had got very attached to that nice, little town which was beautifully adorned with many different kinds of trees, large park-like green fields full of grass and a number of small and beautiful ponds. Besides, most people there were friendly to me and treated me like one of their own even though I hailed from a different city which was far from them.

So, I liked everything about that nice little town. But, then came the order from my corporate head office, asking me to move to a different city and work there. Obviously, I didn’t like the order, so I tried to convince my bosses that I would be more productive by working in the small city environment as I was already in. But my bosses didn’t like to hear that. So, I asked my company to allow me some time to decide whether to move or quit the job. Finally, after a month-long of deliberation with myself, I decided to move to the city as per the order of my superiors. It took me the whole month just to come to a decision!

Anyway, after making that decision, I felt that it was the right one since it was about moving forward with my career. Besides, I also felt that no matter where I moved or live, I could always work on creating my own little world around me that I would like.

Sample Answer 2:
After finishing my graduation from college, I applied for a few jobs, and luckily I was offered a great job at a large company in our country. The office environment, career prospects, learning facility, salary structure and management were really good, and I was motivated to work there. So, when I had to decide between continuing my job and doing my Master’s degree course, I was so perplexed that it took more than two months to decide which one to pick.

The M.Sc. program offered by the university required a student to attend the classes during the daytime, and it contradicted my office timing. I had to pick one of these two options, and my parents wanted me to finish my M.Sc. first. But I was not so sure!

I felt like facing a great dilemma and had to think a lot to come to a decision. It took me a long period of time primarily because I was not so sure which one I should put more priority on – my job or study? My parents were in favour of continuing my study when some of my friends advised me to continue the job and getting enrolled in an evening Master’s degree program. This dividend opinion and advice made me more confused. Another reason which caused this delay in making the decision was the time I had in my hand. I was not bound to decide in a day or a week since I had a few months in my hand to decide. I had many different thoughts at that time and sometimes, I thought of continuing my job while another time I thought I should put more priority on my regular Master’s degree.

After I decided to continue my job and doing the Master’s degree program in a different university that offered an executive M.Sc. program, I felt like a heavy burden had been cleared from my head. I talked to my parents and finally, they agreed that doing an executive Master’s degree would not be a bad idea. I felt great as I loved the job that I had. Also, I felt good as I had been able to continue my education at the same time.

Sample Answer 3:
Whether I should move to the capital city of our country for my high school education is a decision that took a very long time. My father was employed in the public sector, and we used to stay in a suburban area, away from the capital city.

And, after I managed to secure a top-class result in my primary school, I started to dream about studying in a large and reputed high school in the capital city. I was barely 13 years old at that time, which was one of the reasons why it took me a long time to come to a decision, and I was caught in a position when I had to decide either to abandon my dream or leave my parents and siblings and move to the capital city alone. I could not decide which option I should pick.

My mind was oscillating now and then, and I was in a great dilemma. So I could not finalise my option that easily. I did not want to leave my beloved and dearest family members, but I could not discard my dream of getting admitted to a well-established high school either. It took me almost four months to finally come to a decision, and it was a tough decision to make for a 13-years-old teenager. Finally, I planned to move to the capital city with two other classmates, and I planned to travel to my home whenever possible.

I felt great about my decision, and it seemed like I got rid of a big burden from my chest. I started feeling the necessity of studying in a good school, and at the same time, I missed my family. The initial few days were very tough for me. I got bored sometimes for being far away from my known world, but that helped me concentrate on my studies even more. I chose my study as my salvation of homesickness and boredom.

Deep inside my heart, I knew that I made this sacrifice at an earlier age for a greater good, and someday I would get the result of my sacrifice. I knew I had to go ahead, and someday, I would be with my family members again. Nowadays, whenever I look back to these days, I feel that it was a very thoughtful and prudent decision though it took me four months to settle.

Similar Cue Card Topics

Your ability to talk about this Cue Card would enable you to talk about the following Cue Cards as well:

1. Describe a tough decision you made in your life. 
2. Describe a time when you were very busy. 
3. Describe a positive change in your life. 
4. Describe a decision that you need to make in the future.