IELTS Cue Card # 157 – Describe a trip that you took by public transportation
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IELTS Speaking Part 2: IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card.
Describe a trip that you took by public transportation.
You should say:
- when and where you went
- what kind of transport you used
- how was your trip
and explain why you chose to use public transportation for this trip.
Follow-up questions:
– Do you think people should use public transportation more often?
– What types of public transport are most commonly used in your country?
– Do you think the government invests enough in public transport in your country?
– What do you think the government should do to improve the quality of public transport in your country?
Model Answer 1:
Taking trips to all kinds of places is a part of our daily life, whether we travel in our private vehicles or use some kind of public transportation. Of course, as far as I am concerned, I am more comfortable taking my trips on my motorbike when I am travelling short distances. But, when I travel long distances, I usually use public transportation, and today I would like to talk about one such long-distance trips which I took about a few weeks ago.
Anyway, I took the trip to attend a wedding ceremony of one of my cousins who lives more than two hundred kilometres away from me in another city. Since it was a long trip, I naturally wanted to use public transportation except, of course, I just couldn’t decide on whether to use a public bus or train. Buses generally travel faster than trains in my country but they don’t usually provide an opportunity to freshen up or eat any kind of food or snacks during the journey. But, on the other hands, even though, trains run a bit slow, they all offer the opportunity for refreshment. In fact, all of the public trains in my country have canteens to offer food for the travellers, and of course, they also have washrooms to freshen up.
So, after considering the pros and cons of using both types of public transportation, I finally decided to make my trip on a public train. Of course, it took me a little longer to arrive at my destination by train, but the trip was comfortable, and relaxing, especially, because of playing some “classical and hit songs” throughout the entire journey.
Anyway, I chose to use public transportation, primarily because it provided more safety and security in my travel. In fact, I didn’t have to worry about getting involved in any kind of unfortunate event or accident. Besides, I found travelling by train more comfortable and relaxing because it provided a much larger space to manoeuvre around when I needed to stretch a little. Finally, I never felt any travel fatigue after arriving at my destination.
Sample Answer 2:
Though I own a private car, I often use different public transportations. I sometimes do so to allow my family members to use my car for their own necessity, and sometimes I use public transportation to travel a long distance, especially when I need to go to a different city than mine. One such trip that I remember well took place about a year ago when I visited one of my aunts’ house.
My aunt is married to a civil engineer, and they have 3 kids together. Their house is located in a remote area, away from the city centre, where they relocated about a couple of years ago. I had to travel almost 12 hours to reach their house.
It was perhaps the mid-autumn when I made the trip. I went there alone so I had to travel solo. I had to use 3-4 different public transportations to finally reach my aunt’s house. First, I took a bus and it dropped me at its destination- near a riverbank, where the ferry was the only transportation to cross the river. After passing the river on a large ferry, which was an amazing experience for me, I took another bus and finally a taxi to reach my aunt’s house.
It was a long trip on road- longer than most trips I usually make. In my view, it was neither a pleasant nor a dull trip. Changing the transportation a few times, carrying two heavy bags and an hour’s of traffic congestion somewhat annoyed me. But I enjoyed the natural scenery, a different routine than the usual busy life, scenic beauty on both sides of the road, the beautiful river and the new people and place. I mostly listened to music and read magazines during my journey while also enjoying the scenic beauty and occasional chats with people around me.
I took public transportations for this trip mainly for two reasons. First, I left my car home so that other family members could use it while I would be away. Secondly, the route to my destination was unknown to me, and that’s why I preferred to take public transportations rather than driving my car.
Similar Cue Card Topics
Your ability to talk about this Cue Card Topic would also enable you to talk about the following Cue Card Topics:
1. Describe a common vehicle in your city.
2. Describe a kind of public transportation you often use.
3. Describe a trip you recently made.
4. Describe a journey you made in a common vehicle in your city.
5. Describe a kind of public transportation you often use.
6. Describe a trip you recently have had.
7. Describe a journey you recently have had.
8. Describe a picnic you had in a public place.