Describe an invention that you think is useful to people

Describe an invention that you think is useful to people.

You should say:

• what the invention is
• who invented it and when
• how it is useful to people

and say whether it is useful to you.

[You will have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes. You have one minute to think about what you’re going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish.]

Sample Answer 1

In my humble opinion, every invention of our world is useful to people in one way or another. Of course, we can all debate as to which invention is useful to people to what extent, but that would not probably get us anywhere. Having said that, I would like to move forward with our cue card topic of discussion, which is to talk about an invention that is useful to us.

The invention, I would like to talk about, is known to virtually everybody around us as a “smartphone”.  But, I like to call this invention “the jack of all trades” since it has been designed to do all kinds of intelligent things – things which are badly needed to carry our modern civilisation forward in an effective manner.

Considered as the “8th wonder of the world” by many in this world, a smartphone can be described as a cellular telephone with an integrated computer system, and other features not originally associated with telephones, such as an operating system, web browsing, and the ability to run software applications, just to name a few. And based on this “computer-centric” definition, many people even call it a “portable mini-computer” which is used by people to make and receive phone calls and text messages, take, show, and store pictures and video, browse the Internet, as well as send and receive e-mail. It is also used for location navigation with its GPS (Global Positioning System) feature, as well as record and play audio and music.

Anyway, the first smartphone was invented by the world-renowned multinational technological company called “IBM” in 1992, and the name of the first smartphone was “Simon”.

Well, just like everybody else, I also use this wonderful, little, flat and rectangular-shaped machine, called “smartphone”, mainly to communicate with other people. I also use it to browse the Internet, check my emails, take pictures and watch videos once in a while. Besides, given how convenient it is to carry with me, together with many other functionalities and features, it offers, I consider this wonderful invention to be very useful to me. After all, there is no other machine like a smartphone.

Sample Answer 2

The invention of the automobile was one of the greatest inventions in the world. This invention has helped change society and enhance people’s lifestyle to a great extent. In fact, without the support of the automobile, this is impossible to travel. The mass production of the automobile was a great gift to the humankind. This is a great cue card topic for me and I will explain this invention in brief.

The very first automobile was founded in 1886. A German named Karl Benz materialized the idea. Later the commercialization of automobile was done in the early part of the 20th century. Before this period, it was a luxury mode of transportation for the higher class of society. With the initiatives of Henry Ford, the automobile became a standard mode of transportation for all types of people and based on the idea, some other industries also grew up rapidly.

Since the invention, the automobile has been playing an important role for all classes of people. Distance is no longer a barrier for people now. They can move from one place to another within a short time. Earlier, before the invention of the automobile, people had to travel on feet and it took a long time to reach their destinations. But with the help of automobile, they can now reach in their intended places smoothly and accomplish their respective tasks safely. At present, automobiles have become cheaper and they are manufactured in various countries of the world.

This is also useful to me. I frequently use it, particularly the public transports to move into different parts of the city. In fact, if there is a shortage of vehicles on the streets, the commoners are to suffer a lot. I also had some bitter experiences regarding this issue. So, it is of great benefit to me.

More Ideas to help you prepare your own answer

Cue Card Topic: Describe an invention that you think is useful to people.

1. The invention of the airplane is one of the greatest ones in world history. It was the invention of the Wright Brothers. Orville Wright and Wilbur Wright first generated the idea of the airplane and had some experiments that made them later successful to make the very first airplane in the world. This is a very useful mode of faster travel in the present age. It has removed the distance. This is also beneficial for me. I fly to different countries from Singapore for my business purposes.

2. Facebook is a social networking site and now is used by billions of people across the world. This is in fact hard to find someone without a Facebook account at the present age. Mark Zuckerberg invented the platform and it was officially launched in 2004. This is a wonderful platform for different types of people. I also use the site to get connected with my friends and family living abroad. I cannot pass a single day without browsing this website.

3. The virtual keyboard is one of the greatest inventions of this present age. This is used for different purposes. The IBM engineers invented the first virtual keyboards in 2008. The virtual keyboard is of great help when there is no physical keyboard.  It also looks great and available in a different colour. The users can type using the keyboard and also can deliver commands to devices and computers. I used a virtual keyboard recently and liked that for its portability. It is also secured as data entered through a virtual keyboard could not be easily tracked via tracking software.

4. Google Glass is an important technological invention that helps to get things before an eye. The tech giant Google Inc. invented this in 2013 and now this is available in different versions. This is a very useful device for many professionals including doctors. In a word, a digital device is made in the shape of a glass. The users do not need to hold the display in their hands. The can see the things they want right before the eyes. I had the chance to get in touch with a Google glass and I found it very useful for me.

5. Hybrid cars are kind of the latest invention in the world. They run on both system – fuel and solar. I actually cannot remember who invented this technology but seen one in a car exhibition held in the USA. The hybrid cars are of great use to people. At present, people need to spend a good amount of money on fuel and if the massive production of hybrid cars begins, they will save energy and money. Moreover, it would save the environment too. I would love to use such a car. Usually, I feel worried about fuel and there would be no such troubles at all.