Cue Cards Samples with band 8 answers
When you had a disagreement with someone - Cue Card # 795
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IELTS Speaking Part 2: IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card.
[The topic for your talk will be written on a card which the examiner will hand over to you. Read it carefully and then make some brief notes.]
Describe a time when you had a disagreement with someone.
You should say:
- when it was
- who you had this disagreement with
- why you had this disagreement with that person
and explain how you two resolved the issue.
[Instruction: You will have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes. You have one minute to think about what you are going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish.]
[Examiner: All right? Remember you have one to two minutes for this, so don't worry if I stop you. I'll tell you when the time is up. Can you start speaking now, please?]
Model Answer 1:
I think that we all have disagreements with our friends, colleagues and families at some point in our lives over different issues. Today, I would like to talk about one such disagreement that I had with one of my former co-workers. And interestingly, it was about an insignificant issue, but we were both serious about our opinion.
It was about a few years ago when I had this disagreement with this colleague. At that time, my former colleague used to drive a Japanese car while I used to ride my old motorbike to commute back and forth from work. Although I didn’t own a car, I just loved to learn about different types of cars and their features, and that’s probably why I thought that German cars were far better than Japanese cars. But, my former, good co-worker disagreed, saying that Japanese cars were more reliable than any other car brands in the world.
Of course, I was very much aware of the fact that my friend had this opinion on Japanese cars not because he owned one, but because he genuinely believed what he had said. In other words, he rated Japanese cars above German cars because he was more biased towards Japanese cars. Our disagreement continued for almost a whole week while we both tried to present our own facts and pieces of evidence in favour of our own, chosen brands of cars. But the more facts and pieces of evidence we provided, the more we both were convinced that our preferred brands of cars should have been rated over the other. Finally, we both agreed to resolve our disagreement by going to an experienced “car salesperson” in our area.
The car salesperson lectured us for almost 25 minutes about both the Japanese and German cars, and the summary of his lecture was that German cars were actually far better than Japanese cars in all aspects except for the cost factors. In other words, the only advantage Japanese cars had was that they were cheaper than German cars. Now, I am not too sure if my co-worker really agreed with him, but he didn’t argue with me about Japanese cars after that event.
Sample Answer 2:
Introduction:
Thank you very much for this topic. Here, I would like to talk about a time when I had a disagreement with someone. I will also share why I had this disagreement with this person and explain how I resolved the issue.
When it was:
The disagreement occurred a few years ago when I was in college. Perhaps, I have become a little wiser nowadays as I know that we will have differences in our opinions, and I am much more tolerant of these differences. However, back then I was not so wise, I guess.
Who you had this disagreement with:
I had this disagreement with a close friend of mine whom I had known for years. His name is Ratul.
Why you had this disagreement with that person:
The disagreement started because my friend had borrowed a significant amount of money from me, which I had given to him in good faith. However, he was unable to pay me back on time, and as the deadline passed twice, I started to worry about getting my money back. I could not agree with the reasons he was giving as excuses for his delay to repay the money.
And explain how you two resolved the issue:
At first, I tried to talk to him about the issue and asked him to pay me back as soon as possible or at least give me a reasonable excuse. However, either he was unable to explain the situation or I was not in the mood to accept the excuse. As a result, we stopped talking to each other for a few weeks. Eventually, I decided to meet him in person and try to resolve the issue. We talked about the problem and why he was unable to pay me back. He explained his situation, and his mother also backed him, and I realised that he was genuinely struggling financially. Instead of demanding my money back, I decided to give him as much time as he needed. Eventually, we resolved the issue, and he paid me the money back two months later.
Model Answer 3:
Introduction:
Disagreements are a natural part of human relationships and can arise at any time among us. They can be challenging, but resolving them reasonably can also be a learning experience for us. I have also learned from many such disagreements in my life. In this topic, I would like to talk about a time when I had a disagreement with my mom.
When it was:
The disagreement occurred a few months ago when I wanted to attend a party at one of my friend's houses.
Who you had this disagreement with:
I had this disagreement with my mom, who was against the idea of me attending the party.
Why you had this disagreement with that person:
The reason for the disagreement was that my mom was concerned about my safety and well-being - I guess. She didn't know my friend's parents well and was worried that there might be alcohol at the party. She also felt that I was too young to be going to parties and wanted me to focus on my studies instead.
And explain how you two resolved the issue:
At first, I tried to argue with my mom and convince her to let me go to the party. However, she was firm in her decision and refused to change her mind. As a result, we started to have arguments, and our relationship became strained. I didn't understand why she was being so overprotective, and she didn't understand why I was so insistent on going to the party.
Eventually, we sat down and had a heart-to-heart conversation. I listened to her concerns and explained to her why I wanted to go to the party. I promised to behave responsibly and not do anything that would put myself or anyone else in danger. My mom, in turn, agreed to trust me and let me go to the party as long as I followed certain rules and checked in with her regularly.
Idea generation for this Candidate task card/ Cue card topic:
Disagreements are common in daily life, and choosing a relatable example can help you speak fluently and naturally. Below are some detailed ideas involving different relationships and situations. Each one addresses the time, person involved, the reason for the disagreement, and how it was resolved.
1. Disagreement with a close friend over travel plans:
Last summer, I had a disagreement with my best friend about where we should go for our holiday. I wanted to visit the mountains while he preferred the beach. The disagreement lasted for a few days, but eventually, we compromised by splitting the trip between both destinations. It taught us the value of listening and being flexible.
2. Disagreement with a sibling about household responsibilities:
During my university break, I stayed with my older sister, and we argued over who should do which chores. I felt she wasn’t being fair in assigning the tasks. We sat down, had an honest talk, and decided to create a simple weekly schedule to divide responsibilities. It helped reduce tension and improve our cooperation.
3. Disagreement with a classmate during a group project:
At college, I once disagreed with a teammate about how to approach a research presentation. He wanted to use complex statistics, but I believed it would confuse the audience. After a team meeting, we decided to blend both ideas—presenting simplified statistics with visual aids. It ended up being one of our best group presentations.
4. Disagreement with a coworker over a work process:
At my part-time job, I had a disagreement with a colleague about how to handle customer complaints. He preferred a formal approach while I believed a more empathetic tone was necessary. We spoke with our supervisor, who suggested we combine both styles. That conversation helped us respect each other’s perspectives.
5. Disagreement with parents about career choice:
After high school, I wanted to pursue art, but my parents thought engineering was a more stable career. This led to several discussions. Eventually, I agreed to try engineering for a year while also attending evening art classes. Over time, they saw my passion and supported my switch to a creative field.
6. Disagreement with a friend about a political issue:
I had a heated argument with a friend about a political topic during a school debate. We had very different opinions and things got a bit personal. Later, we both realised that our friendship was more important than the disagreement and decided to focus on respectful discussions in the future.
7. Disagreement with a teacher over an assignment grade:
Once in high school, I received a grade that I felt was unfair. I respectfully asked my teacher to review it and we went through my paper together. Though the grade didn’t change, I appreciated the feedback and our respectful dialogue strengthened our student-teacher relationship.
8. Disagreement with a roommate about living habits:
In university dorms, I clashed with my roommate over cleanliness and noise levels. We were both stressed with exams, and tensions ran high. We resolved it by setting clear rules and agreeing to check in weekly about shared space concerns.
Vocabulary for this Candidate task card / Cue card topic:
When describing a disagreement, using vocabulary that accurately conveys the nature of the conflict, the communication process, and the resolution is important. Here are some useful words and phrases with example sentences:
Minor misunderstanding – A small disagreement arising from a failure to understand something correctly.
Example: It started as a minor misunderstanding about the project deadline.
Differing opinions – Different views or beliefs about a particular matter.
Example: We had differing opinions on the best way to approach the problem.
Clash of perspectives – A disagreement resulting from contrasting ways of looking at things.
Example: The disagreement stemmed from a fundamental clash of perspectives.
Sticking point – A particular issue in an argument on which it is impossible to reach an agreement.
Example: The budget became a major sticking point in our negotiations.
Articulated my viewpoint – Clearly expressed my opinion or position.
Example: I made sure to clearly articulate my viewpoint during the conversation.
Sought to understand their rationale – Tried to understand the reasons behind their opinion or decision.
Example: I sought to understand their rationale, even if I didn't agree with it.
Found common ground – Discovered areas of agreement despite the disagreement.
Example: Eventually, we managed to find some common ground.
Willingness to compromise – A readiness to make concessions to reach an agreement.
Example: Our willingness to compromise was key to resolving the issue.
Reached a consensus – Achieved a general agreement among all parties involved.
Example: After a lengthy discussion, we finally reached a consensus.
Acknowledged each other's points – Recognised and understood the validity of the other person's arguments.
Example: We both acknowledged each other's points, even where we still differed.
Maintained a respectful tone – Kept the conversation polite and considerate despite the disagreement.
Example: Throughout the disagreement, we both maintained a respectful tone.
If you prepare for the topic "Describe a time when you had a disagreement with someone", you should be able to talk about the following topics as well:
1) Describe a time when you disagreed with a decision that someone made.
2) Describe a time when you had a strong disagreement with one of your friends.
3) Describe a time when you felt that someone misunderstood you.
4) Describe a time when you got angry.
5) Describe an event that frustrated you.
6) Describe a time when you thought your opinion was ignored.
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