Last Updated on August 30, 2024
“Describe a time you saw something interesting on social media” is one of the most intriguing and creative cue cards in the IELTS Speaking Test. The cue card is the second task in the Speaking test in the IELTS examination. The candidate taking the examination is given a topic, referred to as the “cue card” and has to speak on the same for around 2 minutes after the preparation time of 1 minute. The candidate is provided with a pen and paper to help them gather their thoughts and note them down.
We at Admissify strive to help students in all their educational international endeavors and IELTS is one of the significant milestones to achieve in this journey. Through this article, we bring to you everything that you need to know about the cue card “Describe a time you saw something interesting on social media”. To give an astounding response, candidates need to be prepared beforehand and so, from “How to approach it?” to “Model Responses”, we’ve got you covered!
How to Approach the Describe a time you saw something interesting on a social media cue card.
There are certain things that you must keep in mind while answering this. To help you understand the approach better, we will tell you on what lines you must think to properly utilize your 1 minute of preparation time and structure your answer better.
Introduction to your answer
You can talk about how social media has become such an important part of our daily lives and how everything that goes on in society today, is present on social media. You can also talk about how everything in peoples’ private as well as public lives is being shaped by social media, be it their interests or career goals and opportunities.
Answer the What, When, and Where
Followed by your few lines of introduction, you must mention the What, When, and Where of the social media encounter that you’re going to talk about. What essentially is the interesting thing that you found on social media? When did you discover that thing and Where did you discover it meaning which social media platform was it?
Answer the Why
This is the most crucial part and this is where you can get the brownie points. You need to highlight exactly why you found that particular thing so intriguing that it was successful in grabbing your attention. Given that today the attention span of everyone has reduced so much on social media, you need to tell them why you took notice of that thing and found it interesting. This will make your answer more personalized and highlight your personality which will further end up enhancing the quality of your answer.
What aspect of it was especially interesting
After telling them the Why, you should also tell them exactly what parts or aspects of that thing drew your attention towards it. Any specific or special quality of the encounter you’re talking about may be added here. It’s important to note that this part of the answer isn’t a mandatory one but it’d be great if you include it as it would add value to your response.
What Impact does it have on you?
This will be the concluding part of your answer and here, you will explain the impact of that thing on your mind. Did it make you make some plans for your near or far future? Did it motivate you or inspire you in any possible way? Did you learn something from it? All the possible potential consequences that it might have on you need to be addressed here. This in a way acts as the justification of your interest in that particular subject since it did leave an impact on you. This makes your answer more real and believable for the examiner.
Now, as we have discussed the approach one must adopt while preparing the answer to the Describe a time you saw something interesting on social media IELTS, let us look at a few model responses for better clarity.
Describe a time you saw something interesting on social media: Model Responses
For your better understanding, below are three model or exemplary responses to Describe a time you saw something interesting on social media. You must compare these responses with the approach given above for a better understanding.
Describe a time you saw something interesting on social media – Model Response 1
| Introduction | My day is almost incomplete without browsing or scrolling through my social media. Given its importance, application, and addiction habits, it has become a part of my daily schedule. |
| What, When, and Where | It was yesterday when I was scrolling through my Instagram feed when I stumbled upon an Instagram reel. It was from TechGuru. It is one of my favorite Instagram pages for technology-related stuff. The reel was about a shortcut way for mass applying for internships/jobs on Google. |
| Why interesting | I usually follow TechGuru and find all of its content good enough but this reel was successful in grabbing my attention more than it usually does. This was so because the reel provided a detailed way to apply for various internships on Google in a single go. It was the “uniqueness” for me! |
| What specific aspects did you find interesting | The time-saving technique which is also efficient was something that specifically intrigued me. |
| Impact on you | The reel left a strong impact on me. It made me reconsider my prospects and dive deeper into it. It left me so motivated to get internships that I also tried the application method. |
Describe a time you saw something interesting on social media- Model Response 2
| Introduction | Social media is such an accessible way to know about things that are considered social taboos or don’t come in handy in the real world, mental health is one of them. |
| What, When, and Where | I am someone who takes a deep interest in knowing about mental health issues. I came across a video on YouTube around a week ago. It was about how ADHD specifically affects women. |
| Why interesting | The title of the video immediately caught my attention because it focused on women. Being someone who very actively advocates and endorses gender equality, I know for a fact that women are largely ignored or their issues remain unheard and unaddressed when it comes to mental health. |
| What specific aspects did you find interesting | The video talked about how gender roles and the existing stereotypes against women play a role in the furthering of these mental health conditions. And this acknowledgment of women-specific problems concerning ADHD specifically intrigued me. |
| Impact on you | I found the video very well-researched and helpful. I started following the creator and as someone passionate about both, women’s rights and mental health, I enjoyed the content. |
Describe a time you saw something interesting on social media- Model Response 3
| Introduction | I enjoy using social media for innumerable reasons but the most important of them all is the fact that I love traveling and social media provides the best insights in this regard. |
| What, When, and Where | Two days back, I was mindlessly scrolling through my Facebook homepage when I stumbled upon a travel guide page. The post was about a trip to Bali. |
| Why interesting | Bali is a place that has been on my travel list for a long time now. The offer including the expenses, number of days, number of people going together and everything else was exactly as per my preferences. This immediately drew my attention to it. |
| What specific aspects did you find interesting | The thing I found the most interesting was the fact that they were offering a discount of around 25% for women who planned to take the trip alone. It was icing on the cake for me. |
| Impact on you | I got so excited after coming across the post, going through their whole page, and doing a thorough credibility check of the admins that I ended up booking the trip for myself. |
Describe a time you saw something interesting on social media: Follow-up Questions
After the cue card task, the third IELTS Speaking test is the follow-up questions asked from the candidate following their answer. We have provided you with a few questions that might be asked after the “Describe a time you saw something interesting on social media” cue card for your convenience.
What are your opinions on social media?
Social media is one of those scientific innovations without which humans can’t sustain themselves. It has transformed the way people connect, communicate, and share information. It has become a tool for almost everything now, from sharing information to entertainment, social media covers it all.
What are the benefits and harms of social media?
Social media has both benefits as well as harms. The positives include sharing information, creating awareness, connecting and communicating across the globe, new modes of entertainment, networking, and professional opportunities, representation of minority groups, etc. Whereas, the negatives include misinformation and fake news circulation, cyberbullying and other security threats, data privacy issues, wastage of time, etc.
What type of content is the most famous on social media?
Some of the most important content include digital marketing, news, and information content, and personal entertainment content including vlogs, reels, etc.
Do you think social media is important and doing any real good?
Even though the way some people use social media needs regulation, the importance of social media altogether cannot be doubted. Social media, despite its negatives, remains significant. Cultural exchange, connecting people across the globe, and its invaluable role in relaying news and information (such as natural disaster warnings, public law, and order notices, etc., are doing actual tangible good apart from just being a platform for entertainment.
Conclusion
Describe a time you saw something interesting on social media Band 9 requires creativity to answer, for the IELTS speaking test to be cleared. You must answer the What, When, Where, and Why of the social media encounter you’re describing. You also must include the impact it had on you in the conclusion of your answer. Don’t forget to add the value-enhancing aspects (such as what you specifically found intriguing) to increase the quality of your answer.
Other IELTS Cue Card Topics:
Describe An Interesting Neighbour
Describe A Quiet Place Ielts Cue Card
Describe A Long Walk You Have Ever Had
Describe A Difficult Thing That You Did- IELTS Cue Card
Describe A Positive Change In Your Life | IELTS Cue Card
Describe An Activity You Do To Keep Fit – IELTS Cue Card
Describe A Time When You Observed The Stars Ielts Cue Card
Describe A Person Who You Believe Dresses Well Ielts Cue Card
Describe A Famous Person You Are Interested In – Ielts Cue Card
Describe An Exciting Book That You Enjoy Reading Ielts Cue Card
Describe A Resolution You Made In The New Year- IELTS Cue Card
Describe An Interesting Conversation You Had With Your Friend – IELTS Cue Card
FAQs
What must be included in the answer?
The What, When, Where, and Why must be included in your answer. You should also include the impact it had on you in the conclusion.
How long should the answer be?
Candidates are usually expected to speak for around 2 minutes after giving them 1 minute to prepare for the topic. They are also provided with a pen and paper to note down their points during the preparation time.
What type of follow-up questions can be asked?
Questions like what is the importance of social media, what are the harms and benefits of social media, what are famous types of content on social media, etc. can be asked.
What type of interests can be described in the answer?
Anything that you might find interesting on social media can be described in the answer. For example, some educational or informative content, any creative or entertaining video, or any digital offer that intrigued you.
Neha Sharma is an IELTS faculty with a decade of experience in teaching IELTS. She holds a PhD in English from Stanford University, USA. Excelling in tailoring her teaching to individual student needs, she has helped over 50,000 students achieve their target scores. Actively involved in research, she ensures that her methods remain effective and innovative.
