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Describe a household task or chore that you do regularly but do not enjoy

Try the card on the exam timer first, then read the band-8 sample answer and the Part 3 questions that follow it.

Practice it like the exam

Part 2 · Candidate task card

Describe a household task or chore that you do regularly but do not enjoy.

You should say:

  • what the task is
  • how often you have to do it
  • how you do it

and explain how you feel about it and what would make it easier.

Ready

1 minute to prepare, then 2 minutes to speak. It switches on its own.

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Band 8 sample answer

266 words · about 2 minutes at a natural pace · Phrases from the vocabulary list are highlighted.

A chore I do regularly but really don't enjoy is ironing. I know it might seem like a small thing, but for some reason I find it the most tedious of all household tasks, and I always put it off until the last possible moment.

I have to do it about once a week, usually on Sunday evening, because I need clean, smooth shirts for work. I set up the ironing board in the living room, turn on the television to have something to listen to, and then work through the pile. A normal session takes about forty-five minutes. The routine is always the same: I start with the shirts, then do my trousers, and leave the small things, such as handkerchiefs and pillowcases, to the end, or sometimes I skip them altogether.

I dislike it because it seems so repetitive and the results disappear as soon as I put the clothes on. It also makes me feel hot and a bit bored, and the pile seems to grow back as soon as I finish. I've tried to make it more bearable by listening to podcasts, which helps.

What would make it easier? Ideally, I would buy clothes made from fabrics that don't crease, and I've started doing this more recently. I could also share the load with my brother, who lives with me, and agree that he washes up while I iron. Or I could pay a laundry service, although that would be a bit expensive. For now, I just try to see it as a necessary task that I need to get through quickly.

What to notice

  • It takes the points on the card in order, so the examiner can follow it.
  • Each point gets a specific detail or a short story, which is what keeps a talk going for two minutes.
  • The "explain" line at the end gets the most time, because that is where you give an opinion and show your range of language.

We wrote this answer for practice; it does not come from IELTS. Take its structure and phrases and tell your own story, because examiners notice memorised answers.

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Useful vocabulary

PhraseMeaning
do the choresdo regular household tasks
a tedious taska boring job
put it offdelay doing it
share the loaddivide work fairly
labour-saving devicea machine that reduces work
pile upaccumulate

Plan it in one minute

Choose what to talk about in the first ten seconds, then write two or three key words for each point. Full sentences take too long to write and to read back.

Who or what you could talk about

  • Ironing or washing up
  • Cleaning the bathroom or the windows
  • Sorting laundry and putting things away

How to spend the two minutes

  1. 25 swhat the task is
  2. 25 show often you have to do it
  3. 25 show you do it
  4. 45 sand explain how you feel about it and what would make it easier.

Part 3 questions

In the exam these come straight after your talk, on the wider subject: Housework and responsibilities. Answer each in 3–4 sentences, with your view, a reason and an example.

  1. Who usually does the housework in families in your country?
  2. Should children be expected to help with chores at home?
  3. Do you think technology has made housework easier?
  4. Is it a good idea to pay someone to do household tasks?
  5. How have attitudes to sharing housework changed over time?

Frequently asked questions

How should I describe an activity in an IELTS cue card?

Explain what the activity involves and how you got into it, describe a typical time you do it, and finish with what you get from it. Present simple for habits and a short past story for one occasion show range.

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