Describe an object that you use every day and could not live without
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
Describe an object that you use every day and could not live without.
You should say:
- what it is
- how long you have had it
- what you use it for
and explain why you could not live without it.
Ready
1 minute to prepare, then 2 minutes to speak. It switches on its own.
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Band 8 sample answer
281 words · about 2 minutes at a natural pace · Phrases from the vocabulary list are highlighted.
An object I use every day and honestly could not live without is my pair of glasses. I've worn them since I was twelve, and my current pair is about two years old. They have a thin black frame and fairly thick lenses, because my eyesight is quite poor.
I put them on as soon as I wake up, since without them everything looks like a blurry painting. I wear them all day, to read, to use my laptop, to watch lectures and to walk around the city. At night, I put them on the shelf next to my bed, always in the same place, so I can find them in the morning. I have a spare pair in a drawer, but I find them uncomfortable, so I keep them only for emergencies.
I could not live without them for the obvious reason that I can hardly see. Without my glasses, I cannot read road signs, recognise friends from a distance or even see the board in class. They are also a matter of safety, because crossing a busy road without them would be quite risky. Beyond that, they have become part of my identity. People who know me can't imagine me without them, and when I once forgot them at a friend's house and had to go without for a day, I felt strangely naked and incredibly tired by the evening, because I was straining my eyes all the time.
It makes me think how much we take small things for granted. Glasses are a simple invention, but they change my daily life completely. I'm grateful for them, and I'm very careful not to sit on them or lose them.
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
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| indispensable | so useful that you cannot do without it |
| part and parcel of | an essential part of |
| take for granted | not appreciate something because it is always there |
| second nature | something done automatically |
| lost without | unable to manage without |
| a daily companion | a thing you have with you every day |
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
- Your smartphone
- A water bottle, notebook or pair of glasses
- A travel card or keys
How to spend the two minutes
- 25 swhat it is
- 25 show long you have had it
- 25 swhat you use it for
- 45 sand explain why you could not live without it.
Part 3 questions
In the exam these come straight after your talk, on the wider subject: Dependence on objects. Answer each in 3–4 sentences, with your view, a reason and an example.
- Which objects do people nowadays find impossible to live without?
- Do you think people were happier with fewer possessions?
- Why do some people prefer to live a minimalist lifestyle?
- How have everyday objects changed since your grandparents' time?
- Is there a risk that people depend too much on their phones?
- What objects will our grandchildren no longer use?
Keep practicing
More cue cards: Objects
- Describe a musical instrument that you can play or would like to learn to play
- Describe something you bought online
- Describe a souvenir that you bought while travelling
- Describe a tool or piece of equipment that you find useful
- Describe something valuable that you lost
- Describe a piece of furniture in your home that is important to you
Part 1 topics on the same subject
Frequently asked questions
How should I describe an object in an IELTS cue card?
Say what it is and how you got it, then talk about how you use it and one moment when it mattered. Objects run out of description fast, so the story around the object is what fills the two minutes.
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