The cue card
Describe an outdoor activity that you enjoy.
You should say:
- what the activity is
- where you do it
- who you do it with
and explain why you enjoy it.
You have one minute to make notes, then speak for one to two minutes.
Band 8–9 sample answer
Written by Abroadway as a model of natural, high-band speaking (not an official IELTS sample).
An outdoor activity I really enjoy is playing badminton on winter evenings, which is something of a tradition in many neighbourhoods in Bangladesh. Unlike in many countries, where badminton is an indoor sport, here we play it in the open air, and it's very much a seasonal thing, lasting roughly from late November until February, when it's cool and dry. Where I live, in Rajshahi, we play on a patch of empty land at the end of our street. Every year, as soon as the temperature starts to drop, a few of the older boys in the area collect a small contribution from each household to buy a net, shuttlecocks and a couple of powerful lights, and then they mark out a court with lime powder.
There's something quite magical about it: in the evening the lights come on, there's often a thin mist in the air, and you can hear the thwack of the shuttlecock from several streets away. As for who I play with, it's mainly my neighbours, and they're a real mix of people. There are schoolchildren, university students like me, and even a couple of uncles in their fifties who are surprisingly competitive. We usually play doubles, and the losing pair has to give up the court to whoever is waiting, so nobody sits out for too long.
I enjoy it for several reasons. Physically, it's a great way to stay active at a time of year when I'd otherwise spend my evenings in front of a screen. But more importantly, it's a social occasion. People who barely say hello to each other for the rest of the year end up chatting, joking and drinking tea from the stall on the corner.
It gives the neighbourhood a sense of community that I really value, and, to be honest, I start looking forward to it as soon as the monsoon is over.
Useful phrases from this answer
- something of a tradition
- quite a strong tradition; a custom people follow
- in the open air
- outside, not in a building
- sits out
- does not take part for a period of time
- looking forward to
- feeling happy and excited about something that will happen
- a different story
- a completely different situation
- there's also something to be said for
- there are also real advantages to
- break up the monotony
- make a boring routine more varied and interesting
Part 3 follow-up questions and answers
Do children spend less time outdoors than they used to? Why?
In most cities, I'm fairly sure they do, and there are a few reasons for it. The most obvious is that there's simply less space. In a crowded city like Dhaka, many playgrounds and open fields have been built over, so children have nowhere safe to play. Parents are also more worried about safety, whether it's traffic or strangers, so they prefer to keep their children indoors. And of course, screens provide endless entertainment at home, which outdoor games find hard to compete with. On top of that, children's timetables are often packed with school and private tuition. In villages it's a different story, though, and children there still tend to spend much of their time outside.
What are the benefits of outdoor activities for young people?
The physical benefits are the most obvious: running, cycling or playing sport outdoors helps young people stay fit, develop coordination and maintain a healthy weight. But I'd argue the mental benefits are just as important. Spending time outside, especially in green spaces, seems to reduce stress and lift people's mood, which matters a lot given how much academic pressure students face. Outdoor activities are often social as well, so they teach teamwork, communication and how to cope with both winning and losing. There's also something to be said for the independence children gain when they explore their surroundings, take small risks and solve problems without an adult constantly supervising them.
Why do some people prefer indoor activities?
There are quite a few reasons, and I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing. For some people, it's a matter of personality; more introverted people may genuinely prefer reading, gaming or creative hobbies that they can enjoy quietly at home. For others, it's practical. If you live somewhere with extreme heat, heavy rain or serious air pollution, staying inside can be the more comfortable and even the healthier option. Convenience is another factor, since indoor activities usually need less planning, travel or equipment. And in big cities, a lack of safe, accessible outdoor spaces leaves people with little choice. So the preference often reflects people's circumstances as much as their tastes.
Should schools organise more outdoor activities for students?
Yes, I think they should, particularly in urban areas where children have few other opportunities to be active outside. Regular sport, field trips or even lessons held outdoors can break up the monotony of sitting in a classroom all day and help students concentrate better afterwards. Activities like nature walks or school gardening projects can also make subjects such as biology and geography far more memorable. Admittedly, there are obstacles: many city schools in Bangladesh have very little space, and teachers may worry about safety and supervision. But even small steps, like a weekly sports period or an annual trip, would be better than treating outdoor activity as an optional extra.
How does the climate of a country affect the activities people do?
I'd say climate shapes people's leisure activities enormously. In countries with long, snowy winters, sports like skiing and ice hockey are part of everyday life, whereas they'd be almost unthinkable in a tropical country. In Bangladesh, the seasons have a very clear effect: during the hot, humid summer and the monsoon, outdoor sport becomes difficult, so people tend to stay indoors, while the cool, dry winter is the time for badminton, picnics and village fairs. Climate can influence social life more broadly too, since in hot countries people often go out in the evenings once it's cooler. That said, modern facilities like indoor stadiums are reducing this dependence to some extent.
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