Describe a decision which you have made that you feel was wrong – IELTS Cue Card

In the IELTS Speaking section, one of the most common question types is the Cue Card Speaking prompt. The IELTS Cue Card topics will prompt you to formulate a response and speak on the given topic. To attempt this question, you must narrow down the essential questions on the given topic to answer within the given time. Consider the sample Cue Card below. Study the types of questions that have been formulated based on the cue card and how to go about with your response:

Sample Answer 1

Life is full of choices and decisions. While some of these decisions prove to be excellent, many others prove incorrect. Of course, others may counter that it depends on a person’s circumstances and viewpoints. Having full regard for this issue of viewpoint, I nevertheless believe that individuals have the right to decide whether a decision is correct or incorrect.

I went to a private university and took undergraduate degrees entirely through loans. My parents didn’t understand how college funding worked because I was the first person in my family to attend college. They just realized they couldn’t assist me in any way.

When the course was all said and done, I owed over $1,20,000 for a meaningless B.A. in Communications with a minor in English. Later, it made me realize that it was not a sound decision and that I could have gotten the same degree for around $7,000 from a public university if I had done it correctly. I feel I have made haste in taking this decision as it created a financial burden on me even though I worked the entire time I was in college and did not slacker over those years.

Even after completing college, I had to work double shifts and make extra efforts to make money every day. I paid for the lessons I attended from when I was 19 till I turned 30. However, thankfully the loan is fulfilled, but I have no one but myself to blame. I believe that taking out a loan was a mistake. But, in the end, when I took this decision, I felt it was right to do so. So, even though I had to suffer for it, I think it was a lesson learnt.

Sample Answer 2

Some of the decisions that we take turn out to be good, while others end up being not so great, and these worst decisions disappoint people in many ways. Here, I’d like to talk about a time when I made a decision, which I later regretted. I love online shopping as I can purchase anything and everything from the comfort of my home without travelling anywhere. Moreover, online shopping is cheaper than offline shopping. A couple of months ago, it was my mother’s birthday, so I decided to give her a gold ring. Since I was too sluggish to visit the nearby jewelry store, I decided to buy it online. Even though my sister warned me not to purchase gold online, I was quite immature to listen to her. I went through the reviews of the seller in the application and ordered a gold ring. Usually, orders like these take time to get delivered, but the ring was delivered within a couple of days; that is when I sensed something fishy. I immediately opened the box and found the exact ring which I ordered. But my sister suggested that we check the quality of gold by visiting the nearest jewelry store. When we gave the ring to the jeweler, he immediately identified the ring to be counterfeit and told us about it. I was in complete shock as I couldn’t believe that I was duped. I felt extremely ashamed of not listening to my sister and regretted my decision. Later, I decided to file a complaint against the seller, so I wrote a complaint letter to the online application where the seller has registered. But the application authority replied by saying that the seller and the application were not responsible for such things as orders/products may have been misplaced during the transit. From that incident onwards, I stopped online shopping.

Vocabulary

1. Disappoint

• Meaning: fail to fulfill the hopes or expectations of. 
  Eg: Keith was disappointed when he found out about his failure in the exam. 

2. Cheaper

• Meaning: costing very little 
  Eg: The store sells many things at a cheaper rate to attract more customers. 

3. Fishy 

• Meaning: arousing feelings of doubt or suspicion. 
  Eg: When the family entered the house at night, they sensed something fishy.

4. Dupe 

• Meaning: deceive; trick.
  Eg: The real estate broker duped the wealthy owner and gained more commission. 

5. Sluggish

• Meaning: lacking energy or alertness.
  Eg: After an 8-hour long journey, Jack felt sluggish and sleepy.  

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