Describe Something Colourful that you Bought in the Past- IELTS Cue Card

Sample Answer 1

During my childhood days, I was an avid reader of comic books. It was during a trip to someplace that I bought a Reader’s Digest in the railway station. It was a great children’s book with many stories and activities. I had with me the money I got as a gift for my 12th birthday and it was then I saw the colourful book at Higginbotham’s book stall when we were awaiting our train.

With permission from my parents, who were standing next to the boom stall, I purchased it and read it all through my journey on the train. It was really fun reading all the stories that the book holds of various genres and working out activities in it during our journey. Other than stories, it also had interesting games, quizzes and facts on various topics. This book is generally popular among children of all age groups. Also, I have seen some relatives collect various editions of this book for their homes. I got totally immersed in it as I read it and didn’t notice that we had reached our destination.

I hope that children nowadays read such books as it has many things to learn and fun things to do instead of spending their time sticking their eyes onto some gadgets. I cherish those memories and I still am fond of reading such books.

Sample Answer 2

Recently, I have moved to a new city due to a job and rented a flat near my office. The color palette of the whole space was quite basic and created a sombre atmosphere. Living away from home for the first time was already distressing for me, and this dull background made me more homesick. Due to specific clauses in the rent agreement, I could not change or construct anything permanent. Therefore, I decided to buy a few colourful things to liven up my residence. One of my favourites among these items is a multicoloured cotton braided rug from a flea market.

The rug is made of cotton clothes rolled, braided, and then tied together into a circle. The material is sturdy and suits the background of my living room with a wing chair and some house plants. It gives a flamboyant look to the space and is very comfortable to sit on.

When I organized a close gathering of a few friends, they were astonished to know how I got the decorative piece at such a low price. Many of them asked me the details and wanted one for their own place. Other than that, my mother, who is usually very skeptical about my choices, loved it, and I had to buy her one.

During my leisure, I sit on it with a book and a coffee mug, though I am careful not to spill coffee on it or it will stain the rug. At times, when I feel down, I spend my time resting on this rug with pillows and enjoy the cool yet vibrant energy around me. I am sure that wherever I move on to next, I will definitely carry it with me.

Vocabulary 

• Palette: a particular range, quality, or use of color
  Eg: The artist has an obsession towards his colour palette.

• Sombre: serious, sad, and without humour or entertainment
  Eg: The atmosphere at the stadium turned sombre when he got hit by the ball on his head.

• Sturdy: strong or solid
  Eg: Always use a sturdy material to build the ladder.

• Flamboyant:  very noticeable, stylish, and exciting
  Eg: My aunt was a flamboyant lady and everybody admired her.

• Skeptical: doubting that something is true or useful
  Eg: Rita was sceptical about the final results.

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