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Part 2 cue card · Events · Retained in September–December 2026

Describe a time when you had a problem using an electronic device.

Describe a time when you had a problem using an electronic device.

You should say:

  • ·what the device was
  • ·when it happened
  • ·what the problem was
  • ·how you dealt with it

and explain how you felt about the situation.

One minute to prepare, up to two minutes to talk. Then Part 3 asks the questions below.

Sample answers

Two answers to the same card

Same story, two levels. Both were written by Ashore, then checked against the public band descriptors in a separate pass. The bands are practice estimates, not official IELTS results.

A simpler answer

Checked at band 6.5 · 172 words

I'd like to talk about my laptop, which I use for work and watching videos. It was an ordinary weekday evening last winter, and I was trying to finish a report at home. The laptop suddenly stopped responding. The screen was still on, but the mouse and keyboard did nothing, and I couldn't save the changes I had made. I felt worried because the report was due the next morning.

I waited for a few minutes, but nothing changed. Then I held down the power button until the laptop turned off. After that, I waited a little and turned it on again. Luckily, the report had saved automatically, so I only lost a small part of it. I also closed some programs that I wasn't using, because I thought they might have made the laptop slow.

In the end, I finished the report and sent it before the deadline. I was quite stressed while it was happening, but I felt relieved afterwards. It also reminded me to save my work more often.

  • Reason for a feeling · “I felt worried because the report was due”
  • Action sequence · “I held down the power button”

A stronger answer

Checked at band 7.5 · 250 words

Honestly, it was my laptop, which I rely on for both work and relaxing in the evening. This happened on a weekday last winter, when I was at home trying to finish a report for work. It was due the following morning, so I was already keeping an eye on the time.

Without warning, the laptop froze. The display stayed lit, but neither the touchpad nor the keyboard responded, and I couldn't save the final changes. I remember feeling a little panicky because I had spent most of the evening on the report; losing it would have meant starting a big section again. I tried waiting and pressing a couple of keys, but nothing happened.

In the end, I held the power button down to shut it off, waited about a minute, and restarted it. Thankfully, the document had been saving automatically, so I lost only a few lines rather than the whole report. Once it opened, I closed the programs I didn't need and saved the file manually. If it had frozen again, I would have used my phone to let my manager know, but luckily that wasn't necessary. I finished the report and sent it before the deadline.

At the time, I was tense and annoyed, especially because the problem came out of nowhere. Afterwards, though, I felt relieved and a bit foolish for not saving more often. Since then, I've got into the habit of saving as I work, which makes me feel much more in control.

  • Relative clause · “which I rely on for both work”
  • Hypothetical consequence · “losing it would have meant starting a big section again”
  • Specific contrast · “rather than the whole report”
  • Conditional sentence · “If it had frozen again”
Angles

3 ways to answer it

  1. 1Your phone dying on a trip: lost in a new city with no way to pay
  2. 2Headphones not working at a computer-based IELTS test: raising your hand for help
  3. 3Your new robot vacuum stuck under the sofa: lying on the floor to pull it out
Expressions

5 expressions that fit this card

ran out of battery
the power was used up
stopped responding
would not react
turn it off and on again
restart it
still under warranty
repairs are still free
it drove me mad
it made me very annoyed
Part 3

The questions that follow

After the long turn, Part 3 asks bigger questions on the same theme. Each one comes with two points you can build an answer from.

  1. 1

    Why do people replace their phones so often?

    • ·New models have better cameras and features
    • ·Old phones get slower over time
  2. 2

    Do you think electronic devices are designed to break easily?

    • ·Sealed batteries push you to buy a new one
    • ·Often people just use them too heavily
  3. 3

    How do people usually get their devices repaired in your country?

    • ·Official service centres are the most trusted
    • ·Small repair shops are cheaper and faster
  4. 4

    Should companies be required to make devices easier to repair?

    • ·It would reduce electronic waste
    • ·Devices might become pricier or bulkier
Stories

One story, many cards

This card fits this story. Prepare the story once and you can bend it to every card listed with it on the season page.

  • A trip that went wrong

    A commute or short trip: the early start, the phone that died, the message nobody answered, what you did instead.

Say it out loud and get a band score