One of the topics in IELTS Speaking Part 2 that came out lately is MOBILE PHONE. It asks about the very first time you owned it. In this blog, you will learn how to answer better using the words and expressions we use in this sample answer. Feel free to use this material.
Describe a time when you had your first mobile phone
You should say:
What it was like
When you had it
Who gave you the cellphone
And explain how you felt about it
ANSWER:
It’s still vivid in my mind the very first time I bought my own cellular phone. That was when I was a third year college student. I decided to buy one since I was the only one in the class who didn’t have any mobile phone. It was completely complicated for my classmates and friends to communicate with me whenever we had some school projects to do which I was part of.
Well it was never easy for me to buy one at once since I never relied on my parents financially. I worked part-time in a department store as an office clerk. My wage was just enough for my daily expenses and for my tuition fee. It took me a couple of months saving just to buy my first ever phone.
As far as I can remember, the phone didn’t cost me much. It was a flip-phone from LG and it was sleek with colors red and white. That phone had straightforward functions such as call and text. Also its features included radio, calculator, and a Sudoku game. It was just a modest phone!
To be honest, it was terribly awkward using it for the very first time since I got used to not having a phone. And what made it more embarrassing was when my classmates teased me the very first time they saw me having one.That was really uneasy.
Anyway, because of that phone I learned the value of saving money and at the same time the importance of hard-work. I realized that in order to achieve something that I wanted I needed to put effort to make it a reality. If it wasn’t because of that phone, I wouldn’t be able to learn some valuable life lessons which are more than helpful in this adult life that I’m now in.
Vocabulary & Expression:
Vivid [adj.] - clear
At once [phrase] - immediately
Rely [verb] - depend
Flip-phone [noun] - a hinged phone; a clamshell phone
Sleek [adj.] - smooth; glossy
Straightforward [adj.] - direct; basic
Modest [adj.] - simple; ordinary
Awkward [adj.] - embarrassing
Tease [verb] - make fun
Uneasy [adj.] - uncomfortable
Transitional devices:
Well
As far as I can remember
To be honest
Anyway
Note: These are very helpful to develop your story smoothly. You need any of these for you to be able to create a logical order story. Having these, help you place your ideas accordingly and in an organized way.
Grammar:
If it wasn’t because of that phone, I wouldn’t be able to … - the use of second conditional tense (This is one of the advanced grammar rules, so using this kind of structure boosts your score in the criterion of IELTS)
At what age do you think children is allowed to own a cellular phone?
In my opinion, I disagree to the idea that children are allowed to use or possess their own mobile phone, simply because this device is a distraction to their studies and their personal development.
Nowadays, phones function as mini-computers in which different applications can be installed such as games or social media. These things are a culprit to children’s low grades since these can be addictive that make them abandon their studies, not to mention the behavioral problems which are caused by bullying or indecent posts on social media.
I believe we have to spare children from all of these negativities that this modern device has brought. It is easy to say that parental supervision can help but for sure parents can never monitor their children about what they do on their mobile phones 24/7. So for me a child should never own one.
Vocabulary & Expression:
Distraction [noun] - interruption
Culprit [noun] - the main cause of the problem
Abandon [verb] - give up; leave; not pay attention
Indecent [adj.] - not appropriate
24/7 [adv.] - twenty four hours a day, seven days a week
What are the advantages and disadvantages of using cellphones?
There are countless of benefits and challenges that mobile phone users can experience, however let me point out the most common ones.
First, mobile phones as a tool of communication bridge people from different places. In other words, people can keep in touch easily in real time without any hassle. Also, since mobile phones these days are easily connected to the internet, people can be knowledgeable because they can get a myriad of useful information online at their fingertips.
On the other hand, the down sides include, the high cost and people becoming less sociable. Excessive calls or usage of mobile data leads to expensive charge that makes the users go broke. Besides, some people become anti-social as they only spend so much time on the virtual world with the use of their smartphones instead of going out and meet actual people.
These are the obvious benefits and problems that the society is facing in terms of using mobile phones.
Vocabulary & Expression:
Countless [adj.] - too many to count
Point out [phrase] - to tell something to someone
Keep in touch [phrase] - to communicate
In real time [idiom] - the actual time
Myriad [adj.] - many in number; countless
At one’s fingertips [phrase] - readily available
Note: The introduction uses synonyms of the words ‘advantages’ and ‘disadvantages’ instead of repeating them. Paraphrasing is important in IELTS as it shows to the examiner that you can say it in your own words. Also in the intro, the speaker acknowledges that there are many pros and cons but he only points out the obvious ones.
Why do you think there are some people who are addicted to using cellphone?
Well based on my observation, people who are so absorbed in using mobile phones are those who are not busy with their lives. Those kind of people have nothing else to do with their respective lives and the only way to make themselves entertain or distract themselves from boredom is to use that device.
In reality, people who are busy like those who are working or managing their own business care less about their phones, as they have other valuable things that need to be prioritized. For them spending hours and hours on their phones is wasting time.
So basically, the fact that some people have nothing else to do with their lives makes them get addicted to it.
Vocabulary & Expression:
Being absorbed by something [expression] - to spend so much time
Distract [verb] - to interrupt; to avoid concentrating
Prioritize [verb] - to give importance
Do you have any questions or comments? Please leave them below.
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