Practise this cue card out loudPrepare for 1 minute, speak for up to 2 minutes, then compare with the Band 8 sample and try the Part 3 questions.
Environment topics are everywhere in IELTS, and this cue card (“a person who helps to protect the environment” or “who cares about the environment”) is a recent favourite. You don’t need a famous activist. A neighbour, a teacher or a local volunteer works just as well, and gives you more real details. Plan it, record yourself, then compare with the Band 8 answer below.
How to plan your answer in one minute#
You get one minute and a pencil. Don’t write sentences: note one or two key words per point, plus a detail or two that will make your story vivid. For example:
- who this person is: Mrs Chen, retired science teacher, my neighbour
- how you know about them: saw her every Saturday at the park
- what they do to protect the environment: started a litter-picking group, 60 members, recycling workshops at schools
- explain how you feel about this person: respect + a bit guilty, now I volunteer once a month
Practise, then compare: Band 8 sample answers
Record your own answer first, listen back, then compare. Don’t memorise these: examiners spot memorised answers. Borrow the structure and the highlighted vocabulary instead.
Part 2 sample answer (cue card)
Cue card
Describe a person who helps to protect the environment.
You should say:
- who this person is
- how you know about them
- what they do to protect the environment
- and explain how you feel about this person.
Sample answerShowHide
I’m going to talk about my neighbour, Mrs Chen, a retired science teacher who has done more for our local environment than anyone I know.
I first noticed her about three years ago. Every Saturday morning I’d see her in the park opposite our building, wearing gloves and carrying a big bag, picking up litter on her own. To be honest, I thought it was a bit pointless at first, since there was so much rubbish and she was just one person.
But over time, she turned it into something much bigger. She put up posters and started a WhatsApp group, and now there are around sixty volunteers who meet every weekend. They’ve cleaned up the riverbank, planted over a hundred trees and even persuaded the local council to install recycling bins along the main road. On top of that, because she used to be a teacher, she runs free workshops in primary schools, showing children how to sort waste and why plastic ends up in the ocean.
What I find most impressive is that she’s never preachy about it. She doesn’t lecture anyone; she simply leads by example, and people end up joining because they want to.
Honestly, she makes me feel a mixture of respect and slight guilt, because she’s in her seventies and does far more than I do. That’s actually why I started joining the group once a month. It’s made me realise that protecting the environment isn’t only about big government policies; small, consistent local actions really do add up.
Useful language:done more for our local environment than anyoneturned it into something much biggerpersuaded the local councilsort wastenever preachy about itleads by examplesmall, consistent actions add up
Part 3 sample answers
What can ordinary people do to protect the environment?
Sample answerShowHide
Quite a lot, actually. The most effective things are usually the least glamorous: using public transport, cutting down on meat, avoiding single-use plastics and not wasting food. Individually they seem minor, but if millions of people change their habits, the impact is enormous. People can also put pressure on companies by choosing more sustainable brands.
Useful language:least glamorouscutting down onsingle-use plastics
Should protecting the environment be the responsibility of governments or individuals?
Sample answerShowHide
I’d say mainly governments, because they’re the only ones who can change things on a large scale, through laws, taxes on pollution and investment in renewable energy. Individuals can only make choices within the system they live in. For example, it’s hard to give up your car if there’s no reliable public transport. That said, governments respond to public opinion, so individuals still play a part.
Useful language:on a large scalerenewable energyplay a part
Why do some people not care about environmental problems?
Sample answerShowHide
Mostly because the effects feel distant, either in the future or in another part of the world. When people are worried about paying their rent, climate change can seem like an abstract issue. There’s also a sense of helplessness: people think their actions won’t make any difference, so they don’t bother.
Useful language:feel distantan abstract issuea sense of helplessness
How can schools teach children to care about nature?
Sample answerShowHide
The best way is to get them outside. Lessons about ecosystems are much more memorable if children grow vegetables in a school garden or go on field trips to forests and rivers. Schools can also involve them in practical projects, like reducing waste in the canteen, so they see that their actions have real results.
Useful language:field tripspractical projectsreal results
Want your own answer scored? With Worddemy Pro, the AI examiner asks you real Part 1–3 questions and gives a band score for fluency, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation.
Why this answer would score well#
- Shows change over time (“I thought it was a bit pointless at first… But over time…”), which makes the answer coherent and engaging.
- Topic-specific vocabulary used naturally: litter, recycling bins, sort waste, local council, riverbank.
- Personal reaction with nuance: “a mixture of respect and slight guilt” is much stronger than “I feel happy”.
- A thoughtful conclusion that links the personal story to a bigger idea, perfect for leading into Part 3.
Other ideas you could talk about#
You don’t have to use a true story, and you can adapt one you know well. Other good choices:
- A teacher who started a recycling or tree-planting project at school
- A family member who grows their own food or cycles everywhere
- A well-known environmentalist or scientist (choose one you can say a lot about)
- A local business owner who switched to plastic-free packaging
Mistakes to avoid#
- Talking only about environmental problems in general and forgetting the person.
- Being vague (“she does many good things for nature”). Give two or three specific actions with numbers.
- Overusing “environment” and “protect”. Use conservation, sustainable, eco-friendly, reduce waste, cut emissions.
Want more? Practise a random card with the 2-minute timer in the cue card generator, or see every Speaking topic with sample answers.