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.
Cards about things going wrong (“a trip that did not go as planned”, “a journey that took longer than expected”, “a time something went wrong”) are perfect for storytelling: setting, problem, solution, lesson. Use narrative tenses and a little humour. Here is a plan, a Band 8 sample answer and the Part 3 questions.
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:
- where you went: camping weekend in the mountains with 3 friends
- what happened: storm, tent flooded, car stuck in mud, no signal
- how you dealt with it: walked to a farm, farmer pulled car out with tractor, slept in his barn
- explain how you felt about the experience: miserable at the time, funny now; learned to check the weather
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 trip you took that did not go as planned.
You should say:
- where you went
- what happened
- how you dealt with it
- and explain how you felt about the experience.
Sample answerShowHide
The trip I’d like to talk about was a camping weekend in the mountains with three friends, about three years ago. It definitely didn’t go as planned, although it’s now one of our favourite stories.
The plan was simple: drive up on Friday afternoon, camp by a lake, hike on Saturday and come back on Sunday. Unfortunately, none of us had checked the weather forecast properly. On Friday night, a huge storm arrived. Around two in the morning, we woke up because water was coming into the tent, and within half an hour our sleeping bags were completely soaked. We decided to give up and drive home, but the track to the lake had turned into mud, and the car got stuck. To make things worse, there was no phone signal.
So, at about four in the morning, in the pouring rain, we walked for around forty minutes to a farmhouse we’d passed on the way up. We were quite embarrassed to knock on the door, but the farmer was incredibly kind. He gave us hot tea, let us sleep in his barn on bales of hay, and in the morning he pulled our car out of the mud with his tractor. He refused to take any money, so we bought him a box of chocolates and sent him a thank-you card later.
At the time, I felt miserable, cold and a bit stupid, honestly. But looking back, it was a great experience. It taught me to always check the forecast and to pack properly, and it showed me how generous strangers can be. And it brought the four of us closer; whenever we meet, someone always mentions “the night in the barn”.
Useful language:didn’t go as plannedcompletely soakedto make things worsein the pouring rainbales of haylooking backbrought the four of us closer
Part 3 sample answers
What problems do people often have when travelling?
Sample answerShowHide
Common problems include delayed or cancelled flights, lost luggage, illness and getting lost. In a foreign country, language barriers can make even small problems stressful. Many issues come from poor planning, like not checking documents or the weather.
Useful language:lost luggagelanguage barriers
Is it better to plan a trip in detail or be spontaneous?
Sample answerShowHide
I think a balance works best. Important things like transport, accommodation and documents should be planned, but leaving some free time allows you to discover things you didn’t expect. Over-planning can make a trip feel like a timetable.
Useful language:spontaneousover-planning
How can people deal with stressful situations while travelling?
Sample answerShowHide
Staying calm is the most important thing, because panic makes it harder to think clearly. It also helps to have a backup plan, travel insurance and some local currency. And asking local people for help is often the quickest solution; most people are happy to help.
Useful language:a backup plantravel insurance
Do bad experiences teach us more than good ones?
Sample answerShowHide
Often, yes. When everything goes smoothly, we don’t really reflect on it, but problems force us to adapt, solve things and learn about ourselves. That said, people need some good experiences too, or they’ll simply stop trying new things.
Useful language:go smoothlyadapt
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#
- A classic story structure: plan → problem → worse problem → solution → lesson.
- Narrative tenses and linkers: Unfortunately, To make things worse, So, At the time, But looking back.
- Vivid vocabulary: completely soaked, in the pouring rain, bales of hay, pulled our car out of the mud.
- Humour and reflection, which make it sound natural and complete the last point well.
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 missed flight or train connection
- Losing your passport or wallet abroad
- Bad weather ruining a beach holiday
- Getting lost in a city
Mistakes to avoid#
- Telling the story too fast and finishing in 60 seconds. Add the details of what you did.
- Using only the past simple. Add past continuous and past perfect.
- Forgetting the last point: how you felt then and now.
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