Describe a home you like but would not want to live in
Describe a home you like but would not want to live in
You should say:
- where the home is and whose it is
- what it looks like inside and outside
- what you like about it
and explain why you would not want to live there
Practise this card
One minute to plan, two minutes to speak, exactly like the exam. Nothing you record leaves your device.
01:00
02:00
- where the home is and whose it is
- what it looks like inside and outside
- what you like about it
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How to approach this cue card
This card asks you to hold two opinions at the same time: you like the place, but you would not want to live in it. Examiners check whether you can describe a building clearly, and then use contrast language to separate what is attractive from what is practical, which is a good test of linking phrases and balanced reasoning.
The easiest real angle is a home you have actually visited, such as a relative’s farmhouse, a friend’s flat in a tall building or an old house in a village. A real visit gives you details of rooms, light and noise, and the reason you would not live there, for instance distance from work, lack of privacy or too much upkeep, will feel natural rather than invented.
Spend the first half of your minute on the place and what you like, then name two reasons against living there. The “explain” line is where you will earn the most credit, so keep your reasons concrete: “the nearest shop is a forty-minute drive” is better than “it is inconvenient”.
Vocabulary that lifts this answer
These phrases describe a home and its drawbacks more precisely than “nice” or “bad”.
| Word or phrase | What it means | In a sentence |
|---|---|---|
| spacious | with plenty of room inside | The living room was spacious and full of light. |
| secluded | quiet and hidden away from other people | The house is secluded, surrounded by trees on every side. |
| in the middle of nowhere | very far from towns and services | It’s lovely, but it’s in the middle of nowhere. |
| a stunning view | a view that is impressive and beautiful | From the terrace there is a stunning view of the valley. |
| to have a lot of character | to be interesting and different from ordinary places | The old stone house has a lot of character. |
| upkeep | the work needed to keep something in good condition | I couldn’t manage the upkeep of such a large garden. |
| cut off | isolated, with little contact with others | In winter the village gets cut off by snow. |
| draughty | letting cold air in through gaps | The wooden windows make the rooms a bit draughty. |
| a commute | the regular journey between home and work | A daily commute from there would take two hours. |
| to suit my lifestyle | to be right for the way I live | A place that quiet simply wouldn’t suit my lifestyle. |
A one-minute plan
- where, whose: glass-walled villa, my aunt Dilfuza, hills outside Tashkent
- looks: big windows, wooden terrace, garden, view of mountains
- like: light, silence, fresh air, stays sunny all day
- why not: far from everything, I like city life, heating and cleaning hard
The same answer at Band 6, 7 and 8
The three sample answers below tell exactly the same story, and only the language changes between them. Hover or tap a highlighted phrase to see what an examiner would notice about it, and treat these as illustrations of what each band typically sounds like, not scripts to memorise.
Band 6
I want to describe the villa that my aunt Dilfuza haveSubject-verb agreement error: should be “has” in the hills outside Tashkent. It is about an hour from the city, and she buildTense slip: should be “built” it five years ago with her husband. The house has big glass windows on every side, so the rooms are full of light all day, and there is a wooden terrace with a very nice viewBasic vocabulary; limits Lexical Resource of the mountains. Behind the house is a garden with apple trees. I like it because it is very quiet and the air is fresh, and every time I visited I feeledIrregular verb error: should be “felt” relaxed very quickly. But I would not want to live there. First, it is far from everything, so even if you need bread you must go by car, and I am worryForm error: should be “worry” about driving there in winter. Second, I am a city person, I like walking to see my friends and sit in cafes. Also the glass walls isSubject-verb agreement error: should be “are” difficult to clean and the house is difficult to warm in winter, so my aunt is always busy. It is a beautiful place for a weekend, but it is not good for my everyday life, and I think I would miss the city very much after one month.
Band 7
I’d like to describe the villa my aunt Dilfuza owns in the hills outside Tashkent. It’s about an hour from the city, and she built it five years ago with her husband. The house has big glass windows on every side, so the rooms are full of light all day, and there’s a wooden terrace with a stunning view of the mountainsPrecise, natural collocation. Behind the house there’s a garden with apple trees. I really like it because it’s so peaceful and the air is so fresh; I always come away feeling relaxed. However, I wouldn’t want to live there. For one thing, it’s in the middle of nowhere, so even if you run out of bread you have to drive, and winter roads makesSubject-verb agreement error: should be “make” me nervous. For another, I’m a city person at heartNatural idiomatic noun phrase with a fixed expression, and I enjoy being able to walk to see friends or sit in a cafe. On top of that, the glass walls are hard to keep clean and the house is difficult to heat in winter, so my aunt is permanently busy with upkeepClear result link ties the reasons together. It’s a wonderful place for a weekend, but it wouldn’t suit my everyday lifestyle.
Band 8
I’d like to describe the villa my aunt Dilfuza owns in the hills outside Tashkent, about an hour from the city. She and her husband built it five years ago, and it has glass walls on every side, so the rooms are flooded with light all day, plus a wooden terrace with a stunning view of the mountains and a garden of apple trees behind. I’m genuinely fond of it because it’s so peaceful, and I always come away feeling restored. Even so, I couldn’t see myself living there. For one thing, it’s in the middle of nowhere: running out of bread means a drive, and winter roads make me nervous. For another, I’m a city person at heart, happiest when I can walk to see friends or sit in a cafeComplex sentence with a reduced adjective clause. On top of that, glass is hard to keep clean and harder to heat in winter, so my aunt seems permanently occupied with upkeep. It’s a lovely place for a weekend, but it would never suit the way I live, and I think I’d miss the noise of the city within a month.
What moved the band
- Band 6’s agreement and tense slips (“my aunt Dilfuza have”, “she build”, “I am worry”) are corrected in Band 7 and stay clean in Band 8.
- Band 6 uses “very nice view” and “difficult to warm”; Band 7 upgrades to “a stunning view” and “hard to keep clean”; Band 8 keeps these and compresses them into longer sentences such as “flooded with light”.
- Band 6 lists the reasons against with “First” and “Second”; Band 7 uses “For one thing”, “For another” and “On top of that”; Band 8 adds a concluding sentence that returns to the contrast: “I’d miss the noise of the city”.
Common mistakes on this card
- Describing only the home and its beauty and never explaining why you would not live there.
- Giving reasons that are vague, such as “it is not convenient”, with no example of the inconvenience.
- Choosing a mansion or a palace you know nothing about, then running out of details to describe.
- Mixing present and past tense when you describe a place you visited on a particular day.
Part 3 questions that often follow
After your turn of one to two minutes, the examiner usually moves into a related Part 3 discussion — these are the kinds of follow-up questions that commonly come up around this topic.
- What do people in your country look for when they choose a place to live?
- Do you think old houses are better to live in than modern ones?
- Why do some people prefer to live in a flat rather than in a house?
- How has the design of homes changed over the last fifty years?
- Should cities keep historic buildings even when people would prefer modern housing?
Frequently asked questions
Does the home have to be a house?
No. It can be a flat, a farmhouse, a castle, a houseboat or even a traditional home you saw on a trip. What matters is that you can describe it in detail and give a clear reason, such as location, size or lifestyle, why it would not suit you.
Can I describe a home I have only seen from outside?
Yes, provided you can say how you know it. A home you pass every day or one you saw in a village gives you plenty to describe. Be honest about what you did not see, and keep the focus on what you can describe and your reasons.
How do I handle two opposite opinions in one answer?
Treat the card as "I admire it, but it does not fit me". Give the first half of your answer to what you like, then say "however" or "even so" and give two clear reasons. This contrast shows control of linking language.
More cue cards in this family
Describe a quiet place where you like to spend time
A commonly reported IELTS Speaking Part 2 cue card about a quiet place you enjoy, with a one-minute plan, vocabulary, and a Band 7-8 sample answer.
Describe the city or town you live in
How to describe the city or town you live in for IELTS Speaking Part 2, with useful vocabulary, a one-minute plan, and a full Band 7-8 sample answer.
Describe a city you have been to and would like to visit again
A commonly reported IELTS Speaking Part 2 cue card about a city to revisit, with a one-minute plan, useful vocabulary and one answer at Bands 6, 7 and 8.
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