Describe a short journey you often take but dislike
Describe a short journey you often take but dislike
You should say:
- where you go
- how often you make this journey
- when you usually make it
and explain why you dislike it
Practise this card
One minute to plan, two minutes to speak, exactly like the exam. Nothing you record leaves your device.
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- where you go
- how often you make this journey
- when you usually make it
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How to approach this cue card
This card asks you to describe a routine and then to give a personal reaction to it. Examiners listen for the present simple used for habits, for the language of travel and time, and for a reason behind “dislike” that is more specific than “it is tiring”. A routine journey is easier to describe than a one-off event, but it is also easy to say too little, so plan your details before you speak.
The easiest real angle is the trip you make most days: to school, to work, to a market, to a relative’s home. It is only short in distance. What you dislike may be the crowd on the bus, a dangerous road, a long wait at a crossing or the same smell every morning. Pick the one or two features you can describe with a picture, because that is what makes a reason convincing.
Use the minute to fix the places, the frequency and the usual time, in that order, and keep them short. The third bullet, “when you usually make it”, is easy to skip, but a time such as “at half past seven, when everybody is going to work” explains your dislike before you say it. Then spend most of your talk on the last line, and remember that this card is about something you do repeatedly, not about a single bad day.
Vocabulary that lifts this answer
These phrases describe a daily trip and a dislike of it more precisely than “tiring” or “crowded”.
| Word or phrase | What it means | In a sentence |
|---|---|---|
| a daily commute | the regular trip between home and work or school | My daily commute is short, but it feels much longer. |
| rush hour | the busiest time of day on the roads | I leave during rush hour, so the vehicles are always full. |
| packed like sardines | squeezed into a very crowded space | We were packed like sardines in the minibus. |
| bumper to bumper | with cars standing very close in a slow line | The cars were bumper to bumper all the way to the bridge. |
| to dread something | to feel worried about something that will happen | I really dread the ride on Monday mornings. |
| stop-start | moving in short, irregular stages | The stop-start movement gives me a headache. |
| a bottleneck | a narrow point where movement slows down | The junction by the bridge is a real bottleneck. |
| a nuisance | something that annoys you in a small but constant way | The loud music is a daily nuisance. |
| to wear someone out | to make someone very tired | The journey wears me out before the day has even begun. |
| to put up with something | to accept something unpleasant without complaining | I have to put up with it because there is no other route. |
A one-minute plan
- where: home in Nasr City to my university in central Cairo, by microbus
- how often: five days a week, about twenty-five minutes
- when: half past seven in the morning, before a nine o’clock lecture
- why dislike: packed, loud music, sudden stops, a slow junction by the bridge
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 would like to talk about a short journey that I often take but I dislike. It is the microbus ride from my home in Nasr City to my university in the centre of Cairo. It is only about twenty-five minutes when the road is clear, but I am doingTense slip: should be “do” it five days a week, usually at half past seven in the morning because my first lecture starts at nine. The problem is that at this time every microbus is very fullBasic phrase; limits Lexical Resource, and I often have to stand with my bag between my knees. The driver plays loud music and driveAgreement slip: should be “drives” very fast, and then he stops suddenly, so much peopleCountable noun error: should be “many people” fall on each other. There is also a big junction near the bridge where the cars never move, so we wait there for a long timeVague phrase; limits Lexical Resource every day. I can not read or even to useForm error: should be “even use” my phone, because there is no space, and sometimes I, erHesitation filler, feel sick. I usually put my earphones in and try to listen to a podcast, but the music and the horns are too loud, so I cannot follow anything. I tried the metro once, but it needs two changes and it takes longer, so I came back to the microbus. I dislike this journey mainly because it makes me tired before the day starts, and also because it is very badBasic phrase; limits Lexical Resource to never know how long it will take. You knowFiller used as a hesitation marker, I hope I can find a flat near the university next year.
Band 7
I’d like to talk about a short journey I often make but really dislike. It’s the microbus ride from my home in Nasr City to my university in the centre of Cairo. It takes only about twenty-five minutes when the road is clear, but I do it five days a week, usually at half past seven in the morning, because my first lecture starts at nine. The problem is that at that time every microbus is packed to the roofVivid collocation for a very crowded vehicle, and I often have to stand with my bag between my knees. The driver plays loud music and drives far too fast, then brakes suddenly, so passengers fall to each othersForm error: should be “fall into each other”. There’s also a big junction near the bridge where the cars hardly move, so we sit there for agesInformal, natural phrase for a long wait every single day. I can’t read or even use my phone, because there’s no room, and sometimes I feel a bit sick. I usually put my earphones in and try to listen to a podcast, but between the music and the horns I can’t follow a single sentence. I tried the metro once, but it needs two changes and takes longer, so I go backTense slip: should be “went back” to the microbus. What I dislike most is that the journey tires me out before the day has even startedCleft sentence used accurately for emphasis, and I never know exactly how long it will take. I’m hoping to find a flat near the university next year.
Band 8
I’d like to talk about a short journey I make several times a week and really dislike: the microbus ride from my home in Nasr City to my university in the centre of Cairo. It takes only about twenty-five minutes when the road is clear, but I do it five days a week, usually at half past seven in the morning, because my first lecture starts at nine. The problem is that at that time every microbus is packed to the roof, and I often have to stand with my bag between my knees. The driver plays loud music and drives far too fast, then brakes without warning, so passengers topple into one anotherPrecise verb phrase for sudden movement. There’s also a big junction near the bridge, a real bottleneck where the cars barely move, so we sit there for ages every single day. I can’t read or even use my phone, because there’s no room, and sometimes I feel slightly sick. I usually put my earphones in and try to listen to a podcast, but between the music and the horns I can’t follow a single sentence. I tried the metro once, but it needs two changes and takes longer, so I went back to the microbus. What bothers me most is that the journey wears me out before the day has even begun, and that I can never tell how long it will takeTwo parallel that-clauses inside a cleft sentence, handled accurately. Honestly, I’m counting the months untilIdiomatic, flexible way of expressing a hope I can find a flat near the university.
What moved the band
- Band 6’s slips (“I am doing it”, “drive very fast”, “much people”) are accurate in Band 7 (“I do it”, “drives far too fast”) and stay clean in Band 8.
- Band 6 relies on “very full” and “a long time”; Band 7 uses “packed to the roof” and “sit there for ages”; Band 8 adds “topple into one another” and “a real bottleneck”.
- Band 6 ends with a plain hope (“I hope I can find a flat”); Band 7 gives the same idea in a simple form (“I’m hoping to find a flat”); Band 8 turns it into a light, flexible comment (“I’m counting the months until”).
Common mistakes on this card
- Retelling one terrible day, as in the traffic jam card, when this card is about a routine you repeat.
- Describing the route street by street instead of saying how often and when you make the journey.
- Giving a reason as general as “it is tiring” without a picture, such as the loud music or the sudden stops.
- Using the past tense for the whole talk, when a habit needs the present simple (“I take”, “I wait”).
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.
- Why do so many people dislike the journey they make to work or school every day?
- What could a city do to make short trips more comfortable for passengers?
- Is walking or cycling a realistic choice for short journeys in your country?
- How do people use their time while they are travelling, and has this changed in recent years?
- Do you think fewer people will need to make daily journeys in the future? Why, or why not?
Frequently asked questions
How short does a "short journey" have to be?
The card sets no limit. Ten to thirty minutes is typical, and a walk, a bus ride, a train trip or a drive to a market all count. What matters is that you make the journey often enough to describe the routine and to explain what you dislike about it.
Can I choose a journey I make on foot or by bike?
Yes. A walk along a noisy road or a cycle ride up a steep hill can be a good choice, because you can describe the weather, the crowds and the effort. Say clearly how you travel, because the examiner may ask you about it in Part 3.
What if I do not dislike the whole journey?
Choose the part you dislike most and say so honestly. You can mention one good moment, such as a view or a song, but build your reasons around the problem. A clear, specific reason matters more than a long list of small complaints.
More cue cards in this family
Describe a time you were stuck in a traffic jam
A commonly reported IELTS Speaking Part 2 cue card about being stuck in a traffic jam, with a plan, useful vocabulary and the same answer at Band 6, 7 and 8.
Describe a time you went to a crowded place
A commonly reported IELTS Speaking Part 2 cue card about a crowded place, with a one-minute plan, useful vocabulary and the same answer at Bands 6, 7 and 8.
Describe a time you were late for something
How to structure an IELTS Speaking Part 2 answer about a time you were late for something, with useful vocabulary and a complete sample response for it.
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