Describe an outdoor activity you enjoy

The cue card

Describe an outdoor activity you enjoy. You should say:

• what the activity is
• where you do it
• who you do it with
• and explain why you enjoy it

You have 1 minute to prepare and should speak for 1 to 2 minutes.

🎙 Practise this card with the examiner

Notes you could make in 1 minute

Write key words only, one line per bullet point:

• bushwalking
• Blue Mountains, coast
• two friends
• fresh air, switch off

Band 7+ sample answer

An outdoor activity I really enjoy is bushwalking, which is what Australians call hiking. I didn't do much of it before I moved here, but now it's one of my favourite ways to spend a weekend.

I usually go to the Blue Mountains, which is about two hours west of Sydney by train, or to the coastal walks in the national parks south of the city. The Blue Mountains are amazing, with huge cliffs, waterfalls and valleys full of eucalyptus trees, which give everything a slightly blue colour from a distance, hence the name.

I normally go with two friends from work. We usually leave early in the morning, take some sandwiches and plenty of water, and walk for four or five hours. Sometimes we choose quite challenging tracks with lots of steps, and by the end our legs are aching, but it's a good kind of tired.

There are a few reasons I enjoy it so much. First, it's a great way to keep fit without feeling like you're exercising, because you're too busy looking at the views. Second, there's usually no phone signal, which forces me to switch off completely from work and social media. And finally, it's a good way to spend time with friends and really talk, which doesn't always happen when you meet in a noisy café. I always come home feeling relaxed and recharged, ready for the week ahead.

🔊 Listen to the sample answer

About 235 words, or roughly 2 minutes at a natural speaking pace.

Useful vocabulary for this topic

• to get some fresh air
• a scenic trail
• to recharge my batteries
• to keep fit
• stunning views
• physically demanding

Why this answer works: it covers every bullet point, tells a short story with specific details (names, places, numbers), uses a range of tenses, and finishes with the "explain" point, which is where you show your best vocabulary.

Follow-up and Part 3 questions

Examiner's follow-up (Part 2): Did you do this activity as a child?

Part 3 discussion questions:

• Do children spend less time outdoors than in the past?
• Why are outdoor activities good for people's health?
• Should cities provide more parks and open spaces?
• Are dangerous outdoor sports worth the risk?

Answer Part 3 questions in 3–4 sentences: your view, a reason, an example, and the other side.

More cue cards

• Describe a family member you spend a lot of time with
• Describe a piece of good advice you received
• All 30 IELTS cue cards