How long should my answer to this Part 2 cue card be?

Speak for 1 to 2 minutes. The examiner will stop you at 2 minutes, so aim for roughly 220-300 words that cover every bullet on the card and end with how you feel about it.

What Part 3 questions follow this cue card?

After "A Place You Went to Where You Remember Feeling Bored", examiners have asked 9 follow-up discussion questions, listed above. They move from your personal story to general opinions on the same theme.

Is this cue card still being used?

Yes — it's part of the current exam period (Sep–Dec 2026).

IELTS Speaking Part 2

A Place You Went to Where You Remember Feeling Bored

Most recently asked in Sep–Dec 2026In use now

The cue card

Describe a place you went to where you remember feeling bored.

You should say:

where you went
who you were with
what you remember about this place
and explain why you felt bored in this place.

Sample answers: Band 6.5, 7.0 & 7.5

Three versions of the same answer, each written to sit genuinely at that band — compare them to see exactly what separates the scores.

Band 6.5

The description leans on short, coordinated clauses ('The chairs were hard, the air conditioner was too cold') that list facts plainly rather than developing them, which keeps the answer clear but simple.

The place I remember feeling really bored was a bank on Bạch Đằng Street, near Han Market, in Da Nang. I went there with my colleague Trang last year to open a business account for our studio.

We arrived in the morning and took a number, but the bank was very busy that day. There were maybe fifty people waiting before us. The chairs were hard, the air conditioner was too cold, and there was only one small TV showing the news with no sound.

What I remember most is how slow everything moved. Trang and I talked for a while, then we both just looked at our phones. My battery died after two hours. An old man next to us kept asking the staff how much longer it would take, and every time the answer was the same: "not long now." It clearly was not true.

I felt bored because there was nothing to do and no way to make it faster. We could not leave because we had already waited so long. In the end, our number was called after almost four hours, and the actual paperwork took ten minutes. I still remember that boring afternoon whenever I hear the word "bank."

204 words · about 2 minutes

Why this band

GRA“The chairs were hard, the air conditioner was too cold” — 'The chairs were hard, the air conditioner was too cold' joins two independent clauses with only a comma, a mild comma splice rather than a conjunction or subordinator. The Band 6.5 grammar target explicitly allows for 'a small natural imperfection' alongside mostly simple sentences, and this is a good example of exactly that kind of minor, unpolished construction rather than a more deliberate listing structure.
FC“What I remember most is how slow everything moved” — 'What I remember most is how slow everything moved' works as a topic sentence opening its paragraph, but what follows is straightforward chronological narration rather than any further analysis of why it felt slow. Naming the memory and then simply describing it, without adding reflection, is consistent with the Band 6.5 target that 'one clear reason or example is enough' — the topic sentence itself counts as sufficient framing at this level.
LR“not long now” — The quoted phrase 'not long now' is left exactly as spoken, using only common, everyday words with no attempt to paraphrase it into something more descriptive. That plainness matches the Band 6.5 lexical ceiling of everyday, high-frequency vocabulary, and the flat repetition of the staff's own words, rather than commenting on them, is typical of the limited elaboration expected at this level.

Band 7.0

The reflective link 'Why I felt bored is simple, really — there was nothing to do but wait, and no way to speed it up' shows the answer developing a reason rather than just describing events, typical of a fluent but unforced 7.0 response.

The place I remember being really bored was the post office near my house, where I went with my sister Trang last spring to renew my driving licence.

We got there just after eight, right when it opened, but there were already about thirty people ahead of us with the same idea. The room had one counter open out of three, plastic chairs in uneven rows, and a small fan in the corner that barely moved the air. A television in the corner played an old cooking show with the sound turned right down, so you could see someone chopping vegetables but never hear a word.

What I remember most is how nothing seemed to move. Every few minutes a number would be called, but the process for each person took forever, because half of them had brought the wrong documents and had to be sent away to photocopy something. My sister and I chatted for the first half hour, then ran out of things to say, then just stared at our phones until mine ran out of battery around ten.

Why I felt bored is simple, really — there was nothing to do but wait, and no way to speed it up. You couldn't leave without losing your place, and you couldn't really complain, because everyone else was stuck in exactly the same situation. An elderly man two seats along kept asking the staff how much longer it would take, and each time they told him 'not too long,' which clearly wasn't true, because he was still there when we finally left.

Our number came up almost three hours later, and the actual renewal took about five minutes once we reached the counter. I still think about that morning whenever anyone mentions renewing paperwork.

295 words · about 2 minutes

Why this band

LR“there were already about thirty people ahead of us with the same idea” — 'The same idea' is used to summarise, in two words, the fact that thirty other people had also come early to renew their licence — a flexible paraphrase rather than repeating 'waiting' again. This kind of natural collocation used to compress a situation is exactly the 'one natural collocation' the Band 7.0 lexical target asks for, chosen for economy rather than decoration.
FC“Why I felt bored is simple, really — there was nothing to do but wait, and no way to speed it up.” — The sentence explicitly names its own function — 'Why I felt bored is simple, really' — before giving the reason, turning what could have been more narration into a moment of analysis. That kind of reflective linking sentence, stepping outside the story to explain it, is the reason-based development the Band 7.0 fluency target calls for, going beyond the plain chronological account that fills most of the rest of the answer.
GRA“each time they told him 'not too long,' which clearly wasn't true” — The relative clause 'which clearly wasn't true' is attached to the quoted staff response 'not too long', letting the speaker pass judgment on someone else's words within the same sentence rather than adding a separate comment afterward. Embedding an evaluative aside inside a relative clause like this is the comfortable, accurate complex-sentence use the Band 7.0 grammar target describes, and it adds a touch of dry humour that a flatter statement of the same fact wouldn't carry.

Band 7.5

The closing line 'I design apps that people use to avoid exactly that room, and I'd never been so grateful for my own profession' ties the story back to the speaker's identity, an evaluative move beyond plain description.

The place I remember being most bored is the vehicle registration office in Da Nang, where I spent an entire morning last year with my father. He'd bought a second-hand motorbike from a cousin and needed the ownership transferred, and since he doesn't trust forms, I was there as the family form-reader.

We arrived at eight, took a paper ticket that said 214, and looked up at a screen showing number 61. There were three windows and one of them was open. The room was the classic government waiting room — plastic chairs bolted together in rows, a ceiling fan that turned just slowly enough to be useless, a poster about road safety from what looked like 2009, and about a hundred people in various stages of giving up.

What I remember most is the specific texture of that boredom. My phone died at ten because I'd used it too much in the first hour. My father, who can sit still for days, went into a kind of trance. I read the road-safety poster perhaps forty times. At one point a man near us fell asleep and slid gently off his chair and nobody reacted, because that was the most interesting thing that had happened all morning and we were all rationing our reactions.

Why I felt bored isn't mysterious — five hours with nothing to do and no control over when it would end. But I think it was worse than an ordinary wait because of the powerlessness. You couldn't leave, you couldn't speed it up, and you couldn't even complain, since everyone was in the same situation. Our number came up at one in the afternoon; the actual transaction took four minutes. I design apps that people use to avoid exactly that room, and I'd never been so grateful for my own profession.

305 words · about 2 minutes

Why this band

LR“the classic government waiting room” — 'The classic government waiting room' compresses an entire shared cultural image — plastic chairs, a slow fan, an old poster — into three words, functioning almost as shorthand that the listener is expected to recognise instantly. That kind of precise, wry collocation is well beyond the 'few topic-specific words' typical of Band 7.0 and matches the Band 7.5 target of using 'several precise or less-common words...naturally', doing real descriptive work before the detailed list that follows even begins.
LR“went into a kind of trance” — 'Went into a kind of trance' describes the father's stillness figuratively rather than literally — he wasn't actually hypnotised, but the idiom captures a specific quality of blank patience that a plain phrase like 'sat very still' wouldn't convey. This is the 'one figurative or idiomatic touch' the Band 7.5 lexical target calls for, chosen to fit a genuinely striking moment in the story rather than inserted for its own sake.
GRA“I design apps that people use to avoid exactly that room, and I'd never been so grateful for my own profession.” — The closing sentence pairs the factual detail that the speaker designs apps with a self-aware, almost ironic reflection — being 'never...so grateful for my own profession' — tying the whole anecdote back to the speaker's career in a single evaluative move. That kind of reflective closing insight, connecting a personal anecdote to a broader point about the speaker's own life, is exactly the development the Band 7.5 fluency target expects beyond plain narration.

How this card was asked, by exam period

Describe a place you went to where you remember feeling bored.Sep–Dec 2026
Describe a place you went to where you remember feeling boredMay–Aug 2026

Part 3 follow-up questions

These are the discussion questions examiners asked after this cue card. Sample answers are shown where available.

1. Why do schoolchildren think that some teachers are boring?
Sep–Dec 2026
Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question
Band 6.5
The 6.5 answer gives a direct opinion with 'I think it's because', supports it with one plain contrast (the two geography teachers), and adds further reasons with the simple connector 'also'.
I think it's because some teachers just talk and don't really teach. I had a geography teacher in Hue who read from the textbook the whole year, and it was very boring. But a different teacher used a map of our own area and asked us to find our houses, and that was interesting. Children find a teacher boring when the teacher doesn't ask them questions or connect the lesson to their life. A flat voice and no interest from the teacher also make it worse. I don't think the subject itself is really the problem.
Why this band
FC“But a different teacher used a map of our own area and asked us to find our houses, and that was interesting.” — This additive contrast sentence, starting with 'But' and joined internally with 'and', simply lists the second half of the comparison rather than fusing it into a single complex sentence.
LR“it was very boring” — This is generic, high-frequency phrasing using a plain intensifier and adjective. A higher band would choose a more vivid or precise word instead of 'very boring'.
GRA“A flat voice and no interest from the teacher also make it worse.” — This short subject-verb sentence uses only basic coordination with 'and', the simplest way of linking two causes.
Band 7.0
The 7.0 answer opens with 'Usually, I'd say' and closes with the reflective 'Honestly, the subject is rarely the real problem', showing more natural hedging than the 6.5 version's flatter statements.
Usually, I'd say, it's because the teacher is delivering the material rather than actually teaching it. I had a geography teacher in Hue who read the textbook aloud for an entire year, and the same subject became genuinely fascinating with a different teacher, who brought in a map of our own district and had us find our houses on it. Children tend to find a teacher boring when nothing is really asked of them — when a recording could basically do the job. A flat voice, no questions, and a teacher who seems uninterested themselves all play a part. Honestly, the subject is rarely the real problem.
Why this band
FC“Usually, I'd say, it's because the teacher is delivering the material rather than actually teaching it.” — Inserting 'I'd say' mid-sentence, plus the explicit distinction between 'delivering' and 'teaching', shows more reflective framing than the 6.5 answer's flat declarative opening.
LR“a recording could basically do the job” — This natural, moderately informal collocation is more idiomatic than the plain description at 6.5, though not as compressed as the 7.5 answer's phrasing for the same idea.
GRA“Children tend to find a teacher boring when nothing is really asked of them — when a recording could basically do the job.” — The dash restates and specifies the previous clause, a more flexible link than the short, separate simple sentences typical of 6.5.
Band 7.5
The 7.5 answer opens with a self-aware aside ('if that distinction makes sense'), uses the vivid word 'riveting', and closes with the compact contrastive pairing 'enthralled by grammar and bored senseless by volcanoes'.
Usually because the teacher is delivering the material rather than teaching it, if that distinction makes sense. I had a geography teacher in Hue who read the textbook aloud for an entire year; the very same subject, taught by someone who brought in a map of our own district and had us hunt for our houses on it, turned out to be riveting. Children tend to find a teacher boring precisely when nothing is asked of them — when they could, frankly, be replaced by a recording. A flat voice, an absence of questions, no connection to a child's own life, and a visible lack of enthusiasm from the teacher all compound the problem. The subject itself is rarely to blame; I've seen kids enthralled by grammar and bored senseless by volcanoes.
Why this band
FC“if that distinction makes sense” — This self-aware parenthetical checks in with the listener directly, a more conversationally sophisticated move than the flatter openings used at 6.5 and 7.0.
LR“turned out to be riveting” — 'Riveting' is a vivid, less common adjective, more striking than the plain 'interesting' used to describe the same lesson at 6.5.
GRA“I've seen kids enthralled by grammar and bored senseless by volcanoes” — This compressed parallel structure pairs two contrasting clauses without repeating the subject or verb pattern explicitly, a flexible construction not attempted at 6.5.
2. Do young people sometimes think listening to older people is boring?
Sep–Dec 2026
Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question
Band 6.5
The 6.5 answer opens with a direct 'Yes, often' and lists reasons with simple connectors like 'or' and 'but', giving plain, separate points.
Yes, often, and I feel a little bad about this myself. My grandmother's stories about the 1970s were very boring to me when I was twelve, but now I record them on my phone because I know they are the only copy that will exist. Young people find old people boring when the story is about a world they cannot imagine, or when it feels like advice instead of a story. Older people also talk slowly and tell everything, but young people are used to skipping to the important part. But it's not always true — teenagers will listen for hours if the person is funny.
Why this band
FC“But it's not always true — teenagers will listen for hours if the person is funny.” — This final contrasting point is tacked on with 'But' as a new sentence rather than being woven into the surrounding argument.
LR“very boring to me” — This is plain, generic phrasing using a basic intensifier and adjective for the same idea the higher bands express more vividly.
GRA“but now I record them on my phone because I know they are the only copy that will exist” — This is a simple coordination ('but') plus a single 'because' clause, a basic combination of connectors.
Band 7.0
The 7.0 answer opens with the reflective aside 'I'm slightly ashamed of my own record here' and uses the natural connector 'whereas' for its central contrast, going beyond the 6.5 answer's plain listing.
Often, yes, and I'm slightly ashamed of my own record here. My grandmother's stories about the 1970s bored me senseless at twelve, and I only started recording them on my phone once I realised they're the only copy that exists. I'd say young people find older people boring when the talk describes a world they simply can't picture, or when it arrives as advice rather than as a story. There's a pace issue too — older people tend to tell things slowly and completely, whereas young people are used to skipping ahead. It's not universal, though; the same teenager who tunes out a lecture will happily listen for hours to a grandparent who's funny or brutally honest about their own mistakes.
Why this band
FC“Often, yes, and I'm slightly ashamed of my own record here.” — This reflective personal aside is added directly onto the opening answer, showing more natural self-commentary than the plain opening at 6.5.
LR“bored me senseless at twelve” — This is a moderately vivid collocation, more natural than the plain 'was very boring to me' used for the same idea at 6.5.
GRA“older people tend to tell things slowly and completely, whereas young people are used to skipping ahead” — The subordinating conjunction 'whereas' builds an explicit contrast clause, more complex than the simple 'but' used for a similar contrast at 6.5.
Band 7.5
The 7.5 answer uses the more idiomatic phrase 'track record' and 'wired for skipping ahead', and closes with the intensified adjective 'unflinchingly honest', showing its more precise, idiomatic vocabulary.
Often, and I'm slightly ashamed of my own track record on this one. My grandmother's stories about the 1970s bored me senseless at twelve; I only started recording them on my phone once it dawned on me that they're the only copy that will ever exist. Young people tend to switch off when the talk describes a world they can't picture, or when it arrives as advice rather than as a story worth following. There's a pacing mismatch too — older people tell things slowly and completely, while younger ones are wired for skipping ahead. It isn't universal, though: the very teenagers who tune out a lecture will sit for hours listening to a grandparent who's funny or unflinchingly honest about their own mistakes.
Why this band
FC“It isn't universal, though: the very teenagers who tune out a lecture will sit for hours listening to a grandparent” — The colon-linked clause here restates and sharpens the previous claim, a tighter connective device than the plain 'But' sentence used for the same contrast at 6.5.
LR“younger ones are wired for skipping ahead” — 'Wired for' is an idiomatic, less common phrase, more vivid than the plain 'used to' phrasing at 6.5 and 7.0.
GRA“I only started recording them on my phone once it dawned on me that they're the only copy that will ever exist” — This sentence layers one subordinate clause inside another ('once it dawned on me that...'), a more complex embedding than the single 'because' clause used at 6.5.
3. Do most people think that news about famous people is boring?
Sep–Dec 2026
Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question
Band 6.5
The 6.5 answer opens with a direct claim ('Most people say it is boring, but they don't really act like it') and lists supporting points with simple connectors like 'But' and 'And', using plain vocabulary throughout.
Most people say it is boring, but they don't really act like it. My father always says celebrity news is silly, but he knows every detail about the national football coach's contract, which is really the same kind of news in a different form. Some people are truly not interested, and can't even name a singer. But the number of people who click on these stories shows that many people are actually interested. I think most celebrity news is boring to most people, except for the small part they personally care about, and that's why this kind of news still exists.
Why this band
FC“But the number of people who click on these stories shows that many people are actually interested.” — This additive point, introduced with 'But' as a new sentence, is simply added to the list rather than fused into the surrounding argument.
LR“celebrity news is silly” — 'Silly' is a plain, everyday adjective. A higher band would reach for a more vivid or specific description of the same dismissive attitude.
GRA“which is really the same kind of news in a different form” — This simple relative clause is a basic structure for restating an idea, without any figurative or compressed phrasing.
Band 7.0
The 7.0 answer opens with the qualifying 'but honestly, their behaviour tells a different story' and closes with the natural aside 'a small slice keeps the whole industry alive', more reflective than the 6.5 answer's plain listing.
Most people say so, but honestly, their behaviour tells a different story. My father declares celebrity news nonsense, yet he can recite the exact terms of the national football coach's contract, which is really just celebrity news wearing a different outfit. Genuine indifference does exist — plenty of people genuinely couldn't name a single singer — but the click numbers suggest fascination is more common than people admit. What people find boring, I'd say, is celebrity news about celebrities they personally don't care about; everyone seems to follow someone, whether it's an actor, a chef or a tech founder. So most of it bores most people, and a small slice keeps the whole industry alive.
Why this band
FC“but honestly, their behaviour tells a different story” — This reflective qualifying clause, inserted mid-sentence, shows more natural spoken framing than the 6.5 answer's flat declarative opening.
LR“celebrity news wearing a different outfit” — This is a moderately natural extended metaphor, livelier than plain description but less idiomatic than the compressed phrasing used at 7.5.
GRA“Genuine indifference does exist — plenty of people genuinely couldn't name a single singer — but the click numbers suggest fascination is more common than people admit.” — This dash-interrupted sentence embeds an extra clause inside the main one, a more complex structure than the short, separate sentences typical of 6.5.
Band 7.5
The 7.5 answer uses the vivid idiom 'wearing a suit' for the same idea, the phrase 'narrow, stubborn slice' at the close, and a mid-sentence aside ('it turns out') for its most idiomatic phrasing.
Most people claim so and behave otherwise, honestly. My father declares celebrity news nonsense, yet he can recite the exact terms of the national football coach's contract, which is celebrity news wearing a suit. Genuine indifference does exist — plenty of people genuinely couldn't name a single singer — but the click numbers suggest fascination is far more common than boredom. What people actually find tedious is celebrity news about celebrities they don't personally care about; almost everyone, it turns out, quietly follows someone, an actor, a chef, a tech founder. So I'd say the majority find most of it boring and a small slice irresistible, and the whole industry survives on that narrow, stubborn slice.
Why this band
FC“So I'd say the majority find most of it boring and a small slice irresistible” — This closing synthesis names the overall pattern in a single compact sentence, a more deliberate evaluative move than the plainer closing statement at 6.5.
LR“that narrow, stubborn slice” — This precise, less common adjective pairing is more vivid than the plain 'small part' used to express the same idea at 6.5.
GRA“almost everyone, it turns out, quietly follows someone, an actor, a chef, a tech founder” — This appositive list has no conjunctions between its items (asyndeton), a compressed structure that is more flexible than the plain 'whether it's...or' listing used at 7.0.
4. What are some ways that people can avoid feeling bored?
Sep–Dec 2026
Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question
Band 6.5
The 6.5 answer opens with a personal example and lists tips one by one using 'also' and 'And', a simple additive structure typical of this band.
Since that morning in the registration office, I always carry a small sketchbook with me, and I have drawn more in waiting rooms than at home. Having something to do that is your own really helps. Being curious about the people around you also helps, because people are interesting if you watch them. Moving your body, even just a short walk, can break boredom quickly. Planning a little in advance can also help you avoid the worst waiting. And actually, some boredom is fine — it's where ideas come from, but phones have made us forget that.
Why this band
FC“And actually, some boredom is fine — it's where ideas come from, but phones have made us forget that.” — This final point, added with 'And', is simply tacked onto the list rather than integrated into the surrounding argument.
LR“Having something to do that is your own really helps.” — This is plain phrasing with a generic intensifier ('really'), typical of the unremarkable vocabulary used throughout the 6.5 answer.
GRA“Being curious about the people around you also helps, because people are interesting if you watch them.” — This sentence uses a single simple 'because' clause, the most basic tool for giving a reason.
Band 7.0
The 7.0 answer opens with 'Ever since that morning' and softens its final claim with 'to be fair', showing more natural hedging than the 6.5 version's plain list.
Ever since that morning in the registration office, I've carried a small sketchbook everywhere, and I've drawn more in waiting rooms than I ever managed at home — having something of your own to do is honestly most of the answer. Learning to be curious about whatever's around you helps too, because people turn out to be interesting once you actually watch them. Physical movement breaks boredom fast, even just a walk round the block. Planning a little ahead avoids the worst of the waiting. And, to be fair, a certain amount of boredom probably shouldn't be avoided at all — it's where ideas come from, and phones have made us forget that.
Why this band
FC“having something of your own to do is honestly most of the answer” — This reflective aside evaluates the point just made, going beyond the plain 'really helps' phrasing used for the same idea at 6.5.
LR“people turn out to be interesting once you actually watch them” — This is natural, moderately more specific phrasing than the plain wording used for the same idea at 6.5.
GRA“And, to be fair, a certain amount of boredom probably shouldn't be avoided at all — it's where ideas come from, and phones have made us forget that.” — This dash-linked sentence embeds a hedge ('to be fair') mid-clause, a longer, more flexible structure than the equivalent short sentence at 6.5.
Band 7.5
The 7.5 answer uses the more formal verb 'cultivating' for curiosity, the ironic adverb 'conveniently' for how phones make us forget, and closes with a balanced final sentence contrasting two negatives.
Ever since that morning in the registration office, I've carried a small sketchbook in every bag, and I've drawn more in waiting rooms than I ever managed at home — having something of your own to do is most of the answer, really. Cultivating a bit of curiosity about whatever's in front of you helps too, since people turn out to be fascinating once you actually watch them. Physical movement breaks boredom quickly, even a short walk round the block does it. Planning a little ahead heads off the worst waits before they start. And, honestly, a certain amount of boredom shouldn't be avoided at all; it's where ideas come from, and the phone has made us conveniently forget that. The goal, I'd say, is not to be bored uselessly, not never to be bored.
Why this band
FC“The goal, I'd say, is not to be bored uselessly, not never to be bored.” — This compact closing synthesis balances two negated ideas against each other, a more sophisticated organisational move than the simpler lists used at 6.5 and 7.0.
LR“Cultivating a bit of curiosity about whatever's in front of you” — 'Cultivating' is a more formal, less common verb than the plain 'being curious about' used for the same idea at 6.5.
GRA“the phone has made us conveniently forget that” — The ironic adverb 'conveniently', inserted mid-clause, adds an evaluative layer within a compact structure not used at the lower bands.
5. Do most people use their phones too much when they are bored?
Sep–Dec 2026
Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question
Band 6.5
The 6.5 answer opens with a plain 'Yes' and 'I think', supports it with a single concrete example (the bus queue), and adds points with 'But' and 'either', typical plain reasoning.
Yes, almost everyone does this, I think. I once counted a bus queue in Da Nang: there were forty people and thirty-nine of them were looking at their phones, and only one old man was looking at the sky. Phones are the perfect way to stop boredom because they are fast, endless, and always in your pocket. But this is also the problem, because it takes away all the quiet time people used to use for thinking or talking to strangers. Phones don't really fix boredom either, they just delay it, and people often feel more restless after scrolling for twenty minutes. I do this too, but now I notice it.
Why this band
FC“But this is also the problem, because it takes away all the quiet time people used to use for thinking or talking to strangers.” — This new sentence, starting with 'But', is added on rather than fused into the previous idea, keeping the reasoning in separate steps.
LR“Phones are the perfect way to stop boredom” — 'Stop boredom' is a plain verb phrase, less precise than the word 'cure' used for the same idea at the higher bands.
GRA“there were forty people and thirty-nine of them were looking at their phones” — This is a simple coordinated 'and' clause, a basic descriptive structure for presenting the statistic.
Band 7.0
The 7.0 answer uses the vivid simile 'like a relic from another era' and the reflective aside 'to be honest', a step up from the 6.5 answer's plainer description of the same scene.
Almost universally, yes, honestly. I once counted a bus queue in Da Nang — forty people, thirty-nine phones, and one elderly man looking at the sky like a relic from another era. The phone is the perfect cure for boredom: instant, endless, always within reach, which is exactly the problem, since it wipes out every empty moment people used to spend thinking, noticing things or talking to strangers. It doesn't really cure boredom either, it just postpones it, and people often end up more restless after twenty minutes of scrolling than they were before. I do it as much as anyone, to be honest — I've just started noticing, which is a small improvement, not a solution.
Why this band
FC“to be honest — I've just started noticing, which is a small improvement, not a solution” — This reflective closing hedge, with an embedded relative clause, is more nuanced than the flat closing statement used at 6.5.
LR“one elderly man looking at the sky like a relic from another era” — This vivid simile is more specific and image-based than the plain '...only one old man was looking at the sky' used at 6.5.
GRA“which is exactly the problem, since it wipes out every empty moment people used to spend thinking, noticing things or talking to strangers” — This combines a relative clause with a 'since' clause, a more complex embedding than the single simple 'because' sentence used at 6.5.
Band 7.5
The 7.5 answer uses the precise verb 'erases' for lost time, restructures the cure/postpone contrast into a semicolon-linked sentence, and closes with the compact idiom 'the next person' for an ordinary comparison.
Almost universally, yes. I once counted a bus queue in Da Nang: forty people, thirty-nine phones, and one elderly man gazing at the sky like a relic from another era. The phone is the perfect boredom cure — instant, endless, always within reach — and that's precisely the problem, because it erases every idle moment people used to spend thinking, noticing things or talking to strangers. It doesn't cure boredom so much as postpone it; you're often left more restless after twenty minutes of scrolling than you were before you started. I do it as much as the next person, honestly. The only difference is that I now notice, which counts as a small improvement rather than a solution.
Why this band
FC“The only difference is that I now notice, which counts as a small improvement rather than a solution.” — This tight closing synthesis is a more compressed final move than the similarly-themed but looser closing sentence used at 7.0.
LR“erases every idle moment people used to spend thinking” — 'Erases' is a precise, less common verb, more vivid than the plainer 'wipes out'/'takes away' phrasing used at the lower bands.
GRA“It doesn't cure boredom so much as postpone it; you're often left more restless after twenty minutes of scrolling than you were before you started.” — This semicolon-linked pair of independent clauses, plus a comparative 'than' clause, is a more flexible, compressed structure than the simple sentences used at 6.5.
6. How realistic is it to think that boredom can be completely avoided?
Sep–Dec 2026
Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question
Band 6.5
The 6.5 answer opens with a direct double negative claim ('I don't think it's realistic, and I don't think it would even be a good thing') and connects reasons with simple 'because' and 'but' clauses.
I don't think it's realistic, or even a good thing, really. A colleague of mine listens to a podcast during almost everything — commuting, cooking, even brushing her teeth — but she isn't less bored, just more tired, because the brain needs empty time the same way the body needs sleep. Boredom is really a sign that nothing interesting is happening. Some waiting is just part of life, like queues or being sick. You can reduce boredom with planning, but a life with none at all would have no pauses, and I don't think anyone could live like that.
Why this band
FC“Some waiting is just part of life, like queues or being sick.” — This short, separate sentence simply adds another point rather than linking it grammatically to the sentences around it.
LR“isn't less bored, just more tired” — This is a plain adjective pairing ('less bored / more tired'), functional but not particularly vivid or precise.
GRA“but she isn't less bored, just more tired, because the brain needs empty time the same way the body needs sleep” — This combines a simple coordination ('but') with one 'because' clause and a basic comparison, the standard toolkit at this band.
Band 7.0
The 7.0 answer opens with 'Not realistic, honestly' and uses the reflective closer 'which I don't think anyone could sustain', a step beyond the 6.5 version's flatter phrasing for the same idea.
Not realistic, honestly, and probably not even desirable. A colleague of mine fills every silence with a podcast — commuting, cooking, even brushing her teeth — and she isn't any less bored for it, just more exhausted, because the brain seems to need empty time the way the body needs sleep. Boredom is essentially a signal that nothing worthwhile is happening, and switching the signal off doesn't actually create anything worthwhile. Some waiting is simply built into life: queues, illness, the slower stretches of any job. You can cut down on the pointless boredom with planning and interests, but a life with none at all would mean a life with no pauses, which I don't think anyone could sustain.
Why this band
FC“Not realistic, honestly, and probably not even desirable.” — This compact fragment opener, with a spoken hedge, is tighter than the 6.5 answer's full double-negative sentence for the same claim.
LR“the brain seems to need empty time the way the body needs sleep” — This natural extended comparison flows more fluently than the plain equivalent phrasing used at 6.5.
GRA“a life with none at all would mean a life with no pauses, which I don't think anyone could sustain” — The relative clause 'which...' is tacked onto the main clause for evaluative effect, a more complex link than the simple sentences used at 6.5.
Band 7.5
The 7.5 answer uses the precise verb 'conjure' and the idiom 'woven into life', and closes with the more formal construction 'a life engineered to have none at all', showing its most idiomatic, compressed phrasing.
Not realistic, and probably not desirable either. A colleague of mine fills every silence with a podcast — commuting, cooking, even brushing her teeth — and she's not less bored for it, only more exhausted, because the brain apparently needs empty stretches the way the body needs sleep. There's something faintly self-defeating about drowning out every silence just to avoid noticing it. Boredom is essentially a signal that nothing worthwhile is happening, and muting the signal doesn't conjure anything worthwhile into being. Some waiting is simply woven into life: queues, illness, the slow patches of any job. Planning and genuine interests can trim away the pointless boredom, but a life engineered to have none at all would be a life with no pauses, and I doubt anyone could sustain that for long.
Why this band
FC“and I doubt anyone could sustain that for long” — This compact closing tag is more economical than the 7.0 answer's longer relative-clause equivalent expressing the same doubt.
LR“doesn't conjure anything worthwhile into being” — 'Conjure' is a vivid, less common verb, more striking than the plainer 'create' used for the same idea at 6.5 and 7.0.
GRA“a life engineered to have none at all would be a life with no pauses” — The past-participial phrase 'engineered to have none' modifies 'a life' in a compressed way, a flexible structure not used at the lower bands.
7. How might boredom impact society?
Sep–Dec 2026
Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question
Band 6.5
The 6.5 answer opens with a general claim ('affects society more than people realise') and lists both directions with plain connectors like 'But' and 'also', a straightforward two-sided structure.
I think boredom affects society more than people realise, in both good and bad ways. In my parents' area in Hue, teenagers race motorbikes at midnight because there is nothing else for them to do, and this can lead to danger or even crime. When people in general are bored, they can also become angry more easily, and a lot of anger online looks like boredom with a target. But boredom can also be useful, because many hobbies, art and even science started because someone was bored. A good society gives people things to do, like sports and public spaces, or it pays for this later through more policing.
Why this band
FC“But boredom can also be useful, because many hobbies, art and even science started because someone was bored.” — This new sentence, starting with 'But', introduces the second, contrasting direction as a separate additive point.
LR“this can lead to danger or even crime” — This is plain phrasing for describing negative consequences, less vivid than the higher bands' 'tips over into' or 'curdles into' imagery.
GRA“teenagers race motorbikes at midnight because there is nothing else for them to do” — This is a simple 'because' clause, the most basic form of subordination for giving a reason.
Band 7.0
The 7.0 answer opens with 'More than we usually give it credit for, honestly' and uses the semicolon-linked structure 'boredom tips over into risk, vandalism and...crime', a more complex sentence than the 6.5 version's plain listing.
More than we usually give it credit for, honestly, and in both directions. In my parents' neighbourhood in Hue, teenagers race motorbikes at midnight, and everyone more or less agrees it's because there's simply nothing for them to do — boredom tips over into risk, vandalism and, in worse cases, crime. On a larger scale, bored populations are easier to provoke; a lot of online anger, if you look closely, resembles boredom that's found itself a target. On the other hand, boredom also drives invention — most hobbies, a fair amount of art and no small amount of science started with someone having nothing to do. A society that manages boredom well provides outlets; one that ignores it pays for it in policing.
Why this band
FC“On the other hand, boredom also drives invention” — This explicit discourse marker signals the shift to the second, contrasting direction, more deliberate than the plain 'But' used for the same pivot at 6.5.
LR“boredom tips over into risk, vandalism” — This moderately vivid verb phrase, 'tips over into', is more natural than the plain 'can lead to' used for the same idea at 6.5.
GRA“bored populations are easier to provoke; a lot of online anger, if you look closely, resembles boredom that's found itself a target” — This semicolon-linked pair of clauses, with an embedded conditional aside, is a more flexible structure than the simple sentences used at 6.5.
Band 7.5
The 7.5 answer uses the vivid verb 'curdles' for boredom turning into risk, the idiom 'on closer inspection', and closes with the compact phrase 'paying for the omission in policing', showing its most idiomatic and economical phrasing.
More than we usually credit, honestly, and in both directions at once. In my parents' neighbourhood in Hue, teenagers race motorbikes at midnight, and everyone more or less agrees the cause is simply that there's nothing for them to do — boredom curdles into risk, vandalism and, in worse places, outright crime. At scale, bored populations are easy to inflame; a lot of online anger, on closer inspection, looks suspiciously like boredom that's found itself a target. On the flip side, boredom drives invention: every hobby, most art and a fair amount of science trace back to someone having nothing better to do. A society that manages boredom well builds in outlets — sport, art, public space — and one that neglects it ends up paying for the omission in policing.
Why this band
FC“On the flip side, boredom drives invention” — This economical discourse marker is more compact than the 7.0 answer's 'On the other hand' for the same pivot, giving the transition a slightly more idiomatic feel.
LR“boredom curdles into risk, vandalism and, in worse places, outright crime” — 'Curdles' is a vivid, less common verb, more precise than 'tips over into' at 7.0 or the plain 'can lead to' at 6.5.
GRA“one that neglects it ends up paying for the omission in policing” — The abstract noun phrase 'the omission' stands in for the whole idea of ignoring boredom, a compressed nominalisation not used at the lower bands.
8. Should the impacts of boredom on society be discussed more widely in the press?
Sep–Dec 2026
Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question
Band 6.5
The 6.5 answer opens with 'Yes, I think so, because' and lists supporting points with simple connectors like 'but' and 'If', giving one plain example throughout.
Yes, I think so, because newspapers talk about the results of boredom all the time but almost never the cause. I read a long article about youth crime in a Da Nang district, and it talked about gangs, parents and phones, but it never mentioned that the area's only youth centre had closed two years before. Boredom sounds like a small, unimportant topic, so journalists often skip it, but it's actually behind a lot of what they write about. If newspapers discussed it more, people might choose cheaper solutions, like a football pitch, instead of expensive ones like more police. I think it deserves much more attention.
Why this band
FC“I think it deserves much more attention.” — This short, separate closing statement is simply tacked onto the end of the answer, without synthesising the argument that came before it.
LR“Boredom sounds like a small, unimportant topic” — This is plain, descriptive phrasing, less precise than the higher bands' 'sounds trivial' or 'sounds too trivial to write about'.
GRA“If newspapers discussed it more, people might choose cheaper solutions, like a football pitch, instead of expensive ones like more police.” — This single conditional 'If' clause is the simplest form of hypothetical reasoning available.
Band 7.0
The 7.0 answer opens with 'Yes, I think so, mainly because' and closes with the reflective aside 'it honestly deserves far more space', showing slightly more natural hedging than the 6.5 version.
Yes, I think so, mainly because the press discusses the symptoms endlessly and the cause almost never. I once read a long newspaper piece about youth crime in a Da Nang district that listed gangs, parents and phones as causes and somehow never mentioned that the area's only youth centre had closed two years earlier. Boredom sounds trivial, so journalists tend to skip over it, even though it's behind a surprising amount of what they actually cover. Discussing it more would probably push attention toward cheaper solutions — a football pitch, a library that stays open in the evening — rather than expensive ones like policing. Framed as a genuine public issue rather than a personal failing, it honestly deserves far more space.
Why this band
FC“Framed as a genuine public issue rather than a personal failing, it honestly deserves far more space.” — This fronted participial phrase organises the closing evaluation before the main clause, a more deliberate structural move than the plain closing sentence at 6.5.
LR“push attention toward cheaper solutions” — This is a moderately natural collocation, more fluent than the plain 'choose cheaper solutions' phrasing used for the same idea at 6.5.
GRA“that listed gangs, parents and phones as causes and somehow never mentioned that the area's only youth centre had closed two years earlier” — This relative clause coordinates two verbs ('listed...and...never mentioned') within one long clause, more complex than the simple separate sentences used at 6.5.
Band 7.5
The 7.5 answer uses the vivid verb 'dissects' and 'lurks behind', and closes with a two-sentence concession-then-claim structure ('The risk, admittedly, is... But framed as...'), showing its more idiomatic, argumentative style.
Yes, mainly because the press dissects the symptoms endlessly and the cause almost never. I once read a long newspaper piece on youth crime in a Da Nang district that ran through gangs, parents and phones as causes without once mentioning that the area's only youth centre had closed two years earlier. Boredom sounds too trivial to write about, so journalists tend to skip past it, even though it lurks behind a surprising amount of what they actually cover. Discussing it more openly would likely steer attention toward cheap fixes — a football pitch, a library open in the evening — rather than expensive ones like extra policing. The risk, admittedly, is that it becomes just another lifestyle topic. But framed as a public issue rather than a personal failing, it deserves considerably more space than it currently gets.
Why this band
FC“The risk, admittedly, is that it becomes just another lifestyle topic.” — This explicit concession sentence acknowledges a counterpoint before the final claim, a more sophisticated argumentative move than the single-sided reasoning used at 6.5 and 7.0.
LR“it lurks behind a surprising amount of what they actually cover” — 'Lurks' is a vivid, less common verb, more striking than the plainer 'is behind' phrasing used for the same idea at 6.5.
GRA“the press dissects the symptoms endlessly and the cause almost never” — This elliptical parallel structure omits the repeated verb 'dissects' in its second half, a compressed grammar not used at the lower bands.
9. Could widespread boredom have more positive than negative impacts on society in the future?
Sep–Dec 2026
Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question
Band 6.5
The 6.5 answer opens with a hedged 'Maybe, but only if' and adds its points with simple connectors like 'and' and 'But', giving a plain conditional structure.
Maybe, but only if the situation is right, so I would say this carefully. If AI takes over the boring parts of many jobs, people will have more free hours than before, and this extra boredom could actually lead to more creativity, community and learning, a bit like when weekends were first introduced. But people who are bored with no money, no space and no purpose don't usually write novels, they just scroll on their phones or do worse things. So the good result depends on whether the free time comes with enough security and good places to use it. It could be the best thing for society, or one of the worst.
Why this band
FC“So the good result depends on whether the free time comes with enough security and good places to use it.” — This sentence, starting with 'So', summarises the condition in plain sequential linking, without further elaboration.
LR“do worse things” — This is vague, plain phrasing, less idiomatic than the compact 'or worse' used to express the same idea at the higher bands.
GRA“If AI takes over the boring parts of many jobs, people will have more free hours than before” — This is a single 'If' conditional clause, the most basic hypothetical structure available.
Band 7.0
The 7.0 answer opens with 'Possibly, if the conditions are right, and I'd say that cautiously' and closes with the reflective phrase 'in other words', showing more natural hedging than the 6.5 version's plainer conditional.
Possibly, if the conditions are right, and I'd say that cautiously. If AI takes over the tedious half of many jobs, a lot of people will suddenly have hours they didn't have before, and boredom on that scale could genuinely produce a wave of creativity, community and learning — roughly what happened, I'd argue, when weekends were first invented. But bored people with no money, no space and no purpose don't tend to write novels; they scroll, or worse. So the positive outcome really depends on whether the freed-up time comes with security and somewhere meaningful to spend it. Widespread boredom, in other words, could turn out to be the best thing to happen to society, or one of the worst.
Why this band
FC“Widespread boredom, in other words, could turn out to be the best thing to happen to society, or one of the worst.” — This closing sentence restates the whole argument in one compact move, a more deliberate synthesis than the plainer closing used at 6.5.
LR“boredom on that scale could genuinely produce a wave of creativity” — This natural collocation, 'a wave of creativity', is more vivid than the plain '...lead to more creativity' phrasing used for the same idea at 6.5.
GRA“roughly what happened, I'd argue, when weekends were first invented” — The mid-sentence parenthetical 'I'd argue', interrupting the clause, is more flexible than the simple 'a bit like when' comparison used at 6.5.
Band 7.5
The 7.5 answer opens with the inverted conditional 'Should AI take over...' instead of a plain 'If' clause, uses the precise verb 'hinges', and closes with an extended, compressed final sentence balancing two outcomes.
Possibly, if the conditions line up, and I say that cautiously rather than optimistically. Should AI take over the tedious half of many jobs, a lot of people would suddenly find themselves with hours they've never had before, and boredom at that scale could genuinely spark a wave of creativity, community and learning — not unlike what happened, arguably, when the weekend was first invented. But bored people with no money, no space and no purpose don't write novels; they scroll, or worse. The positive outcome hinges entirely on whether that freed-up time arrives alongside real security and somewhere worthwhile to spend it. So widespread boredom could end up being the best thing to happen to society, or one of the worst, and the difference lies entirely in what we choose to build around it.
Why this band
FC“and I say that cautiously rather than optimistically” — This compact contrastive aside sharpens the hedge, a more economical move than the 7.0 answer's similar but plainer hedge for the same idea.
LR“The positive outcome hinges entirely on whether that freed-up time arrives alongside real security” — 'Hinges' is a precise, less common verb, more vivid than the plainer 'depends' used for the same idea at 6.5 and 7.0.
GRA“Should AI take over the tedious half of many jobs, a lot of people would suddenly find themselves with hours they've never had before” — This inverted conditional (subject-auxiliary inversion instead of 'If') is a more formal, flexible structure than the plain 'If' clauses used at 6.5 and 7.0.

Frequently asked questions

How long should my answer to this Part 2 cue card be?: Speak for 1 to 2 minutes. The examiner will stop you at 2 minutes, so aim for roughly 220-300 words that cover every bullet on the card and end with how you feel about it.
What Part 3 questions follow this cue card?: After "A Place You Went to Where You Remember Feeling Bored", examiners have asked 9 follow-up discussion questions, listed above. They move from your personal story to general opinions on the same theme.
Is this cue card still being used?: Yes — it's part of the current exam period (Sep–Dec 2026).