Describe a piece of technology you find useful
A full Band 9 model answer for this IELTS Speaking Part 2 cue card, with the key vocabulary it uses, three Part 3 follow-up answers, and an examiner note on why it scores so highly.
Describe a piece of technology you find useful.
You should say:
- what it is
- how often you use it
- what you use it for
and explain why you find this piece of technology so useful.
You get 1 minute to prepare and should speak for 1-2 minutes. Try it yourself first, then compare with the model answer below.
Band 9 sample answer
The piece of technology I would single out is not the most glamorous choice — it is a simple pair of noise-cancelling headphones — but I would honestly struggle to function without them.
I use them practically every day, often for hours at a stretch. They have become an extension of my routine: I put them on when I am working, commuting, exercising, or simply when I need a few minutes of calm in a noisy environment.
What I use them for goes well beyond just listening to music. The real value, for me, lies in the noise cancellation. I live in a fairly chaotic, densely populated area, and being able to flick a switch and have the constant background din just melt away is genuinely transformative. When I am trying to concentrate, they let me create a little bubble of focus that would otherwise be impossible, and I have noticed my productivity shoot up as a result.
The reason I find them so useful comes down to the fact that they solve a very modern problem — the sheer amount of noise and distraction we are bombarded with. We tend to think of useful technology as something flashy and complicated, but I have come to appreciate the tools that quietly give you back your attention and your peace of mind. In that sense, a humble pair of headphones has had a far bigger impact on my day-to-day life than most of the cutting-edge gadgets I own.
Key vocabulary used
The collocations and idiomatic phrases above that lift the answer into Band 9 lexical resource.
- single out
- choose one thing from many
- for hours at a stretch
- for long continuous periods
- the constant background din
- the continuous unpleasant noise
- melt away
- gradually disappear
- shoot up
- increase quickly
- give you back your attention
- let you focus again
Part 3 follow-up questions
The examiner develops the topic with more abstract discussion questions. Here is how a Band 9 candidate might answer.
Has technology made our lives easier or more complicated?
I think it has done both simultaneously. On the practical side, it has automated countless tedious tasks and connected us instantly. But it has also blurred the line between work and rest and flooded us with information, which creates a new kind of stress. So I would say it has solved old problems while quietly introducing new ones.
Do you think people are too dependent on technology?
In many cases, yes. A lot of us would struggle to navigate a new city without GPS or remember a single phone number. That dependence is not inherently bad — we have always relied on tools — but it becomes a problem when it erodes basic skills or when people cannot disconnect even for a short while.
Will future technology change the way we work?
Almost certainly, and probably more dramatically than we expect. Artificial intelligence is already automating routine analytical work, which will shift the value towards uniquely human skills like creativity and judgement. The likely outcome is not that work disappears, but that the nature of it changes, so adaptability will be the key skill going forward.
Why this is a Band 9 answer
Band 9 features: an unexpected, well-defended choice, precise collocation ('a little bubble of focus'), accurate cause-and-effect structures, and a thoughtful generalisation about what 'useful' technology really means.
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