Describe a tall building in your city that you like or dislike
The cue card
Describe a tall building in your city that you like or dislike.
How to answer it
The card offers you like or dislike — choose dislike if you can, because criticism produces sharper language than praise. Describe how it sits against what is around it, since a tall building is mostly interesting in relation to its neighbours, and then give the reason for your verdict.
What moves the band
- Architecture lexis: it towers over, glass-fronted, it sticks out, it dwarfs the surrounding streets, an eyesore.
- The Part 3 disadvantages question wants practical answers: lifts, fire safety, wind, the cost of maintenance.
Part 3 questions reported with it
Part 3 follows the topic of the cue card, so these are the discussion questions the same candidates were asked next.
- Why do people choose to live in high-rise buildings?
- Will tall buildings become more common?
- What are the disadvantages of tall buildings?
- What types of building are popular in your country?
These are candidate recalls. These are questions reported by test-takers after their exams, not official or leaked IELTS material. Wording varies by test version, location and memory. Use them for timed practice — never as a prediction of what you will be asked.
Practise these next
Know the number. Now move it.
A conversion table tells you where you stand today. Langujet's AI marks your writing and speaking against the real rubric and tells you exactly which criterion is holding your score down.