Describe A Tall Building In Your City IELTS Cue Card

"Describe a tall building in your city you like or dislike" is a popular IELTS cue card prompt in the speaking test. You need to talk about the edifice located in your city, its architecture, construction materials, location and why you like or dislike it. You will have 1 minute to prepare and 3-4 minutes to describe the building. While speaking, don’t worry about your accent; just speak with confidence. It will help you achieve a high band score.

You should say
Where it is?
What it is used for?
What it looks like?
And explain why you like or dislike it?

Model Answer 1: Describe a tall building in your city - House of Hiranandani

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Introduction:

I have the habit of roaming around the city with my bike in my leisure time. When I was riding my bike on Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR), I saw a beautiful building which made me stop and watch it. 

Where it is? and What it is used for?

The building's name is House of Hiranandani, located on Old Mahabalipuram Road at Egattur in South Chennai. I googled about this place out of curiosity and found that this residential building contains 2100 apartments, and there is even a school in this complex. As a Chennai native, I’m wondering how I missed this cosy building for so long, yet finally found it only now. Here, people just immerse themselves in various activities, enjoy the beachside view and experience the lifestyle attractions. 

What it looks like?

Simply, it has been a visual treat for me and it looks so magnificent. It is said that the building’s height is 528 ft and its architecture style is Neoclassical. The buildings are made with bricks, stone blocks, marble and you can find pillars in this complex. The design of this building comprises geometric lines and order. It is a well-constructed and aesthetically pleasing building. 

And explain why you like or dislike it?

I like this tall building because of its aesthetics, luxurious look, and serene parks. Its exterior is eye-catching and would have required immense time and effort to bring one’s imagination to life. Another reason why I like it is that it inspired me to be eye-to-details and strive for perfection in whatever I do. 

Model Answer 2: Describe a tall building in your city - LIC Building

Introduction:

I am not a person who travels around and explores the world. I am living on Mount road in Chennai where I found a building that seems to me taller than a building as far as my knowledge concerns. 

Where it is?

It is an LIC building which is located in Anna Salai in Chennai. My father said that it was initially built with 12 floors and it became the tallest building in India when it was completed in 1959. The height of the building is 54m. 

What it is used for?

LIC which is the short form of Life insurance company. It is considered to be one of the leading public companies which provides insurance plans and policies. It is owned by the government and it is committed to spread life insurance throughout India including rural areas.

What it looks like?

I consider this a well constructed building with glass facings at front and rear. It contains 15 floors which have 13 levels and 2 basement floors. It is an RCC framed construction which is designed for central air conditioning. In the sub basement floor, you can find an air conditioning plant. 

And explain why you like or dislike it?

Primarily, I liked the structure of the LIC building since it is well composed with a glass facade. And, the second thing I liked about it is what is happening in this building. It provides life insurance for people, which helps them to live without being worried about their family’s financial future. 

Model Answer 3: Describe a tall building in your city - Elante Shopping Mall

Introduction:

I have gone on an exciting tour around India that helped me to explore different cities. I am going to talk about a building which stuck in my mind. 

Where it is? and What it is used for?

It is an Elante shopping mall which is located in Chandigarh. The outside of the building itself is beautiful and impressive. When I entered the shopping mall, I thought that this could be heaven for shoppers. Lights, smell, everything about this mall is delightful. 

What it looks like? and explain why you like or dislike it?

The elevation of the building is entirely made of glass which looks spectacular and at night it is illuminated with thousands of lights which is so beautiful. It really amazed and stunned me. The interior of the shopping mall also looks magnificent in size since it has column design. I should say that the state-of-art architecture and layout is perfect. All major brands are there in the lower levels of the building, where people can buy whatever they want such as clothes, footwear or any other household items and on the upper levels of building, there are Cinemas, Food courts, Game parlours and many other forms of entertainment. There are elevators and escalators to access the different floors in the building. The entire building is climate controlled so shoppers can comfortably without being affected by weather.

IELTS Speaking Part 3: Describe a tall building in your city Followup Questions

In IELTS speaking part 3 section, you can find the describe a tall building in your city you like or dislike follow up questions as follows.

1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of living in tall buildings ?

One of the advantages of living in a tall building is better daylighting and air ventilation. It gives an opportunity to visit the view of city life. Also, we can get rid of noise pollution if we are living in the tallest buildings. The disadvantage is, it takes time to enter or leave the apartment. And, the risk is the disasters could happen such as fire or falling down due to earthquakes. 

2. Do you think there will be more tall buildings in the future?

Surely, why I am saying this is because of land scarcity. In the future, living in a tallest building could be a common thing. And, living in single-storey or double-storey houses might be considered a luxury. 

3. Why aren’t there many tall buildings in the countryside?

It is because the land is available in the countryside. So, it doesn’t make sense to construct a tall building. And also the people in the countryside usually prefer to live in open spaces than in tall buildings. Hence, even the tall buildings come into the countryside, people who are there would not prefer to live in them. 

4. Why do some people like to live in tall buildings nowadays?

I think one of the reasons is that they are cheaper. It is difficult to afford to buy land and construct a building and, even for the rich people, it is not easier to afford a single-storey or double-storey building. So, some people prefer tall buildings, and also noise pollution can be avoided, which could be another reason. 

5. Is it true that tall buildings are more beneficial than small buildings ?

Now, as a result of overpopulation, we need more houses to inhabit. Obviously, as the tall buildings contain more houses compared to smaller buildings, it will be beneficial to us, at least for the time sake. 

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Conclusion

The 3 “Describe a tall building in your city” model answers and follow up questions will help you to get an idea to crack the IELTS speaking test. Hope our resources help you in your IELTS preparation.