The biggest mistake on a film card is retelling the whole plot. Thirty seconds of plot is enough; the rest of the time is for your impressions and thoughts.
The cue card
Describe a film you enjoyed watching.
You should say:
what the film was
when and where you watched it
what it was about
and explain why you enjoyed it.
One-minute notes
- what: The Pursuit of Happyness, Will Smith
- when: last winter, at home with my dad
- about: father, homeless, unpaid internship, son
- why: true story, dad and me, never give up, cried
Model answer (about 2 minutes)
I'd like to talk about The Pursuit of Happyness, an American drama starring Will Smith. It came out quite a long time ago, but I only watched it last winter.
I watched it at home with my dad one evening. He'd seen it years before and kept saying I had to watch it, so eventually I gave in.
Without giving too much away, it's based on the true story of a father who loses almost everything, including his home, while he's doing an unpaid internship at a big company. He's raising his young son on his own at the same time, and some nights they have nowhere to sleep.
I enjoyed it for a few reasons. First of all, the acting is brilliant; there's a scene in a subway station that's honestly one of the saddest things I've ever seen on screen. But mostly, it was the experience of watching it with my dad. At one point I looked over and realised he was quietly crying, and that told me a lot about how hard things had been for our family when I was little, which he'd never really talked about.
It's a film about not giving up, and I think of it whenever I'm finding my studies difficult.
Useful words and phrases
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| starring | starring |
| give in | give in |
| without giving too much away | without giving too much away |
| based on a true story | based on a true story |
| raise a child on your own | raise a child on your own |
| brilliant acting | brilliant acting |
| appreciate what you have | appreciate what you have |
| hard to recreate | hard to recreate |
How to answer
- "Without giving too much away..." is a natural way to keep the plot short.
- For "why you enjoyed it", give two or three reasons: "First of all...", "But mostly...".
- Personal context (who with, in what circumstances) makes the answer memorable.
- Use the film's English title.
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The AI examiner asks you these questions, listens to your answers and shows your mistakes.
Part 3: follow-up discussion questions
Why do people enjoy watching sad films?
I think they let us feel strong emotions safely. You can cry about someone else's problems for two hours and come out feeling lighter, and sad films often make people appreciate what they have.
Will cinemas disappear because of streaming?
I doubt they'll disappear completely. Streaming is cheaper and more convenient, but watching a big film on a huge screen with an audience is a social event that's hard to recreate at home.
Should films based on true stories be completely accurate?
What makes a film successful in your country?
Part 2 strategy: the cue card guide. Next step: the Part 3 guide.
Practise this topic now
The AI examiner asks you these questions, listens to your answers and shows your mistakes.
