One of the students recently appeared for his IELTS speaking test and received a cue card related to public transportation. He was asked to describe a popular mode of public transportation in his country. Let’s try attempting this and then compare our response with the model answer.

**Question: **

Describe a popular mode of public transportation in your country.

**Response: **

In my country, one of the most popular modes of public transportation is the bus system. Buses are widely used by people from various walks of life, including those who are on a tight budget, students, office-goers, and even some middle-class individuals. However, the wealthier section of society, who can afford more expensive options, also occasionally use buses for their daily commute.

Travelling by bus is a cost-effective way to move around the city. It offers a comfortable and relatively safe journey at an affordable price. The benefit of cost-effectiveness attracts a large number of people, as it is a more economical option compared to private cars, which require individual fuel consumption and maintenance costs. Moreover, buses have a higher seating capacity, allowing a significant number of passengers to travel together, which further contributes to reducing traffic congestion on the roads.

The bus system is widely utilized by diverse groups of people for various purposes such as going to work, attending classes, running errands, and even for recreational outings. Due to this diversity in usage, buses are often crowded, especially during rush hours. Despite the occasional crowding, the convenience and economical fares make buses a preferred choice for a large section of the population.

The popularity of buses as a mode of public transportation can be traced back to their affordability. The availability of frequent routes and their extensive network across the city also adds to their appeal. Buses have been a crucial part of our public transportation system for many years, and their accessibility to people from all walks of life makes them a valuable asset for our urban mobility.

**Model Answer: **

There are different means of transportation in my country, but rail is the most preferred one. It is majorly used by people who are living below the poverty line, but travelling by trains is also very common among people belonging to the middle-class group. However, the wealthy group of society, who can afford air-conditioned expensive travel, also frequently uses trains.

Travelling by train is an inexpensive way of commuting from one place to another, and at the same time, people are able to enjoy a comfortable as well as safe journey. It is such a cost-effective travel mode that it accommodates a mass number of people and reduces the fuel consumption and the cost associated with it, in comparison to cars where only a few persons can travel at once. Furthermore, people travel by train on a daily basis for various reasons such as work, business, study, trade, holiday, and others. It is due to these reasons that the trains are usually very crowded with diverse people boarding the trains to reach their destinations.

Rail has been the most popular way of travelling since ancient times because it is the cheapest mode of transportation. People from all backgrounds belonging to different sections of society are commuting via this common medium, making it absolutely the best means of travelling.

**Useful Vocabulary: **

– Means of transportation/mode of transport/inexpensive way of commuting/most popular way of travelling/cheapest mode of transportation

– Most preferred/comfortable/convenient/safe journey/common transportation system/accommodates a mass number of people

– Diverse people boarding the trains/majority of people/passengers/travellers/commuters

– Travel/tour/moving/commuting/visiting

– However, /furthermore/moreover/in addition to this

– It is due to these reasons/Because of this/One of the reasons is

– Other Useful Tips:

– For answering the bullet points, you may think of including details as below:

**Type of transport mode: ** You can also choose any other public transport mode such as a bus, airplane, etc.

**Types of people: ** You may answer this according to economic conditions such as poor, rich, middle class, etc., or according to groups, like working professionals, students, etc. It can also be answered according to the aim of travelling, for example, economic class air travel is preferred by businessmen or bus travel by passengers travelling to the nearby city.

**Convenience: ** You can answer this in terms of cost involved, ease of booking tickets, and comfort of travelling.

**Reason for being popular: ** It can be answered according to the major benefit provided by the travel mode, for example, cheap fare in the case of trains, comfortable seats in buses, and fastest way of travelling by air.