Describe a favorite thing you own.: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

What is it?
How did you get it?
How do you use it? Why is it your favorite?

34 unique answers with expert feedback

Show all 34 answers

Cue 1:What is it?

Begin by clearly identifying the item and providing a brief description.
Mention any unique features or qualities that make it special to you.

Example

My favorite thing is my vintage guitar. It’s a beautiful acoustic guitar with a rich, warm tone and intricate woodwork that makes it stand out.

Cue 2:How did you get it?

Share a personal story about how you acquired the item, whether it was a gift, a purchase, or something else.
Include any emotions or significance related to the acquisition.

Example

I got this guitar as a gift from my father on my 18th birthday. He knew how much I loved music, and it was a dream come true for me to receive such a special instrument from him.

Cue 3:How do you use it? Why is it your favorite?

Explain how you use the item in your daily life or during special occasions.
Discuss the emotional connection or memories associated with it that make it your favorite.

Example

I play my guitar almost every evening after work. It helps me relax and express my feelings through music. This guitar is my favorite because it reminds me of my father and the countless hours we spent playing together.

Conclusion

Summarize the key points about the item and its significance in your life.
End with a personal reflection on how it has impacted you.

Example

In conclusion, my vintage guitar is not just an instrument; it’s a symbol of my passion for music and a cherished connection to my father. It brings joy to my life and serves as a reminder of the beautiful moments we shared.

Following this structure will ensure you cover all the essential points while providing a clear and engaging response to the cue card topic.

Tips to answer this Cue Card

1: Avoid Being Vague

Giving unclear or general answers can make your response less engaging. Specific details help the examiner understand your connection to the item.

Tip

Use descriptive language and provide specific examples about the item, such as its features or a memorable experience related to it.

2: Don't Rush Your Response

Speaking too quickly can lead to unclear pronunciation and missed details. It may also make your answer sound less thoughtful.

Tip

Take a moment to think before you speak. Practice pacing your speech to ensure clarity and allow time for elaboration.

Avoid Overly Simple Answers

Providing short, simple answers may not showcase your language skills. It can limit your ability to demonstrate vocabulary and fluency.

Tip

Expand your answers by including reasons, feelings, and anecdotes related to the item. This will enrich your response and engage the listener.

IELTS Cue Cards asked last week

Reported by Leap students who gave IELTS

Describe your favourite food at a traditional festival or a special event in your country

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 7.5

Pitampura Test Centre, New Delhi

Answer

I like to taste different types of cuisine. Here I would like to talk about my favorite dish at my traditional festival of Onam which is Sadya. Sadya is popular in my city. We are experimenting these cuisines on Onam festival day. Onam is a famous festival in my city. All family members get together in my home and we make a delicious Sadya. There are many ingredients includes that Sadya. Moreover, we make a big feast that day as well as we create a lot of memories together and we wear that day the traditional dress called Sari and men wear the Dhotis. That festival is really important to us because the whole day we are conducting different kinds of games at our homes and all the family members came together. It's a memorable day in my life. This is the festival. We are making the Sambar and Aviyal. These all the kinds of foods are making with the vegetables.

Talk about a toy you liked in your childhood

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 8

Sector 34 Test Centre, Chandigarh

Answer

The toy which I liked in my childhood was a panda doll, which makes me pleasant and makes me more blush. The pandas are the most beautiful creatures of the world, which looks gigantic and has pooshy cheeks and they are like stars in the clouds and they dream in me. Furthermore, these have been given by my father. My father is a very very beautiful artistic person, who makes me think of that. Every day you will face every difficulties and make you suffer and move forward. Pandas are always seen in Japanese countries. It is my lifelong dream to visit a Japanese country and click a photo with the original pandas, which makes sounds better.

Describe a time you were in a place where you didn't know the local language

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 6.5

Whitefield Test Center, Bengaluru

Answer

As India is a very large country full of diversity, so there are many places which have their own language and speak their native language. The place which I visited and I didn't know about their language was Leladakh, which is about 300 km away from my hometown and it is a very good place as it consists of different kind of trees, animals and have many scenic views and I visited over there last year in summers as it was the best time to visit because it has many, it was cold over there and we had summers in our area so it was the best time to visit over there and I went over there with my whole family.

Describe a time when your friend damaged something you owned

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 7

Begumpet Test Centre, Hyderabad

Answer

When I was a kid, I had a little pencil box which had these four buttons which gave the pencil box an operative use. When you press the button, the box would open up. When you press the second button, a little part of it would slide out. Basically it was just a little electronical and a fun thing to have and I owned it when I was in 6th. One day after break, I was standing and talking there with one of my friends and another friend of mine was running through the hallway and accidentally she pushed my shoulder and my pencil box hit the ground and it broke into multiple pieces to the point that it was not functional anymore.

Describe a book you recently read

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 7.5

CBD Belapur Test Centre, Navi Mumbai

Answer

It Ends With Us is a book I read recently. It's by the author Colleen Hoare. It's mainly a story about two teenagers, Atlas and Lily, and how they just handle their life going through high school, adolescence, and just domestic violence at home. Both of them come from very, very different families. However, they have one common determining factor between them, which is domestic violence. The abuse that they've seen their moms go through is just insane, and they connect through that on a different level. They're actually in the same high school, but they never speak to each other until Atlas actually crashes into an empty house next to Lily's villa. When Atlas is homeless and he doesn't have anywhere to go, he just comes and breaks into the house next to Lily's, and Lily helps him with all the daily necessities like clothes and food, medicines and stuff. Furthermore, their friendship blossoms into love, but it doesn't really fructify as Atlas has to leave. This book really gave me a lot of knowledge about domestic abuse and how to deal with it.

All Answers

Here are all the answers by real-users practicing speaking for IELTS Cue Cards on our IELTS Prep App.

Band 6

One of my favorite thing that I own is mobile phone. I know it's a very basic thing and everyone has it, but for me mobile phone plays a very major role in my life because I'm a single child and I'm an introvert as well so it doesn't help me when I have social anxiety or when I want to meet people. So that time mobile phone plays a vital role in my life because it gives me companionship and it doesn't let me be alone or let me be bored and do nothing. I can just sit on my ass and just keep scrolling on the phone and be occupied in it for three to four hours a day. So how I got this phone was I was traveling to UK before two years and my dad wanted to gift me something and he gifted me an iPhone and this was brought to me from US because as we all know we do get cheap iPhones from there and I tend to use it like everywhere no matter where I am even while I'm taking bath I would play some kind of music so that I can be relaxed or if I'm traveling again there is music or if I want to watch something instantly if I want to read something or also if I have to get some news or prepare for my exams or do anything that I can access through mobile phone that would be the greatest thing I would do. So I do think mobile phone is one of my favorite thing and without it my life would be really tough because if I have to go back to the old school time I can't actually do it.

Band 6

okay so my favorite thing that I own which is a storybook which is also based on mythology also called Hindu mythology and the favorite part of this book is the storyline and the Indian author his name is Akshat Gupta and I really wanted this book for a very long time but since I haven't get the chance to get it but now I had it right now I have a chance to get this book so I purchased it from nearby store and basically there is a bookstore held in the hostel ground which is nearby the place from nearby from my house so I went from I went it there and I reached usually I confused about the books but at that time I totally focused on one book which is the warrior book the name of the book is the Naga warriors and I really enjoyed totally I almost read three chapters and as far as I know there's a lot of interesting factors and a lot of interesting topics which I had covered and I really enjoyed while I really enjoyed to read and really expect more and more from the particular author so I really looking forward the many book the same

Band 6

I would like to talk about my favorite finger ring. It is golden finger ring. Actually I am not a person very fond of jewelry but this finger ring is my favorite and is the only jewelry that I like to like the most and I would like to wear it in almost all occasions. And this is also favorite in another way because it was the first possession that I bought after I got my first salary. I used to save my money and when it was enough to buy a ring I bought this ring and this ring is so beautiful. It is so neatly designed and it has the design of a leaf and everyone who had a look at this ring has always commented on how beautiful it is. So this ring is actually little bit large and not so small and this is something that I always keep in my wallet and I use to wear it whenever possible. And I think that even if the design is like some wear and tear even if it goes like that I would just manage to rebuild it to redesign it and I will just customize it using gold. It has also some touch of platinum which is so beautiful to look and I think you should see it. That's it.

Band 5-6

The favorite thing which I have is my car. I received it as my birthday gift from my father. Actually I don't know that I am getting a car. One day when my father thought to surprise me. So I went to the showroom normally and he said we want to book the test drive. But I said I already test drove it. It is not required. Then afterwards he also said me take a test drive and we will go into the cellar.

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