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Describe a gift you would like to buy for your friend: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

  • How you knew your friend?
  • How long have you known him/her?
  • How would you choose a gift for him/her?
  • And explain why you would choose that gift for him/her.
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64 unique answers with expert feedback

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Cue 1:How you knew your friend?

  • Begin by mentioning how you met your friend, whether it was in school, college, or through mutual friends.
  • Share a brief anecdote that highlights your initial connection or shared interests.

Example

I met my friend Priya in college during our first year. We were both part of the same orientation group and quickly bonded over our love for literature and poetry. I remember how we spent hours discussing our favorite authors and sharing book recommendations.

Cue 2:How long have you known him/her?

  • Clearly state the duration of your friendship, such as how many years or months you have known each other.
  • Mention any significant milestones or experiences you have shared during this time.

Example

I have known Priya for about five years now. Over these years, we have celebrated each other's birthdays, supported one another through exams, and even traveled together during our summer breaks.

Cue 3:How would you choose a gift for him/her?

  • Discuss the thought process you would go through when selecting a gift, considering your friend's interests and preferences.
  • Mention any specific occasions or reasons that might influence your choice.

Example

When choosing a gift for Priya, I would think about her passion for reading. I would consider getting her a special edition of her favorite book or a personalized bookmark. Since her birthday is coming up, I want to make it memorable.

Cue 4:And explain why you would choose that gift for him/her.

  • Explain the significance of the gift and how it reflects your understanding of your friend's personality.
  • Share how you believe the gift will make her feel appreciated and valued.

Example

I would choose a special edition of her favorite book because it shows that I pay attention to her interests. I know how much she cherishes her books, and I believe this gift would make her feel appreciated and loved. It’s not just a gift; it’s a way to celebrate our friendship.

Conclusion

    Example

    In conclusion, choosing a thoughtful gift for a friend like Priya is a wonderful way to express my appreciation for our friendship. It reflects the bond we share and the memories we have created together over the years.

    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 Vague Descriptions

    Using vague language can make your answer less engaging and informative. It's important to provide specific details about your friend and the gift to create a clearer picture.

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    Tip

    Use descriptive adjectives and specific examples when talking about your friend and the gift to make your answer more vivid.

    2: Neglecting Personal Connection

    Failing to explain your relationship with your friend can weaken your response. The examiner wants to understand the significance of the gift in the context of your friendship.

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    Tip

    Share a brief story or memory that highlights your friendship to emphasize why the gift is meaningful.

    Rushing Through the Explanation

    Speaking too quickly can lead to unclear answers and missed points. It's essential to take your time to articulate your thoughts clearly.

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    Tip

    Practice pacing your speech by pausing briefly between points to ensure clarity and allow the examiner to follow your ideas.

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    IELTS Cue Cards asked last week

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    Describe your favourite food at a traditional festival or a special event in your country
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    Anonymous student Band 7.5

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    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
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    Anonymous student Band 8

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    Sector 34 Test Centre, Chandigarh

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    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
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    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 6.5

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    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
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    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 7

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    Begumpet Test Centre, Hyderabad

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    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
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    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 7.5

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    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 6-7

    Well, we all have friends and it is very common to gift someone something to us who are very special to us and very close to us. Today I would like to describe the situation when I gifted a watch to my best friend. My best friend's name is Nishant Rathore. He is my friend since two years and we are both very close. We share a lot of things together. Even we talk to each other on every weekend. We meet each other. We enjoy our time together. So, if I get a chance then I would like to gift a watch to him and I am thinking about gifting that watch to his upcoming birthday. I want to give this watch to him because he is always late for appointments, meetings and he never wears watch on his hand always. So, I wonder that why he never wears a watch. So, one day I asked him and then he says me that he didn't have watch. So, I am thinking that it will be a wonderful gift for him as whenever he will observe that watch then every time he will remember me and it will make our bond very real and deep. So, conclusively I think that gift makes the people more close and it is a method of expressing your feelings and happiness to others.

    Band 6-7

    I Would like to gift a cricket bat to my friend whose name is Akshit We have been best friends from the past five years and our friendship has grew from the last 11 years I would like to gift him a cricket bat on his birthday His birthday is coming is on 3rd of March, which is due next month. So I wanna gift him a cricket bat He currently lives in Australia and The reason I'm giving him a cricket bat is He is a very big fan of Virat Kohli and he loves to watch and play cricket. He is a cricketing nerd as well as He also loves to play cricket so and He just lost he just broke his bat Lost in the last week so now I'm planning to gift him a new bat and the bat would be a Season bat as he does not play any kind of trick tennis or gully cricket, but he actually plays some professional form of cricket and I Would like to purchase it in a year and would like to parcel it through courier to him in Australia through courier Or else I would use My friend who is going to Australia next week, I would Get my parcel with him and make sure that he delivers the parcel to my friend As well as Yes You

    Band 6-7

    My friend Pinky, whom I met around three years back in my parent college, that is AIMS Jodhpur. I would like to gift her earphones. I would like to gift a headset to one of my friend, Pinky. I met her around three years back. We started our journey together in AIMS Jodhpur as junior resident, where we gelled up so well that we used to have nice conversation over the academics related topic or the simple family or our love lives as well. She is very close to my heart and my parents also know her. I chose this specific gift only because she one day mentioned that she doesn't have a good headset and with her existing headset, she is having problem in getting a clear voice over the telephonic conversation. Moreover, I try to gift those gift items which are having some utility in day to day life. So, I think this gift would be best suited for her. Additionally, I have thought that I would buy this over an online platform which makes things very convenient as well. Since my day to day life is having a very hectic schedule, I don't get time to go to offline shop and buy it personally. So, I thought I would buy it online. Moreover, on the online platform, we get to see different brands also and various options. So, it makes things more easier for us.

    Band 6-7

    Everyone likes to take or give gifts. I would like to talk about one of my friends. She used to teach me when I used to have any difficulties. She was one of my colleagues. It's been five years we know each other. Now she is my best friend. She got married in 2003. It's been two years she is happily married. Last Saturday I got good news that she had a baby girl. I was over the moon to hear this news that she is a mother now. She used to treat me like her sister or even baby. I was really surprised and over the moon to hear this news. When I got to know about this, I thought I should visit her. And gift her something which will help her in future. Or that will make her feel special. As she is having her birthday next month. I was thinking now she is a mother. So I should gift her something related to her baby as well. As I thought she is a girl. So I will buy a cram for a baby. In which she can carry her baby. And other products for baby as well. For example powder, pampers, body lotions. And all the necessity things which a baby requires. So next month I am going to her place. So I want to give that to her. And she will feel good as I will gift to her. And it would be surprise for her. I know she will like it.

    Band 6-7

    I have a close friend and her name is Priyanka. We have been friends since childhood. To be more precise when we were studying in class 5. From then onwards she's been my friend till date. She was there with me during my post-graduation as well. Recently she got married and she's having the best time of her life. She is very particular about her skin. She is beauty conscious. She uses a lot of products but one thing I want her to understand is sunscreen is as important as the skincare. It is the main game-changer for skincare in my opinion. It requires two aspects to protect your skin which is hydrate and protect. There is no point of hydrating your skin if you can't give protection to it. Since we Indians being close to the equator we are subjected to a huge radiation and that too with summers approaching I want her to use a good SPF so I would like to give her the best sunscreen which is suitable for her skin. She doesn't know how to pick one when it comes to sunscreens and she thinks it just makes her skin oily and dull. But in reality there are different types of sunscreens. You need to pick the one that suits your skin concerns. For example there are a lot of sunscreens available in the market with SPF 30, 40, 50 etc. An SPF refers to a sun protection factor which the sunscreen provides and also there is a rating called as PA plus, triple plus and more. The PA plus refers to the ability of the sunscreen to protect the skin from the UVB damage. So I am planning to give her the best sunscreen that suits her and I'm hopeful that she likes it.

    Band 6-7

    I have many friends and I like to give them a variety of things. One of my friends whose name is Jay, whom I met after coming to Canada, has always helped me when I was looking for jobs. He taught me how to apply for jobs and has also referred me at his own workplace. I have been knowing him since last 1.5 years. I remember I met him on a bus stop one day, one fine day when I was waiting for a bus. Our conversation started with, from where are you and it led to a very productive conversation afterwards. I have been thinking about gifting him something and recently I came across this beautiful smart watch by Samsung and I'm thinking to surprise him with that watch. He was looking for something that would help him track his fitness and I think this would be a perfect gift for him. The watch has various functions such as keep track of how much water you drink in a day. It also enables you to measure, enables us to measure our vitals such as blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen, etc. Hence, I think this would be a very useful tool for him and could give him a kickstart to losing weight also.

    Band 6-7

    I have very few few friends in my college and one among the few friends is Naveen, he is very fair, tall and handsome person has a very fair complexion and I have known him from past 10 years since my 10th class and he is very good and generous person. He is from very poor background, he can't afford to buy expensive things for his study purpose, so I want to gift him a laptop because it will be useful for him in many ways like for studying and for application of different jobs online and I think laptop would be a perfect gift for a person like him since he has no money and he would not ask me to buy it but I want to gift him. He is very hard working and a very good person, although he is from a poor background, he studied very hard and got good scores in all the exams throughout his life and he is very passionate about his job, he is a veterinary doctor and he treats all the animals very well, he diagnoses the diseases very thoroughly, even a good specialist can't do a diagnosis like him, so laptop would be more helpful for him to get thorough knowledge on every disease he is studying. I think he would be very happy after receiving a gift from me because he have only me the closest thing.

    Band 6-7

    My best friend's name is Siddharth. I know him from school since 15 years. We did our 7th grade together and since then we are best of friends. His interest lies in the field of automobiles. He loves cars and racing games. When I thought about gifting him a birthday gift, the first thing that came to my mind was his interest in racing cars. First I thought of buying him a remote-controlled car, but that was very expensive. Then I thought about buying him a PlayStation 5. He plays a lot of games on his computer. So I thought a PlayStation would be a good idea to gift him on his birthday. I went to a lot of websites that offered a great deal on PlayStation. So I went to Amazon and bought this PlayStation 5 online. I know this gift will bring a great deal of happiness in his life. He spends a lot of time in his room playing these games. So I know this PlayStation will be a great addition to his collection of games. After buying this PlayStation, I will go to his home and will gift him this. And I will see him enjoy playing his games on this gift.

    Band 6-7

    I would like to buy a gift for my friend Siri like I've known for more than 15 years. We have been friends since college. We used to go out together, we used to watch movies, we used to hang out a lot and we used to do combined studies too. She helps me a lot in my studies and I help in her like traveling, transportation. So I would like to gift her a sari on her birthday because she likes all the traditional things like chumkas, anklets, bangles. So having a traditional touch for her attire that's most probably sari would be a best gift on her birthday which is a close by event. So I would like to surprise by buying her a beautiful banana sari which would enhance her accessories like she already has the grey chumkas so her earrings would be great matching to the sari which I'm going to buy. It will be like lavender color. She would really like it. Thank you.

    Band 6-7

    My friend who is named Chandanesh is aged about 24. I know him from my school days. We have studied together from the primary school. He deserves a gift from me and particularly a car. The reason behind it is he always praises the cars no matter it is a small one or big one which refers to the expenses. I would like to gift him a Mercedes Benz.
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