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Describe a great dinner you and your friends or family members enjoyed: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

  • Where/when the dinner was
  • Who was there
  • What you ate / what made it special
  • And explain why you enjoyed it
Show all 103 answers

Cue 1:Where/when the dinner was

  • Begin by describing the location of the dinner, whether it was at home, a restaurant, or a special venue.
  • Mention the date or occasion that made the dinner memorable, such as a birthday, festival, or reunion.

Example

The dinner took place at my home last Diwali, which is a significant festival in India. We decided to celebrate with a family gathering, as it’s a time for togetherness and joy.

Cue 2:Who was there

  • List the people who attended the dinner, focusing on family members or close friends.
  • Share a brief detail about the relationships you have with them to add a personal touch.

Example

My parents, my younger sister, and a few close friends were there. It was lovely to have my best friend from college join us, as we hadn’t seen each other in a while.

Cue 3:What you ate / what made it special

  • Describe the food that was served, highlighting any special dishes or homemade items.
  • Explain what made the meal unique, such as traditional recipes or a special chef.

Example

We enjoyed a feast of traditional Indian dishes, including biryani, paneer tikka, and a variety of sweets like gulab jamun. My mother made her famous biryani, which always brings back fond memories of our family gatherings.

Cue 4:And explain why you enjoyed it

  • Reflect on the atmosphere of the dinner and the feelings it evoked.
  • Mention any memorable moments or conversations that contributed to your enjoyment.

Example

I truly enjoyed the dinner because of the warmth and laughter shared among us. We reminisced about old times, shared stories, and played games, which created a joyful atmosphere that I will cherish forever.

Conclusion

    Example

    In conclusion, this dinner was not just about the delicious food but also about the love and connection we shared as a family and friends. It reminded me of the importance of togetherness, especially during festive occasions.

    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: Lack of Detail

    Providing vague answers can make your response less engaging. Specific details help paint a vivid picture of the dinner experience.

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    Tip

    Include specific information about the location, the people present, and the dishes served to make your story more interesting.

    2: Ignoring the Emotional Aspect

    Failing to express why the dinner was enjoyable can make your answer feel flat. Emotions connect your experience to the listener.

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    Tip

    Share personal feelings or memorable moments from the dinner to convey why it was special to you and your friends or family.

    Rushing Through the Answer

    Speaking too quickly can lead to unclear communication and missed details. It's important to pace your speech for better understanding.

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    Tip

    Take your time to articulate each point clearly, ensuring you cover all the cues without feeling rushed.

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    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
    anonymous person icon

    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 7.5

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    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
    anonymous person icon

    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 8

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    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
    anonymous person icon

    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 6.5

    location icon

    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

    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
    anonymous person icon

    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 7.5

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    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 7

    Okay, so I had gone to a place with a few of my friends for my birthday. So initially they had surprised me by decorating my house while I was not at home. The moment I reached my place, I was really spellbound because I was not expecting to see all my loved ones and friends standing there with huge smiles waiting for me specifically to come home. And it was really a great day for me. Eventually, my mother suggested that we should head to a place and celebrate further on. So we went to a great restaurant and really the vibe, the ambience of the restaurant was great, especially with those people who I call my great friends even right now, I would say so. So it was really a good day for me, because we played a few games together, we talked about great things. And they all made attempts to ensure that I was prioritized being the birthday girl. Furthermore, it was a great experience with all of them enjoying themselves. And I would say that I had a great birthday, that birthday was great for me. It's still nostalgic to recall those moments, and I'm grateful.

    Band 7

    One of our annual traditions is a Diwali dinner which is hosted by my family in our residence. This year, during Diwali, we hosted the same annual dinner where we had invited several of our extended family members as well as our close friends. However to our surprise, several unexpected guests also showed up which added in to the merriment. It was a special dinner because my brother who stays outside India was visiting us for the festival and both him and I decided to make it a special dinner by cooking everything at home from scratch. We made all our favourite dishes along with two different kinds of sweets including a chaat platter and a charcuterie board with cheese of various kinds. So there was something which could be enjoyed by all our guests of different age groups. Diwali is my most favourite festival and I always look forward to these special family dinners or occasions because you get to spend it with the people you love as well as enjoy the festivities and merriment together.

    Band 7

    One dinner that still makes everyone in my family smile whenever we talk about it happened two years ago after my brother's convocation in Australia. Instead of eating at a restaurant, we decided to come back to Kolkata the same day and have a proper celebration at home. My mother and uncle turned the evening into something magical. They prepared an absolute feast on a terrace, beginning with steaming hot mutton biryani cooked on dum with saffron and kheera, crispy chicken chaap with risala and flaming Kolkata-style mutton kosha. There was also pooris with chole, began with baigan bhaja and a huge bowl of tangy chutney. For dessert, they surprised us with homemade ice cream and my favourite kheer. We pushed the dining table outside, put on our fairy lights and played soft songs. The December air was cool and the sky was clear with thousands of stars. Whole terrace smelled like heaven. My father opened a bottle of a special sweet lime soda that he only brings out on really special days. We ate slowly, taking seconds and third helpings, laughing about old stories, teasing my brother about his convocation speech and taking endless family selfies. What made it perfect was that everyone was together after a long time.

    Band 7

    A great dinner that I had took place when I was a kid. It happened at a resort in Shimla when I was on vacation with my extended family. The dinner was attended by all my family members, which included my grandparents, my uncle and aunts, my parents, myself, brother and my cousins. What I particularly remember about that dinner is the delicious spaghetti that I devoured. It was the first time that I had tried spaghetti. While pasta has become mainstream in India in the last few years, that was always not the case. When I was growing up, there was only one kind of pasta that was prevalent in India for consumption and that was the macaroni. But when I went to this resort and discovered spaghetti in a variety of sauces, I was overjoyed. It made me feel like I was in a European country. It is also a very special memory because this was the first time that my family was dining at an expensive luxury resort and the fact that we were able to try this particular dish together that was quite expensive and new at that time made it all together special. It was also considered an exotic dish because at that time, the sauces that were used to make spaghetti were not well known in India. Their seasoning was also quite different from what we were used to and I remember just cherishing it with my cousins and talking about the fact that when we are going to go home, we are going to look for similar alternatives at our local resorts. Though we knew back then that that would be slightly difficult, but that's how delicious the spaghetti really was.

    Band 7

    One of the most memorable dinners I have had recently was a family gathering we organized to celebrate my parents' wedding anniversary. It took place about three months ago at a cozy rooftop restaurant in my city. The place had a warm, relaxed ambience with a soft lightening and a beautiful view of the skyline, which made the evening feel even more special. All the people closest to me were there, my parents, my siblings, my spouse and children, and a couple of close friends as well. It wasn't a very large group, but it felt perfect because everyone shared a close bond and genuinely enjoyed spending time together. The food was definitely one of the highlights of the evening. We started with a variety of appetizers including crunchy spring rolls and a wonderfully creamy mushroom soup. For the main course, we ordered a mix of dishes so everyone could try a bit of everything – paneer tikka masala, butter garlic naan, and a beautifully cooked pasta dish for the kids. What made a meal truly special was a dessert – a customized chocolate cake with my parents' photo on it. Watching them cut the cake while everyone clapped and cheered created a moment we will all remember for a long time. I enjoyed this dinner not just because of the delicious food, but because of the atmosphere of warmth and togetherness. We spent the entire evening chatting and laughing and sharing old stories. It felt like a welcome break from our usual hectic routines and reminded me how important it is to spend quality time with the people who matter the most. That combination of great food, meaningful conversations, and a genuine happiness made me one of the most

    Band 7

    The last dinner I had with my friends was 2 months ago, after our examination was over and we went to a new restaurant near my hometown. It looked like the temple of Rajasthan. The restaurant name was Kesariya Thali & Sweets and we ate samosas and pani puris and we had also got some ice creams. They also sold ice creams and lot of sweets and snacks and thalis. We enjoyed a lot of laughter, chats, gossips. Additionally, we talked about our examinations and future talks also. I was with my 2 friends named Anjali & Jasita. They both are my best friends and we will remember these moments always. This was not our first dinner. We often enjoyed dinner or lunch or snacks in the college also and after our examinations to enjoy or to cheer ourselves for the future.

    Band 7

    Today I want to share a wonderful experience, a great dinner that my family and I truly enjoyed. It was a special evening when everyone was at home. After a long week, my mother decided to cook some favourite dishes like biryanis, crispy snacks and delicious desserts for all of us. The whole house was filled with the warmth, mouthwatering aromas of spices and freshly cooked food. As well as we all sat around the dining table, we laughed, we talked and shared the story.

    Band 7

    Well, one of the most memorable dinner I have ever had with my family was during last year's Eid celebration. It took place at our home and the atmosphere was absolutely electric, full of laughter, warmth and that special festival that brings everyone closer together. My mother had prepared a lavish spread that looked like something straight out of food magazine. We had a spread, fragrant chicken biryani, creamy butter chicken, fresh naan and for the dessert there was a vast menu from sheer korma that made with rice to the gulab jamun and shahi tukda and many more. The aroma of spices filled with the whole house making our mouths water even before we sat down. Honestly, it was a feast fit for a king. What made the dinner truly unforgettable wasn't just the food but the company. Everyone in the family was in high spirit, cracking jokes and sharing stories from childhood. After a long time, we all sat together without distractions, no home, no rush, just pure family time. I remember thinking how food really has the power to bring people together. To top it off, my mother's biryani turned out spot on. Most likely cooked rice, tender chicken, just the right amount of spice. Everyone licked their fingers clean and she was over the moon with all the compliments. In a nutshell, the dinner was not just about eating, it was about love, laughter and togetherness. It reminded me how the simplest moment like sharing a meal can become the most precious memories.

    Band 7

    I would like to talk about a post-birthday dinner which I had at a restaurant called Mocambo and it is situated in Kolkata. It is one of the famous restaurants of Kolkata and we ordered variety of dishes there. The dishes included chicken ala kip, my most favourite one, also some crab dishes and some typical Indian dishes including naan, chicken bharta and a chello kebab platter which is one of the exquisite dish of that restaurant. The ambience of the restaurant was very calm and peaceful and an ideal place for family and friends visit. I enjoyed the dinner very much because the people who were present in the dinner were very close to me, it included my parents and my very special friends whom I would like to cherish for my entire life. The food was outstanding and the chicken ala kip, it was so good, the taste was awesome and I would like to have it again, again. I enjoyed the dinner very much and also it is located in one of the posh locations of Kolkata, Park Street. So I would like to have a dinner there and stroll around in Park Street ever if I get an opportunity.

    Band 7

    One of the most memorable dinners I've ever had was a small family gathering to celebrate my parents' wedding anniversary last year. We decided to go to a cozy Italian restaurant in the city called La Bella Vita, which is famous for its authentic cuisine and warm, welcoming atmosphere. There was about 8 of us, my parents, my siblings, and a few close family members, my bad, family friends. As soon as we walked in, we were greeted by the aroma of freshly baked bread and roasted garlic, which immediately made everyone's mouth water. The place had soft lighting, rustic wooden furniture, and gentle background music creating a relaxed and intimate setting, perfect for the occasion. We ordered a variety of dishes to share, including creamy mushroom risotto, wood-fired pizzas, and homemade pasta with rich tomato sauce. Every dish was absolutely delicious and beautifully presented. I especially loved the tiramisu at the end. It was light, fluffy, and perfectly balanced in flavor. What made the evening truly special, though, wasn't just the food, but the atmosphere at the table. Everyone was in high spirits, reminiscing about old memories and laughing over funny family stories. It felt like time slowed down, and we were all completely present in the moment, enjoying each other's company. By the end of the night, I remember thinking that it wasn't just a dinner, it was an experience that brought us all together. It reminded me how important it is to slow down and share meaningful moments with the people who matter most.
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