Describe A Happy Memory From Your Childhood: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

What is that happy memory?
Who did what and why?
Why do you remember it so fondly?

13 unique answers with expert feedback

Show all 13 answers

Cue 1:What is that happy memory?

Begin by clearly stating the happy memory you want to share, making sure to set the scene.
Use descriptive language to help the listener visualize the moment.

Example

One of my happiest memories from childhood is the time I celebrated my 10th birthday. It was a sunny day in May, and my parents organized a big party in our backyard. There were colorful balloons, a huge cake, and all my friends from school were invited.

Cue 2:Who did what and why?

Mention the key people involved in this memory and their roles.
Explain the significance of their actions and how they contributed to your happiness.

Example

My parents worked really hard to make that day special for me. My mom baked my favorite chocolate cake, while my dad set up games like sack races and a treasure hunt. They wanted to ensure I had a memorable birthday, and their efforts truly made me feel loved and cherished.

Cue 3:Why do you remember it so fondly?

Reflect on the emotions you felt during that memory and why it stands out to you.
Connect this memory to your overall childhood experience or values.

Example

I remember this day so fondly because it was filled with laughter, joy, and the warmth of friendship. It reminds me of the love and support my family provided, which has shaped who I am today. Even now, whenever I think of that birthday, it brings a smile to my face.

Conclusion

Example

In conclusion, this happy memory from my childhood is a beautiful reminder of the love and joy that surrounded me during my formative years. It highlights the importance of family and friends in creating lasting happiness.

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: Vague Descriptions

Using vague language can make your memory sound uninteresting. Specific details help paint a clearer picture for the examiner and engage them more effectively.

Tip

Include specific details about the memory, such as where it happened, who was there, and what exactly made it happy.

2: Lack of Emotion

Failing to express emotions can make your answer flat. Sharing feelings helps convey the significance of the memory and connects with the listener.

Tip

Describe how you felt during the memory and why it was important to you, using expressive language.

Ignoring the Cues

Not addressing the specific cues can lead to an incomplete answer. Each cue is designed to guide your response and ensure you cover all aspects.

Tip

Make sure to answer all the cues provided, ensuring a well-rounded and comprehensive response.

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

My happy memory of childhood is when my father bought me a bicycle. I was so fond of bicycles, but at the same time my parents were overprotective at that time. Now they are fine, but at that time they were very overprotective. Extremely overprotective and they were just not ready to get me a bicycle because they were afraid that I might get hurt or something worse might happen. So I tried a little, just something basic which every child does. So I did that and then finally they agreed to buy me a bicycle and then when I got it, I was on the 9th grade. My father only taught me how to ride a bicycle. There were two attached wheels on left and right side on the back of the bicycle which was to help me learn how to ride a bicycle in the beginning. And then again I had to struggle to convince them to just remove those two wheels as I know how to ride a bicycle now properly. So that was also a struggle. So they removed it and finally I became pro in riding a bicycle. After that I was upgraded to a bike, but the bike of children. And why I remember it so fondly is because my parents were involved in it. They were hardly even involved in any of the activities that I did in my childhood because they were very busy. My father was a businessman and an advocate. He was extremely busy in his work. My mother was also working. So she was also very busy all the time. Most of my time used to go in school and then tuitions and then swimming class or there is some other class, dance class, computer training, anything but not home. I used to come at 9.30 at home and then just sleep because I used to get so tired. A happy memory from my childhood is when I got my bicycle. Why is it a happy memory is because my father bought it for me after so much struggle I had to do or convincing I have to. And how I convinced my parents to just buy me a bicycle because I was old enough to have a bicycle. But they were just not ready because they were so scared that something will happen to me or I will get hurt somehow or I will maybe ride it fast. And there used to be a lot of rush on roads so they were very sceptic about getting me a bicycle in the beginning but then after convincing them they did buy me a bicycle and I was so happy about it that I got it because all my friends had it at that time and only I was the person, the only person who got it late. So when I got it I did ride it but at the same time there were two wheels attached to it to which they said they will not remove it until and unless they will feel like there needs to be removed. So once I had to convince them to even remove those wheels also because I did practice the whole bicycle riding thing and then I told them that now I know how to ride it and I had to also tell them that see after riding it so much the wheels have already gone up. They are not actually helping me, they are just worsening the situation because sometimes they just get stuck somewhere and then it can hurt them. So then finally they removed it and why I am so fond of it is because the personal touch was involved in it.

Band 6

I have many happy memories from my childhood but the one that stands out the most is playing with my friends in scorching summer heat on an afternoon in the months of May when we had our summer vacations we would get up early and start playing cricket or football mostly on the streets of our neighborhood when the scorching heat came at around noon or in the afternoon you would still be playing outside full of sweat and drenching after a while our parents would start scolding us mostly for being out in the sun for so long and not being hydrated but those days were one of the best days of my life when we would just play so much and enjoy things not take stuff very seriously then once a while after playing we would go and have some juice nearby or go out for a soda after a while when we began to study more these things kind of got sidelined but whenever we got the chance to play again in the summer months during our vacations we would always get together and play

Band 5-6

I have a lot of memories in my childhood and if you ask me for pick up one I will choose the memory on my I think 15th birthday and the memory was my parents gift me a cycle and the first gift from my parents until that time because we are a middle-class family so we don't have enough money to money form our daily routines but they they wish me on that day and say this you should you should have a cycle for traveling to school and for playgrounds so they by a by afternoon we go to Malpe town and they surprisingly visited a cycle shop and asked me to pick one one cycle and one cycle and they bought for me and I really happy at that moment also I never forget that moment because my parents are my father and mother always struggles to look me on me and my sister for for our education because it is a

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