Describe a situation when you were late.: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

What was the event?
Why were you late?
How did you feel about it?

48 unique answers with expert feedback

How did you feel when you realized you would be late for the exam?

I felt a wave of panic and anxiety wash over me. I was worried about not being able to take the test, and it was very embarrassing. I had prepared so much for this moment, and to be late felt like a huge setback.

What did you learn from that experience?

I learned the importance of leaving even earlier than planned, especially for important events. I also realized that sometimes, despite our best efforts, things can go wrong, and it's essential to stay calm and find a solution.

Have you ever been late for any other important events?

Yes, I have been late for a few other events, like job interviews and family gatherings. Each time, I tried to learn from those experiences and improve my time management skills to avoid being late in the future.

Band 6-7

00:00

There was this one time during my undergraduate degree, I had my practical exam and I was there on time but when I arrived in my college in the morning, the security guy stopped me and he asked me why I am going to college at this time because I was a second shift person which is from 1 to 6, so he asked me why I am going and I told him that I have a practical exam today and I really need to go because it's already that time but he mentioned that he didn't receive any information regarding this that there is no practical and all, so I have to tell him that, I told him that there is one but he didn't believe, so I have to call my professor and confirm with him too, so it was kind of funny that even though I was wearing my college ID card, he still didn't allow me.

Follow up questions

How did you feel when you were stopped by the security guard?

I felt a mix of frustration and anxiety. I was worried about being late for my exam, and it was surprising to be questioned despite having my ID. It was a stressful moment because I knew how important that practical exam was for my grades.

What did you learn from that experience?

I learned the importance of communication and confirming details ahead of time. It taught me to always check if there are any changes in schedules or procedures, especially for important events like exams. It also reminded me to stay calm in unexpected situations.

Have you ever been late for anything else? How did you handle it?

Yes, I have been late for a few classes and meetings. In those situations, I tried to inform the concerned people as soon as possible and apologized for my tardiness. I also made sure to plan better in the future to avoid being late again.

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.

Band 6-7

00:00

So, there was this incident that happened to me like two years ago in which I went to an internship to the United Kingdom and when I was coming back, there was this flight that I had to take and we were already late for the boarding because one of my friends decided to get something for his family. So, he went out and like got late which like surprisingly made us also late and then we went and then there was this uncle that who took us in the car to the airport. So, while on the way, we got into some very difficult situation in which there was this maintenance going on the road which led to an accident and there was this long line of traffic and like the GPS which was on, it was showing that it would take more than what we were supposed to take. So, it felt really anxious to me. My heart started pounding as if I was like everything just gonna explode or anything. I don't know what but then like by the God's grace, we successfully reached there on time like before a few minutes. So, we decided to conquer it in parts like one of my friend would take our passports and run to the boarding counter and other two would carry our luggages quickly and would rush through the you know airport and to other end of the airport. So, it was really you know overwhelming for me. So, but then also we got into some trouble at the counter station but eventually we got lucky and got on time on the airplane. So, that was really anxious for me.

Follow up questions

How did you feel during the situation when you were late?

I felt extremely anxious and stressed. My heart was pounding, and I was worried we would miss our flight. The uncertainty of the traffic situation added to my anxiety, making it a very overwhelming experience.

What did you learn from this experience of being late?

I learned the importance of time management and planning ahead, especially when traveling. It's crucial to account for unexpected delays and to communicate with friends to ensure everyone is on the same page.

Have you ever been late for an important event besides this situation?

Yes, I have been late for a few important events, like a job interview. Each time, it taught me to prepare better and leave earlier to avoid any last-minute issues. These experiences have helped me become more punctual overall.

Band 6-7

00:00

So, the time when I was late was, it was my jury day. So, I come from, I am an architecture student where in the end of every semester we have architectural design juries. So, prior to this day, all of the students, we generally pull in all nighters to work through our design. So, I have been staying up night constantly, continuously for 2-3 days. So, this really affected my sleep cycle. And before my jury day, I was working on my model. I really wanted to emphasize on my model work so that I could get more marks in my jury. So, working on my model and pulling in all nighters, it equally resulted in me getting up late the next day. So, I woke up very late and there was so much traffic on the roads. And I was constantly scared about how my jury would go. And when I finally did reach the university, I did not have any cuts to enter into my classroom. But I did so. And it was a very embarrassing moment because everyone were ready and few of them were done with their reviews. And it was my chance to go and I was very much unprepared for it. So, it was hard for me to face the jurors. But I did go through it. I was panicking but I also tried to make it possible and I made my way through the jury. I did hope that it would go well but unfortunately, it did not. My being late has also accounted into the jurors providing me for marks. So, it did result in a low grade which was kind of disappointing. So, I learned that there will be many consequences when you are not punctual.

Follow up questions

How do you usually manage your time before important deadlines?

I try to create a schedule that allows me to work steadily without cramming at the last minute. I prioritize tasks and set smaller goals to ensure I stay on track. This helps me avoid situations like being late and feeling unprepared.

What strategies do you think could help prevent being late in the future?

I believe setting multiple alarms and preparing everything the night before can help. Also, leaving earlier than necessary can account for unexpected delays, like traffic. I plan to improve my time management skills to avoid similar situations.

How did your experience of being late affect your view on punctuality?

This experience taught me the importance of being punctual. I realized that being late can lead to stress and negative consequences, like lower grades. Now, I value punctuality more and strive to be on time for all my commitments.

Band 6-7

00:00

Well, I am very punctual person, but sometimes due to some reasons when I was being late. Here I would like to say some light an event when I was reached late. I vividly reach a couple of month ago. I had to go to Ahmedabad for my cousin's marriage. Her name is Afreen. She was not just my cousin, but my bosom buddy also. She called me before one month for marriage, but due to my hectic schedule, I couldn't go as early as she said. But after 15 days, whenever I was go to the station due to heavy rain. Moreover, I felt blue at that time because I had to go to Ahmedabad as soon as possible. Furthermore, I just travelled by road, so I called my friend and told him the whole story. Luckily, he was available at that time, which was just a cherry on a cake news for me because he was very engaged person. Besides this, he came and I reached there after 7 hours. All in all, this was the time when I was late and I felt blue because it's my friend's marriage and I don't wanted to reach there late.

Follow up questions

How do you usually feel when you are late for an important event?

I usually feel anxious and stressed when I'm late for important events. I value punctuality, so being late makes me worry about disappointing others and missing out on key moments.

What strategies do you use to avoid being late in the future?

To avoid being late, I plan my schedule carefully, set reminders, and leave earlier than necessary. I also check the weather and traffic conditions in advance to anticipate any delays.

Can you share another experience when you were late and how you handled it?

Once, I was late for a job interview due to a public transport delay. I called the interviewer to explain the situation and apologized. Thankfully, they were understanding, and I was still able to attend the interview, albeit a bit flustered.

Show all 48 answers

Cue 1:What was the event?

Begin by clearly stating the event you were late for, such as a meeting, a family gathering, or an exam.
Provide some context about the significance of the event to you.

Example

I was supposed to attend my friend's wedding, which was a significant event for me as we had been friends since childhood.

Cue 2:Why were you late?

Explain the reason for your delay, whether it was due to traffic, personal issues, or something unexpected.
Make sure to include any details that highlight the situation, such as the time you left home or any obstacles you faced.

Example

I left my house on time, but there was an unexpected traffic jam due to road construction. I was stuck for almost an hour, which made me late.

Cue 3:How did you feel about it?

Share your emotions regarding being late, such as anxiety, embarrassment, or frustration.
Reflect on how your feelings might have affected your experience of the event.

Example

I felt really anxious and embarrassed when I arrived. I was worried that I would miss important moments of the wedding, and I hated the thought of letting my friend down.

Conclusion

Summarize the overall experience and what you learned from it.
Mention how you might handle a similar situation differently in the future.

Example

In the end, I enjoyed the wedding, but I learned the importance of leaving even earlier for important events. Now, I always plan for extra travel time to avoid being late.

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 Responses

Giving vague or unclear answers can make your response less engaging. It may leave the examiner confused about your experience and feelings.

Tip

Provide specific details about the event, such as the location and people involved, to create a clearer picture.

2: Lack of Emotion

Failing to express your feelings about being late can make your answer sound flat. Emotions help connect with the listener and make your story memorable.

Tip

Share your feelings honestly, whether it was embarrassment, frustration, or something else, to add depth to your response.