arrow back icon Top Answers

Describe A Special Cake You Received From Others: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

  • When did it happen?
  • Where did it happen?
  • From whom do you get the cake?
  • And explain why it’s a special cake.
Show all 82 answers

Cue 1:When did it happen?

  • Mention the specific occasion or event when you received the cake.
  • Include the date or time frame to give context to your story.

Example

It was my birthday last year, on the 15th of March, when I received this special cake. My friends had planned a surprise party for me, and I was completely unaware of it until they brought out the cake.


Cue 2:Where did it happen?

  • Describe the location where the cake was presented to you.
  • Make it relatable by mentioning if it was at home, a restaurant, or a friend's place.

Example

The surprise party took place at my best friend’s house. She had decorated her living room beautifully with balloons and streamers, creating a festive atmosphere.


Cue 3:From whom do you get the cake?

  • Identify who gave you the cake and their relationship to you.
  • Share a little about why this person is significant in your life.

Example

The cake was from my close friends, especially from Priya, who is like a sister to me. She knows my favorite flavors and always puts in extra effort to make my birthdays special.


Cue 4:Explain why it’s a special cake.

  • Discuss the unique features of the cake, such as flavor, design, or any personal touches.
  • Explain the emotional significance of the cake and why it stands out to you.

Example

This cake was special because it was a rich chocolate truffle cake, my absolute favorite. Priya had decorated it with fresh strawberries and a personal message written in icing. It symbolized the love and effort my friends put into making my day memorable.


Conclusion

    Example

    In conclusion, receiving that special cake from my friends not only made my birthday unforgettable but also reminded me of the strong bonds we share. It was a beautiful moment filled with joy and love, and I will cherish it forever.


    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 in Description

    Failing to provide specific details about the cake can make your answer sound vague and uninteresting. It's important to paint a clear picture for the examiner.

    bulb icon

    Tip

    Include details about the cake's appearance, flavor, and any unique features to make your description more engaging.


    2: Ignoring the Cues

    Not addressing all the cues provided can lead to an incomplete answer. This may result in a lower score as it shows a lack of organization.

    bulb icon

    Tip

    Make sure to answer each cue in order, ensuring you cover when, where, from whom, and why the cake is special.


    Rushing Through the Answer

    Speaking too quickly can lead to unclear communication and missed opportunities to elaborate on your points. This can confuse the listener.

    bulb icon

    Tip

    Take your time to speak clearly and pause briefly between points to allow your ideas to be understood.


    calendar icon

    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

    location icon

    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

    location icon

    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
    anonymous person icon

    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 7

    location icon

    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

    location icon

    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

    Alright, when I think about a special cake that I received from someone, the first thing that comes to mind is the birthday cake I got for my 22nd birthday that was last month. My sister along with my best friend planned a surprise for me in which they made decorations and also got me a cake and the theme of all of it was the song 22 by Taylor Swift. It was very special to me because Taylor Swift is one of my favourite artists. The cake had a lyric from the song 22 which she wrote when she was 22. It was a very heartwarming surprise for me and it was quite unexpected. I had been very busy the previous week and had not paid much attention to my birthday and wanted to keep it low-key with just my closest friends and family, however my sister and best friend had something else in mind. It was a very lovely surprise and I thoroughly enjoyed it. That was one of the most special cakes and they put in a lot of work and effort to keep it a surprise and it was everything that I could have asked for my 22nd birthday or any birthday in general. It was a really fun day, we played a lot of games, talked. It couldn't have been more perfect.

    Band 7

    it was on my birthday I received a cake which was actually red velvet cake with vanilla frosting and it was sent to me by my husband he stays he stays in the United States so he got it ordered to me from Lebanon which is one of the fine baking shops in our city if I need to talk about the taste it was one of the best days it was one of the best cakes I've ever tasted the sweet was on point the flavors were quite well balanced and the texture was perfect it was an authentic red velvet cake which was made without using any kind of dyes or artificial colors or fragrances that was something I really liked about it the taste was subtle and the decoration was quite minimal I enjoyed the cake with my family and all of them has liked it I really was impressed apart from the flowers I really liked the cake I got I would suggest others also to have a taste of it because it was really incredible in market you find a lot of overdone cakes with a lot of colors and other stuff going on but when it comes to Lebanon they make the finest and the authentic and you know they add a bit of elegance to the taste making sure it looks quite simple the cake was extremely good and I wish I could celebrate more birthdays in a year so that I could eat it quite often I really loved the cake and the person who sent it

    Band 7

    A cake that stands out in my memory was one I received for my birthday last year. It happened during a small celebration at my home with a few close friends. I had no idea that they planned to surprise me with something so special. The cake was from one of my best friends who was an incredible baker. She had gone all out to create a custom made cake that perfectly reflected my tastes. It was a three layered chocolate cake with rich velvety frosting and each layer was infused with a hint of raspberry. On top there was edible gold leaf accents and delicate decorations that were both elegant and artistic. What made the cake so special was not just the effort she put into baking and decorating it but the thoughtfulness behind it. She knew I love chocolate and had taken the time to incorporate the elements that I particularly enjoyed. Moreover, she had crafted it to reflect our friendship including small personal touches that only the two of us could truly appreciate. Like a little edible figure of book which represented one of our shared hobbies, this cake wasn't just delicious, it was embodiment of love, care and friendship. The gesture left me feeling deeply touched as it was clear that so much thought had gone behind it, making it far more meaningful than just a birthday dessert. Every bite of me reminded me the bond we shared and it became a symbol of warmth and kindness of the people I am fortunate to have in my life. In conclusion, that cake remains memorable not only because of its taste but also because of the emotions and memories it invoked, making it truly special for me.

    Band 7

    I had received a special cake on my 18th birthday from my friends. It was special because it was ultimately a surprise for me from my friends. I was not familiar to this idea of birthday cake cutting and my friends had planned a surprise party without my knowledge. They had arranged the cake, the event, the setting and even called my parents without my knowledge and all my close friends to the city. They had arranged a cake made up of my favourite flavour which is vanilla and chocolate. They had blindfolded me and gave me a surprise. In midst of all the applause and cheers, I had cut my cake on my 18th birthday for the first time. I had shared the joy and fun with everybody present over there. I was also able to take the remaining cake to my grandparents back to my house and could share it with them. I could also show them all the photos and videos from this particular day. I still hold the memories from my 18th birthday very close to my heart. It helped me to form strong bonds with my friends. We still wish each other good greetings on our birthdays.

    Band 7

    The most special cake that I received was on my birthday. It was a surprise and had completely taken me by surprise. I received it from my friends at church. They are basically part of the church youth group. They held a special gathering just so they could cut the cake for me. They invited everybody over, had snacks and prepared all of this after a very tiring day at the church. There was an event going on which was Mission Sunday and it's a very busy day. The youth group was in charge of setting up a lot of things in addition to setting up their own stalls. I was not a part of helping them out because I was sick that day. The fact that I was unwell also added to the surprise of the whole visit because I did not know that they would be planning something like this for me. But they tricked me into coming to one of their houses. When I entered, the whole group was there. To this day, it remains one of my best moments to have celebrated my birthday with them. It was not an easy birthday as I was sick and I was already feeling quite low about a lot of things. Their efforts and friendship definitely lifted my moods and helped me feel better on a day when I thought happiness was not in the cards for me.

    Band 6-7

    It was just about a month ago I received a cake from one of my lab mate and I am in Bhubaneswar. In Odisha it is a famous cake and it is known for its flavor and for its taste. I really liked the cake and the use of fruits and different flavors made it really tasty. I liked it so much that definitely I would like to eat it once again. It is very special for me because who provided the cake, he was my best friend. So definitely I would love to eat the cake once again.

    Band 6-7

    I received a special cake on my 13th birthday. I remembered it because it is baked by my sister. It is her first time to bake a cake. It's best especially for me. In my home during the celebration the first time I see a home-baked cake in my life. I asked her how do you manage to make it. She told me that she is practicing to perfect. She is practicing to make the cake on my birthday. She learned it by seeing videos in YouTube. But it's not, it is a very nice cake with it is a strawberry flavor and a very nice cake and tasty. We all like it. After that I gave her a present. Present after the birth, after the celebration is done. I love that cake because it is, it have a mild flavor. I don't like very sweet or like bland cakes. I prefer a mild compared to a sweet or compared to anything. So it is one of my favorite cake I get from it.

    Band 6-7

    I would like to talk about the experience I had receiving a special cake for my 18th birthday. As every other birthday, I woke up to greetings and joyful laughter from my parents. But what I did not know was the cake that they would be getting. I thought, as every other birthday, it would be just a casual cake. But when they got that cake with my 18th birthday celebrations, it was breathtaking. For them, who I had been a small kid, I turned to be a responsible adult in their eyes. It meant taking on responsibilities and choices that I need to make for my life. They had understood the importance of being 18 far more further beyond than I thought.

    Band 6-7

    Thank you for choosing this topic. I am so happy and excited to share about my experience when I received some items, I mean gifts from my sister. It was a cake on my last birthday which was about 3 months ago. Actually, it was a big surprise for me. I usually order a cake for my birthday. But on that day, I thought not to order, just we simply celebrate without cake. But my sister, as she has ordered, actually she is a good, she is a baker professionally. She baked a cake for me and she was not near to me. She is in another place and she made from there and sent it to somebody. Really, it was very nice. It was a big surprise for me. And so, we were enjoying a lot. It was a big, it was a red velvet, the black forest cake because it was my favorite one. I am always fond of black forest because of its texture and creamy and tasty. It was so delicious. And we were together, me and my family members all, we enjoyed a lot because of that cake. Because I have to adore the sweet taste, still I feel like whenever I think about the cake, I am craving to eat cake another time. So, it was a really wonderful time in my life. So also, we can receive gifts in the various forms. I think this is the good way instead of...

    Band 6-7

    I had received a very special cake on my 18th birthday during the year 2020. I had received it from my younger sister who usually doesn't cook. But as we all know 2020 was the year of the pandemic. Covid had just hit and there was countrywide lockdown. As a result of which there were no customized or on order cakes available near my locality. And as I had turned 18, it was a very special day for me. 18th birthday is considered a very special day for most people because it is the day they turn into a fully fledged adult. And I was very excited for the day. But unfortunately no cakes could be arranged from any bakeries or local shops. Then my younger sister kind of rose to the occasion and baked me a chocolate cake with vanilla frosting. And what made it very special was the fact that my younger sister does not like cooking at all. She hates cooking. But just for me she baked a cake and it took her almost five to six hours to be completely done with the baking. And we don't own an oven. So she baked the cake on an oven top. So yeah that's what made the cake very special.

    Master IELTS Speaking with Leap's Self-Prep Course

    student enroll count

    Students Enrolled

    review count

    2,411 Reviews

    app download banner image
    See Course Details

    Master IELTS Speaking with Leap's Self-Prep Course

    student enroll count

    Students Enrolled

    review count

    2,411 Reviews

    app download banner image
    See Course Details