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Describe a story someone told you.: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

  • What was it about?
  • Who told you this story?
  • Why do you remember it?
  • How do you feel about it?
Show all 31 answers

Cue 1:What was it about?

  • Begin by summarizing the main theme or message of the story.
  • Include any interesting details that make the story engaging.

Example

The story was about my grandfather's journey during the partition of India. He shared how he had to leave everything behind and travel to a new land, facing numerous challenges along the way.


Cue 2:Who told you this story?

  • Mention the person who shared the story and your relationship with them.
  • Highlight any relevant background about the storyteller that adds depth to the story.

Example

My grandfather told me this story during one of our evening chats. He is a wise man with a lot of life experiences, and I always find his stories captivating.


Cue 3:Why do you remember it?

  • Explain the emotional impact the story had on you.
  • Discuss any lessons or insights you gained from the story.

Example

I remember it vividly because it opened my eyes to the struggles faced by many during that time. It taught me the importance of resilience and the value of family.


Cue 4:How do you feel about it?

  • Share your feelings regarding the story and its significance to you.
  • Reflect on how it has influenced your perspective on life.

Example

I feel a deep sense of respect for my grandfather after hearing his story. It makes me appreciate my own life more and reminds me of the sacrifices made by previous generations.


Conclusion

  • Summarize the key points of the story and its impact on you.
  • End with a personal reflection or a thought that ties back to the story.

Example

In conclusion, my grandfather's story is a powerful reminder of resilience and the importance of family bonds. It has left a lasting impression on me, inspiring me to cherish my own experiences and those of my loved ones.


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: Being Too Vague

Avoid giving unclear or general answers. Vague responses do not provide enough detail and can make your story less engaging.

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Tip

Include specific details about the story, such as key events or emotions, to make your answer more vivid and interesting.


2: Ignoring the Cues

Neglecting the cue prompts can lead to incomplete answers. Each cue is designed to help structure your response effectively.

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Tip

Make sure to address each cue in your answer, ensuring a well-rounded and comprehensive response.


Overly Long Responses

Long-winded answers can lose the listener's attention. It's important to be concise while still providing enough information.

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Tip

Practice summarizing your story in a few key points, focusing on the most important aspects to keep your answer engaging.


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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
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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
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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
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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

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
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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 5-6

My friend recently narrated me a story of a major. This story was about his life's history. A major named Mukund. So this story falls completely about him and his achievements and his career failures, ups and downs and the roller coaster journey of his life. My friend's name is Prabhucharan. He's not only my friend, he's also a cousin. So recently we had a train to Ooty. It's about one hour. So I asked him for a story. Then he started to narrate me this one. And to be honest, I immediately fell in love with the character Mukund. And to addition, not only Mukund's character, but the female character, which made me remember the story very significantly. The female character is a small town girl who does anything and everything for his boyfriend named Mukund. Mukund is an average middle class man. In addition, his father always wanted him to become an engineer. Despite his father's wish, he always wanted to follow his passion of becoming an army officer. So he constantly struggled hard and put all his efforts to be one. Apart from this story, the female character is the one I really admire a lot because in every moment of Mukund, she's there from starting to Levant, to Major and finally his life story. So this story...
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