Describe a time when missed or were late for an important meeting/event: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

When it happened?
What happened?
Why you missed/were late for it?
And explain how you felt about this experience.

3 unique answers with expert feedback

How did you feel when you realized you were going to be late?

I felt a wave of panic and anxiety wash over me. The thought of missing the start of my exam was terrifying. I was worried about how it would affect my performance and whether I would be able to concentrate after arriving late.

What strategies do you use to manage your time before important events?

I usually plan to leave much earlier than necessary to account for any unforeseen circumstances. I also check traffic updates and have alternative routes in mind. This way, I can minimize the chances of being late for important events.

Have you ever missed an important event completely? How did you handle it?

Yes, I once missed a job interview due to a scheduling error. I felt devastated and embarrassed. I contacted the employer to apologize and explained the situation. Thankfully, they were understanding and rescheduled the interview for me.

Band 5-6

00:00

No audio text available

Follow up questions

What do you think are the main reasons people miss important meetings?

People often miss important meetings due to poor time management, unexpected emergencies, or miscommunication about the schedule. Sometimes, personal issues or health problems can also play a role in missing such events.

How do you usually prepare for important meetings to avoid being late?

To avoid being late, I usually plan my schedule in advance, set reminders, and leave early to account for any unforeseen delays. I also check the traffic conditions and ensure I have all necessary materials ready beforehand.

What impact do you think being late can have on your professional reputation?

Being late can negatively impact one's professional reputation, as it may be perceived as a lack of respect for others' time. It can also lead to missed opportunities and create a perception of unreliability, which can affect future collaborations.

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 5-6

00:00

Well, to be honest I am a punctual person, but today I would like to shed some light on an event when I was late to arrive and it was none other than my school organization party. It was our farewell party at that day. I awoken late so when I awoken I found that the time is going to very late, so I was late Well, to be honest I am a punctual person, but today I would like to shed some light on an event when I was late to arrive and it was none other than my school organization party. It was our farewell party at that time I slept at night till late so I cannot awakened early so I got late and when I awoken I found that I am late, the clock is at alarming rate and quickly I took bath and got ready for going to farewell party and when I headed to party I found that the teachers are very angry for me and me and my teacher had a conflict, but I feel very bad that on that special day we had such bad experience, but after sometime I apologize to teacher and teacher forgives me, I was over the moon that I had this lovely teacher and after sometime we decided to do ramp walk and girls started doing ramp walk and cat walk and boys started doing modeling and

Follow up questions

How do you usually prepare for important events to ensure you are on time?

I usually set multiple alarms and prepare my outfit the night before. I also plan my travel time and try to leave early to avoid any unexpected delays. This helps me stay punctual and reduces stress on the day of the event.

What do you think are the consequences of being late to important events?

Being late can lead to misunderstandings and can upset others, especially if they are waiting for you. It can also make you miss important moments or information, and it might affect your reputation as a reliable person.

How did you feel after apologizing to your teacher?

After apologizing, I felt relieved and grateful that my teacher forgave me. It was important to me to mend our relationship, especially since it was a special day. I learned that communication and taking responsibility can help resolve conflicts.

Show all 3 answers

Cue 1:When it happened?

Start by specifying the date and time of the event to provide context.
Mention the location of the meeting or event to give a clear picture.

Example

It was on a rainy Monday morning last month when I was supposed to attend an important team meeting at the office at 10 AM.

Cue 2:What happened?

Describe the events leading up to the meeting to create a narrative.
Include any specific incidents that contributed to the situation.

Example

I had planned everything the night before, but as I was getting ready, I realized I had misplaced my car keys. I spent nearly 30 minutes searching for them, which made me late.

Cue 3:Why you missed/were late for it?

Explain the reasons for your delay in a straightforward manner.
Reflect on any external factors that may have contributed to the situation.

Example

I was late because of my own oversight in keeping my keys in a designated spot. The rain also made the roads congested, which added to my delay.

Cue 4:And explain how you felt about this experience.

Share your emotions regarding the experience to make it relatable.
Discuss any lessons learned or changes you made afterward.

Example

I felt embarrassed and anxious when I finally arrived, as I hate being late. This experience taught me to be more organized and to prepare for such situations in advance.

Conclusion

Summarize the key points of your experience succinctly.
Reflect on how this incident has impacted your approach to time management.

Example

In conclusion, being late for that meeting was a wake-up call for me. I now prioritize being punctual and have set reminders to avoid similar situations in the future.

Following this structure will ensure you cover all the essential points while providing a clear and engaging response to the cue card topic.