Describe a time when someone gave you something that you really wanted: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

  • What it was
  • When you received it
  • Who gave it to you
  • And explain how you felt when the person gave it to you

Band 6-7

00:00

/

00:00

As a child, I was very much impressed by Mahatma Gandhi. He was one of, not only my icon, but of the entire nation's icon. Yet, I have only read a single book about him, something that is written by Gandhi himself, my experiment with truth. Actually, I had two copies, one was in Malayalam, another was in English. Thereafter, as a 10th standard student, I got some praises after being a meritorious student who passed 10th standard in flying colours. This 10th standard student got some praises for the same and some among the praises include a book on Gandhi written by so many of his fans among the academia and among the public celebrities. It still echoes in my mind that I should have read it completely. Yet, I failed. Even then, I donated it to one of my college library and I don't regret it. P.S. Gandhi is one among the world's most ethical person. He supported education among everyone.

Follow up questions


Why is Mahatma Gandhi an important figure for you?
Mahatma Gandhi represents values like non-violence and truth, which resonate deeply with me. His life and teachings inspire me to pursue ethical living and social justice, making him a significant role model in my life.

How did receiving the book impact your view on education?
Receiving the book reinforced my belief in the importance of education. It made me realize that knowledge can empower individuals and communities, and it motivated me to continue learning and sharing knowledge with others.

What do you think about donating books to libraries?
I believe donating books to libraries is a noble act. It allows knowledge to be accessible to everyone, fostering a culture of learning. It also gives me a sense of fulfillment knowing that others can benefit from the resources I once cherished.

Band 6

00:00

/

00:00

Well, I would like to talk about a laptop as I received on my birthday, it was a surprise gift from my husband and it was a thoughtful gift he gave me and he arranged a surprise party for gave me this precious and needed gifts for me. As an IELTS student, I was searching a worthy, needful laptop for my studies and practicing. My husband understood my needs and he always gave me such a thoughtful gifts like this and moreover, this laptop brings me so joyful and I was over the moon when I was received this gift and in addition, this laptop brings me easier way to learn and practice of all four modules, reading, listening and speaking as well. So, furthermore, this gift feels me like I was so much grateful to him and my birthday was very happy moment it brings. So, in addition, I feel that it such a such kind of

Follow up questions


How did you feel when you received the laptop?
I felt incredibly happy and grateful. It was a surprise that I didn't expect, and it made my birthday even more special. The thoughtfulness behind the gift made me appreciate my husband even more, and I was over the moon with joy.

What features of the laptop do you find most useful for your studies?
The laptop has a fast processor and a good amount of RAM, which allows me to run multiple applications smoothly. I also love the high-resolution display, which makes reading and watching educational videos much easier. Overall, it has really enhanced my learning experience.

Have you given any memorable gifts to someone else?
Yes, I once gave my sister a camera for her birthday. She is passionate about photography, and I knew she needed a good camera to pursue her hobby. Seeing her excitement and how much she appreciated the gift made me feel really happy and fulfilled.

Band 6

00:00

/

00:00

so I was search a time when someone gave me something that I really wanted was a blueprint of my English paper question paper so I was real blueprint of my English paper I'm sorry so I was desperately I was desperately searching everything like asking friends searching previous mails mom sent and everything suddenly I wasn't expecting it was already two hours later I wasn't expecting them to reply or something everybody said no I didn't have sorry I didn't have I was also searching for the same thing they said all these things but suddenly after three hours or something my friend she gave it to me I was very much desperate you know you see I was very much desperate because I was learning for that exam and I was desperate to get full marks in that exam so however however I was in a state of bliss and happiness and on the edge of tears because because I was as I said before also I was very much desperate so my friend gave it to me my friend gave it to me

Follow up questions


How did you feel when you received the blueprint?
I felt an overwhelming sense of relief and joy. After searching for so long and feeling desperate, receiving the blueprint was like a weight lifted off my shoulders. I was on the edge of tears, not just from happiness but also from the stress of preparing for the exam.

What did you do to prepare for the exam after getting the blueprint?
Once I received the blueprint, I immediately started reviewing it. I organized my study materials and focused on the areas I needed to improve. I created a study schedule to ensure I covered everything before the exam, and I felt much more confident with the blueprint in hand.

Have you ever given someone something they really wanted?
Yes, I have. There was a time when my friend was looking for a specific book for her studies. I had a copy that I wasn't using, so I lent it to her. Seeing her relief and gratitude reminded me of how I felt when I received the blueprint, and it felt great to help someone in need.

Practice other cue cards

Describe a time when you received money as a gift.
View answers
Describe a prize you have won.
View answers
Describe a job that one of your grandparents did
View answers
Describe something you had to share with others
View answers
Describe a time when you felt incredibly sad.
View answers
Describe a time when you broke something
View answers
Describe an interesting discussion you had with your friend
View answers
Describe someone else’s room you enjoy spending time in
View answers
Describe a special meal that someone made for you
View answers
Describe something you were disappointed about.
View answers
Describe a time you made a decision to wait for something
View answers
Describe a time when someone apologized to you
View answers
Describe a time when your friend damaged something you owned.
View answers
Describe an unusual meal that you had
View answers
Describe a time when you made a plan to do an activity with a lot of people
View answers
Describe something that you did with someone/a group of people
View answers
Describe a crowded place you have visited
View answers
Describe A Happy Memory From Your Childhood
View answers
Describe A Difficult Decision That You Once Made
View answers
Describe an event you attended in which you didn’t like the music played
View answers
Describe a time when missed or were late for an important meeting/event
View answers
Describe A Mistake You Have Made
View answers
Describe a time when someone asked for your opinion
View answers
Describe a time when you answered a phone call from someone you didn’t know in a public place
View answers
Describe an activity that usually wastes your time.
View answers
Describe a situation when you were late.
View answers
Describe An Occasion When Many People Were Smiling
View answers
Describe a beautiful sky you enjoyed seeing
View answers
Describe A Time Of The Day You Like
View answers
Describe an occasion when you were not allowed to use your mobile phone
View answers
Describe an occasion when you helped a family member/relative with something
View answers
Describe A House Apartment That Someone You Know Lives In
View answers
Describe your first day at school.
View answers
Describe a person who thinks music is important and enjoys music
View answers
Describe The Best Gift You Have Received
View answers
Describe an argument two of your friends had
View answers
Describe a difficult thing you did and succeeded in
View answers
Describe A Time When You Were Stuck In A Traffic Jam
View answers
Describe a time you used your cellphone/smartphone to do something important
View answers
Describe an exciting activity you have tried for the first time
View answers
Describe a time when you used your imagination.
View answers
Describe a time you enjoyed a free day off work or school
View answers
Describe A Time You Successfully Did Something Difficult
View answers
Describe A Speech You Gave
View answers
Describe a place that you would like to learn the culture there (e.g. a library, museum, theatre)
View answers
Describe a letter you have received in your life.
View answers
Describe a time when you told your friend an important truth
View answers
Describe a gift you recently gave to someone.
View answers
Describe A Birthday Party
View answers
Describe An Exciting Activity That You Experienced With Someone Else
View answers
Describe an unforgettable experience that you had
View answers
Describe An Interesting Activity That You Remember Enjoying Most In Your Primary School
View answers
Describe A Time When You Helped A Child
View answers
Describe a time when you organized a happy event successfully
View answers
Describe An Occasion When Someone Or Something Made Noise
View answers
Describe your favourite place in your house where you can relax.
View answers
Describe a story someone told you.
View answers
Describe an instance when you received an apology.
View answers
Describe A Time When Your Entire Family Was Together
View answers
Describe a skill that you learned from older people
View answers
Describe a time when you were in line for a long time.
View answers
Describe An Activity That Made You Feel Tired
View answers
Describe Something That Saves Your Time
View answers
Talk about an interesting old person you met recently
View answers
Describe A Puzzle You Have Played
View answers
Describe An Interesting Tradition In Your Country
View answers
Describe your experience when you changed your school/college
View answers
Describe a party that you enjoyed
View answers
Describe A Time When You Missed An Appointment
View answers
Describe a time when you encouraged someone to do something that he/she didn’t want to do
View answers
Describe something that surprised you and made you happy
View answers
Describe an important event you celebrated
View answers
Describe A Time When You Forgot Something Important
View answers
Describe A Time When You Observed The Stars
View answers
Describe a time that something changed your life in good ways
View answers
Describe Your Hometown
View answers
Talk about a thing you complained about something (but finally got a good result)
View answers
Describe a time when you lost an important and valuable item
View answers
Describe An Interesting Person You Know
View answers
Describe An Intelligent Person You Know
View answers
Describe When Someone Gave You Something
View answers
Describe a person who always has interesting ideas or opinions
View answers
Describe a person who encouraged you to achieve your goal
View answers
Talk about a time when you helped a friend.
View answers
Describe A Positive Change That You Have Made Recently In Your Daily Routine
View answers
Describe a time when you lost your pet.
View answers
Describe A Memorable Event In Your Life
View answers
Describe A Situation When You Helped Someone
View answers
Describe a time when you were waiting for something special that would happen
View answers
Describe an experience when you got bored with others.
View answers
Describe a piece of good news you heard from others
View answers
Describe an important text message you received.
View answers
Describe The Game You Enjoyed Playing When You Were Younger
View answers
Describe A Good Decision You Made Recently
View answers
Describe A Period When You Were Busy
View answers
Describe An Occasion When You Lost Your Way
View answers
Describe a complaint that you made, and you were satisfied with the result.
View answers
Describe A Time You Had To Finish Something Quickly
View answers
Describe a time when you moved to a new home
View answers
Describe a time when you forgot or missed an appointment
View answers
Describe A Time You Made A Promise To Someone
View answers
Describe a challenge you faced that you thought was rather difficult
View answers
Describe An Exciting Experience In Your Life
View answers
Describe An Occasion When You Had To Do Something In A Hurry
View answers
Describe Something That Surprised You
View answers
Describe A Day When You Thought The Weather Was Perfect
View answers
Describe An Occasion When You Lost Something
View answers
Describe a time when you felt proud of a family member
View answers
Describe Something That Was Broken In Your Home And Then Repaired
View answers
Describe An Outdoor Activity You Did
View answers
Describe a prize you have received recently (e.g. money, something valuable, a medal)
View answers
Describe something you did in your study/work that has made you feel confident
View answers
Describe a website which helped you to do something / website you visit often/ use regularly
View answers
Describe a time when you were late
View answers
Describe A Time When You Shared Something With Others
View answers
Describe a place/country in which you would like to live/work for a short period of time
View answers
Describe An Interesting Conversation That You Had
View answers
Describe a time when you were waiting for something special
View answers
Describe A Time When Someone Who Did Quite Well In A Team
View answers
Talk About A Special Day Which Was Not That Expensive
View answers
Talk about a time when you gave advice to someone
View answers
Describe An Occasion When You Heard Someone Complaining About Something In A Restaurant
View answers
Describe a time when you got up early
View answers
Describe a piece of good news that you heard about someone you know well.
View answers
Describe someone you know who made a good decision recently
View answers
Describe something you did that made you feel proud
View answers
Describe a time when you received good service in a shop/store
View answers
Describe a time that you showed something new to others
View answers
Describe An Occasion When You Got Incorrect Information
View answers
Describe an enjoyable journey by public transport?
View answers
Describe An Occasion When You Waited A Long Time For A Nice Thing
View answers
Show all 3 answers

Cue 1:What it was

  • Begin by clearly stating what the item was that you received and why you wanted it.
  • Make sure to express its significance to you, whether it was a material object or something more sentimental.

Example

The item I received was a beautiful leather-bound journal. I had been wanting it for months because I love writing and wanted a special place to jot down my thoughts and experiences.


Cue 2:When you received it

  • Mention the specific occasion or time when you received the gift.
  • Provide context about why this moment was special or memorable.

Example

I received this journal on my birthday last year. My friends had planned a surprise party for me, and this gift was presented to me during the celebration, making it even more special.


Cue 3:Who gave it to you

  • Identify the person who gave you the gift and your relationship with them.
  • Share a little about why this person chose to give you this particular item.

Example

The journal was given to me by my best friend, Priya. She knows how much I love writing and thought this journal would inspire me to keep my creativity flowing.


Cue 4:And explain how you felt when the person gave it to you

  • Describe your emotions at the moment you received the gift.
  • Explain why this gift made you feel that way, connecting it to your relationship with the giver.

Example

When Priya handed me the journal, I felt an overwhelming sense of joy and gratitude. It was not just the gift itself, but the thoughtfulness behind it that touched my heart. I felt lucky to have such a caring friend who understands my passions.


Conclusion

    Example

    In conclusion, receiving that journal was a memorable experience that not only fulfilled my desire for a special writing space but also strengthened my bond with Priya. It reminded me of the importance of thoughtful gifts and the joy they can bring into our lives.


    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 answer less engaging. It's important to provide specific details about the gift to make your story memorable.

    bulb icon

    Tip

    Include specific details about the item, such as its appearance, significance, and why you wanted it.


    2: Lack of Emotion

    Failing to express your feelings can make your response less impactful. Emotions help connect with the listener and make your story relatable.

    bulb icon

    Tip

    Share your feelings clearly, describing your excitement or gratitude when receiving the gift.


    Ignoring the Cues

    Not addressing all the cues can lead to an incomplete answer. Each cue is important for a well-rounded response.

    bulb icon

    Tip

    Make sure to cover all the cues in your answer, ensuring a structured and comprehensive response.


    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 6-7

    As a child, I was very much impressed by Mahatma Gandhi. He was one of, not only my icon, but of the entire nation's icon. Yet, I have only read a single book about him, something that is written by Gandhi himself, my experiment with truth. Actually, I had two copies, one was in Malayalam, another was in English. Thereafter, as a 10th standard student, I got some praises after being a meritorious student who passed 10th standard in flying colours. This 10th standard student got some praises for the same and some among the praises include a book on Gandhi written by so many of his fans among the academia and among the public celebrities. It still echoes in my mind that I should have read it completely. Yet, I failed. Even then, I donated it to one of my college library and I don't regret it. P.S. Gandhi is one among the world's most ethical person. He supported education among everyone.

    Band 6

    Well, I would like to talk about a laptop as I received on my birthday, it was a surprise gift from my husband and it was a thoughtful gift he gave me and he arranged a surprise party for gave me this precious and needed gifts for me. As an IELTS student, I was searching a worthy, needful laptop for my studies and practicing. My husband understood my needs and he always gave me such a thoughtful gifts like this and moreover, this laptop brings me so joyful and I was over the moon when I was received this gift and in addition, this laptop brings me easier way to learn and practice of all four modules, reading, listening and speaking as well. So, furthermore, this gift feels me like I was so much grateful to him and my birthday was very happy moment it brings. So, in addition, I feel that it such a such kind of

    Band 6

    so I was search a time when someone gave me something that I really wanted was a blueprint of my English paper question paper so I was real blueprint of my English paper I'm sorry so I was desperately I was desperately searching everything like asking friends searching previous mails mom sent and everything suddenly I wasn't expecting it was already two hours later I wasn't expecting them to reply or something everybody said no I didn't have sorry I didn't have I was also searching for the same thing they said all these things but suddenly after three hours or something my friend she gave it to me I was very much desperate you know you see I was very much desperate because I was learning for that exam and I was desperate to get full marks in that exam so however however I was in a state of bliss and happiness and on the edge of tears because because I was as I said before also I was very much desperate so my friend gave it to me my friend gave it to me
    background image

    Explore

    527 Cue Cards

    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