Describe a time when you answered a phone call from someone you didn’t know in a public place: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

When and where it happened
Who called you
What he/she said
How you corresponded
And explain how you felt about the experience

14 unique answers with expert feedback

How do you usually feel about receiving calls from unknown numbers?

I generally feel a mix of curiosity and caution. While I am interested to know who it might be, I also worry about potential scams or unwanted sales calls. It often depends on the context and my mood at the time.

Have you ever had a negative experience with an unknown caller?

Yes, I once received a call from someone trying to sell me a service I had no interest in. They were quite pushy, which made me uncomfortable. I ended up hanging up, and since then, I've been more cautious about answering unknown numbers.

What do you think is the best way to handle unsolicited calls?

I believe the best approach is to remain polite but firm. If I'm not interested, I kindly let them know and end the call. It's important to set boundaries while still being respectful, as many callers are just doing their job.

Band 6-7

00:00

Back in the summer vacations, me and my friends used to go for cycling every day. It was our daily routine. So one day, me and my friend Rakesh decided to go on an early walk instead of cycling. We were very excited for the same. When I was standing outside Rakesh's house waiting for him, I received a call from an unknown number. At first, I thought that someone must have dialed it by mistake. So I ignored the call and I usually don't pick up the unknown calls. But that person dialed me 2-3 times again. I thought that someone is in emergency and I picked up the call. There was this girl who was trying to scam me by selling me some policies which were obviously some malicious content that she wanted to download on my phone. She was trying to pretend that she knew me, but I was confident that she wasn't a genuine person. So I tried to trick her into more questions and delayed the time until I called the police and reported her number. The police immediately took the action and identified the miscreant. I think there are many instances in which I was in a public place and I received a call from an unknown number. One day when I was on a date, I received a call from an unknown number who was pretending to be my friend and tried to prank me. But I was aware enough of the fact and I declined the call.

Follow up questions

How do you usually feel when you receive calls from unknown numbers?

I often feel a bit anxious or suspicious when I receive calls from unknown numbers. I prefer to avoid them because many times they are telemarketers or scams. However, I also understand that sometimes it could be important, so I try to be cautious.

What precautions do you take when answering unknown calls?

When I answer an unknown call, I make sure to keep my personal information private. I ask questions to gauge the caller's intentions and if I feel uncomfortable, I hang up. I also report suspicious numbers to the authorities when necessary.

Have you ever had a positive experience with an unknown caller?

Yes, there have been instances where I received calls from unknown numbers that turned out to be important, like job offers or updates from friends I hadn't spoken to in a while. Those experiences remind me that not all unknown calls are bad.

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Anonymous student Band 7.5

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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

One day while I am at work one guy called me, a random call from outside the hospital. So I am basically working in CT and this one stranger called me and I was in middle of everyone including radiologist and my staff members and everyone and normally we talk in our native language so he was speaking in English and he wasn't very good at it. He was like saying words by word and I was very embarrassed and I didn't know how to respond at first because I couldn't understand him and it was very really embarrassing moment for me and after that the radiologist and everyone mocked me and I actually handled it very well. He was asking for some enquiries and I helped him very well and I also tried to understand his every details and I helped him in every way and it was very embarrassing because he was really funny guy and I wasn't very sure about it because I thought it was a prank call or something and it was really annoying at first. I got really angry and it was really frustrating for me. I am sure that he called honestly but the way he behaved and he talked was really annoying.

Follow up questions

How do you usually feel about receiving calls from unknown numbers?

I generally feel a bit anxious when I receive calls from unknown numbers. I often wonder if it's a telemarketer or someone trying to sell me something. However, sometimes I also feel curious and want to know who is calling and why.

Have you ever had a positive experience with a stranger calling you?

Yes, I once received a call from a stranger who needed help with directions. It turned out to be a pleasant conversation, and I was glad to assist them. It felt good to help someone in need, and it made me realize that not all unknown calls are bad.

What do you think is the best way to handle awkward phone calls?

I believe the best way to handle awkward phone calls is to stay calm and patient. It's important to listen carefully and ask clarifying questions if needed. Maintaining a polite tone can also help ease the situation and make the conversation more comfortable.

Band 6-7

00:00

I answered a phone call from a unknown person in a public place and it sounds very familiar to me. When I was not aware about the name of the person, however, the person made me feel comfortable with their talks, with their polite and pleasant words. And I was feeling more familiar and friendly with the person. The person was no one else but my very good friend, my childhood friend who has been abroad for many years and back to India after a long time. And we had a lovely chat with each other. It was a wonderful time when we had a chat with each other. And it was really surprising, it helped me to know myself much better and to understand people. It was a time when I was very disappointed, I was very sad of my life. But when I received a phone call, it just changed my life. No, don't turn into a happy time. However, whenever you are sad, there is always something good to get across. And instead of getting sad or nervous, you should always give happiness to others. Never show your sad side to others. And that brings joy in others' life too. Thank you so much.

Follow up questions

How did you feel when you realized it was your childhood friend?

I felt an overwhelming sense of joy and nostalgia. It was unexpected, and hearing their voice brought back so many fond memories from our childhood. It was a delightful surprise that lifted my spirits during a tough time.

What do you think makes phone conversations special compared to face-to-face meetings?

Phone conversations can feel more intimate in some ways because you focus solely on the voice and words. They can evoke emotions and memories without the distractions of physical presence, allowing for deeper connections, especially with someone you haven't spoken to in a long time.

Have you ever had a negative experience with an unknown caller?

Yes, I once received a call from a telemarketer that was quite intrusive. It made me wary of answering unknown calls. However, I learned to trust my instincts and now I only engage if the conversation feels genuine or if I recognize the voice.

Band 6-7

00:00

In our daily life, we will receive a lot of calls. Some of them are our loved ones and some of them are from unknown numbers. Here, I would like to talk about an incident when I received a call from an unknown number. We will receive a number of calls in our daily life. Sometimes, we have to answer the call in a public place. We receive a number of calls in our daily life. Sometimes, we have to answer the call while we are in a public place like a bus or a train or in a public event. Here, I would like to talk about an incident when I have to answer an unknown call. It happened a year ago. I was travelling to Trivandrum from my hometown in a train with my husband. It was an evening train and we were enjoying a movie on our smartphone. Suddenly, a call came on my phone. Usually, I do not answer a call from an unknown number before verifying it. I have a Truecaller app on my mobile phone. At that time, due to the poor internet connection, I could not verify the call. But somehow, I took the call and I answered the call while I was on my train. The speaker on the other end told me all the information about me. He verified all the information about me when I started answering the call. We receive a number of calls in our daily life. Sometimes, we have to answer the call in a public place like when we are in a bus or in a public event. I would like to share such an experience. It happened a few months ago while I was travelling to Trivandrum by a train with my husband. We were enjoying a movie on our mobile phone while we were travelling. Suddenly, a call came on my phone. We receive a number of calls on our phone in our daily life. Sometimes, we have to answer the call when we are in a public place like when we are in a bus or in a public event. I would like to share such an experience. It happened a few months ago while I was travelling to Trivandrum by a train with my husband. We were enjoying a movie on our mobile phone while we were travelling. Suddenly, a call came on my phone. Usually, I do not answer unknown calls without verifying the identity on Truecaller application. But due to this poor internet connection, I could not verify the caller's identity. But I took the call and started speaking to the person. The person at the other end was talking about my identity details. He started verifying all the information about me. I was surprised about his talking because he told me that he was from the cyber department in Delhi police station. He claimed that I used some prohibited sites on internet. I was totally unaware about that. I did not use any unauthorized sites on internet. He told me to come on the video call. After hearing that I hung up the call, I shared this experience with my husband. He told me that it was really a scam and he was trying to scam me. It was the experience in a public place.

Follow up questions

How do you usually handle unknown calls?

I typically avoid answering unknown calls unless I can verify the caller's identity using apps like Truecaller. If I can't verify, I let it go to voicemail and check later.

What precautions do you take when receiving calls in public?

In public places, I try to find a quieter spot to answer calls, especially if it's an unknown number. I also keep my conversations brief to maintain privacy.

Have you ever received a similar call again?

Yes, I have received similar calls since that incident. Now, I am even more cautious and often block unknown numbers that seem suspicious.

Show all 14 answers

Cue 1:When and where it happened

Start by describing the location and time when you received the call.
Mention any relevant details about your surroundings that might have influenced your decision to answer.

Example

It was a sunny afternoon, around 2 PM, and I was at a bustling shopping mall in Mumbai. I had just finished my lunch and was browsing through some stores when my phone rang.

Cue 2:Who called you

Introduce the caller and provide any context you might have about them.
If you didn’t know the caller, explain how you felt about receiving a call from a stranger.

Example

The call was from an unknown number, and I was curious about who it could be. I thought it might be a friend or a colleague, so I decided to answer.

Cue 3:What he/she said

Summarize the main points of the conversation.
Highlight any important information or questions the caller had.

Example

When I picked up, a friendly voice introduced themselves as a representative from a local charity. They were calling to ask if I would be interested in supporting their cause.

Cue 4:How you corresponded

Explain how you responded to the caller and what you said.
Mention if you engaged in a conversation or politely declined.

Example

I listened attentively and asked a few questions about the charity. I appreciated their work but explained that I was currently unable to contribute financially.

Cue 5:And explain how you felt about the experience

Share your feelings during and after the call.
Reflect on whether the experience was positive or negative.

Example

I felt a mix of curiosity and apprehension at first, but by the end of the call, I was glad I answered. It was nice to learn about a good cause, and I felt satisfied that I could still support them in other ways.

Conclusion

Example

Overall, answering that unexpected call turned out to be a pleasant experience. It reminded me that sometimes, stepping out of our comfort zone can lead to meaningful conversations and connections.

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 Vague About Details

Candidates often provide unclear or general information about the call, which can make their response less engaging and informative. Specific details help paint a clearer picture.