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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
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14 unique answers with expert feedback

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.

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    Tip

    Include specific details such as the exact location, time, and the nature of the call to make your story more vivid and interesting.


    2: Ignoring Emotional Response

    Failing to express how you felt during the call can make your answer seem flat. Emotions add depth and relatability to your experience.

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    Tip

    Reflect on your feelings during the call and describe them. Use phrases like 'I felt surprised' or 'I was nervous' to convey your emotions.


    Lack of Structure in Response

    A disorganized answer can confuse the listener. It's important to follow a logical order to ensure clarity and coherence in your response.

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    Tip

    Organize your answer by following the cue prompts in order. Start with when and where, then move to who called, what was said, and your feelings.


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    IELTS Cue Cards asked last week

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    Anonymous student Band 7.5

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    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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    Anonymous student Band 8

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    Sector 34 Test Centre, Chandigarh

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    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

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    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 6

    One time I was walking in a market, I was officially out shopping, out and about. I wasn't expecting a call that day since it was so early in the morning but I did receive a call from my teacher and it wasn't a safe number on my phone so when I picked it up I was really not expecting for him to be my teacher. When he called me, I asked him what was the reason behind it and he told me that I have gotten my results and I wasn't attending school at that time because of my mom being sick so I had to go fetch my exam reports personally and he would like to counsel me as well on my future plans since I haven't been going to the school at that time.

    Band 5-6

    أتذكر ذلك في السنة الماضية في سبتمبر عندما كنت أعمل في الشارع وقالت لنا في ذلك الوقت كانت الاتصال منه وقالت لنا أنني أتذكر ذلك في السنة الماضية عندما كنت أعمل في الشارع وقالت لنا في ذلك الوقت كانت الاتصال منه وقالت لنا أنني أتذكر ذلك في السنة الماضية عندما كنت أعمل في الشارع وقالت لنا في ذلك الوقت كانت الاتصال منه وقالت لنا أنني أتذكر ذلك في السنة الماضية وقالت لنا أنه هذا هو الاتصال الذي لدينا في ذلك الوقت وهذا كان أول شيء غير معروف وقالت لنا أنني أتذكر ذلك في السنة الماضية

    Band 5-6

    It happens like, it happens when I was traveling for my village, at a railway station I was waiting for my train to come, and suddenly I got a call from an unknown number, which I didn't know. I didn't know who it was, I didn't know who it was, I didn't know who it was, I didn't know who it was, I didn't know who it was, I didn't know who it was, I didn't know who it was. It happened when I was waiting on the railway station for my train to come, I suddenly got a call from an unknown number. When I picked up that phone, a person from the other end was a patient. He was calling to Dr. Sadiq actually. The number between me and Dr. Sadiq was just a difference of 0550 at the end of the phone number. So like, by mistake he called me and he was asking me like, hey is that Dr. Sadiq speaking? And hey Dr. Sadiq, I have this, this, this... It happened when I was waiting on the railway station for my train to come, I suddenly got a call from an unknown number. When I picked up that phone, a person from the other end was a patient. He was calling to Dr. Sadiq actually. The number between me and Dr. Sadiq was just a difference of 0550 at the end of the phone number. When I picked up that phone, a person from the other end was a patient. He was calling to Dr. Sadiq actually. The number between me and Dr. Sadiq was just a difference of 0550 at the end of the phone number. When I picked up that phone, a person from the other end was a patient. He was calling to Dr. Sadiq actually. The number between me and Dr. Sadiq was just a difference of 0550 at the end of the phone number. When I picked up that phone, a person from the other end was a patient. He was calling to Dr. Sadiq actually. The number between me and Dr. Sadiq was just a difference of 0550 at the end of the phone number. When I picked up that phone, a person from the other end was a patient. He was calling to Dr. Sadiq actually. The number between me and Dr. Sadiq was just a difference of 0550 at the end of the phone number. When I picked up that phone, a person from the other end was a patient. He was calling to Dr. Sadiq actually. The number between me and Dr. Sadiq was just a

    Band 5

    हमें क Напрhaat सींक के लगता है, मैं का सी� Magazines करती हूं and so death was blocked to this point. मेरे और एमक्षड़्यी की बात या आजर है After heavy meal मैं ऐसे पादने से स्वकाता जैका जब प prix के लगते हूं I was resting in my own space आजर मैं एक बात के लगता हूं। and suddenly I got a call from a random number मैं एक बात के लगता हूं। I picked the call and the call was from a Leap Scholar Expert और वो एक बादी था and it was a lady and she called me regarding the आजर बात के लगते हूं। short listing of my universities और आजर मैं एक बात के लगता हूं। and first of all I was in a sleepy mood and I couldn't answer her properly और मैं एक बात के लगता हूं। and then I woke up and she asked me few questions about the requirements for short listing of my university और तो बात के लगते हूं बहुत हूं। and then the conversation went well और मैं आजर बात के लगता हूं था and she was satisfied with my answers and she selected the universities according to my preferences and I was so happy with that
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