Describe a time when you felt incredibly sad.: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

What made you feel sad?
When and why did this happen?
How did you tackle it?

33 unique answers with expert feedback

How did your grandmother influence your life?

My grandmother had a profound impact on my life. She taught me important values like kindness, hard work, and resilience. Her stories and lessons shaped my character and helped me navigate challenges. I often reflect on her teachings, which guide me in my daily decisions.

What are some of your favorite memories with her?

Some of my favorite memories include spending weekends at her house, where she would cook my favorite meals and tell me stories from her childhood. I also remember the times we would go for walks in the park, where she would share life lessons and wisdom that I cherish to this day.

How do you cope with grief after losing someone close?

Coping with grief is challenging, but I find solace in remembering the good times and celebrating their life. I talk about my feelings with family and friends, and I also engage in activities that remind me of them, like cooking her recipes or visiting places we used to go together.

Band 6-7

00:00

So, the time when I felt incredibly sad was very recently in December 2024. It was on December 23rd. So, I got a call from my mother saying that my grandmother was unwell. So, I still remember I went to the gym and I was rushing back because my mother sounded worried about her mother. So, she said that it was a heart attack and as soon as we reached the hospital she was no more. And I was in a typical shock and the cause of her death was heart attack and also there were many complications in her body. I think it was probably total organ failure and kidney shrinkages and due to also the cold weather which played the part. So, I overcame all of this by thinking that I made, first of all, I made my peace with it that she is no more and it's okay and that she was in a happy place. She never suffered when she was alive. It was an instant death. No one had to serve her or she didn't suffer. She wasn't bedridden at all. So, I made my peace with it telling myself that it's okay and it's normal to miss her.

Follow up questions

How did you cope with your feelings of sadness after your grandmother's passing?

I coped by reflecting on the good memories I had with her and focusing on the fact that she lived a fulfilling life. I also talked to family members about our shared experiences, which helped me feel supported and less alone in my grief.

What role did your family play in helping you through this difficult time?

My family was incredibly supportive. We all came together to share our feelings and memories of my grandmother. This collective grieving process helped us bond and provided comfort, knowing we were not alone in our sadness.

Have you experienced sadness in other situations, and how did you handle them?

Yes, I've faced sadness in other situations, like losing friends or facing failures. I usually allow myself to feel the emotions but also try to find positive aspects or lessons from those experiences, which helps me move forward.

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 6-7

00:00

Emotions are the feelings which are overwhelming throughout the lifetime which we do have ups and downs in which emotions are involved and I am very emotional and indecisive person but I recently was dismal due to an incident in which I got the third rank. Actually, I am majoring Pharmaceutical Science and I sail through every semester being first ranker and also involve myself in the participations of research and competitions as such but after so long I got the third position that makes me feel so unmotivated and a bit depressing that I wasn't able to manage my life schedule so my friends helped me through these out and my best friend Poojan got my back and motivated me and he also said that people do look at me as an inspiration and I am benchmark for them and I should set an example being brave and used to have tackle these kind of situations and moreover apart from these things I also was involved in so many research competitions so that I haven't got the time to read for my semesters but that doesn't make any difference because not involving in studies also made me got the third rank so that's not the matter of fact.

Follow up questions

How do you usually cope with feelings of sadness?

I usually cope with sadness by talking to my friends and family. They provide support and perspective, which helps me feel better. I also engage in activities I enjoy, like studying or participating in competitions, to distract myself and regain my motivation.

What role do friends play in helping you overcome difficult emotions?

Friends play a crucial role in my emotional well-being. They offer support, encouragement, and different viewpoints that help me see situations more clearly. My best friend Poojan, for instance, always motivates me and reminds me of my strengths, which helps me bounce back.

Have you ever experienced a situation that helped you grow from sadness?

Yes, experiencing sadness has often led to personal growth. For example, after feeling disheartened about my rank, I learned to manage my time better and prioritize my studies. It taught me resilience and the importance of balance in life, which I carry forward in my academic journey.

Band 6-7

00:00

In this contemporary era, tough times usually come to everyone, and it also happened with me many times, but I remember the time when I felt very sad. It was the time when my 12th exams were over, and firstly, I had pressure of my exams result because it was my final board exams result. Apart from this, I had two months of holidays in which I became a sweet potato. I did nothing in those days, and after few months, I realized that my body became very fat and my stamina was very low at that time, so that thing gave me depression and I was feeling over the moon, I was feeling very blue at that time. So, in order to tackle this situation, I tried many things, I watched YouTube videos, motivation videos, so I became like my makeup, my body has become sweet potato. And one of my friend suggested me to join playground in the morning, and I just joined him. In the morning, I was, I became an early bird and go for walk and play some football, play football with my friends in the morning, and within few days, I became very fit and making my body as fit as fiddle, and that thing, and when I got my 6 packs, that day was red letter day for me, so I think that motivation is best priority and for everyone.

Follow up questions

How did you cope with the pressure of your exam results?

I tried to manage my stress by focusing on positive activities. I watched motivational videos and sought support from friends. This helped me to stay calm and motivated during that challenging time.

What activities did you enjoy during your holidays?

During my holidays, I initially did nothing productive, which led to my feelings of sadness. However, once I started exercising and playing football, I found joy in those activities and they became a significant part of my routine.

What advice would you give to someone feeling sad?

I would advise them to find a hobby or activity that they enjoy, like exercising or spending time with friends. It's important to stay active and seek motivation, as it can greatly improve one's mood and overall well-being.

Band 6-7

00:00

So the time when I was emotionally devastated was when my best friend stopped talking to me. I don't know what was the specific reason for it but I guess it was because of the situation that was, the situation was getting absolutely tough in her house, her father's death has also occurred in that specific year when she stopped talking to me. She was in a relationship and the other guy was quite toxic I'd say. She was already dealing with all the things that were happening in her life but I thought that I was supporting her in a way but it was quite harsh of her to just abandon me without any prior notice or without telling me what actually happened or just by confronting me or just saying that, yeah, okay, she doesn't want to talk to me at that specific time or at that specific moment, I would have actually sat back and waited for her, okay, if she wanted to end the friendship then she should have came and told that to me on my face. But yet, she decided to just abandon me and ghost me so it was quite tough on me to tackle this. I just kept myself busy throughout the period and yeah, that's how it happened.

Follow up questions

How did you cope with the sadness during that time?

I tried to keep myself busy by engaging in activities I enjoyed, like reading and spending time with other friends. I also focused on my studies and hobbies to distract myself from the emotional pain. It was important for me to find ways to channel my feelings into something productive.

Have you been able to reconnect with your friend since then?

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to reconnect with her. I did try reaching out a few times, but she never responded. I think it's important to respect her space, but I still hope that one day we can talk and maybe understand what happened.

What lessons did you learn from this experience?

I learned the importance of communication in friendships. It's crucial to express feelings and concerns openly. I also realized that sometimes people go through tough times and may not handle relationships well, which taught me to be more empathetic towards others.

Show all 33 answers

Cue 1:What made you feel sad?

Clearly identify the event or situation that caused your sadness.
Express your emotions honestly to convey the depth of your feelings.

Example

I felt incredibly sad when I lost my grandmother last year. She was not just my family but also my best friend, and her absence left a huge void in my life.

Cue 2:When and why did this happen?

Provide a specific time frame for when this event occurred.
Explain the circumstances surrounding the event to give context.

Example

This happened in the summer of 2022, just a few months after I graduated from college. I had always looked forward to celebrating my achievements with her, and her passing felt especially painful because I couldn’t share those moments with her.

Cue 3:How did you tackle it?

Discuss the coping mechanisms you used to deal with your sadness.
Mention any support systems, such as friends or family, that helped you through this time.

Example

To cope with my sadness, I started journaling my feelings and talking to my friends about my memories of her. I also participated in a local support group, which helped me connect with others who were experiencing similar losses.

Conclusion

Summarize the impact of this experience on your life.
Reflect on any lessons learned or changes in perspective.

Example

In conclusion, losing my grandmother taught me the importance of cherishing loved ones and expressing my emotions. Although I still miss her dearly, I’ve learned to celebrate her life and the memories we shared.

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