Describe a time when you lost an important and valuable item: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

When and where it happened
What it was
How important and valuable it was
How you lost it
And explain how you felt about the experience

19 unique answers with expert feedback

How did you feel when you realized the gold chain was lost?

I felt devastated and anxious because it was my mom's gold chain, which held sentimental value. I was worried about how she would react and if I would be able to find it again. Losing something valuable like that made me feel guilty and stressed.

What steps did you take to try to find the lost item?

After realizing it was lost, I retraced my steps back to the tournament venue and asked around if anyone had seen it. I also checked with the organizers and searched the area thoroughly, hoping that someone might have found it and turned it in.

Have you learned anything from this experience?

Yes, I learned to be more careful with valuable items and to keep them secure, especially in crowded places. It also taught me the importance of being responsible and how to handle loss, as well as the value of communication with family about such matters.

Band 6-7

00:00

I would like to talk about a situation in my life when I lost an important bag. It happened three years before when me and my husband travelled to Bangalore as a part of visa processing of my husband. We were travelling in an AC bus and we departed from Kochi on an evening and we reached Bangalore on the next morning. We were seated on the upper bed so we could easily sleep in the night. We had two bags with us and a sling bag and in that sling bag I kept a pair of my earrings. It was gold and some cash in my sling bag. When we reached Bangalore in the morning we were so tired after our disturbed sleep and I forgot to bring the sling bag from the upper bed. I forgot my sling bag in the bus and when we reached the hotel I forgot my sling bag in the bus. We were so tensed because my jewellery was there in my sling bag and some cash was there. I became panicked and we were immediately contacted by the bus company and informed that my bag was there in the bus. They helped us so much and helped us to find out the bag and the next day itself we could collect the bag from the bus company's office in Bangalore. We were so happy.

Follow up questions

How did you feel when you realized you lost your bag?

I felt a wave of panic and anxiety wash over me. Losing something valuable like my earrings and cash made me extremely worried. I was concerned about the possibility of never seeing my belongings again, which added to my stress during the trip.

What steps did you take to recover your lost item?

As soon as I realized my bag was missing, I contacted the bus company immediately. They were very helpful and assured me that they would assist in locating my bag. I provided them with details about the bag and my journey, which helped expedite the process.

Have you ever lost anything else valuable? How did you handle it?

Yes, I once misplaced my wallet while shopping. I retraced my steps and asked the store staff for help. Thankfully, they found it and returned it to me. This experience taught me to be more mindful of my belongings, especially when traveling.

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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.

Yes, I once lost my wallet during a trip. It contained my ID and some money. I felt helpless and stressed until I found it later in my backpack. That experience also taught me to keep track of my important items and double-check before leaving places.

Show all 19 answers

Cue 1:When and where it happened

Begin by setting the scene with details about the time and location of the incident.
Mention any relevant context that adds to the significance of the moment.

Example

It was a sunny afternoon in June last year when I was at a bustling market in Delhi. I had gone there to buy some traditional clothes for an upcoming wedding.

Cue 2:What it was

Clearly identify the item you lost, providing a brief description.
Explain why this item was special or important to you.

Example

The item I lost was a beautiful silver bracelet that my grandmother had given me on my birthday. It was not just a piece of jewelry; it held sentimental value as it was a family heirloom.

Cue 3:How important and valuable it was

Discuss the emotional and material value of the item.
Share any memories associated with it that highlight its importance.

Example

This bracelet was extremely important to me because it reminded me of my grandmother, who had passed away a few years ago. Every time I wore it, I felt a connection to her and her love.

Cue 4:How you lost it

Describe the circumstances that led to the loss of the item.
Be honest about any mistakes you made that contributed to the loss.

Example

I lost the bracelet while I was trying on clothes in a store. I had taken it off to avoid damaging it, but in the rush to leave, I forgot to pick it up from the counter.

Cue 5:And explain how you felt about the experience

Share your immediate feelings after realizing the loss.
Reflect on the longer-term impact of losing the item on your emotions.

Example

When I realized the bracelet was missing, I felt a wave of panic and sadness. I retraced my steps frantically, but it was nowhere to be found. Losing it felt like losing a part of my grandmother, and I was heartbroken.

Conclusion

Example

In conclusion, losing that bracelet was a painful experience that taught me the importance of being mindful of my belongings. It also reminded me to cherish the memories associated with loved ones, as they are irreplaceable.

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