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 item was lost?

I felt devastated and anxious because it was my mom's gold chain, which held sentimental value. I immediately started retracing my steps, hoping to find it. The thought of disappointing my mom made it even harder to cope with the loss.

What steps did you take to try and recover the lost item?

I searched the area where I last saw it, asked friends and other participants if they had seen it, and even checked with local shops. I also reported it to the event organizers, hoping someone might turn it in. Unfortunately, I had no luck.

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 the emotional impact of losing something precious to a loved one.

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 sling 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 couldn't think straight at first, and my mind raced with thoughts of how to retrieve it.

What steps did you take to recover your lost item?

Immediately after realizing the bag was missing, we contacted the bus company. They were very helpful and assured us that they would check the bus. We provided them with details about the bag, and they confirmed it was still on the bus.

What did you learn from this experience?

I learned the importance of being more mindful and attentive to my belongings, especially when traveling. It also taught me to stay calm in stressful situations, as there are often solutions available if you reach out for help.

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

It's a really very serious and funny question actually, there is a time where I lost my 10th grade original mark list in my college. It's a really very serious topic to discuss, there is one time where I lost my 10th grade mark list, it is when I was commuting from my school to my home, so I have kept it in the bus and I forgot the cover to carry it back. The very next day I wake up to visit my college and I ended up not finding it while I was searching in home. Then I remembered that I have lost it in the bus and I got nice scoldings from my parents. It was like really really very bad situation and then my parents have to go to lawyer and file a case and get it done and we have to submit that certification to CBSE board so that they can provide me another one. So this situation made me very very very very terrible and I cried a lot.

Follow up questions

How did losing your mark list affect your studies?

Losing my mark list was quite stressful as it created a lot of anxiety about my academic record. I was worried about how it would affect my college applications and my parents were also concerned about the implications. It made me more cautious about keeping important documents safe in the future.

What steps did you take to prevent losing important items in the future?

After that incident, I started using a dedicated folder for all my important documents. I also made it a habit to double-check my belongings before leaving any place. Additionally, I set reminders on my phone to ensure I don't forget anything important when I'm on the go.

How did your parents react to the situation?

My parents were understandably upset when I lost the mark list. They scolded me for being careless, but they also helped me figure out the next steps to get a replacement. Their support was crucial during that stressful time, and it taught me the importance of responsibility.

Band 6-7

00:00

Yeah, so one of the times that I lost something that was very important to me was I guess last year when I used to stay with a flatmate. So we used to live in a sharing apartment where I used to have my one single room and she used to have another. So she had the habit of bringing friends over along with her boyfriend. So mostly her boyfriend's friends used to visit and there was this one time when I was outside and they ended up stealing my wallet. The guys, her boyfriend's friends ended up stealing my wallet. It didn't make sense to me at that time who was the one who stole the wallet. I looked for it everywhere, I even scavenged every nook and corner I could find in the room. However, I didn't end up finding it and even though the wallet was empty because I was using another wallet, there was no cash in it, but it had a lot of memories in terms of it had photos which I had accumulated over the years and it had more emotional value rather than any physical part of it. And next time I got to see the wallet was when she, they returned it to her. So it was, I guess after six months, the whole experience made me feel very despondent. I was very confused about why it happened. So I am glad I found it, but it just makes me sad.

Follow up questions

How did losing your wallet affect your daily life?

Losing my wallet made me feel anxious and insecure. I had to be extra cautious about my belongings and felt a sense of loss every time I thought about the memories associated with it. It also made me realize the importance of keeping my valuables safe.

What steps did you take to prevent losing important items in the future?

After that experience, I started being more organized. I designated a specific place for my wallet and other important items. I also began using a smaller wallet that I could keep in my pocket, making it harder to lose or misplace.

How did your flatmate react to the situation?

My flatmate was very apologetic once she found out what happened. She was shocked that her friends could do something like that. She helped me look for it initially and later felt guilty when it was returned, as it affected our living situation.

Band 5-6

00:00

by mistake everyone face that situation facing an important things here I would like to talk about lowest and important thing for my side is my cycle motorcycle key when I was studying in plus 1 plus 2 grade time I can use motorcycle in my school electric motorcycle the time I put my electric motorcycle in my parking space after I went to my class that time I reckon that time we are planning to go outing for having for have have had food that time I searching my key that time I recognized my key was missed that time I don't know what I want to do that was gifted from my sister why because I passed the 10th exam examination with a nice mark with the highest mark because of that she gave me that motorcycle I don't know what I want to do if I told to my mother she will definitely beat me because this is the duplicate key of that bike first key already missed by the my mother's hand this is my mother told me you don't want to lose if you want to take another duplicate key then only you can use this bike but I never listen that words and I take my my own risk I take but I don't know I search everywhere me and my friends search everywhere finally I got from the staff room friend one teacher took and safe keep it safe in staff room that time I do that time my friends asked me to

Follow up questions

How did you feel when you realized your key was missing?

I felt really anxious and worried because that key was not just a key; it was a gift from my sister. I was afraid of what my mother would say, especially since I had already lost the original key. It was a stressful moment for me.

What did you learn from this experience?

I learned the importance of being responsible and taking care of my belongings. Losing the key made me realize that I should listen to my mother's advice and be more cautious, especially with valuable items that have sentimental value.

Have you ever lost anything else that was important to you?

Yes, I once lost my wallet during a trip. It contained important documents and some money. That experience taught me to always keep my valuables close and to have a backup plan in case I lose something again.

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.