arrow back icon Top Answers

Describe a time when you were waiting for something special: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

  • What you were waiting for
  • How long you waited
  • Why it was special
  • And explain how you felt while waiting
Show all 1 answers

Cue 1:What you were waiting for

  • Clearly state what the special event or item was that you were waiting for.
  • Provide some context about why this particular thing was significant to you.

Example

I was waiting for my admission results from a prestigious university. This was a crucial moment for me as it would determine my future academic path.


Cue 2:How long you waited

  • Mention the duration of the wait and how it felt to wait for that long.
  • You can include any activities you did to pass the time during the wait.

Example

I waited for about two weeks, which felt like an eternity. Each day seemed to drag on, and I found myself constantly checking my email and refreshing the university's website.


Cue 3:Why it was special

  • Explain the importance of the event or item in your life.
  • Discuss any personal aspirations or dreams that were tied to this waiting period.

Example

This was special because getting into this university was my dream since high school. It represented not just academic achievement but also a step towards my career goals in engineering.


Cue 4:And explain how you felt while waiting

  • Share your emotions during the waiting period, whether it was excitement, anxiety, or hope.
  • You can also mention how you coped with these feelings.

Example

While waiting, I felt a mix of excitement and anxiety. I was hopeful but also worried about the possibility of rejection. To cope, I talked to my friends and family, who encouraged me and helped me stay positive.


Conclusion

    Example

    In conclusion, waiting for my admission results was a significant experience that taught me patience and resilience. Ultimately, it made the moment I received my acceptance letter even more rewarding, as it confirmed my hard work and dedication.


    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 answers without specific details. This can make the response less engaging and informative.

    bulb icon

    Tip

    Include specific details about what you were waiting for, how long it took, and why it was special to create a vivid picture.


    2: Rushing Through the Response

    Many candidates rush their answers, leading to a lack of clarity and depth. This can result in missing important points.

    bulb icon

    Tip

    Take your time to structure your response. Use the cues to guide your answer and ensure you cover each point thoroughly.


    Neglecting Emotional Aspects

    Some candidates forget to express their feelings during the waiting period, which can make their story less relatable and engaging.

    bulb icon

    Tip

    Share your emotions and thoughts while waiting. Describe how you felt to connect with the listener and enhance your narrative.


    calendar icon

    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
    anonymous person icon

    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 7.5

    location icon

    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
    anonymous person icon

    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 8

    location icon

    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
    anonymous person icon

    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 6.5

    location icon

    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
    anonymous person icon

    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 7

    location icon

    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
    anonymous person icon

    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 7.5

    location icon

    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

    I was waiting for the fifth year birthday of my nephew because he's someone very special to my life. Since from his birth, I only experienced good things in my life and apart from my parents, I would consider him as my responsibility and moreover, I also consider him as my own son rather than as a nephew. That kind of bond we usually share together. So, it is been two months I'm waiting till now. It's his birthday in July 18. So, I'm waiting for two months now and however, I'm planning for his birthday like in terms of decorative items, how to decorate, in what theme we have to celebrate his birthday and how I should dress up myself and how I should dress him and how everything goes, everything have to go. So, that is special because as I said before, he's very, very special to me, not only to me, for everyone in my family because he is a small, he's very young in our family. However, we also teaching the value of culture, tradition. That is how it is.

    Master IELTS Speaking with Leap's Self-Prep Course

    student enroll count

    Students Enrolled

    review count

    2,411 Reviews

    app download banner image
    See Course Details

    Master IELTS Speaking with Leap's Self-Prep Course

    student enroll count

    Students Enrolled

    review count

    2,411 Reviews

    app download banner image
    See Course Details