arrow back icon Top Answers

Describe A Volunteering Experience You Have Had: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

  • What it was?
  • Where was it?
  • Why did you volunteer?
  • How did you feel about it?
Show all 21 answers

Cue 1:What it was?

  • Begin by clearly stating the volunteering activity you participated in.
  • Provide some context about what the activity involved and its purpose.

Example

I volunteered at a local orphanage where I helped organize educational activities for children. The main goal was to provide them with a supportive environment where they could learn and grow.


Cue 2:Where was it?

  • Mention the location of the volunteering experience, including the name of the organization if applicable.
  • Describe the setting briefly to give a sense of place.

Example

The orphanage was located in a small town near my city, surrounded by lush greenery. It was a warm and welcoming place, filled with laughter and the energy of children.


Cue 3:Why did you volunteer?

  • Explain your motivation for choosing this particular volunteering opportunity.
  • Share any personal connections or experiences that influenced your decision.

Example

I decided to volunteer because I have always been passionate about education and wanted to give back to the community. Growing up, I was fortunate to have access to good education, and I wanted to help those who were less fortunate.


Cue 4:How did you feel about it?

  • Reflect on your emotions during and after the volunteering experience.
  • Discuss any lessons learned or personal growth that occurred as a result.

Example

Volunteering at the orphanage was one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life. I felt a deep sense of joy and satisfaction seeing the children learn and smile. It taught me the importance of empathy and community service.


Conclusion

    Example

    In conclusion, my volunteering experience at the orphanage not only allowed me to contribute positively to the lives of children but also enriched my own life in many ways. It reinforced my belief in the power of giving back and inspired me to continue volunteering in the future.


    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: Vague Descriptions

    Using vague language can make your answer less engaging and informative. Specific details help the examiner understand your experience better.

    bulb icon

    Tip

    Include specific examples and details about your volunteering role, tasks, and the impact you made to create a vivid picture.


    2: Neglecting Emotions

    Failing to express your feelings about the experience can make your answer sound flat. Emotions add depth and personal connection to your story.

    bulb icon

    Tip

    Share your feelings during and after the volunteering experience, explaining how it affected you personally and emotionally.


    Lack of Structure

    A disorganized response can confuse the listener. A clear structure helps convey your message effectively and keeps the examiner engaged.

    bulb icon

    Tip

    Follow a logical order: start with what you did, where it was, why you volunteered, and conclude with your feelings about the experience.


    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 5

    It's a volunteer cue cards of personal development. Of course, it needs to be a personal development because when you start and focus on a personal development, you have a great healthy mindset, healthy body, healthy lifestyle that you want in dream, every people dream to have a healthy lifestyle and if you focus on your, focus on the body, it makes a sense of a good posture of body, maintain your physically and mentally prepare for a fit and you love to life and you, gradually you love your life, what you think about and after you action that's personal growth, it's matter in your life.

    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