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Describe an important old thing that your family has kept for a long time: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

  • What it is
  • How/when your family first got this thing
  • How long your family has kept it
  • And explain why this thing is important to your family
Show all 19 answers

Cue 1:What it is

  • Begin by clearly identifying the old item your family has kept.
  • Provide a brief description of its appearance and significance.

Example

The important old thing that my family has kept for a long time is a beautiful brass lamp. It has intricate designs carved on its surface and stands about two feet tall. The lamp has a warm, golden hue that adds a special charm to our home.

Cue 2:How/when your family first got this thing

  • Share the story of how your family acquired the item, including any special circumstances.
  • Mention who brought it into the family and any relevant historical context.

Example

My grandfather bought this lamp during his trip to Varanasi in the 1960s. He was captivated by its craftsmanship and decided to bring it home as a souvenir. It has been in our family ever since, passed down through generations.

Cue 3:How long your family has kept it

  • State the duration for which your family has owned the item.
  • Emphasize its longevity and any changes in its condition over the years.

Example

We have kept this lamp for over 60 years now. Although it has aged and shows some signs of wear, we have always taken great care to preserve it, ensuring it remains a cherished part of our family heritage.

Cue 4:And explain why this thing is important to your family

  • Discuss the sentimental value of the item and its connection to family traditions.
  • Explain how it represents your family's history and values.

Example

This lamp is important to our family because it symbolizes our heritage and the values of craftsmanship and tradition. Every Diwali, we light it to celebrate the festival, reminding us of our roots and the stories of our ancestors. It brings us together and keeps our family history alive.

Conclusion

    Example

    In conclusion, this brass lamp is not just an old object; it is a treasured family heirloom that connects us to our past and reinforces our family bonds. Its presence in our home serves as a constant reminder of our history and the love that has been passed down through generations.

    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: Avoid Vague Descriptions

    Using vague language can make your answer unclear and unengaging. It's important to provide specific details about the item to make your response more interesting.

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    Tip

    Include specific characteristics of the item, such as its age, appearance, and any unique features that make it special.

    2: Don't Rush Through Your Answer

    Rushing can lead to missing important details and making your speech sound disorganized. Take your time to think through each part of your answer.

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    Tip

    Practice pacing your speech by pausing briefly after each cue to ensure you cover all points clearly.

    Neglecting Emotional Connection

    Failing to explain why the item is important can make your answer less impactful. Personal stories create a stronger connection with the listener.

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    Tip

    Share a personal story or memory related to the item that highlights its significance to your family.

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    IELTS Cue Cards asked last week

    Reported by Leap students who gave IELTS

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    Anonymous student Band 7.5

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    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
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    Anonymous student Band 8

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    Sector 34 Test Centre, Chandigarh

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    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
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    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 6.5

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    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.
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    Anonymous student Band 7

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    Begumpet Test Centre, Hyderabad

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    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
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    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 7.5

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    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 7

    We have an old clock in our house which was given to my parents by my great-great-grandfather who fought for our nation and he has kept that clock since 1912. That clock has been working for ages without any maintenance. My family got it when my great-great-grandfather died and that clock has been going in our family for generations. My father has almost kept that clock for around 46 years. Now he is 58 by the way. It is very important to our family because it is the most antique item and the price of that clock is around 10 crores. That clock has always been the main importance of our family. We can say that my father's soul resides in that clock because he is very connected to his roots and he thinks that having that clock in the house is good luck for us.

    Band 7

    One important thing that my family has kept for a very long time is a chess board. So the story goes way back. My great-great-grandmother actually sewed this chess board and it took her approximately three days to complete this. And when she died, this was sort of the only thing of her that stayed with us. The chess board holds her memory and it's always special. Every year on her death anniversary, our family pulls out the chess board and we all gather for a match of chess. This has become a family tradition in a way. This also honours her death whereas ensures family time. This has been in our family for approximately 10 to 15 years now. And I don't think we'll be getting rid of it any soon. It's sort of a lost treasure for us.

    Band 7

    The old object which still holds value in my very modern home is the classic sewing machine which has been with us for more than 30 years. It's one of those sturdy mechanical machines that was specially popular in the 1990s, built to last rather than to look decorative. My family bought it when my mother developed a strong interest in sewing and embroidery as a hobby. At that time, she wanted something reliable to make clothes, alter fabrics, as well as experiment with her own designs. Moreover, the machine quickly became a part of her daily routine, producing familiar rhythmic sounds that filled the house almost every evening. Over the years, it has stayed in the same corner of the house, surviving multiple moves and changes. In addition, it has witnessed different phases of our lives, from childhood school uniforms to festival outfits. Even today, it still works perfectly, which says a lot about its quality. I would say it is important to us is because it represents creativity, patience, and self-reliance. As a result, the machine feels less like an object and more like a family memory. Overall, it reminds us of a time when things were made with care, repaired instead of replaced, and valued for the stories they carried.

    Band 6-7

    So, one of the important old thing that my family got for me and has been giving for very long time is my home actually. In the sense that me and my home are of same age, like they bought it when I was born, when I was born into this world and they still keep it up till date now. And I think, I personally think that I am very much attached to this thing because in the sense it is my home and it's still our family's home. But I think the main important thing is that the home, in the sense the house has much more memories. It is a long term memories than say a simple object such as a laptop or a TV. I don't know. I think an house holds all those memories together. And in the sense I know that families are home and all that. But I personally feel like a home, like I would never, even if I have my family with me in some other place, like if I go travel to some other place, I wouldn't feel as I feel when I'm in my home, in my house and with my family. And I feel like personally for me, even if my family is not with me at my home, I would still feel like the place where I'm residing will be home because we in my home, we have a, what to say, we have a very much strong connection. So yeah.

    Band 6-7

    My father always means my family were always very open-minded and they never kept any secrets with us. They used to discuss and we used to have an open discussion on table like there is nothing like anything to hide or anything not to disclose in front of children. So the environment of our family is very open. But there was one thing which my father kept as a secret for a long duration and the thing was related to my grandfather. So when my grandfather died he wrote every letter for me and for my younger brother. But he promised to my father that my father promised to my grandfather that he'll not share this letter until they're 18 years old. So it's quite interesting like we never imagined that such letter exist in our home and my father have been hiding this letter since 18 years because when my grandfather died he will means we were only one year or three years old. So it was kind of very surprising to us when we came to know about this letter and and when we read it we got so emotional and overwhelming that tears came out and additionally we thought that it was a brilliant idea of my father not to share with us because at that moment if we would have read that letter then we wouldn't have given the importance of this. But now after means when we became adult

    Band 6-7

    An important old thing that my family has kept for a long time is probably the coconut grinder. The coconut grinder is from Sri Lanka and my family had got it way before from when I was born. It is a traditional device unlike the many devices that are available today. It has been in my family for several years and they still use it. What is different about this grinder is how convenient it is to use. It only takes 5 minutes to grind the entire coconut. My dad recently purchased the modern device that is currently in use and it wasn't as convenient as the traditional device that we use. It was very hard to use and also not a really safe option because it is machine operated and it could easily injure us. So my mom always opts to use the traditional device that is the coconut grinder from Sri Lanka. So my family is really used to using this because of how their grandparents or their ancestors always used them. So I have also gotten used to being able to use the device. So this coconut grinder is essential for us because in the Sri Lankan cuisine there are many dishes that are coconut based and we enjoy a lot of these dishes and frequently consume them. Therefore it is a really good device and that's why it's been in my family for so many ages even though there's been so many developments in it.

    Band 6-7

    If you are asking me for anything that my family had, I will talk about my favorite bike. Her name is Ruby. We all call her Ruby from the bottom of our heart. My father bought this bike three years ago and that was a time when our family first saw this bike at a showroom. At that time we never thought that we could have this bike in future but till now we are managing and taking care of this bike from last three years and this bike is very very important for us. We often take her out for a ride and we feel very good when we drive it, especially my brother. We feel it very smooth when he drives, such as like riding a boat on a water slide scene. She is very smooth. She rides it very long way without any difficulty or something else. She has got a very good efficiency in her engine and a good mileage as well. It's a reason that we all very like it and we are looking forward to have this bike for her future for next 10 years as well. My sister also loves this bike because of her color. She is very hot in red color with black stripes, a leather seat, brown and tan stretches on that.

    Band 6-7

    An important old thing that my family has kept for a long time is jewellery. According to my family, our ancestors' jewelleries are like blessings for our family. It is very important for our family whenever our new generation marries, they transfer the jewellery to the young family. And gold is also a good asset for a future problem. Recently the gold price has risen too much high, so it is also a good asset which provides us a good return for a bad time. If we have any problem, we can also take a gold loan by giving bank gold as collateral. So it is a very good asset and my family kept it for a long time. And they kept it in a locker in the bank. And jewellery is also a good thing, good accessories for women and men also. In India, people are more fascinated with gold jewellery. It embraces our looks by adding some accessories with your dresses. And in India, people mostly love gold rather than diamonds and platinum jewellery.

    Band 6-7

    So, the object that I would like love to describe that and that my family has considered very lucky and preserved it for a long time is the idol of Ganeshji of Lord Ganesha made of gold. It's a very small idol, technically maybe three into one centimeter and it was handed over to my great-grandmother by her father when she was married to my great-grandfather. She had kept it with herself and considered the idol very lucky and she kept it very close to her heart and when her children got married, she handed over the idol of Lord Ganesha to my grandfather and he possessed it for a very long time until he gave it away to my father to keep it safe and sound because it is considered very lucky and whenever we go for an exam or maybe an important day in any of our lives, we...

    Band 6

    We all do know that televisions have revolved and revolutionized over time and the first televisions were probably recorded in the 50s and 60s and they've come a long way to us having smart TVs now. So one of the most important things which my family has kept for a long period of time is the television which they first bought, which were bought by their grandparents and it could be dated to about 30 years back and those televisions are certainly important to them as they do remind them a lot about their childhood and how it shaped them up, all the movies they watched together as a family, the news they used to watch, probably the only television channel being on that television was Doordarshan and how they would gather all together as a family in the evening or the night and view it together in one sitting and it does give us a contrast to how things have changed to the future and now of how the televisions have evolved and we have smart TVs now where we have all the apps in one television, be it OTT platforms or YouTube or even gaming and video calls so it does show us how things have changed over time.
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