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

19 unique answers with expert feedback

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.

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.

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.

Tip

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

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.

All Answers

Here are all the answers by real-users practicing speaking for IELTS Cue Cards on our IELTS Prep App.

Band 6

Our family has kept an idol of Lord Ganesha, which was given to us by our, which was given to us by my grandmother. As she gifted this idol to my mother on her birthday, this is very special to us because as now my grandmother died, this is the last thing which is left for us in her memory. And we have kept it from past 10 years. Although my grandmother died recently, but till these days, that idol was so special to us. And now it has become more special after we lost her, lost my grandmother. This has been an important piece in our house because we think that it's a good luck charm for us. Since we got this idol, everything positive has been happening in our family. For example, after getting this idol, my dad got a promotion and we constructed a new house and my sister got into a college for master's and I got into a college for my undergraduation and everything went well after getting, after bringing this idol to, in our house. And it is a good luck charm for us and it is very special to us because in our culture, we do feel that getting any gifts from the older people is getting their blessings and having the blessings for the rest of the life, even if they are with us or not with us.

Band 6

so a long and old thing my family has kept is a mixer grinder yes so the mixer grinder we have been having it for like 20 plus years they got it when my mom was facing difficulty in grinding batter or any chutneys or any kind of powders which she wants on her daily basis and my dad was my dad was feeling bad for my mom to see to grind herself grind the mixtures whatever by herself on a stone grinder so he instantly took my mom out and he got this mixer grinder and that was the first gift i guess my dad has ever got from my mom without asking so my mom has been using for it for like more than 20 years and it has it has which is a bajaj company and it has like four jars four mixer jars one is juicer for powders for paste and one is a blender and my mom has always used this one almost like every day and it really didn't have any problem the problem which got was due to the short circuit happened because of the electricity but they have always kept the mixer grinder and it has really run a long time my dad always used to repairs it so my mom always cherishes this mixer grinder because it has been with her since her time of since she started learning cooking

Band 6

So there is one gold necklace which was given by my grandmother to my mother and father. So it is a very precious necklace. They have kept it and it is I think very old because my grandmother also got that necklace from my great grandmother. So it's like a generational thing which is passing, which they are passing to the newer generation. So it's a very beautiful necklace. It is made of full of 24 carat gold and it is highly fragile also. So my mother usually she does not wear this necklace unless and until it is a very important occasion and when all the family members are there especially my grandmother so that my grandmother can feel happy and she can be happy after seeing my mother wearing that necklace because it is very precious to her also. And now my mother is planning to give this necklace to the newer generation which is my sister-in-law so that she can also keep it safe and use it whenever it is required. And I think investing money on gold is a very smart move to increase your money, the amount of money so that it will help in future whenever it is required.

Band 6

Today I would like to talk about a thing which we had kept in our home for a long time, honestly I can say, it is a grinder which I had gifted to my mother, which I have gifted my grandfather to my mother, during the time of her wedding. She used that grinder for many purposes like grinding and for making powder too. And of course it was handmade, of course it has some 3-4 stones and it is used by an electric plug. It is required electricity for its working. Whenever she is using that grinder, she always said to me the story of that grinder. She loved her grandfather a lot and she said it was so beneficial for her for daily uses and many of her neighbors reached our home for using this grinder. Those days it was not available at our home and it was a symbol of the, it was a symbol of

Band 6

There are many old and antique objects in our house. Some of the objects belong to my grandparents. Time are kept with care. There is an old spining wheel, brass utensil, and old Murphy radio. And some furniture, bed covers imported by my grandmother are preserved with love by my mother. One subject that has been kept in our house is a sewing machine that belongs to my grandmother. It is almost a century and about in Pakistan. Well, it's a heavy sewing machine of Singer Company. It is handmade with a wood pedestal. It is handed in its rights and can be moved fast. The left side has a needle which goes on and down to stitch the clothes. The main body is black in color with the golden floral design. The name of company is written in the beautiful letters. The machine is kept in the corner of our family room on the table. It's nicely covered with a motor and a filler cover, which were designed by my granny. The best part is that it still works. My mother take care of it and oil it regularly. Although there are revolutions in machines and gadgets today, yet traditional machine hold old world charm and very close to my heart. I think it will be appreciated by the coming generations. I really love this sewing machine.

Band 5-6

I still vividly recall that it is a trunk that was given to my great-grandmother in on her wedding that was I think like 200 I think like 100 years ago at least I think 50 years ago at least I am not exactly sure but yes it was a trunk she is died and but that it is still with us it is really important to my family because it has all the memories of my great-grandmother and whenever we see that trunk it really like inspires us a lot that how she spent her whole life being happy and being encourageful she always encourages and she always stays happy she always does everything to be motivated because at the end of the years of her life she was all alone and my great-grandfather was died like 20 years before she died so yeah that trunks inspires us and also makes us remember her

Band 5-6

okay so we don't have particularly any important thing for my family that is that they have kept with them for a very long time but like after thinking about it for a while so it is a necklace that my great-grandmother got at the time of her wedding so we have like really kept it with us for like many years now it is like really precious to us and it's been more than 50 to 60 years that we have that necklace with us that's pretty much it and it is kind of like really precious to us having the memories and the emotional value of that particular materialistic thing except for that it is it add the the thing that adds more value to it is that it's of pure gold and at in this particular time as the value of gold is increasing day by day so that even adds more and more value to it so yeah

Band 5-6

I would like to talk about one important thing which my family has kept for a long time is one gold coin which is very important for my family because it is a ritual to give a gold coin to their children and it is started from my grandfather's father, my great-grandfather and he just kept the gold coin to my grandfather and after my grandfather just take this gold coin and he just give it to my father and this is an important thing because it is an investment like if any disaster has come to our family and we have no money or something like that so we can just buy the coin and help our family and so that's why it is a very important object and it is also very important for us because the ritual was taken from the grand peoples and it is like in Indian culture a shirvat for us and yeah it's very important for my family and this ritual may be

Band 5

There are several objects which my family usually care about. Though my mother is really passionate about keeping old things, I still remember the last time when my grandfather gave Almira to one of my family members. And she is my mother.

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