Describe an old friend you had lost touch with and got in contact with again: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

Who he/she is
How you knew each other
Why you lost contact
How you got in contact again
And explain how you felt after getting in contact again

6 unique answers with expert feedback

How did you feel when you first reconnected with your old friend?

I felt a mix of excitement and nostalgia. It was like opening a time capsule filled with memories from our school days. We shared a lot of laughs and stories, which made me realize how much I missed those moments.

What activities did you enjoy doing together in school?

We enjoyed playing sports, especially soccer, and participating in school events. We also spent a lot of time studying together and helping each other with homework, which strengthened our friendship.

Have you kept in touch with any other friends from school?

Yes, I've managed to reconnect with a few other friends through social media. It's interesting to see how everyone's lives have changed, and it often leads to great conversations about our past experiences.

Band 5-6

00:00

Well, friends are the very important in every individual's life. Friends are like a pillar who supports us each and every situation. But today I want to describe a person who is very close to my heart. He is my old friend Rao. We both start schooling from first class and we are the best friends in school. But after plus two we both got married.

Follow up questions

How did you feel when you lost touch with Rao?

Losing touch with Rao was quite difficult for me. We shared so many memories and experiences during our school years. It felt like a part of my life was missing, and I often thought about the fun times we had together. I really missed our conversations and the support we provided each other.

What made you reach out to Rao again?

I decided to reach out to Rao after reminiscing about our school days. I came across some old photos that brought back fond memories, and I felt a strong urge to reconnect. I wanted to see how he was doing and share updates about our lives since we last spoke.

How has your friendship changed since reconnecting?

Since reconnecting, our friendship has evolved. We now share different life experiences, like marriage and careers. While we may not have the same daily interactions as before, we appreciate our bond more and make an effort to catch up regularly, which has strengthened our friendship.

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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.

I change my home decor occasionally, usually when I feel the need for a fresh look or when seasons change. I enjoy rearranging furniture or adding new pieces that complement my existing decor, ensuring my home remains a reflection of my evolving tastes and preferences.

Show all 6 answers

Cue 1:Who he/she is

Introduce your old friend by mentioning their name and a brief description of their personality.
Share a memorable trait or quality that made your friendship special.

Example

My old friend is Rahul. He was always the life of the party, known for his infectious laughter and sense of humor. We shared many fun moments during our school days, which made our friendship quite special.

Cue 2:How you knew each other

Explain how you met and the context of your friendship.
Mention any shared experiences or activities that brought you closer.

Example

Rahul and I met in high school. We were both part of the same cricket team and spent countless afternoons practicing together. Our shared love for cricket and late-night study sessions helped us bond deeply.

Cue 3:Why you lost contact

Discuss the reasons for losing touch, such as moving away or changes in life circumstances.
Be honest but brief about the situation.

Example

After finishing school, I moved to another city for my college studies, and gradually, we lost contact. Life got busy with new friends and responsibilities, and I regret not keeping in touch.

Cue 4:How you got in contact again

Describe the moment or method you used to reconnect, like social media or a mutual friend.
Share any feelings of nostalgia or excitement you experienced during this reconnection.

Example

A few months ago, I was scrolling through Facebook when I stumbled upon Rahul's profile. I felt a rush of nostalgia and decided to send him a message. To my surprise, he replied almost immediately, and we started chatting like old times.

Cue 5:And explain how you felt after getting in contact again

Express your emotions about reconnecting, such as happiness or relief.
Mention any plans or hopes you have for the future of your friendship.

Example

After reconnecting, I felt an overwhelming sense of joy. It was like no time had passed at all. We made plans to meet up soon, and I am really looking forward to rekindling our friendship and catching up on all the lost years.

Conclusion

Example

Reconnecting with Rahul reminded me of the importance of friendships and how they can enrich our lives. I hope to maintain this connection and create new memories together.

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 information about their old friend, which can make their answer less engaging and informative.

Tip

Include specific details about your friend, such as their name, interests, and memorable experiences you shared to create a vivid picture.

2: Neglecting Emotional Impact

Some candidates fail to express their feelings about reconnecting, which can make their response seem flat and uninteresting.

Tip

Share your emotions when you got back in touch, such as happiness or nostalgia, to add depth to your answer.

Rushing Through the Story

Candidates may rush their answers, skipping important parts of the story, which can lead to a disjointed narrative.

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

Band 6

Band 5-6

Band 5

she is one of my school friend whom I'm not in contact right now if anybody is going to ask me I was not in I remember she was one of my school friend whom I have spent a very good memories she's one of my very good friend at school time I'm talking about and moreover not just a school friend I have spent a lot I have a lot of memories that I'll be count in that memory I'll be counting in okay she's a she's my school friend we so she's one of my school friend and we were not in touch after we have completed I have completed my school my intermediate in the year 2017 and I only we are having a group of four people four person we were having four person and everyone in school used to admire us because of the friendship because of our great friendships but I was only contact with my one of the best friend she I was only in contact with her but after completing my okay so we were three friends in school time and I completed my school my schooling in the year 2017 so I'm only in contact with one of my best friend she was she's still my best friend but one of the another friend who was in my group she was in our group and I was not in contact with her but she was not I was not in contact with her was not in contact with her because at that time we don't use we have exchange at that time in school time we were my parents are not allowing to give cell phone but she was having cell phone I was not having cell phone because of that maybe I the reason the only reason why I was not in contact with her earlier I used to when I was in school I used to live near my house was just near her house but I shifted to some other place and at that time we don't have a personal cell phone so because of that also I was not able to contact her after completing her school but yeah she was always in my mind she was always one of my good friend with whom I spent a lot of good times at in my school time she's one of my school friend in 11th I remember when in the year 2016 I met with her she was from she has came from any another school and in 11th only we became a good friend and in 11th and 12th I spent a lot of good time with her I have a great memory with her in my school time after completing her school we both don't have at that time I am telling about 2016 we don't have a personal mobile and in school time I used to live near her house only so we used to visit each other house frequently but after completing my school I shifted to some another place so I wasn't able to contact her and I couldn't able to even frequently visit to her after that we miss our contact also we don't have personal mobile because of that also we couldn't connect to each other very much but last year in the year last year I she got married so before her marriage she called me to come to her marriage to attend her marriage and because I she said me that if I'll come to her marriage she is going to feel good because in my mind also somewhere I felt that she is someone whom I admire a lot because it was a great time spending a time with her I only don't go to school with her but also we used to go tuition together so there also so mainly we spent time together so much that it cannot be expressed in word how much I feel good when she again contacted me and so our mutual friend has also helped me help us a lot in contacting each other again it was really I have a tear in my eye

Band <5