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Describe an unforgettable experience that you had: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

  • What the experience was?
  • When and where it happened?
  • What made it memorable?
  • And explain how it changed you.
Show all 117 answers

Cue 1:What the experience was?

  • Begin by clearly stating the unforgettable experience you had.
  • Make sure to include specific details that highlight why this experience stands out to you.

Example

One unforgettable experience I had was when I went on a solo trip to the beautiful hill station of Manali in Himachal Pradesh. It was my first time traveling alone, and I was both excited and nervous.

Cue 2:When and where it happened?

  • Provide the time frame of your experience, including the month and year.
  • Describe the location in a way that helps the listener visualize it.

Example

This trip took place in June 2022, during the summer holidays. Manali is a stunning place surrounded by snow-capped mountains and lush green valleys, which made it the perfect getaway from the heat of the plains.

Cue 3:What made it memorable?

  • Share specific moments or events that made this experience special.
  • Explain your feelings during these moments to convey the significance of the experience.

Example

What made this trip memorable was the sense of freedom I felt while exploring the local culture, trying adventure sports like paragliding, and meeting new friends from different parts of India. One evening, I sat by the river, watching the sunset, and I felt a deep sense of peace and happiness.

Cue 4:And explain how it changed you.

  • Reflect on the personal growth or insights you gained from this experience.
  • Discuss how this experience has influenced your perspective or future decisions.

Example

This experience changed me by boosting my confidence and independence. I learned that stepping out of my comfort zone can lead to wonderful experiences. It inspired me to travel more and embrace new challenges in life.

Conclusion

    Example

    In conclusion, my solo trip to Manali was not just a vacation; it was a transformative experience that taught me valuable life lessons and helped me grow as a person. I will always cherish the memories I made during that trip.

    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. It's important to provide specific details about your experience to capture the listener's interest.

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    Tip

    Include specific names, places, and emotions to create a vivid picture of your unforgettable experience.

    2: Lack of Structure

    A disorganized response can confuse the listener. It's essential to follow a clear structure to ensure your answer flows logically and covers all cues.

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    Tip

    Use the provided cues as a guide to structure your answer: start with the experience, then the time and place, followed by what made it memorable, and finally how it changed you.

    Overly Short Answers

    Providing overly brief answers can make it seem like you have nothing to say. This can lead to a lower score as it may not demonstrate your speaking ability.

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    Tip

    Expand on each cue with detailed explanations and personal reflections to showcase your language skills and depth of thought.

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    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
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    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 7.5

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    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
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    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 8

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    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
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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.
    Describe a time when your friend damaged something you owned
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    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 7

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    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

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    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 8

    One unforgettable experience I had was a hiking trip to Mt. Polag in the Philippines with my friends during the summer of 2023. We decided to embark on this adventure to witness a famous sea of clouds the mountain is known for. What made this experience memorable was the breathtaking sunrise we witnessed at the summit. As we hiked through the cool, misty air, the vibrant colors of the sunrise had gradually illuminated the landscape below, creating a stunning view. The camaraderie we shared during the trek, supporting each other through challenging parts of the trail, made the journey even more special. This experience changed me by deepening my appreciation for the beauty of nature in the Philippines. It taught me the importance of perseverance in teamwork as we encouraged one another throughout the hike. I returned home with a greater sense of adventure and desire to explore more of my country's natural wonders.

    Band 7

    One of the unforgettable experiences I had was when I was 12 and my family took me to the beach for the very first time in my life. It was very special to me as it was the first trip for our whole family together outside from our city and it made me realize that how important family time really is. Moreover, I got many photos with my parents, my sister, my brothers and it was very mesmerizing seeing all of them happily just playing around in the sand, building castles, going into the water and splashing each other with the water. It happened when we randomly planned a trip from my hometown to another city and we got there via flights.

    Band 7

    Well, I'd like to talk about a truly unforgettable event that I attended last year. It was my best friend's birthday celebration which took place in a beautiful cafe in Amritsar. She is one of my closest friends, so I really wanted to make her day special. I decided to surprise her with a handmade bracelet that I had bought during my trip to Manali. I packed it nicely and wrote a short heartfelt note for her. When I arrived at the cafe, everything was beautifully decorated with balloons, lights, and flowers. The atmosphere was so lively and full of laughter, we were all enjoying ourselves chatting, dancing, and taking pictures. But then, a small embarrassing incident happened. While cutting the cake, my friend playfully pushed some cake on my face. I accidentally dropped my piece on her new dress. Everyone started laughing and I felt a bit awakened at first, but later, we laughed even harder. The funny moment actually made the party even more memorable. After that, I gave her my gift and she was over the moon. She hugged me tightly and said it was one of the sweetest gifts she had ever received. Honestly speaking, that evening was full of joy, fun, and emotions. It not only strengthened our friendship but also reminded me how small silly moments can create beautiful lifelong memories. To sum up, that birthday celebration was not just an ordinary event. It was a blend of happiness, laughter, and friendship and I will always cherish it. It is unforgettable.

    Band 7

    Two months ago, when I was asked to give a speech on my dance career, I was totally prepared for it. I made a speech and I had written it on a piece of paper. I carried the paper in the auditorium and when I was standing on the podium, the paper was not there. I was shocked, I was astonished. I started finding the paper. I started fumbling when I was saying words. I was fed up and I didn't know what to do. But when the speaker announced my name and he told me to start your speech, I stood in the front of the podium and I started saying whatever came out of my mouth. I started speaking about my dance experiences and how dance changed my life. The things which I learnt from my teacher and now the things which I am passing on from my point of view to the students. The speech lasted for 6 minutes, although the speech which I had written on the paper was just for 3 minutes. When my speech got over, I got to know that my speech was so decent and so sophisticated that it was to be printed on a newspaper. I was flabbergasted. I was so happy. My parents were proud of me. And that day I realised that whatever we speak should come from our heart because that's the honest opinion one can have.

    Band 7

    An unforgettable experience that I had was when I was chosen to sing for a Hindustani classical competition in my school. I came home and I told my father about it and he gave me a song to prepare. It was Madhuban Me Radhe Ka Naachere from the movie Kohinoor. It's an old beautiful Hindi film known for its soulful music and composition. I liked that song very much because it expresses deep feelings of emotion and respect. What changed me was when I rendered that song in front of a huge audience. It was applauded by everybody. That's when I came to know that I have this talent in me to sing and during that time it was when I realized that I should take up singing passionately and I should train myself, I should enroll myself in a proper classical music class and build on my skills and get better at singing. That incident motivated me to join a Hindustani musical class. I later on googled and searched for a good master near my area. I contacted him and I joined this class. Therefore that particular experience is a very special moment for me that I still remember and will always remember.

    Band 7

    Last summer, I had an opportunity to attend my sister's wedding in the States. Post wedding, we had taken a tour across the state and country. But one thing that stood out to me in the entire trip was my experience when I went to the Lake Norman in South Carolina. There was water that was in minus 2 degrees and I chose to still take the chance to swim. That day, it was about 5.30 in the evening and I had an opportunity to also witness the most beautiful sunset of my life while taking the swim. That moment was life changing. I learnt a lot of things about myself. I curated my entire life in front of my eyes and I finally understood what happened and why it happened. That was the moment when I thought I could believe in myself to see a change. When I believed in myself that I can manifest things. Since then, it's on my bucket list. I would love to go there on one of my birthdays to make myself feel special and to celebrate my existence, to celebrate how far I've come and not look back.

    Band 7

    Located in Hyderabad is India's largest prototyping center called T-Works which is organized by government of Telangana. I went there with my friends Janardhan and Swati. We were participating in a competition called National Innovation Hackathon for Rural India and there in the competition we prepared for months rigorously working day and night to solve challenges to bring the most creative ideas and once we reached to the finals we prototyped our idea which is the mini combined harvester for farmers who are suffering labor shortages in Punjab. We prototyped using 3D printing facilities and software applications like CAD computer designs and MetaMorph and once we finished all the prototyping procedures and we had a physical model with us we presented to the panelists and we have won the nationals for the first among 100 teams across the nation and I lifted a huge cheque valued at Rs. 75,000 as a prize for the first place and that is an unforgettable moment in my life that is something I remember and has carved a special place in my heart. After the winning that I quite literally changed my life. I deviated from my initial preparation for JEE joint engineering exam in India and I shifted to pursue my higher education abroad.

    Band 7

    The most memorable experience of my life would be moving out to another city to study and pursue a higher education for myself. It happened in the month of September back in 2022. The moment I stepped into my college, I knew I had to be on my own, cook, clean, get a house, rent, pay my own bills and live a life on my own. Until that moment, I was dependent on my parents for everything. It was an exhilarating experience. I was so excited yet very confused and scared but I didn't let that stop me. Instead, I chose to be the strongest person I knew and transform myself into the woman of my dreams. I have been working on myself since then and till now I have gained so much confidence in myself that I am doing great on my own. I take walks, I work on myself, I study and I have been trying to make my life better in all the possible scenarios and in the best possible way I can.

    Band 7

    So the experience I want to talk about is my visit to the Ferrari world in Abu Dhabi. During my family trip in UAE, we visited Abu Dhabi and decided to embark on an adventure like none other, the Ferrari world. So the Ferrari world encapsulates various roller coaster rides of varying speeds and varying value proposition. These adventures taught me to never be afraid and take every experience with your head held high. This experience changed me for the better. Thank you.

    Band 7

    So the unforgettable experience I've had was when I was traveling as a tourist to Vietnam. So I was on the way to a supermarket in a taxi and I had forgotten my wallet in the taxi and I didn't realize it until I was already inside the supermarket and only came to the realization after a couple of minutes. And at that moment I panicked. I started getting frustrated and calling the driver who spoke a language which I couldn't speak in. We tried our best to communicate over the app where I booked the cab from. After a lot of communication and discussion with a lot of different people like my father and others and some locals, we were able to retrieve the wallet and it made me realize that there is a lot of good in people and despite not knowing the language, the good nature of people was, I mean I was able to see that people are inherently good and willing to help a tourist out in that beautiful country. And it changed me and it makes me believe a little more in the good of people and also to help others in a similar way.
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