Describe something that surprised you and made you happy: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

What it was?
Who did this?
How you found out about it and what you did?
And explain why it surprised you and made you happy.

13 unique answers with expert feedback

How do you usually feel when you receive surprises from loved ones?

I feel a mix of excitement and joy when I receive surprises from loved ones. It shows that they care and think about me, which makes me feel valued and loved. Surprises often create memorable moments that I cherish.

What other surprises have you experienced that made you happy?

I once received a surprise birthday party from my friends. They planned everything without telling me, and when I walked in, I was overwhelmed with happiness. It was a beautiful moment filled with laughter, love, and joy, and I felt so appreciated.

How do you think surprises impact relationships?

Surprises can strengthen relationships by creating shared joyful experiences. They show thoughtfulness and effort, which can deepen emotional connections. Regular surprises can keep the relationship exciting and show that you care about each other.

Band 6-7

00:00

it was my birthday surprise my friend gave me that surprise to me last year March 25th at 12 o'clock he gave me a surprise like all the brothers and sisters gather one gather in one house and they are waiting for me and when I when I go there they will give me a surprise like wishing me as a birthday party then I I will feel very happy because I never had that type of surprise in my birthday it will make me very happy and very surprised

Follow up questions

How did you feel when you first walked into the surprise party?

When I first walked into the surprise party, I felt a rush of emotions. I was shocked to see all my friends and family gathered for me. It was overwhelming, and I couldn't believe they had organized such a wonderful surprise. I felt loved and appreciated, which made the moment even more special.

What other surprises have you received in your life?

I've received a few surprises in my life, but none as memorable as this birthday surprise. There was a time when my friends surprised me with a weekend trip for my graduation. It was unexpected and filled with joy. Surprises like these create lasting memories and strengthen my bonds with friends and family.

Do you think surprises are important in relationships? Why?

Yes, I believe surprises are important in relationships. They show thoughtfulness and effort, which can strengthen connections. Surprises can break the routine and add excitement to relationships, making people feel valued and cherished. They create joyful moments that can be remembered for a long time.

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.

Band 6

00:00

So, something that surprised me and made me happy was my birthday that I celebrated in the last year. So, all my family members, they just planned together to surprise me on my birthday. And they somehow planned to send me out of the house for a few times so that they can make the arrangements and surprise me with this decoration and with my favorite cake. And so, after some time, I came back to my home and I just felt that something was abnormal or suspicious in their behavior. They just off all the lights in the hall of my house and then I just, you know, I just started thinking that something is going to happen now and just suddenly all the lights were on and they surprised me. They were shouting together like happy birthday to me, singing the song and everyone was, you know, popping the poppers and so all of this was happened. And I just, it just made me feel so happy. So after a long time, we celebrated, we were with all the smiles on everyone's face. That made me feel so special and so happy and I was surprised that my family could do something like this to make me happy, the efforts they put on to just see that smile and surprise on my face. That's really something that's a very, you know, a tremendous experience that I felt on that day.

Follow up questions

How do you usually celebrate your birthday?

I usually celebrate my birthday with a small gathering of close friends and family. We often have a dinner together, and I enjoy a cake. Sometimes, we play games or watch movies. It's a more intimate setting, but I cherish the time spent with loved ones.

What other surprises have you experienced in your life?

I've had a few surprises, like when my friends organized a surprise trip for me. They took me to a beautiful beach destination without telling me. It was an incredible experience, and I felt so loved and appreciated. Surprises like these create lasting memories.

Why do you think surprises are important in relationships?

Surprises can strengthen relationships by showing that you care and pay attention to others' feelings. They create joyful moments and can break the routine of everyday life. A thoughtful surprise can make someone feel valued and loved, enhancing emotional connections.

Band 5-6

00:00

There are many things that surprised me in my life, here I will talk about a thing that surprised me in my childhood and I was very happy after finding that surprise. It was my birthday when I was 8 years old, I was like accepting a birthday gift of a bicycle from my parents, I told them in advance that I want a bicycle for my birthday present but they denied me and told me that you are very young for riding a bicycle and you will injure yourself while riding a bicycle but I was sad after hearing that words from them. When my birthday arrived at 12 am, they woke me up and surprised me with a cake and candles and all other things and afterwards in half an hour they like told me to close my eyes and took me to the backyard and there was a gift wrapped or something and then I opened the gift wrap and found a cute bicycle which was the bicycle I needed the most and demanded from my parents, it was a beautiful bicycle with beautiful lights, I felt very happy after finding that my parents was in my wish, I was very happy after they listened to my words and they gifted me a bicycle, so remembering those days I felt very grateful.

Follow up questions

How did you feel when you first saw the bicycle?

When I first saw the bicycle, I was overwhelmed with joy and disbelief. I couldn't believe my parents actually got me the gift I wanted so much. It felt like a dream come true, and I was filled with excitement and gratitude for their thoughtfulness.

Have you had any other surprises that made you happy?

Yes, there have been other surprises that made me happy, like when my friends organized a surprise party for me during my teenage years. It was heartwarming to see how much effort they put into making me feel special, just like my parents did with the bicycle.

What do you think makes surprises special?

Surprises are special because they show that someone cares enough to think about your happiness. They create memorable moments and evoke strong emotions, making us feel loved and appreciated. The unexpected nature of surprises adds to their joy and significance.

Band 5-6

00:00

In my life I have got many surprises from my known persons but I still remember whenever I was child my mother and father was surprised on my birthday so here I shed some light on my birthday party. There is a heavy of my birthday and this is like a normal day I sleeping and when 12pm are coming after that my mother and father come and wish me and get a surprise me with a iPhone. I am very happy about that how my mother and father care about me after that I feel it was very happy to have mother and father like they are. I decided that with the help of this mobile I want to pursue my communication skills.

Follow up questions

What other surprises have you received from your family?

I've received several surprises from my family over the years, like surprise trips and gifts on special occasions. Each one has made me feel loved and appreciated, but the birthday surprise with the iPhone stands out the most because it was a significant gift that I really wanted.

How do you usually celebrate your birthday now?

Now, I celebrate my birthday with friends and family by organizing parties or going out for dinner. I like to make it a special day for everyone, not just for me. It's a time for gathering, sharing memories, and enjoying each other's company.

Why do you think surprises are important in relationships?

Surprises can strengthen relationships by showing that you care and pay attention to others' likes and needs. They create joyful memories and can make people feel valued and loved, which is essential for maintaining strong bonds with family and friends.

Show all 13 answers

Cue 1:What it was?

Begin by clearly stating what the surprising event was.
Provide some context about the event to engage the listener.

Example

The surprise that made me incredibly happy was when I received a scholarship for my master's degree. I had applied for it months ago and had almost forgotten about it.

Cue 2:Who did this?

Mention the organization or person responsible for the surprise.
Explain their significance in your life or studies.

Example

The scholarship was awarded by a well-known educational foundation in India that supports students pursuing higher education. This foundation has helped many students like me, and being chosen felt like a huge honor.

Cue 3:How you found out about it and what you did?

Describe how you learned about the scholarship award.
Share your immediate reaction and any actions you took afterward.

Example

I found out about the scholarship through an email notification while I was studying at home. When I read the subject line, my heart raced, and I quickly opened it. I was overjoyed and immediately called my family to share the good news.

Cue 4:And explain why it surprised you and made you happy.

Reflect on your feelings of surprise and happiness.
Connect the event to your future aspirations or goals.

Example

It surprised me because I didn’t expect to receive such a prestigious scholarship, given the number of applicants. It made me happy because it not only eased my financial burden but also motivated me to work harder in my studies, knowing that someone believed in my potential.

Conclusion

Example

In conclusion, receiving the scholarship was a life-changing moment for me. It reminded me of the importance of perseverance and the joy that comes from unexpected good news.

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 the Surprise

Candidates often give unclear descriptions of what surprised them. This can make it hard for the examiner to understand the significance of the event.