Describe something you did that made you feel proud: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

What it was
How you did it
What difficulty you had
How you dealt with the difficulty
And explain why you felt proud of it

2 unique answers with expert feedback

What motivated you to learn two-wheeler driving?

I was motivated to learn two-wheeler driving because I wanted to gain independence and the ability to travel freely. Having my own two-wheeler allows me to explore new places and manage my daily commute more efficiently.

How did you feel after passing the driving test?

After passing the driving test, I felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment and relief. It was a validation of my hard work and persistence, especially after facing failures. This achievement boosted my confidence and made me more determined to tackle new challenges.

What challenges did you face while learning to drive?

While learning to drive, I faced several challenges, including nervousness during the test and difficulty in mastering the controls. Each failure taught me valuable lessons, and I had to practice a lot to improve my skills and build my confidence.

Band 6

00:00

The one thing that made me feel proud would be helping my friend in time of his needs because he was unable to pay his tuition fees because of lack of funds and as I believe I am a good friend so I helped him in his time of his needs though I didn't have much money available with me I made sure I crowdfunded and also took or borrowed some money from my family and also other friends to pay his tuition fees on time this made me extremely proud because I was able to help a friend when he needs me the most I turned up for him when he was letting him down because he was going through a financial crisis I stood by him and helped him throughout this journey and also it brought a smile on his face looking that I pull through because of him

Follow up questions

How did your friend react when you helped him?

My friend was incredibly grateful and relieved. He expressed his appreciation multiple times and shared how much it meant to him during such a tough time. Seeing his smile and knowing I made a difference in his life was truly rewarding.

What challenges did you face while helping your friend?

One of the main challenges was gathering enough funds quickly. I had to reach out to multiple people and explain the situation, which was a bit uncomfortable. Additionally, I had to manage my own finances carefully to ensure I could still cover my own expenses.

Would you help someone in a similar situation again?

Absolutely! Helping others in need is something I value deeply. It not only strengthens friendships but also fosters a sense of community. I believe that supporting each other is essential, and I would do it again without hesitation.

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.

Show all 2 answers

Cue 1:What it was

Begin by clearly stating the achievement you are proud of.
Provide context about why this achievement is significant to you.

Example

I would like to talk about the time I organized a charity event for underprivileged children in my community. This was significant for me because it combined my passion for social work with my organizational skills.

Cue 2:How you did it

Outline the steps you took to plan and execute the event.
Mention any teamwork or collaboration involved in the process.

Example

I started by gathering a team of volunteers from my college. We met regularly to brainstorm ideas, set a budget, and reach out to local businesses for sponsorship. I also coordinated with local schools to invite children to the event.

Cue 3:What difficulty you had

Discuss any challenges you faced during the planning or execution of the event.
Be specific about what made these challenges difficult.

Example

One of the biggest difficulties was securing enough funds to cover the costs of the event. Many businesses were hesitant to sponsor us, which made me anxious about whether we could pull it off.

Cue 4:How you dealt with the difficulty

Explain the strategies you used to overcome the challenges.
Highlight any support you received from others.

Example

To tackle this issue, I decided to host a small fundraising campaign on social media. I shared our cause and received overwhelming support from friends and family, which helped us raise the necessary funds.

Cue 5:And explain why you felt proud of it

Reflect on the impact of your achievement on yourself and others.
Share the emotions you experienced upon completing the task.

Example

I felt immensely proud when I saw the smiles on the children's faces during the event. It was fulfilling to know that we had made a difference in their lives, and it reinforced my belief in the power of community service.

Conclusion

Summarize the key points of your experience.
End with a personal reflection on the importance of pride in achievements.

Example

In conclusion, organizing the charity event was a challenging yet rewarding experience. It taught me the importance of perseverance and teamwork, and I will always cherish the pride I felt in making a positive impact in my community.

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 unclear. It's important to provide specific details about your experience to engage the listener and demonstrate your language skills.

Tip

Use clear examples and specific details to explain what you did, how you did it, and why it was meaningful to you.

2: Ignoring the Cues

Failing to address all the cues can lead to an incomplete answer. Each cue is designed to guide your response and ensure you cover all important aspects.

Tip

Make sure to systematically address each cue in your response to provide a well-rounded answer.

Overly Complicated Language

Using overly complex vocabulary or sentence structures can confuse the listener. It's better to communicate clearly and effectively than to use difficult language incorrectly.