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Describe something you received for free.: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

  • What was it?
  • When and from whom did you receive it?
  • How did you feel?
Show all 127 answers

Cue 1:What was it?

  • Begin by clearly stating what the item or service was that you received for free.
  • Provide a brief description of its significance or usefulness to you.

Example

I received a beautiful handmade scarf from my grandmother. It was made from soft wool and had intricate patterns that reflected our cultural heritage.

Cue 2:When and from whom did you receive it?

  • Mention the occasion or event during which you received the item.
  • Specify who gave it to you and their relationship to you.

Example

I received the scarf last winter during my birthday celebration. My grandmother, who is very dear to me, gifted it to me as a surprise.

Cue 3:How did you feel?

  • Share your emotional response upon receiving the gift.
  • Explain why this feeling was significant to you.

Example

I felt incredibly touched and grateful when I received the scarf. It reminded me of the love and care my grandmother puts into everything she makes, making it even more special.

Conclusion

  • Summarize the importance of the gift in your life.
  • Reflect on how receiving this free item impacted your relationship with the giver.

Example

In conclusion, receiving the scarf from my grandmother not only warmed me physically during the cold months but also strengthened our bond. It serves as a constant reminder of her love and our family traditions.

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: Giving Vague Answers

Avoid being too general or vague in your response. Specific details make your answer more engaging and memorable. Vague answers can lead to a lack of clarity.

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Tip

Include specific details about the item you received, such as its appearance, purpose, and significance to you.

2: Neglecting Emotional Impact

Failing to express your feelings can make your answer less impactful. Emotions help to connect with the listener and make your story more relatable.

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Tip

Share how receiving the item made you feel at the moment and how it affects you now, using descriptive language.

Ignoring the Context

Not providing context about when and from whom you received the item can leave your answer feeling incomplete. Context adds depth to your story.

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Tip

Clearly explain the situation surrounding the gift, including the occasion and the relationship with the giver.

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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
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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 >7

During the course of my life, I have received many gifts. But today I would like to talk about one such gift which is very close to my heart. The name of the gift is iPhone. There is an interesting story associated with this. A couple of months back, when I cleared my 12th standard with flying colours, my family gave me a surprise party on my birthday at Nishuraj. After that, I went to Nishuraj Headless Greenway with ample space for parking. I entered that and saw a huge chandelier there. After that, my family, my friends and all my relatives were there. There was a huge cake in front of me. I was surprised and shocked. After that, I cut the cake and my father gifted me an iPhone. I was over the moon because I was collecting money for that iPhone. It was very helpful for me because now I can do my online class on that phone. I can click many pictures over there. I clicked many pictures with my family and posted it on their Instagram. My Instagram was flooded with likes and comments. I feel like a pseudo celebrity. After that, we enjoyed many rich varieties of cuisine like Italian, Mexican and others. After that, my friend also gifted me a watch. The watch cost 10,000. My family members also gifted me scenery and other things which helped me a lot. That was the one thing which was really helpful for me.

Band 7

Something I recently received was jewellery and it was given by a friend that I made a year ago. He had gotten various kinds of jewellery from his trip to Kuwait. Over there his father has a jewellery business which sells artificial and fancy jewellery articles. I really liked the articles he had gotten for me. There were some very beautiful rings and necklaces which had my initials. Not only that he also managed to get me a few bracelets which I could wear on numerous occasions. Overall the gift was really thoughtful and personalised which I really admired. However, there was a sense of indebtedness that I felt on receiving a gift which was not called for. I felt suspicious about his intentions behind gifting me so many jewellery articles. I kept it a secret from my family and friends thinking that they would be suspicious of his intention and would warrant me to be cautious. I confronted him on why was he giving me so many articles. I knew that he had just been back from a trip and wanted to give me a memento but this was quite more than what I would have expected. Yet, I still safely keep all the gifts received by him, wear them occasionally and cherish the friendship we have built over the last year.

Band 7

My parents gifted me a brand new phone on my 18th birthday. As we all know, mobile phones are very prominent gadgets required by each and every individual once they step out of house for their higher education. When I had a wish of purchasing one for me, my parents decided to surprise me with my favourite phone i.e. Realme 10 Pro+. It has a curved screen with 6.73 inches of display. It's very thin and I personally liked it because of its colour. When my parents gifted me the phone, I was overwhelmed and I thanked my parents. On that time, I required phone for many purposes. My online classes are going on. They understood my situation and presented me this gift. It was the most memorable and valuable gift that I got so far. So, I am really thankful to my parents beyond my words.

Band 7

I recently received a football jersey with my name and favorite number printed on it. On the side, I actually have a football jersey business where I connect the suppliers with the customers and get a commission out of it. Therefore, recently I got a lot of customers and in turn my supplier offered to give me my favorite football club jersey with my name and number and I was really delighted when I heard that. Besides, I really love football in general and always wanted to have a collection and this just added a new jersey to that collection. I thank them a lot and more than happy to move forward with the business. Another reason I really like this gift is because the quality of the jerseys are actually really good and as a player myself, it always helps to have another pair.

Band 7

One of the most special gifts I have ever received was a handmade scrapbook from my best friend on my 18th birthday. It wasn't expensive or high-tech, but it meant the world to me. She had spent weeks collecting photos, writing notes, and decorating each page with drawings and inside jokes from our years of friendship. Each page told a different story, our school memories, funny incidents, and even our small arguments. I could feel the effort and love she had put into it. I received it at a small surprise party she organized when I opened the gift. I was honestly speechless. It was so personal and thoughtful, much more than anything bought in a store. What made it truly special was the emotional value. It reminded me of our bond and the memories we shared. Even today, I still look at it when I am feeling nostalgic. It's a gift I always treasure.

Band 7

Whenever I think of a gift, I am always reminded of a very good bicycle, a brand new one, I received when I was in my 10th grade. It was presented to me by my mother's employer then, who, out of their magnanimity, has presented me this gift. Before that they have asked me whether I could score 400 in my 10th grade. I promised that I would always score more than that, and when the results were published, I personally met them and explained them and showed them my progress report. Overwhelmed with my progress and performance, they immediately called the shop and asked them to give me the bicycle I chose from the store. When I reached the store, I chose what I liked and I was gifted free. I felt very much warm and I was bubbling with joy because no one has ever presented me such a gift, and no one was ever more generous towards me, and their kindness and love have made me feel that humanity lives, and the gift is not just a gift, it's a life-giving moment they offered for me.

Band 7

The gift that I received for free recently is a membership of YouTube Premium and I received it last month from my sister. So to add on to that, my sister had a Swiggy coupon which permitted her to provide a gift to any one person of her choice with 6 months of YouTube Premium and since my sister already had her account in Premium section, she decided to give it to me. And the process of it was quite simple, it was basically a coupon and all I had to do was to redeem it by putting in the code in my YouTube app and afterwards I was able to use it. And it's not that much of a big of a gift but I felt quite good receiving it because it saved quite a bit of money for me. Since YouTube Premium is a bit of a costly affair, like it takes around 100 to 200 rupees per month just to reactivate it. So it saved me quite a bit of money in the long run and I don't even have to compromise in my viewing entertainment capability as well. Other than that, as I am an avid social media enjoyer, I use YouTube at quite a very frequent usage and this enabled me to use its Premium features as often as possible.

Band 7

So, the latest gift that I've gotten, and it was free, was the latest iPhone. My grandmother gifted it to me and I am more than thankful for it. I am overwhelmed, extremely happy, but at the same time I'm guilty because it's such an expensive thing and I really do not like spending on expensive stuff, but I've always wanted an iPhone and my grandmother knew it from the past three years. This gift is more of something I've earned because I had a deal with my parents that if I study hard and get all A grades in every subject and also do well in sports and get the best sports athlete award in my school, I will get a good gift. And moreover, my grandmother overheard this topic of ours and ever since she's behind to get me one. She even did some research on her own and it's just so cute for some elderly person, especially if it's your grandparents, to do something, some research on something you are so keen and looking so forward to and I can't just thank her enough.

Band 7

Usually, I get a lot of free things from my loved ones and from my parents, but today I'm going to talk about a free thing that's close to my heart. About a year ago, on my birthday, my mom gifted me a MacBook Pro. I wanted it from like six to seven months, but my parents were not allowing me because of the high budget, high value of the item. It was a very tight-lipped surprise, so when I received it, I was galvanized. And when I started it, I installed a lot of educational apps like Physicswala and also some elite games like Forza and Call of Duty. The laptop provides an elite graphic card, by the help of which I am able to play top-notch games and I can also watch my educational-based videos. Basically, I watch chemistry and physics lectures on it. It has an 8K wide display with 1TB storage and 28GB RAM, so basically I can do anything on the laptop. When my mother saw me, that I was so excited and I was so stunned after getting the gift, she got a bit emotional, but afterward, she also got happy and we all celebrated it. Till today, I use that gift and it is a part of my daily life to own the laptop and watch some educational-based videos as well as play some elite games.

Band 7

The gift that was very special to me was provided by my grandparents. I received a makeup box as I was so into makeup when I was like 13 or 14 years old. It was very special because that was the first time I received something from a grandparent. So, it is still memorable and I still have the box alone like the makeup is finished but I still have the box alone with me till today because it's a really good memory for me to be reminded of my grandparents. And moreover, I could see their dedication to get something up to my liking. So, it's very heartwarming and kind of them.
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