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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

One memorable item I received for free was a beautiful handcrafted leather wallet from a local artisan. I had visited a market during the traditional festival and while browsing through various stalls, the vendor offered me the wallet as a gift. Simply because I had admired his craftsmanship for quite some time. The wallet was not only practical but also exuded a sense of artistry with intricate stitching and a rich deep brown color. Furthermore, it was clear that a great deal of skill and attention to detail had gone into its creation. I felt incredibly grateful not just because of the quality of the gift but also it symbolized the kindness and generosity of the artisan. Nevertheless, what really stood out to me was the fact that the gift was given without any expectations of something in return, which made it even more meaningful. Receiving this thoughtful gift for free left a lasting impression on me as it reminded me that sometimes acts of kindness are not just driven by material value but by joy of giving. The experience also deepened my appreciation for the craftsmanship behind everyday objects. And how something as simple as a wallet can carry so much sentimental value. It made me reflect on how smallest gestures can have a profound impact not only on the recipient but also on the giver. Such experiences have shaped my perspective on life, teaching me to appreciate tangible rewards of kindness and human connection. It made me realize that true generosity is often expressed in most unexpected and heartwarming ways.

Band 6-7

I would like to talk about something which I got for free, without any money, and that's a gift. It's a keyboard, piano. In my 10th standard, I was quite a big keyboard player. Before that, I was in 3rd standard. I started in a keyboard course at my school because my course master was coming directly to teach us. So it was held at my school and I started to learn something from him. But some days after, he told me to buy a laptop. But unfortunately, because of my family situation, I couldn't buy it. And I told my father and he was not ready to give me money. So I just used my friend's laptop to do some practice. After some days, when my birthday arrives, my father brought a big parcel. I didn't know what it was. But after realizing that it might be a keyboard, I was surprised. I never cut the cake. They started to open and pack it. I was surprised and went to tightly hug my father. Because that was a big moment in my life and I never thought to buy a keyboard. But unfortunately, my father bought it. And that was the best moment in my life. It was around 10,000 rupees. I asked my father, how did you buy this? He said something. He didn't tell me how he bought this because he was a parent.

Band 6-7

very surprising. Here, the thing I received for free is mobile phone which I received from my mother on my 21st birthday. I was really happy after receiving the gift which I felt overwhelming and very surprising by the gift. That is a most special thing that I received from my mom for my birthday where it was very crucial on that time to get that gift because the mobile phone was used for many things. Since I was a final year student, I wanted that mobile phone for my studies purpose, assignment purpose and also for Avigyara things. She usually doesn't gift me anything but that gift is still a special thing which she gifted. As I already said it was more surprising and I was not that excited when I received but it was more surprising and the mobile phone is

Band 6-7

Something I received for free is a special gift from one of my cousin. It was in the year 2019 while I was reading my first year of graduation. And she gifted me the book named Inc. Senado by William Dalrymple on my birthday. It was for the first time I have received something like a gift in my entire life. So that was such a special thing even now. Even though it's been nearly 8 years, I still remember it was just like yesterday. So while coming about the gift or the book, certainly it was a great overwhelming experience for me. And that book helped me a lot to know more about the travel narratives as a person who is much more interested in travelogues and travel writings. The book Inc. Senado was a great inspiration for me especially from the writer William Dalrymple. It was a great experience to read his book. And this free gift made me so much concerned on how others feel about me and others stood to keep me happy. So while coming about or explaining how I felt that moment, it was not just a simple birthday, it was a great birthday even for me as I got my first gift in my entire life which I wished so much to have. So this was a gift I received for free. But more than a gift, it's a kind of emotion. And even though it gives me a feeling of love, care and a warmth of concerning,

Band 6-7

On my birthday, when I and my friends went to a café, I got a free piece of cake. And that just made my day and I felt like that was the biggest present I have ever gotten on my birthday. Moreover, the same day, I also received a call from my friend who said that she had booked a flight ticket for me to Goa, which added to the happiness and overall, that birthday was something I could never forget. It still stays in my heart and I am very thankful and grateful to my friend for giving me the surprise and also to the café who made my day, which added to the happiness.

Band 6-7

There are quite a lot of things that I receive freely, for example, recently I have purchased some products for daily basis in purple, it is an app, so for purchasing more than quantity they have given me freebies, for example, they have given me a moisturizer and 3-4 nail polishes which are very wonderful in the colors and a pocket friendly sunscreen and there are several freebies that I get usually, for example, if I didn't do well in any subject even though my father would get me something as an appreciation that I have put my effort, so it was something I get freely from him everything and usually my sister is a fashion designer and she always gives me new cloths without asking for anything as she wants to make me feel more as she always scares me a lot and she has stitched a lot of cloths for me and in appreciation she had developed two different types of cloths which I have wore for my birthday, they are absolutely stunning as it was something dazzling as the color preference, the way she stitched the cloth she used, the hard work she put in is all a mix that I have fell in love with her.

Band 6-7

Well, the gift that I received from my mum was a cupboard full of clothes. It was very lovely of her to fill in all her clothes inside it. When I got it was a couple of months ago, before my birthday, so she wanted me to look very pretty. So she filled in the whole cupboard with a lot of clothes, accessories and what not. And I'm very glad that she did. And each day wearing that around makes me feel very special because it has a lot of different colours. The wardrobe, clothes, accessories, other personal belongings of hers. Well, I always love using my mum's things than having something of my own. Not only just my mum's, I love using something of my friends as well. So it makes me feel more of being a part of what they do every day. So it's something very special and something close to my heart. In addition to all of it, having a cupboard of a lot of things than just a gift is something that I can't explain or express about it. However, the feeling is something that can't be just put in words, but just felt.

Band 6-7

Recently, few months ago, I received a scooty from my parents as a token of my, as a token of appreciation that I cleared my degree, final year degree with good grades. I was very excited and fascinated about it, it's very helpful for me to travel from one place to another, especially from my home to my clinic, the workplace. So when they bought this scooty for me, the brand new scooty, I was very much happy and was very thankful to my parents for appreciating my efforts and purchasing me this precious gift. And also, not only this scooty helps me to travel from one place to another, it also increases the prestige of me in my clinic, when I developed a self of confidence when I use this scooty to go to my clinic. My confidence developed over a period of time and also it helped my colleagues to travel from one place to another, for example, I want to state here, my boss who's the doctor, she usually comes by car, but when I first bought this scooty, it's very much easier for her too to travel from one place to another due to its size. Mostly the city's traffic, it takes so much of time to travel from here to there, but with the help of a light vehicle like scooty, it made possible for me to travel.

Band 6-7

A few years back, when I was 10 years old, I have received a gift which was most memorable gift of my life. It was my birthday and my sister had given me a gift which is a train set and I have loved it and I received that gift because the previous day my sister had come to me and asked what do I want a gift and I said that no it's fine I have you guys so I don't need a gift but my sister she is the sweetest soul and she randomly went with my father to a shop and bought a train set for me. It was beautifully wrapped in a silver tin foil and with a greeting card explaining about happy birthday and I had no idea that it was bought and as they bought it, they gifted me. I felt very happy and surprised when I had opened the gift it was a small train set which I didn't expect so I immediately opened it, assembled it, started playing with it. This is a small moment but which captured my heart and this is the most memorable gift I have ever received and I wouldn't have asked for more.

Band 6-7

I have received in my gift I received a Parker pen and it was gifted by my friend Chandan. I usually don't prefer pens but it's a Parker pen. I like it very much because especially Parker pen improves my handwriting and many things like improves my handwriting and grammatical mistakes and like that so I would definitely say that it was one of the best gift for me that I can improve myself only. I like that.
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