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Describe when someone gave you something you really wanted /a gift your received: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

  • Who gave it to you?
  • What was the thing?
  • When you received it?
  • Why you needed it?
  • How you felt about it?
Show all 125 answers

Cue 1:Who gave it to you?

  • Begin by introducing the person who gave you the gift, mentioning your relationship with them.
  • Share a brief background about why this person is significant to you.

Example

The gift was given to me by my younger sister, Priya. She has always been my closest companion and knows me better than anyone else.


Cue 2:What was the thing?

  • Clearly describe the gift you received, including its name and any special features.
  • Explain why this particular item was something you really wanted.

Example

The gift was a beautiful leather backpack that I had been eyeing for months. It was stylish and perfect for my college needs, with enough space for my books and laptop.


Cue 3:When you received it?

  • Mention the occasion or event during which you received the gift.
  • Provide a timeline to give context, such as the month or year.

Example

I received it on my birthday last year, which made the moment even more special as I had been hinting at wanting it for a while.


Cue 4:Why you needed it?

  • Explain the practical reasons for wanting the gift, such as utility or necessity.
  • Share any emotional reasons that made the gift more significant.

Example

I needed the backpack for my daily college commute, as my old bag was falling apart. It also represented my sister's understanding of my needs and style.


Cue 5:How you felt about it?

  • Describe your emotional reaction upon receiving the gift.
  • Share how this gift impacted your relationship with the giver.

Example

I felt incredibly grateful and happy when I unwrapped it. It made me realize how thoughtful my sister is, and it strengthened our bond even more.


Conclusion

  • Summarize the importance of the gift in your life.
  • Reflect on how this experience has influenced your views on giving and receiving gifts.

Example

In conclusion, this gift was not just a backpack; it was a symbol of love and understanding. It taught me the value of thoughtful gifts and how they can strengthen relationships.


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: Lack of Detail in Responses

Providing vague answers can make your response less engaging and informative. It's important to give specific details to create a vivid picture for the examiner.

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Tip

Use descriptive language and include specific examples about the gift, such as its appearance, significance, and your feelings.


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 aspects of the topic.

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Tip

Make sure to answer each cue in order, providing a clear and structured response that flows logically.


Overly Simple Language

Using very basic language can limit your score. It's important to demonstrate a range of vocabulary and grammatical structures to impress the examiner.

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Tip

Practice using varied vocabulary and complex sentences to express your thoughts more clearly and effectively.


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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 6-7

Recently, I received a gift from my girlfriend actually. I received a watch from her. It was a very beautiful watch. Black color. Matte black actually. And a shiny dial is there. The minute hands, the hour hand. Everything is so perfect. The very thing when someone says that watch, that thing was in my mind and she brought it for me. And that's really what at that day, I actually felt very special. And it was actually my birthday that day. It was 7th of February 2025 when she gave that watch to me. I really needed it because I what she saw, I usually get late everywhere, wherever I had to go. I usually reach there 20, 30, even an hour has passed already when I reach there. And nowadays, watch is also a fashion statement. People see you as a person who values time, who values someone's presence in their life when they watch a fashion statement. And at that day, I really felt that she values me. She loves me. She adored me. Really felt special that day. And later, I also gave her a very beautiful watch on her birthday.

Band 6-7

I always wanted a cold drink and my wife gifted me that, it was very beautiful. I needed it always because my fingers were empty and I needed a ring for my finger and obviously it was a very expensive gift from my wife which she gave me and I am really proud of her that she gifted me that ring.

Band 6-7

So the time when I was gifted something I really wanted was my last birthday, which was two months ago. I was gifted a very stunning dress from a brand that I really like by my cousin. It is a gift that I'll hold really close to my heart forever. I've been eyeing this dress for a while, but I've always hesitated to buy it because of the price and since I've been trying to manage my finances better, it is something that I chose voluntarily not to buy. But my cousin made note of it and bought it for my birthday and I was extremely surprised. I still did not wear it because it still feels very surreal that I have it in my closet. And I've made sure to tell my cousin as to how grateful I am. The thought behind that gift, everything has touched me in such a way. In a way, this birthday has become really the best birthday of mine, probably because of the dress.

Band 6-7

My brother gave me the gift which is very special for me on my birthday. It is iPhone 16 and he gifted me as a surprise. So I was very happy to receive it. And I always wanted to buy an iPhone which is always a dream of a girl. And I got it on my special occasion on my birthday. So I was very overwhelmed by the gift and I was really very happy.

Band 6-7

okay so for on my birthday on June 14th it was my birthday last time so I got a coffee tumbler it was given to me by my boyfriend I always wanted to have one this was a gift that I will always share because the coffee tumbler gives you a Pinterest-y aesthetic but I like things like that so I wanted it always and I was so happy to get that I was really surprised also when I got this yeah that's all so yeah this coffee tumbler is a brown color tumbler with a leather strap around it and it's made of glass it's really aesthetic it's really beautiful you can carry it to the office your lab to have hot drinks you can store cool things in that yeah that's all

Band 6-7

My mom gave it to me. It was a hoodie. She gave it on my 18th birthday. It was so close to my heart. That hoodie was black color. I felt very happy in that moment when she gave me that. It was a birthday present for me. She has really put effort to search for that hoodie for me, I think. It was one of the most memorable gift I will remember.

Band 6-7

The gift that I always wanted was a bicycle. This bicycle was gifted by my father. The gift that I always wanted was a bicycle. This gift was presented to me by my father. I would use this gift to go daily to my tuitions and my friends were really happy that I got this bicycle. We used to go cycling together every evening after our tuition classes. This bicycle is not only my gift, it's a part of my life now. It's like a companion that I took to go from one place to another. Also, this present was very emotionally attached to me through my highs and lows in life. This cycle was always by me. If I were to give somebody something, I would also give them a bicycle. Because it's not only transports you from one place to another, it's also beneficial for your health and provides a mode of exercise. I would also not ensure that I give somebody something like alcohol or beverages because it spoils their health and also puts them into sickness.

Band 6-7

so this beautiful gift that I received was last month and it was from an amazing friend I received an iPhone iPhone 17 Pro it was right before my trip to Italy and I since last seven to eight years I have been using an Android phone and with time I have noticed that I'm unable to take good and clear pictures through my phone and as Italy has always been a very touristic place and you know with a lot of history with a lot of culture I really wanted my pictures to be the best so that I so that I can show it to my friends and family but because of the quality of my phone I was quite upset and nervous and my friend very well knew about how I felt therefore one day around 20 days before my trip he took me to a proper shop where they sell iPhones and then he helped me buy one it was a beautiful gift it's it's very new and it is blue in color and the first time I held it in my hand I was very overwhelmed I almost cried because I have always been on an Android phone user and it was my first time that I was going to use an iPhone but above all I was very thankful to my friend for making this happen

Band 6-7

A gift that I really wanted was the video game Minecraft. I was 10 years old when I first heard about it. I saw online videos of YouTubers playing that game. My friends also used to play. They all had paid versions, but I only managed to get a bootleg copy of the game, so I couldn't play with them. For continuously 2 years, I asked my father to buy me that game, but I was denied continuously. But finally, on my 13th birthday, my father surprised me with the game. I was overjoyed when I saw it in my account, and the first thing I did was call all my friends and tell them to log in on the game. We played for approximately 3-4 hours that night, and that was one of the best gifts that I had received on my birthday.

Band 6-7

Gifts are a very important part of a human's life. Everyone loves gifts. For me also, it is something which is very important for me. The gift which I like the most is the laptop which I have right now, which was gifted to me by my uncle who is a software engineer in USA. I like this gift because I am a computer geek and I needed it because there were practicals which are necessary for me to participate and it really helped me to score good marks in my paper. And I really liked how it became a reason.

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