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Describe your first day at school.: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

  • When & where did you go to?
  • What happened there?
  • How did you feel on that day?
Show all 183 answers

Cue 1:When & where did you go to?

  • Begin by mentioning the name of the school and its location to set the context.
  • Include the date or year to give a sense of time and personal significance.

Example

I started my first day at St. Xavier's School in Mumbai in June 2005. It was a bright sunny morning, and I remember feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness as I stepped into the school premises for the very first time.

Cue 2:What happened there?

  • Describe the activities that took place during your first day, such as meeting teachers and classmates.
  • Mention any memorable events or interactions that stood out to you.

Example

On that day, I was introduced to my class teacher, Mrs. Sharma, who was very welcoming. We had a brief orientation session where I met my classmates. I vividly remember playing games during recess, which helped break the ice and made me feel more comfortable.

Cue 3:How did you feel on that day?

  • Share your emotions and thoughts throughout the day, highlighting any changes in your feelings.
  • Reflect on how the experience shaped your view of school and learning.

Example

Initially, I felt anxious about fitting in, but as the day progressed, I started to feel more at ease. By the end of the day, I was filled with joy and anticipation for what the rest of the school year would bring.

Conclusion

  • Summarize your overall experience and its impact on your life.
  • Mention how that first day influenced your attitude towards school in general.

Example

Looking back, my first day at school was a pivotal moment in my life. It not only marked the beginning of my education but also taught me the importance of stepping out of my comfort zone. That day laid the foundation for many wonderful friendships and learning experiences.

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: Avoid Vague Descriptions

Using vague language can make your response less engaging and informative. Specific details help the examiner understand your experience better.

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Tip

Include specific details about the location, activities, and people you encountered on your first day to create a vivid picture.

2: Don't Rush Your Response

Speaking too quickly can lead to unclear communication and missed details. It's important to pace yourself for better clarity.

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Tip

Take a moment to organize your thoughts before speaking, and practice speaking slowly to ensure your ideas are conveyed clearly.

Neglecting Emotions

Failing to express your feelings can make your answer less relatable. Emotions add depth to your story and engage the listener.

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Tip

Share how you felt during your first day, whether it was excitement, nervousness, or joy, to connect with the examiner on a personal level.

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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

First days of school, well that is the most difficult of days one would say. You don't know anybody, you don't know the place, you don't know what to do, where to go. So I think the first day of school approach should be quite scientific and methodical. So I would first go to the reception desk, find out where my class is and after that I would go to the library because that's important to me and find out every detail there is about the library, what it provides, the sources. Then, cheekily, quite cheekily might I add, I would ask the staff if they know any teachers that would teach me according to the classes that I have and if they did I would ask them to describe the teachers if they could and the classes. And then maybe after that go towards my classes and then see and maybe try to make a couple of friends. Moreover, I would like to meet the sporting department to see what sports there are because I love sports. I am a nerd but I am also a sporty nerd so I would go to a sporting game with my book in hand.

Band 6-7

I'm not sure if I can vividly remember my first day at school but if I were to reflect on it, I think what my mind is making me reflect on is how I was very anxious and I did not want to go to school. I was around 3 or 4 years old at that time and I lived in another city back then. I did not reside in Delhi. My mother dropped me to school and she met the teachers and they greeted me with a warm smile but I remember crying a lot and not wanting to leave my mother. After that, the school engaged us in a lot of different activities and made the students interact with one another. I remember feeling happy at the end of the day and having a good first day. I think this first day at school is symbolic of how life in general makes us feel whenever we are venturing into a new place or entering a new phase of our life. We always feel that anxiety and that unease in our body but when we actually participate or when we actually go ahead and absorb ourselves into that experience, we end up having a good time which makes us realize that all the anxiety and all the worry was just a mental roadblock. If we actually immerse ourselves into the world and don't try to give in to the fears, I think we will be limitless.

Band 6-7

Okay, I got into the nursery school when I was a child, so at that time, I was so nervous. This was the first time that I went to the school and I had no idea who were the people there, what kind of person I was going to meet. I have nothing in my mind. So, I went to my classroom and I got to know one girl and she is very smart. I am very dumb in the way she is very smart and she has taken care of me. She told me everything that she is this, she is that, you have to be like this in the school, you have to be like that. So, if you are this way, people will respect you, people will treat you as a good girl. So, you should not treat others like dumb, you should not scold, you should not yell. I mean these, the rules and responsibilities you have to carry when you are going to the college, these things she told me. At that time, I realized, okay, that I have one girl that I can lean on. So, I was still very happy to sitting beside her and sharing everything. So, yeah, at that moment I felt, okay, school days will be the best days yet and yeah, school days had the best days in my life.

Band 6-7

My first day at school was when I was three years old. I went to Playview School in Buzapur, Bihar. It was situated in, I don't remember my first day exactly, very vividly. But I felt, I must have felt nervous and anxious also because I was away from my parents. At the same time I was excited also because for the first time I wore my school uniform and my parents bought me new bag, lunch box, stationery. Additionally, I was so fond of stationery when I was a kid. So, therefore I used to buy everything in pink colour since I am a girl. And I, my, furthermore my bottles, my bags, my lunch box, everything used to be in pink colour. And I still remember my Playway teacher who was there. She was a Bengali and she used to teach us. She was so nice and so kind. Now that I am 25 years old, I still remember her. And let me tell you one thing, she was so beautiful. She was so beautiful and she used to make us feel so loved. Furthermore, I didn't used to feel like that I was in a school. Very early on, I started liking to go to school.

Band 6-7

My favorite first day of school would be when I was in ninth and I changed from government school to Narayana school. I was so excited as it was my first day and I met people around which are of my age and which have the same mentality as mine. I had a great bond with all of them and on my first day I introduced myself and they too did the same. We had a special bond which will never ever be broken. I still have contacts with my friends. I actually felt so amazed, so thrilled on my first day and I carried so many books on that day. I didn't know that there would be no classes on the first day but I thought... Okay, only three points. Where and when did you go? What happened there? How do you feel on the day? My favorite first day of school would be in my ninth class. I went to Narayana Olympiad school from my government school. It was the very first branch and we are the very first high school students. I met so many people who are of my age and have the same mentality as mine. I enjoyed it really a lot on my first day. It was so exciting, so thrilling and so new to me and everyone around me also was so friendly. We had a nice and really special bond. We never knew that we would be this much attached and those friends of mine of that school are really really really special to me. I have felt a bit awkward too on that day because I brought so many books on the day and no one has brought that many books on their first days.

Band 6-7

My first day at school was so exciting, I feel so excited and nervous at the same time because when I went to school I was six years old, so I was just thinking about how can I talk to everyone and that kind of feeling, but however it was so interesting, I meet with new people and everyone from another place, so we meet each other and make new friends. My teachers treated me with snacks such as ice cream and samosa that is famous in my hometown and my grandmother make sure that you will feel definitely good at that place. If you don't feel like you don't want to go then don't worry I will take you home back and try to send you another school, but I feel so welcome there and it was so nice to meet with everyone. Along with that my first day I meet with a teacher named Nisha, she was really beautiful and intelligent. She just communicate with us and we feel like home, but when we start attending class she was little sick because we are behaving badly.

Band 6-7

So, I joined my school for the first time when I was 4 years old. I can say I was not a great fan of going to school or something like that, but however I had to, my parents forced me to go to school. Anyways it was my first day and I was unaware of lots of things. The first thing I did was cry. I cried a lot, which my mom still makes fun of me. And then, when I went to college, I don't really remember very well, but I felt like I'm alone or something uncomfortable feeling. I even thought I'm at the something new place where I got bit tough to adjust. However, later on I got adjusted and I became friends with lots of my classmates. As I remember in the kindergarten, they used to make us play lots of games and they used to teach us the alphabets like A, B, C, D and 1, 2, 3, 4, such kind of normal things. Also with rhyming words and some kind of poems, so it was fun. So I would like to say that I was scared to go to school on the first day as lot of other children also will be, I feel. However, later on I got adjusted. So now if I think about those days, I just feel like I was a bit much worried, which was not a big deal. Still, as a child, we all will have some other kind of fear and we came out of all those fears and today we are standing here.

Band 6-7

My first day of school was in the year of 2007, when I was 3 years old. I had been to a playgroup before, but I never had an opportunity to meet and greet other kids of my age. I remember it was a normal day in school. I met a lot of my teachers and I introduced myself to them, which was, again, terrifying at first, but once I got to know my teachers, it became much easier. I think I remember we were describing toy cards to one another. The teachers were really supportive and extremely friendly, but I remember I was extremely scared to go to school because for the 3 years I was attached to my mother and I never wanted to leave her ever. So it was a huge step for me to take and I'm glad that I took it because it helped me become a better man.

Band 6-7

My first day at school was in the year 2013 and I was extremely promoted from middle school to high school. My high school building was located 10 km away from my middle school building of my high school. That day I was really nervous. I wasn't really sure how to feel about going out. I had a mixed feeling. I was anxious, excited and a bit anxious whether I'll be able to make new friends or not. That day I remember the first thing when we arrived at the school was that we all were lined up and then we were told our sections and what sections are allotted to us. After we were allotted, we went to our respective classes and there I tried to find a similar face in the crowd but I wasn't able to find one. I got really anxious because as an introvert I don't really know how to connect with people or go and start a conversation. So I was really in a dilemma whether I would be able to enjoy my school life ahead or not. Previously in my school I didn't have many friends but the few people I had were the best.

Band 6-7

I don't exactly remember the first day at my school. When I was three years old I requested the principal of my brother's school to give admission to me in his school but he told me to wait for one more year and finally the day arrived. When it came to reality I was very sad that I have I had to stay away from my parents to be in school. The name of the school was Meridi Senior Secondary School and it was 30 minutes far from my house. For the first time I got an uniform. It was a navy blue in color and it was with a shirt and pinafore with belt, black color shoes and navy blue socks. Also there was a blue color ribbon which has to be tied as a part of uniform. My father took me to the school for the first time and when he asked me to sit in the class I started crying and holding tightly to my dad not letting do not let me go. Finally the class teacher gave me a car to play with to comfort me. I cried and cried and also I went to my brother's classroom crying. Starting I was sad then I
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