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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 179 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

I still remember my very first day at school, even though it was many years ago. I must have been around 4 or 5 and I joined small kindergarten near my house. The memory is quite vivid because everything felt so new and overwhelming at that age. When I walked into the classroom, I was both nervous and excited. There were colourful posters on the wall, small desks arranged in neat cornrows and shelves full of toys and picture books. At first, I clung into my mother's hand because I don't want her to leave. The teacher welcomed me warmly and introduced me to few other children. What made that day memorable was meeting a girl who later became my closest friend. Throughout primary school, we sat together, drew pictures with crayons and even shared snacks during the break. The simple connection gave us a sense of comfort and gradually I started feeling anxious. Looking back, my first day at school was important because it was my first step to a new environment away from home. It taught me how to be independent, how to make friends and how exciting learning could be when you are surrounded by other curious children. Even today, I think of it as the beginning of my journey as a student.

Band 6-7

Thank you for giving this a great topic, today I would here and give a topic is my first day at school, honestly speaking I didn't remember about my first day at school when I was too young but here I would like to talk about the day when I joined the secondary school that is in 2016, my school name is Champ Public School and my first day at school is very tough because I didn't know anyone in the school, when I entered in my classroom I just sat on the last bench, suddenly there was a girl named Shaheen, she came near to me and say hi, how are you, I said just say fine and the vibe we had at that time is very good, moreover she was the first person whom I met in my first day.

Band 6-7

I can't forget my first day of my school when I went there for the first time I was crying throughout on my way to school. In addition, my school is located in my hometown itself and I went there with my grandfather. So my grandfather bought a lot of chocolate secretly and he gave to the teacher so she could give me and I feel comfortable. In first time I went there without my parents like there was no one from my family. Moreover, the whole day I was nervous and I wasn't excited and happy and the teacher gave me chocolates and like she was very friendly. She took care of me but still I was very anxious and I was not happy. When I returned home, I told to my parents that I don't want to go to school again. It's good to go to school and if you want to become something so you have to study right. Then they convinced me and finally the other day I went to school with lots of motivation

Band 6-7

School days are the best moments of one's life. School days always cherish our childhood memories. Here I would like to say about my first day at my school, which was at the age of five years old. I was studying at St. Joseph Girls' Higher Secondary School, Changanashree. The first day was quite anxious and I wasn't comfortable at school. But my aunt was a teacher at my school, so she was there for me to comfort me and pamper me all the time. So after a period, I didn't see my aunt at my classes, so I was a bit afraid and cried. And my teacher was so very kind. She gave me chocolate and comforted me, and that makes me more comfortable and feel better. I felt way better. That was the day I still remember. For everyone's life, the first day may be anxious or curious about how it will be. And I was also the same person, the same way I was afraid to stay there at school. And somehow that experience taught me to adapt to the new environment. And I got my friends, and my friends made my school days much more comfortable and happier.

Band 6-7

I would like to describe about my first day of my school. It was from my primary to the higher secondary. So I live in Ooty. So from primary to higher secondary we have to shift the school. So in that case I have entered a new school. I was over the moon when I joined the school and the first day I couldn't forget because it was my extreme red letter day because I met my dearest friend from my previous school. So I was very glad that she also joined the same school to study along with me. I have joined the school from 6th standard to I completed my school until plus 2. So all together for long 7 years we both were together and have choose the same courses. I will never forget my school. For example, it was the first day I was wearing since it was the first day I was wearing color dress and pink color salwar. So that was very I feel myself like an angel and I felt very glad to enter the school and everyone has wished me so have given me so compliment about my clothes.

Band 6-7

Well, I don't remember much about my first day at school because it has been a long time since I joined the school. However, I still remember a small thing, small clip in my mind where I just remember that my father and my mother both dropped me at school and it was my class teacher who just held my hand tightly while I was still crying, looking at my parents' face, just trying to speak out something that I don't want to join the school, I don't want to go to the school. However, that was not possible. I had to stay back at the school till it was school boarding time. Later I just managed to settle in the school somehow, but that was a day I was really scared about the new environment, new friends, new teachers.

Band 6-7

When I was 7 years old, I first went to my school. The school name was St. Mary's School. It is an English medium school. And I entered in the nursery room where the kids like me are playing around. There is a teacher who takes care of the kids in the nursery class. I was very excited for the first time I entered the class of nursery. On that day, first we all played together. There are many toys like slider, basketball, footballs, plastic bags, bats and rubber balls etc. were present. At 1 p.m., there was a break of lunch. Madam offered snacks to the children which include biscuits, wafers, chips etc. And then at 2 p.m., teacher taught us alphabets from A to Z. And later in the end, at 4 p.m., the school bell rang. We all were heading for the exit gate of the school. Teacher made a line to go through the children. And we all greeted the teacher and said goodbye. That was an exciting day for me.

Band 6-7

My first day of school is something which I never forget in my life. I still remember, I was waiting for my mom at my corridor to just come and pick me up. Because it was so awkward for me and so memorable for me. The first day, when my mom and dad came and just kicked me off from the school, I was like, I was feeling relieved. I was like, who is this new people who is surrounded by me? I really don't know them. And teachers were there. It made me very anxious at that time. Oh God, I'm going to stay here. I'm going to study here. But at that part of time and on the first day, it was very difficult for me to analyze what is going on. After first, second day, I guess it has changed completely. I got new friends. I still remember the friends which I made at my first grade. Her name was Neha and it was a very beautiful relationship with her. We had a lot of fun together. We belonged to same language and our parents knew each other. So I kind of got a company. Okay, someone is there for me. So we used to play a lot. I guess it's a general thing. First day of school, which makes you very nervous. And when teacher tell you, come and introduce yourself, it makes you so nervous. You're going to introduce yourself in front of people around you. But that is a starting step. That is starting pillar, which we are going forward. And it helps you in a lot of ways. It helps you to make a lot of friends. During school time, I still remember I faced a lot of criticism. I was not good at many ways, but that criticism actually made me strong who I am today. So school life has portrayed a very major role in me. And I am so grateful that I went to that phase in my life. And first day of school still makes me feel, God, I can be my mother's daughter again.

Band 6-7

My school life started at St. Mary's Convent School. It's located in my hometown, which is 5 minutes walking distance. My grandfather used to take me each and every day. It all started when I was in the first grade. I was brought up in an orthodox household where I was not allowed to move out or to just engage with people. All I can remember is the day was very good. I had a lot of fun and we started off with introduction. Our teacher, Rajkumari ma'am, she's very close to my heart. I still remember her. She treated me well and as I mentioned, it was quite difficult and something new for me. I couldn't open up much, but I definitely shed tears on the first day of my school. Because I wasn't a bad kid.

Band 6-7

It was not my first day in first grade, but it was my first day in 8th grade, to a completely different school. My father decided to send me there, as it was a CBSE school, and at that time CBSE was quite hyped. When I first went there, I was quite nervous. I didn't know who to talk, who to ask. I was so nervous that I couldn't know. I was like, where is my class? How can I even study there? I started to miss my old school, my old friends. I really wanted to go back to my old school. And on the way there, I cried. Basically to my new school, we need to take a bus. It was school bus. It almost takes around 2-3 hours to reach there. So it was quite exhausting. And then I came home and told my parents that I really don't want to go there. I cried my whole day like that. It was a great day as I made new friends. I was nervous, but they helped me to open up and tell them how I felt about the school. To sum it up, I felt quite nervous.
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