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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 7

I don't remember much of my first day at school. What memories I do have are from fading photographs and recollections given by my family. I want to say that I did not cry, that I fit in quite quickly, but I did not. As I sat in that dingy, dim little classroom, I missed my parents and my little brother, but the teachers worked hard to make sure that we stayed connected and were engaged with the classes. They made us do lots of exercises, varied kinds of exercises, physical exercises, numerical exercises, intellectual exercises, and made us socialize amongst ourselves. That helped me, and I also had my cousin with me when I went to school. So at the end of the day, when my mother and her sister came to pick me up, I was happily sitting on a caterpillar toy, on a caterpillar slide, and that's where they found me, playing with my cousin, going up and down, up and down, and then we went back home. All in all, it was a pretty memorable first day of school.

Band 7

My first day at the school was both exciting and a little scary. I remember waking up early, wearing my new uniform, and carrying a new school bag. My parents walked me to the school gates, and everything around me looked big and unfamiliar. The classroom, the playgrounds, and the other children. At the first day, I was nervous to leave my parents, but my teacher welcomed me with a warm smile. She introduced me to some other students, and soon we started playing together. We sang songs, learned the alphabets, and even drew pictures. By the end of the day, I didn't want to go home because I had already started enjoying my new school, which was a day I never forgot, the beginning of the wonderful learning journey.

Band 7

I still remember my first day at school very clearly, even though it happened many years ago. I was about 5 years old when my parents took me to a nearby primary school for the first time. The name of the school was Genius Grammar School and it looked very big and colourful to me at that age. I remember feeling both excited and nervous. I wore a brand new uniform, shiny black shoes and carried a small bag with some pencils and notebooks. My mother held my hand tightly as we walked to my classroom. When we reached, my teacher Ms. Bhuvaneshwari greeted me with a warm smile, which made me feel a little more comfortable. First I was shy and didn't talk much, but as the day went on, I started making new friends. We played games, sang songs and even drew pictures. I particularly remember one girl named Isha, who later became my best friend. By the end of the day, I didn't want to go home because I had enjoyed myself so much that the day marked the beginning of the new chapter in my life. It taught me how to be independent and confident in new environment. Overall, my first day at school was a memorable and happy experience that I will never forget.

Band 7

The first day at school that I clearly remember was when I joined primary school at the age of about 5. It was my very first step into a primary classroom, so naturally I was both excited and nervous. I still remember that I hugged my mom tightly when we reached the school gate. Everything looked big and new to me, the building, the playground, and even the other children who were already playing. A teacher welcomed us warmly and asked us to sit in the circle. She gave us some toys and colorful books to make us feel comfortable. At first I was a little shy and didn't talk too much, but then one boy sitting next to me shared his crayon, and that small gesture made me feel at ease. We also sang a rhyme together, which was a fun activity. By the time school ended, I had already made two friends and now no longer felt afraid. I still remember that day because it was the beginning of my education journey. It taught me how to adjust to my new environment and meet new people. Today when I pass from my old school building, all those childhood memories come back to me and I feel nostalgic.

Band 7

I don't really remember my first day at school, preschool, but from what my parents and family say, it was not exactly pleasant. Apparently, I cried the whole day because I was away from my parents and my grandparents, which is understandable for a kid who never really spent time away from them. Though I do remember stepping into Presidency School for the first time when I was six years old. Presidency is where I spent the 12 years of my schooling. The first day was very exciting while also nerve-wracking. I was entering a school and a class full of people I didn't know, and I wasn't exactly the most talkative person out there. I was an introvert, still am, and I didn't really speak to anyone on my first day. All I remember is stepping into that school with my school bag and being introduced to the class teacher, who took all of us, the 20 or so kids, to class and introduced herself, asked us to introduce each other. Now, that made me extremely nervous because, first of all, I didn't know anyone there and I didn't really want to speak either, especially in front of so many people. I'd never done that before, but overall, while it was scary, I would say it was really good too.

Band 7

For many people the first day at school is a very hazy memory but I remember my first day very well. So my first day at my school was at New Millennium School in Bahrain and I was four years old at that time. I very well remember that as soon as I stepped into the school I was first introduced to my homeroom teacher and she was a very sweet, kind-hearted school. She loved her kids, she loved her students and she made sure that all of them were feeling homely because it was their first day. My experience was very good. I did not cry at all. I was looking at other children who were crying and they were just stubborn to go home but I wasn't crying at all. I was very confident and I made a lot of new friends. That day I had a lot of candies, they gave us sleep time and they made us do a lot of fun activities like colouring, drawing. So that was the best day of my school to be honest.

Band 7

I still remember my first day at school very vividly, even though it happened many years ago. I was around 5 years old and my parents took me to a small primary school near our house. To be honest, I was both excited and nervous at the same time because it was the first time I was leaving the comfort of home and entering a new complete environment. The moment I walked into the classroom, everything felt strange. The smell of chalk, the colorful charts on the walls and neatly arranged desks. My teacher welcomed me with a warm smile, which made me feel a little more comfortable. I sat next to a boy who later became one of my closest friends and I still remember how we exchanged crayon to break the ice. At first, I cried a little because I saw other children crying too, but gradually the fear turned into curiosity. We were given small tasks like learning how to hold a pencil properly and drawing simple shapes. What fascinated me most was the playground. During the break, I ran around with other kids and for the first time, I felt a sense of belonging outside my family. Looking back, my first day at school was the turning point. It taught me how to adapt a new situation and interact with strangers. Even though it started with tears, it ended with laughter. And that memory still reminds me that every new beginning feels uncomfortable at first, but can turn into something meaningful.

Band 7

I remember my first day at school. It was when I was this little toddler who barely knew a few words. It was B group, the class I used to go to. It was kind of a fun and horrible experience at the same time. I went up to the school with my mom. My mom left me in the class and she left. I was all alone in the class, scared, agitated and annoyed. I cried a lot. I cried a lot that day. Gradually, things got better. I made new friends and school life became my favorite. My school was a co-curricular English medium school. It used to follow the British curriculum. The name of my school is Sire International School. The most interesting thing is I have been going to the school since B group till my E levels. The entire time I was in the same school. School was my life. I still remember my school days and I have nothing but good memories in my heart. My school days were amazing. I still remember the days I used to play football on the field, open grass and beautiful skies. Nothing to worry about, just good times with my friends. My school had some amazing teachers as well. The teachability was so good. It was great. It was just like family. They used to teach me and every other student just like their own. I was a good football player back in the days. I used to play a lot of football. I got a few awards playing football back in the days. It was my life. I graduated in the year 2016. It was a very amazing year. We were at high school and the entire school was there.

Band 7

On my first day of school, I remember being very nervous. If I have to describe myself, nervousness isn't an adjective I would associate myself with, even as a 5-year-old. I had packed my bag, ironed my school uniform a day prior because I was trembling with excitement. We used to live in a defence establishment which was located 15 km away from the school. Thus, we had a bus to pick us up and drop us at the school. My mother was a teacher in the same premises, therefore, I wasn't completely unfamiliar with my new surroundings. As soon as I stepped foot inside my school, I realised that this is going to be my home for the next 12 years. This is going to be a place where I'll make friends, which later would become my family. I've realised that this school will give me opportunities that I could not have imagined. When I went into the class, I saw a couple of familiar faces that I had known from before school that put me at ease. However, soon I realised that I was good at making friends. I did not feel alienated in these new surroundings. I got to know how we can deal and communicate with people who have different ideas than us. All in all, it was a good experience.

Band 7

It was back in 2004. The name of my school was Cameron Hall situated in cantonment area of Dehradun, Uttarakhand. I was very nervous at first to enter the school as it was a different setting altogether. In contrast to staying back at home at the comfort of my house under the security of my parents, this was a new environment where I entered and was in the company of strange people who I had not met before. The very first day I remember was filled with instances of me introducing myself to my classmates. I remember I made a few friends on the first day itself and slowly and steadily that dwelled into becoming very strong friendships that I held over the span of next 20-30 years as well. I remember my first class teacher was ma'am Sushma who used to teach us English and I still have very fond memories of learning and absorbing the lessons that she shared with us on a daily basis. I feel that the break time was also very helpful where I got to meet my friends in a more informal setting. We played together some sports and very quickly the break was over. During the break, we also shared our food with each other and post that we got back to our regular studies. At the end, I left, my mom had come to pick me up and I shared all my experience with her.
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