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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 7

My first day at school was not really a day where I attended the classes. It was the first day when I went for the orientation program for the admission to the school. So firstly I must say that I was shocked and awestruck by the immensity of the building. I have never been to that kind of a large building where there are so many rooms and long balconies and corridors. So I thought I will I felt so little within that building. So that was my first impression on the architectural building of the of my school. But also then I met a lot of boys. It was a boys school and they became very close friends immediately and we were close friends for a long time after that. And during the orientation I met one of my favorite teachers in the school who was a geography teacher and he taught a lot about how we can scientifically understand the happenings of the natural world. For example how rain is created, how earthquakes work. So that was very interesting first day for me and that actually set the tone for my rest of my years in the school. And my school is also a colonial era school. It was built during the colonial period. So in that orientation program I got to learn the history of my school and eventually I got to also know that my parents relatives were also taught there. So that kind of a revelation really made my day.

Band 7

My first day at school is something I still remember very clearly, even though I was very young. I went to a small primary school in my hometown and it was the first time I was going somewhere without my parents staying with me the whole time. I remember holding my mother's hand very tightly while walking through the school gate. Everything looked so big, the classrooms, the playground, even the other children who seemed so confident compared to me. When I entered my classroom, I saw many new faces. Some children were crying, some were busy talking and a few were just quietly looking around just like me. Our class teacher came in with a warm smile and welcomed all of us. She introduced herself and told us that it was perfectly normal to feel a little scared on the first day. Her voice was very calm and that made me feel slightly more comfortable. We were asked to sit in a circle and introduce ourselves. When it was my turn, I felt really nervous and my voice was shaking a bit, but I still managed to say my name and a few things about myself. After that, the teacher showed us around the school, the library, playground and activity room. The moment I liked the most was when she gave each of us a small chocolate to make us feel at home. By the end of the day, I had already spoken to a few children and one of them became my best ever school friend. Even though I was scared in the morning, I slowly started enjoying the activities, the colors on the classroom walls and the friendly environment. When my parents came to pick me up, I actually didn't want to leave. So overall, my first day at school was a mix of fear, excitement and curiosity. It taught me that new beginnings may feel scary at first, but they often turn into beautiful memories.

Band 7

I still remember my first day at school as clearly as day, even though it was two decades ago, I was around five years old and I was enrolled at St. Stephen's Primary School in central London. I recall the morning being a blur of activity, my mother, trying her best to appear calm, walked me through the main entrance. The school itself seemed absolutely enormous to my little self, a towering imposing building filled with the sounds of the children's chatter and nervous excitement. Initially, I felt a deep sense of trepidation. The sheet novently of the environment was quite overwhelming. The most vivid event of the day was the introduction to the classroom. Our teacher, a very gentle woman named Mrs. Davis, has us all sit in a circle on the floor. I remember holding onto my new pencil case, clutching it tightly as a kind of a security blanket. We spent the first hour doing an incredible icebreaker, drawing pictures of our families. It was at that point that my apprehension began to dissipate. I quickly realised that all the other children were just as nervous and excited as I was. The key moment that shifted my mood was lunchtime, sharing a massive table with twenty other children and trying to figure out which colourful lunchbox belonged to me. It was an adventure in itself. In conclusion, by the time the final bell rang, my initial apprehension had been entirely replaced by sheer exhilaration. I felt feeling utterly exhausted but profoundly proud of myself for navigating a completely new world. I could not wait to go back the next day.

Band 7

My first day at school was still crystal clear in my mind, even though it happened when I was just five years old. It was a bright July morning and I remember wearing a brand new blue uniform that my mother had ironed at least three times the previous night. I felt both excited and terrified at the same. My tiny hand was gripping my father's finger so tightly that he kept joking my palm would leave marks on his skin. When we reached the school gate, there were hundreds of children crying, some clinging to their parents, others were running around happily. The building looked enormous to me, with colorful charts on the walls and the smell of fresh paint everywhere. My classroom was on the ground floor, decorated with balloons and animal posters. Our class teacher, Mrs. Arora, had the kindest smile. She welcomed each student with a small toffee, which instantly calmed me down. The first activity was drawing our family on a sheet of paper. I drew stick figures with huge heads and even bigger smiles. And when the teacher painted my drawing on the board, I felt so proud. During the break, I made my first school friend, Rohan. We bonded over sharing lunch. By the time the final bell rang, I didn't want to leave on the way home. Instead of feeling shy, I kept talking non-stop about everything I had seen and done.

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.
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