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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 69 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

Unfortunately, I can't remember the first day of school. However, what my mother narrates to me is, as compared to other students, I was quite keen and excited for my first day at school. A day before my first day, I had packed my bags, I had purchased a new lunch box and a new stationery box to store my items and I slept very early that day. The morning when I had to go to school, I woke up very early, took a bath all by myself, got dressed up and my mother braided my hair so beautifully. I was looking very cute that day, I still have a photo with me. As it was my first day, both of my parents, they decided to go drop me off. And I am very glad that my mother clicked a lot of pictures that day, which I can still look at and relish my childhood memories. Another thing that my mother told me when I came back from school that day, I was full of energy, I had so many stories to narrate what I did. Moreover that I made new friends at my first day and turns out I found one of my neighbours as my classmate.

Band 6-7

I don't remember the days of my kindergarten or the first day of my kindergarten. Although I do recollect the first day of my second grade. As it was, as I had started recently, I had moved to a new school. So, following few days ago, before the start of the school, I had done all the preparations like I had put covers to my new books, I had bought a new bag, I had bought new shoes and clothes for my first day. I was quite excited prior to the first day. But when the day arrived, my father had dropped me to the school and when I saw my father leaving after dropping me, I got very emotional and I started to cry. It was quite a heavy thing that my father is going to leave and it was quite hard for me to see him go. So, I started crying uncontrollably. The whole day I spent looking through the window, if he is there or if he has arrived to come and pick me. But at the end of the day, when I saw him, I was so happy, I hugged him and I kissed him and I told him that you should stay with me in the school and not leave me. So, it was quite an emotional day for me. But looking back, I feel it was an actual reaction.

Band 6-7

I remember very vividly the first day of my school. At the time I was only 4 years old. I remember my teacher, I can clearly picture her in front of me. She was wearing a bright yellow dress and she had spectacles on. She had her hair up and she had worn pink lipstick. And I particularly remember this other detail of hers. She was wearing Adidas shoes. And at the time that fascinated me because of the vibrant colors in the shoes. I was made to sit at the back of the class because I was a new entrant into the class. And I had vision issues. I was not aware of the issues that I had. And beyond a point I started complaining to my parents that I was not able to see the board. And they solved these problems by taking me to the hospital and booking an appointment with an ophthalmologist. He suggested spectacles and ever since I got the spectacles I loved going to school because I was able to see all of the things very clearly. Moreover I had gotten very close to some of my bench mates and they are still in contact with me. They are some of the best friends that I have got in my life. In addition to that I remember having shared my lunch along with my classmates. It is pretty weird for someone to remember some detail from 20 years ago. But these are very fond memories of mine and I always cherish them and look back at them whenever I feel low.

Band 6-7

Hi, so in 2015, I went to my med school in Ukraine and it was in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. It was a very beautiful city and my university's name was Bogomolets National Medical University. I was very excited on that day because it was my first day of med school. We were like four friends together. We went there with our seniors. He was just showing us around the university campus.

Band 6-7

I had been into many different schools so I have experienced the first day of my school at a lot of times as I have been in like three schools before but the recent one which I remember was when I was in the sixth standard and I went to the school for the first time in the Vishakul World Academy. So it was a very nice day and I went over there in 2019. It is located in Swanipat in Devdu which is about 23 kilometers away from Delhi and when I first time saw the campus of the school it was very huge as compared to my old one and I was very amazed and I felt very nice that I got that admission in that school because it was not that easy to get the admission and scholarship which I got in that school because it is one of the most prestigious schools in Swanipat and for the first time when I visited the class and got the first class of the maths I was feeling very nice and I met to my first friend who was Yashashvi and I am with him till now and it's been 8, 6 years when I met him and we are good friends and I am very happy that I got a friend like him when I was in sixth class and the first day there was not much of the studies we played for I think more than 4 periods so in a summary I think it was a good day and I was very happy and feeling very joyful after completing my first day at the school.

Band 6-7

I clearly remember the first day of the school because my father clicked great pictures of me when I got ready with my uniform. I was happy to go to my school because I was fortunate enough to go to the esteemed school back then which was named as Green House. When I look back, I was the only person who was smiling and laughing in the entire class while the other students or kids were crying. I have no reason why were they crying. But to be honest, I was enjoying my life to the fullest. When I was leaving my house, my father said one thing to me that this day would not come in your life ever. I was very small. Of course, he told me this later that he had said this to me. But somehow I think I understood what he meant and I was just enjoying. I was having ball of my time. My mom prepared the best food that day because it was a day which was very memorable. I was happy because I was told that after completing the school, I will get a gift and looking forward to that gift, I spent the entire day without troubling anyone. My parents when they came to the school, my teachers thanked them and asked them what did you all do that he did not cry because where I was smiling and laughing, the other students were not even giggling. They were just angry, crying, raging and throwing things from here and there. My parents were happy and they got me the gift. It was a cute little teddy which I still have. And the pictures from them that time really make me happy when I look at them right now where everyone else is just crying and they are all over the place. I am laughing there with the teachers and my teachers whenever I meet them now, they thank me for that day and I should be the one thanking them. But we both look at that past and laugh. And I would love to thank my parents for it. Thank you.

Band 6-7

Actually, on the year of 2011, I went to my high school. It was quite strange for me to adapt to that atmosphere because everyone there was new to me. And I liked those school days because they were beautiful days in my life. And I have good friends over there. I studied biology subject, which is more interesting than the other subjects. So, it is very interesting place to go. I doubt they did. One of the best memories in my school was, I have learnt many things there. I improved my vocabulary in English. That was my favourite part. And I have a good friend set up. Now they are in a very good position. Some of them went abroad and they are also in Italy also. All the important days, there was plenty of my school. It was literally an adventure. I want to say thanks to all of them. They are my best school in Chennai city. And best teachers also. Overall, I love my high school.

Band 6-7

My first day of school happened when I was a student, as did for most people I believe. I remember my mother holding my hand and she led me to the big gates of this building that I had never seen before. I later came to know that this building was known as the school. As she led me in, I was filled with apprehension. What is this place? Where is she leading me to? And as she let go of my hand, she told me to have fun and be a good kid. And all I could remember is being told, not being told, feeling as if I was abandoned. I remember crying so hard and so loud that the teachers and the other well-meaning staff took turns trying to console me. And when they found that I was unable to be consoled by ordinary means, they had to call up my mother and bring her back. And she then sat with me as the class continued so that the teachers were able to take a more peaceful class. I am extremely grateful to my mother for coming back and consoling me. If she was not there, I would think of the memory of my school as a really bad one. But because she was there, it is now a very peaceful one where I know my mother will always come back to me when I call for her.

Band 6-7

So I'm going to tell you about the most memorable day of my life. I'll explain you about the first day of my school when I was six years old. So I did my nursery education at my home only. My parents were like they will teach me by themselves till I get to the age of six and then I was directly transferred to Kendriya Vidyalaya for the first standard. So it was located in my hometown in the Nanded which is a small tier two city of Maharashtra state. I got the admission in Kendriya Vidyalaya because it was my father was a central employee and he got his child admitted to central school. So remembering that first day I was very enthusiastic to go to the school and it was my first time to stay away from home for the longer time of around four hours. Even although it was a lot of time I was very much excited. So when I reached there my mom waved me a goodbye. At that time I just was on the verge of crying but at the same time I was very much enthusiastic about getting to see new people. So we had our induction program in the school where our principal and a class teacher gave us chocolates. They showed us, they took us to the tour of the whole school and I really got a new friend.

Band 6-7

Well, the first day at school is something which is unforgettable for me. It holds a special memory in my heart. I still remember that day. I was just 3 years old when my parents made me educated, made me study in one of the brilliant schools in our area of that time. So I remember that there I met many people and it was as it was my first day so I started crying on the entrance gate when my parents were seeing off me and I really cried a lot. So the caretaker held me into her arms and later on made me sit in my classroom. So that was the day when I firstly met a lot of people around me. There were a lot of boys and girls playing with each other so I was so nervous and anxious as I was a kid and I was not having none of the knowledge of anything. So the teacher was really very sweet, I still remember her name, her name was Shweta and she really made me feel so loved, she really loved me. She gave me a chocolate and I felt really very great and from that day I always wanted to go to school as I was having a mentality that I will be getting a chocolate on a daily basis if I will perform well in my class assessments and for the first 5 days it was true that I got the chocolate on a daily basis. So it is one of the best memory I had in my first day at school.
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