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Talk about a toy you liked in your childhood.: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

  • What was the toy?
  • Who gave it to you?
  • How often did you play with it?
Show all 170 answers

Cue 1:What was the toy?

  • Start by describing the toy in detail, including its appearance and features.
  • Explain why this toy was special to you and how it made you feel.

Example

The toy I cherished the most during my childhood was a bright red remote-controlled car. It was small, sleek, and had shiny wheels that sparkled in the sunlight. I loved how I could control it with a simple remote, making it zoom around the garden and perform little stunts.

Cue 2:Who gave it to you?

  • Mention the person who gifted you the toy and your relationship with them.
  • Share any memorable moments associated with receiving the toy.

Example

My uncle gave me this toy on my seventh birthday. He always knew how to pick the perfect gifts for me, and I remember the excitement on my face when I unwrapped it. He smiled and said, 'This will take you on many adventures!'

Cue 3:How often did you play with it?

  • Discuss the frequency of play and any specific times or occasions you enjoyed playing with it.
  • Reflect on how playing with this toy impacted your childhood.

Example

I played with my remote-controlled car almost every day after school. It became a routine for me to race it around the garden with my friends. Those moments were filled with laughter and joy, and it truly made my childhood memorable.

Conclusion

  • Summarize your feelings about the toy and its significance in your childhood.
  • Mention how it has influenced your interests or hobbies as you grew up.

Example

In conclusion, my remote-controlled car was not just a toy; it was a source of happiness and creativity during my childhood. It sparked my interest in technology and engineering, which I still pursue today.

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: Being Vague About the Toy

Candidates often provide unclear descriptions of the toy, which can make their answer less engaging. Specific details help the examiner understand your experience better.

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Tip

Describe the toy in detail, including its color, size, and what made it special to you.

2: Neglecting Personal Connection

Failing to explain who gave you the toy and why it was meaningful can lead to a lack of personal touch in your response. Personal stories resonate more.

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Tip

Share a brief story about the person who gave you the toy and what it meant to your relationship.

Not Mentioning Frequency of Play

Overlooking how often you played with the toy can make your answer feel incomplete. This detail adds depth to your childhood experience.

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Tip

Include specific times or occasions when you played with the toy to illustrate its importance in your daily life.

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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 8

One toy that I really liked in my childhood was a teddy bear. My parents gave it to me on my birthday when I was around 10 years old. It was light brown in color with soft fur and a small red ribbon around its neck. I used to carry it everywhere while playing, sleeping and even when traveling. At that age, I treated it almost like a friend because it made me feel safe and comfortable. I liked it so much because it was soft, huggable and it always cheered me up whenever I felt lonely. I still remember naming it teddy and pretending to talk to it. Even though I don't have it now, that toy will always remain one of my sweetest childhood memories.

Band 7

So looking back into my childhood, I remember having this one particular doll that my grandma got me from Mysore. She bought it from the streets of Mysore and that particular doll is very unique and it holds a very special place in my heart, especially because my grandmother bought it. I played with it quite frequently as a child, mainly because I was completely fascinated by this unique doll that I had. So I named it Sophie and it had curly blonde hair with blue eyes and I remember it having a pink dress. And furthermore, I used to change the clothes of the doll, in addition to which I also did makeup, which is very funny when I look at it now. The one particular feature of this doll was that it was capable of singing. So whenever you press the chest of the doll, it sings. So it used to sing a lot of rhymes and everything and I was completely awed by it and it was a pretty doll. However, sometimes it did give me a very creepy vibe because it was somewhat similar to the doll in Annabelle. So sometimes I was creeped out by it, but most of the time I enjoyed the company of that particular doll and it was very special to me. And right now I handed it over to my cousins who are very younger to me and I am very happy to see them play with it because I remember how much it kept me engaged. So it is quite exciting to see them use it.

Band 7

My favorite childhood toy was my grey color teddy bear which was given to me by my parents at the time of my birth. Since then I have played with it every single day up until college. The reason why I liked it so much was I believed that I could talk to it and it was like a friend and companion that never really judged me. In school I used to get bullied a lot. So whenever I had something nice to say or something that has happened during the day I would often share it with this teddy pretending that it could hear me. I even gave it a name in fact. So I am very attached to that grey teddy of mine. I still have it. I won't say play with it as much now but it's still a part of who I am and I hope I can pass it on to my children someday. Also there is this incident I remember where I thought I had lost it and before coming to college I was debating whether to bring it along with me or not because I feared that someone would steal it from me. So a part of me still holds on to so many memories with that teddy. It's been 20 years since he's been with me. I hope I can pass it on to my children someday.

Band 7

so a toy that I really liked during my childhood and one which I still like would be my kitten toy. I've always been a cat lover so I was very happy when my father had gifted me this toy. To this date I still remember that one Thursday morning in the month of June when my father returned back from work from a faraway place and he gifted me a grey and white kitten toy. It was very soft full of fur and it just lit up my whole mood. Growing up I was a silent and introverted child who did not have many friends and most of my time was spent around my toys. I used to play with it almost every day. In fact I used to sleep with my arms wrapped around my toy. I still have faint memories of me fighting with my brother for the toy. My brother is around three years younger than me so he often used to fight with me for playing with the toy but I was scared that he would damage it for sure. Almost all my memories in my childhood photographs are of me with that toy. I was a five-year-old girl at that time and all my five-year-old pictures are of me hugging and grasping my toy with my mind full of laughter or my face full of laughter, mind light. I still remember giving it to my neighbour when we shifted apartment which was around two three years back. I was a 22 year old girl at that time. Despite me being very old at that time, I had a lot of emotional attachment and I felt really sad and disheartened when I had to give up to a different person and I really hope that

Band 7

The toy that I liked in my childhood was a beautiful little kitchen set. I used to envy my friends having or owning these kitchen sets. I did not have it priorly, but one of my cousins surprised me with just what I wanted. A tiny little kitchen set on my birthday. It felt like I have got what I desired. It was just a dream come true moment. Once I owned it, I used to play with it for long hours. Just having the best time of my life. Sometimes my friends would gather like we all would get our own kitchen sets. There is no stop sign for our imaginations. We used to play for long hours. We would gather each and everything that would help us to cook. Some days we used to enjoy it as our little home. But sometimes we would go beyond and act as if we own a restaurant. And having a lot of customers orders. I think those were the best days. I still adore having that kitchen set.

Band 7

So the toy that I played the most with in my childhood is, I would say, are the mini-cars, right? The sub-versions of the big real cars but in the miniature form. You can, like, call it Hot Wheels as well, I guess? Yep. My uncle used to get these cars from his trips to the States. He used to bring two to three cars per trip. So I had collected a few cars and, yeah, along with that, I had collected several tracks that I could drive the car on, right? So basically, these are miniature tracks as well where you can put the car and it just goes all over the track and I was so fascinated by how it all worked and, being a car enthusiast now, I guess it was the starting point that ignited this flame of my liking towards the car. This Hot Wheels collection and me playing with it all day around, every day, almost every single day I used to play. So this is all what made me intrigued towards cars and the sports car especially. Yep, so these cars are the toys that I used to play with the most during my childhood.

Band 7

One cherished possession from my childhood was a miniature wooden train set, a beautifully crafted toy that held immense sentimental value for me. It was presented to me by my grandfather on my 7th birthday, and at that moment it felt like an object of pure magic. The train itself was carved with remarkable precision, painted in vibrant hues, and accompanied by tiny tracks that could be arranged in endless, innovative ways. I engaged with this toy almost every single day. After school, I would eagerly assemble the tracks into elaborate patterns, creating imaginary landscapes where the little engine travelled through valleys, tunnels, and make-believe towns. Although it was a simple toy by today's standards, it stimulated my imagination in profound ways. I would spend hours constructing stories around it, as if the train possessed a life and purpose of its own. What made it even more precious was the fact that it symbolized my grandfather's affection. He rarely bought gifts, so this particular present felt like a thoughtful gesture filled with warmth. Over time, the toy evolved from mere entertainment into a treasured keepsake. Even as I grew older and outgrew many of my childhood belongings, I continued to preserve this train set with great care, as it represented not only my early years, but also the bond I shared with him. In retrospect, that humble toy left an enduring impression on me, encircling my childhood with creative, profound, and countless hours of joyful play. In many cases, such toys evolve from a mere objection of amusement into symbolic keepsakes. In essence, such toys become more than a mere object of entertainment. It transforms into a vessel for creativity, emotion, comfort, and early cognitive growth. Its enduring appeal demonstrates how even the simplest childhood possession can leave a profound and lasting impression on a developing mind.

Band 7

It was a small teddy bear that could also speak and it used to make these very funny voices. It was gifted to me by my grandmother and I was very attached to the soft toy. I used to sleep with the soft toy. I used to make the soft toy wear clothes. After my grandmother passed away, that's one thing that I've still kept really close to me because every time I look at it, it reminds me of her and it has a lot of emotions connected to it. It is brown in color. It has this white scarf around it and it has this cute red button which does not make sounds anymore because it's probably 15 years old but I've still kept it and I think I will never let go of it.

Band 7

I have several fond memories of the toys that caught my fancy during my very happy childhood. One of which is my favourite Polly Pocket doll. So these Polly Pocket dolls were pocket sized dolls that offered you a range of options that appealed to the little girl in me. They were essentially pocket sized dolls that came with a range of clothing options that were flexible and interchangeable and also included several props such as daily objects. These objects might be tiny but they were extremely detailed and appealed to the... and appealed to... One of my fondest memories of my very happy childhood were the various toys that caught my fancy. My favourite of which is the Polly Pocket doll. These Polly Pocket dolls were essentially pocket sized dolls that came with a range of interchangeable and flexible clothing options and also included extremely distinct and detailed daily objects that one would use. As a kid I was extremely taken by the level of detail and the number of options for play that it offered. So they went on to becoming the main characters in several of the stories that I drafted. I went on to build narratives with these toys being the main characters and only the setting would change every day. The setting would vary from my bedroom to my living room to even my dining table on certain occasions. These toys were mostly available in bookstores and toy stores but there were several fast food stores that caught on really quick and included them in their meal options to appeal to the kids. While being a toy that was extremely interesting and bright I think there are various other upsides to it because it also promotes a sense of personal understanding in kids and helps them understand likes and dislikes and that the world is extremely open ended and there are various options to every decision. It enables us to understand choices, wants and needs and was perhaps a predecessor in helping young girls understanding how to dress and how to fashion right. I for one was absolutely in love with these dolls and these dolls might be tiny but mighty and definitely appeal to the little girl in me.

Band 7

A toy I really liked in my childhood was a small remote-controlled car. It was bright red and had big wheels, so it could move easily and almost on any surface. I remember being absolutely fascinated by how fast it could go and how could I control its direction with just a few buttons. The toy was given to me by my father on my birthday. At the age, I didn't usually get many gifts, so receiving something so exciting made the occasion feel very special. I still remember the smile on his face when he handed it to me and how eager I was to try it out immediately. I played with that car almost every day. After school, I would take it outside and race it around the yard or sometimes even inside the house. Much to my mother's annoyance, it kept me entertained for hours and I think I sparked the early interest on how things work mechanically. Even though the toy eventually stops working and memories attached to it are still very meaningful to me, it wasn't just a toy. It represented a simple, happy part of my childhood.
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