IELTS Cue Card Question 04 With Model Answer:
[You have one to two minutes to talk about this topic. You will have one minute to prepare what you are going to say]
Model Answer 1:
Introduction:
I have always believed that gifts are an expression of love, care and appreciation. So, in my humble opinion, receiving a gift from someone special is always a cherished memory. One such gift that I received from my mother is still very special to me, and for this topic, I will talk about it.
Who gave it to you, and on what occasion:
The gift was given to me by my mother on my 18th birthday. It was a beautiful leather-bound journal that had a quote embossed on the front cover.
What it looked like and how you used it:
The journal was bound in soft leather that had a beautiful texture and rich colour. The quote "Today is a gift. That's why it's called present." was embossed on the front cover, which reminded me to cherish every moment. The journal had blank pages, with no lines, which allowed me to express myself freely. I have used this journal to jot down my thoughts, goals, dreams and ideas. It has become an extension of myself, a place where I can be completely honest and open.
When you received it:
I received this gift on my 18th birthday, which is a special occasion for everyone. It was a surprise gift that I received after cutting the cake with my family.
And explain why this gift was important to you:
This gift was important to me because it came from my mother, who has always been my greatest supporter. The journal is a symbol of her faith in my abilities and her love for me. It has been with me through thick and thin, and it has witnessed my journey of self-discovery. The quote on the cover has inspired me to live in the present moment and to appreciate the little things in life. Every time I write in this journal, I feel a sense of calmness and clarity.
Describe a gift you have received that was important to you.
You should say:- who gave it to you and on what occasion
- what it looked like and how you used it
- when you received it
[You have one to two minutes to talk about this topic. You will have one minute to prepare what you are going to say]
Model Answer 1:
Introduction:
I have always believed that gifts are an expression of love, care and appreciation. So, in my humble opinion, receiving a gift from someone special is always a cherished memory. One such gift that I received from my mother is still very special to me, and for this topic, I will talk about it.
Who gave it to you, and on what occasion:
The gift was given to me by my mother on my 18th birthday. It was a beautiful leather-bound journal that had a quote embossed on the front cover.
What it looked like and how you used it:
The journal was bound in soft leather that had a beautiful texture and rich colour. The quote "Today is a gift. That's why it's called present." was embossed on the front cover, which reminded me to cherish every moment. The journal had blank pages, with no lines, which allowed me to express myself freely. I have used this journal to jot down my thoughts, goals, dreams and ideas. It has become an extension of myself, a place where I can be completely honest and open.
When you received it:
I received this gift on my 18th birthday, which is a special occasion for everyone. It was a surprise gift that I received after cutting the cake with my family.
And explain why this gift was important to you:
This gift was important to me because it came from my mother, who has always been my greatest supporter. The journal is a symbol of her faith in my abilities and her love for me. It has been with me through thick and thin, and it has witnessed my journey of self-discovery. The quote on the cover has inspired me to live in the present moment and to appreciate the little things in life. Every time I write in this journal, I feel a sense of calmness and clarity.
Model Answer 2:
When I was a child, I was given a block set on the eve of Christmas as a gift. One of my maternal uncles gave that block set to me because I liked to play with the blocks in my childhood. I was truly surprised when my maternal uncle came to our home to give me the wonderful gift, although, in the beginning, I did not realise that he was at our home for presenting me with the wonderful block set.
A medium plastic container wrapped in colourful paper was given to me on Christmas day and when I opened the container, I found the blocks. I was utterly surprised and happy about the excellent gift from my uncle. The blocks were made of top-class plastic and there were no sharp edges. They were of different sizes and some of the block pieces were attached with wheels. The block shapes were not the same. I used to make different structures with the block set. I preferred making different robots, aeroplanes, cars, houses and other stuff using the block set.
A medium plastic container wrapped in colourful paper was given to me on Christmas day and when I opened the container, I found the blocks. I was utterly surprised and happy about the excellent gift from my uncle. The blocks were made of top-class plastic and there were no sharp edges. They were of different sizes and some of the block pieces were attached with wheels. The block shapes were not the same. I used to make different structures with the block set. I preferred making different robots, aeroplanes, cars, houses and other stuff using the block set.
The block set was important to me for several reasons. Firstly the blocks looked nice and were something I liked a lot. Secondly, playing with this block set taught me patience and perseverance – when I used to fail in making any desired structure, I waited, took a break from it, used to think deeply over the whole thing again, and finally made that. I believe it has sharpened my imagination and critical thinking power.
Cue Card Answer 3:
My grandfather was very dear to me and I loved him a lot. He was also a great teacher and mentor for me in my childhood. He inspired me to read and I have read a lot of books only because of his inspiration and guidance. He died in 2014 (may God bless his departed soul and rest him in peace) and that was an immense loss for me. He once gave me a book titled "The Giving Tree" written by "Shel Silverstein", and I still consider it one of the best gifts that I have ever received.
I was about 11 or 12 years old and a 4th-grader in school when I received this gift from my grandfather. I can’t recall what the exact occasion was when he gave me the book. All I can remember is that he went to the town for a week for his business and when he returned, he gave me a book with an excellent cover picture. The book was a hard-cover average size book, and there was a small boy who was looking upward towards a tree and a fruit was falling towards the boy. My grandfather gave me this gift with some chocolates and a toy car.
Cue Card Answer 3:
My grandfather was very dear to me and I loved him a lot. He was also a great teacher and mentor for me in my childhood. He inspired me to read and I have read a lot of books only because of his inspiration and guidance. He died in 2014 (may God bless his departed soul and rest him in peace) and that was an immense loss for me. He once gave me a book titled "The Giving Tree" written by "Shel Silverstein", and I still consider it one of the best gifts that I have ever received.
I was about 11 or 12 years old and a 4th-grader in school when I received this gift from my grandfather. I can’t recall what the exact occasion was when he gave me the book. All I can remember is that he went to the town for a week for his business and when he returned, he gave me a book with an excellent cover picture. The book was a hard-cover average size book, and there was a small boy who was looking upward towards a tree and a fruit was falling towards the boy. My grandfather gave me this gift with some chocolates and a toy car.
I kept the book on my desk for a while, and one day he asked me whether I liked the story of the book he gave me. I was a bit ashamed to hear that as I had not touched the book at all. The next day, I started reading this book and to my amazement, I was so engrossed in the story that I forgot to go outside to play with other boys. It took me the whole day to finish the book, and after reading this book I felt an appetite to read more storybooks like this one for the first time in my life. That was just the beginning and after that, I become a regular reader.
This book has an excellent story that taught me the importance of loving others. I realised how much my parents and other family members were sacrificing for me. Honestly, I became more attached to my mother than my playmates after realising her true sacrifice for me. This book opened a new horizon for me and this was the beginning of a wonderful journey in my life. I read whenever I get time these days, and I believe that a reader leads many lives and can think from many different perspectives. All this has been possible only because of the gift and blessing my grandfather bestowed on me.
This book has an excellent story that taught me the importance of loving others. I realised how much my parents and other family members were sacrificing for me. Honestly, I became more attached to my mother than my playmates after realising her true sacrifice for me. This book opened a new horizon for me and this was the beginning of a wonderful journey in my life. I read whenever I get time these days, and I believe that a reader leads many lives and can think from many different perspectives. All this has been possible only because of the gift and blessing my grandfather bestowed on me.
Rounding off questions:
Q. Why do we like receiving gifts?
A. Well, gifts are always special to us. A gift reminds us of a happy event or someone special, and thus as humans, we have a natural tendency of liking to receive gifts and presents. Apart from that, it is always good to get something that might be useful for us. Possessing something we like and then getting it from someone on a special occasion is desirable to all humans- I believe. Q. Why do we like receiving gifts?
Q. Can we sometimes hate a gift?
A. Yes, I think so, especially when it is given by someone we do not like at all. Maybe the hatred for the person makes us not receive his or her gifts very warmly as well. Sometimes we hate gifts that we personally do not like at all. For instance, if someone does not like chocolate at all and gets a box of chocolates as a gift on his/her birthday, he or she would most likely hate the gift.
A. Yes, I think so, especially when it is given by someone we do not like at all. Maybe the hatred for the person makes us not receive his or her gifts very warmly as well. Sometimes we hate gifts that we personally do not like at all. For instance, if someone does not like chocolate at all and gets a box of chocolates as a gift on his/her birthday, he or she would most likely hate the gift.
Idea Generation for this Cue Card / Candidate Task Card Topic:
For this cue card topic, you can talk about any gift, prize or present you received in your life. That could be a simple chocolate bar that someone dear to you gave you, or could be a luxurious item like a car. Following are some of the ideas that you can use to prepare your own answer:- A birthday gift you got from one of your family members.
- A computer/ laptop/ mobile phone that you got as a gift from your parents.
- A gift that a teacher gave to you.
- A gift you received on your graduation day.
- Any electronic device that you got as a gift.
- Any toy you were given in your childhood.
- A book, notebook, or pen that you were given by a friend.
- A household appliance that you were given and you used.
- A gift you received from a cousin.
- A present that you could not purchase but was given by someone.
- A bat, ball, gloves or costume that you received from someone you care about.
- A piece of furniture or an ornament.
- A car, house, prize bond etc.
Useful Vocabulary for describing this Cue Card:
- Gift Synonyms: Present, offering, bequest, endowment, reward, tip.
- Important Synonyms: Significant, essential, prime, key, vital, crucial, paramount meaningful, considerable.
- Occasion Synonyms: Event, celebration, party, moment, time, instance, affair, function,
- Looks like Synonyms: Appearance, resembles.
Your ability to talk about this topic will enable you to answer the following IELTS cue card topics also:
- Describe something you own which is important to you.
- Describe a present or gift you bought for someone.
- Describe an important possession you have.
- Describe an occasion when you received a gift.
- Describe a gift or present you received when you were a child.
- Describe something you want to buy.