IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card 170 with Model Answer:
- what the event was
- when it happened
- where it happened
and explain how you feel happy about it.
[You will have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes. You have one minute to think about what you're going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish.]
Model Answer 1:
When I got promoted to the rank of the senior marketing executive at my office, it was a happy moment for me indeed.
I got engaged in a job immediately after my graduation to support myself and entered a local restaurant. The restaurant specialises in making foreign foods like Thai foods, Chinese foods, and Japanese foods etc. Besides, the restaurant also serves the local Indian foods. I got the job of marketing executive for the restaurants and was primarily responsible for working with the marketing manager and deal with clients. Sometimes I also had to visit the clients for making newer deals or for other necessities. After serving for a couple of years, they promoted me to the rank of senior marketing executive and also revised my benefits. It happened for my sincere efforts and devotion to the duties.
It took nearly three years for me to get promoted. I have completed my graduation in 2012 and got the job in 2013. Initially, I was appointed as a part-timer at the restaurant on the post of the marketing executive. They wanted an unskilled individual who could serve the job of marketing executive for four hours in a day. So, accordingly, I applied for the position as I long had been seeking an option like this. After appearing on the interview, they confirmed me the job, and I started working from the next day. I passed three consecutive years and experienced numerous ups and downs to implement my duties. All of my efforts resulted in 2016. The restaurant authority was highly pleased by my activities and promoted me as their Senior Marketing Executive. It is a remarkable year in my life indeed.
I live in Mumbai in India. I have my family living with me and as I wanted to be self-reliant, I stopped receiving all types of support from my family. I worked for myself and also sometimes I shared my little income with my family. The event of being promoted to a higher post took place at the restaurant where I started to work a couple of years ago. Before joining here, I used to teach mathematics to students of lower grade and used the earnings for my study. Despite having born in a solvent family, I always tried to be self-sufficient and joined on earning activities to meet my regular expenses. I am too lucky that the restaurant authority has evaluated my efforts and promoted me to the post. The restaurant is located at the centre point of Mumbai city and one of the most important features is that the prices are too lower comparing the restaurants set in the adjacent areas.
To be frank, this is the first positive achievement for me in my career. I do not know how long I shall continue with the restaurant or shall I continue the marketing profession, the promotion is pleasant for me, truly. The authority has never shouldered too many responsibilities on me and in case of failures, they tried to inspire me. I think you are aware that dealing with customers is always unpleasant and convincing them is more difficult. Many of the times I had to return with a broken heart and also endured impolite behaves and attitudes from the clients. But I was strict to my goals and tried to achieve them gradually. After a certain time, I discovered that everything is becoming easier with me and I turned able to influence even the toughest client with my own techniques. So, I think I deserve such a gift from my employer and they did the right thing for me.
Model Answer 2:
I got married last year. And it was a happy event for me. In fact, I had to undergo lots of pressures from various ends. But finally, it was a successful marriage. Thank you for the question. I will describe the event now in brief.
It was my marriage ceremony that made me feel happy even in the present day. I had to deal with numerous unwanted situations and with a very cool head, I had to deal with them. My in-law’s family was reluctant to marry their daughter off with me because I did not have a stable job at that time. Moreover, they had a large and rich family and they thought I would not be able to socialise with the family. Finally, everything went well.
In fact, I need to add some more issues here to make the scenario clearer. I got married with my girlfriend in June last year. We continued our affair for around two years and got married in the third. The matter was exposed to her relatives and they tried to marry her off to someone else. With the firm determination and support from some of the friends, I stopped her marriage and persuaded her parents and relatives to select me as the life partner for their daughter. It was not an easy task. But the memories are still vivid in my mind.
The marriage took place at the local convention centre here in Singapore. A notable number of guests were invited to the ceremony and almost all of them arrived in due time. I tried to negotiate with all the relatives and issues with them so that there are no troubles of the day of the marriage ceremony. But some of the relatives tried to create a situation that my father in law handled strongly. He was on my side then and the relatives had nothing to say. I was happy with everything.
I felt happy for some grounds. First of all, it was the girl whom I loved most. Not everyone is able to marry their first love. They need to move to the second or third for some reasons. There were chances of separation in my case too but I was adamant. I took some tricky measures so that I do not get lost in the battle here. Finally, all the attempts resulted in positive outcomes. I was able to marry her after crossing the obstacles. So, the feeling was excellent to me. I was happy because I was having the most valuable gift of my life. It was my wife. She was also happy for the marriage and contributed a lot to make the marriage happen. So, everything made me happy.
1. The event took place around a couple of years ago. I graduated from the local college and it was a cherished event for me and my family. The graduation ceremony took place at a convention centre here in Ho Chi Minh City. It was a gala event for me and the other students. I really felt glad on that day. It was a great success for and I was so happy. My parents were highly delighted too. Besides, my teachers and friends also congratulated me on the event.
2. I got my job last year. In fact, I had been trying hard to get a good job that will satisfy my soul. And accordingly, I got the job though it took about three months to get that. It was a tour service providing company based in New York and wanted to open its branch here in Pakistan. I was the key person to deal with everything including the tour organization. It was one of the happiest moments of my life. Actually, it was a dream for me that I will travel and at the same time will earn. My dream came true and every one of my family was happy too that I go the perfect job for me. I am doing the same job now and got promoted twice.
3. The birth of my niece was a happy event for me. She was born in September 2017. I felt happy and a heavenly feeling grabbed me then. I did not think that my niece would be beautiful as an angel.
4. Making an album of unique songs is undoubtedly a daunting task, and when I finished the tasks with the support of my friends, I felt happy. I published my first musical album last year and it was a great success for me. The album was initially published in the local markets here in Osaka, Japan. And I tried to market the album internationally. I was highly glad about the success as I had long been trying to make a music album. But I could not make it happen for many reasons and finally, it was done.
5. I will always remember the first smartphone I have had, and when I bought it, it became a memorable event of my life. I bought the very first smartphone of my life three years ago. I got the phone from a local shopping mall here in Hong Kong. It was an iPhone 6. I felt happy. It took about six months for me to arrange the necessary money to get the phone. I did not take help either from my parents or from anyone else. I saved all the money by reducing expenses and performing some part-time jobs. So, it was a great success for me indeed.
A. Yes, there should be no doubt over the issue. Happiness is the most desired thing in the world. Everyone wants to be happy. If you look around, you will see that people are seeking happiness in their surroundings. They want to be happy and thus they are getting involved in different sorts of activities. Everyone is adopting numerous ways to be happy. There are several reasons to be happy in life. If someone is unhappy, the first and most important thing is that they would be unable to do the required things they need to do to save their lives. Happiness is considered a peaceful mental state. When people have an unsatisfactory mind, they cannot perform their tasks and make mistakes. Consequently, they are lead to devastation. But if they were happy, they could have done the right things in the right manner and everything around them turned into a blessing for them. So, I firmly believe that it is important to be happy.
Q. Do you think that children are less happy now than in the past?
A. Umm … I do not think so. There are some particular logic and arguments against this belief. Earlier, the age was old and the children passed their times by their own ways. They used to participate in different games and sports and had a simple life. They were happy. They had no complaints against anything unless they were obstructed to do or have something. So, it is evident that the kids in past were happy. If we consider the present day, the kids are also happy. They are living in a modern age and have their modern toys while some other kids are seen engaged with social networks. They also participate in sports and other events (though in limited scale than the past days). It appears that they are happy too. They have no allegations against anything and they are doing everything they need to entertain them. So, clearly, it comes into sight that the children of the present are happier than the children of the past.
Q. Do you think that some people are born to be happy?
A. Well, this is a complicated question. There are some people who are always happy and they become able to adjust to any situations. I think this is a special quality and requires a strong mental state to be so. I think people cannot be happy from their birth rather they achieve the qualities gradually by dealing with difficult situations. In fact, most of the people cannot be happy always for they are affected by the surrounding negative impressions. On the other side, there are some people who own some special mental abilities to remain calm always and even in the most difficult situations. It is done naturally. They do not need any training or schooling for the purpose. When they are in deep trouble, they are seen with a happy face. They know that troubles will not last forever and thus they do not want to hamper their happiness for a temporary difficulty.
Q. What makes people in your country happy?
A. Well, happiness has a different meaning to people and not everyone is happy with what they have. The idea of happiness is dissimilar to a majority of the Indians. In India, people are mostly run after earning money by different means. They run after the riches to fill up their needs, and they feel happy when the needs are met. But in general, most of the people turn happy when they are free of wants and own plenty of wealth. Usually, the ordinary people are of the view that if all the necessary requirements and basic needs are met, they believe themselves to be happy. For instance, if an ordinary man in India owns a living space with the basic needs, he considers himself as a happy man in the country. But if you ask about happiness to a rich man of the country, he will share a different view. He might be in need of two more BMWs for his son and daughter or might be in need of more money from the bank to set up his new factory and similar other issues. So, as I said before, happiness varies in person.
Q. Do you think being happy is important in our life?
A. Yes, I do. Happiness is the thing we need most in our life. There are a good number of examples could be cited here. I am planning to have a good IELTS band so that I could go into a different country. What shall I do there? Certainly, I have to get engaged in different tasks which are better than my current job. But have you ever considered that why I want to go abroad? The answer is happiness. If I could go abroad, I will be able to lead a healthy and solvent life which in turn will make me happy. So, I am seeking my happiness in the life out of my country. If I am not happy, I think it would be difficult for me to survive. Without the mental stability and peace, it is impossible for anyone to live on. So, everyone is seeking happiness by their own means as it is truly important to be happy in life.
Q. What can we do to bring happiness to those we care about?
A. If you think that only money can buy happiness, I will say you are in the wrong direction. Happiness is a mental state and is brought by the peace of mind. But I am not rejecting the importance of wealth as well. Crying inside in a Mercedes is always better than crying on a broken bicycle. Everyone cares for their near and dear ones. To make them happy, we do not need to perform something special or spend bunches of money. Rather some simple ways are enough to make them happy. Paying attention to them, ask them about their overall situations, giving small presents sometimes, making a phone call or texting etc. will make them happier, I think. Besides, a day out will also have the same impacts. It will help them to gain the desired mental peace which will gradually take them towards happiness.
Describe an event that you feel happy about.
You should say:- what the event was
- when it happened
- where it happened
and explain how you feel happy about it.
[You will have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes. You have one minute to think about what you're going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish.]
Model Answer 1:
I got engaged in a job immediately after my graduation to support myself and entered a local restaurant. The restaurant specialises in making foreign foods like Thai foods, Chinese foods, and Japanese foods etc. Besides, the restaurant also serves the local Indian foods. I got the job of marketing executive for the restaurants and was primarily responsible for working with the marketing manager and deal with clients. Sometimes I also had to visit the clients for making newer deals or for other necessities. After serving for a couple of years, they promoted me to the rank of senior marketing executive and also revised my benefits. It happened for my sincere efforts and devotion to the duties.
It took nearly three years for me to get promoted. I have completed my graduation in 2012 and got the job in 2013. Initially, I was appointed as a part-timer at the restaurant on the post of the marketing executive. They wanted an unskilled individual who could serve the job of marketing executive for four hours in a day. So, accordingly, I applied for the position as I long had been seeking an option like this. After appearing on the interview, they confirmed me the job, and I started working from the next day. I passed three consecutive years and experienced numerous ups and downs to implement my duties. All of my efforts resulted in 2016. The restaurant authority was highly pleased by my activities and promoted me as their Senior Marketing Executive. It is a remarkable year in my life indeed.
I live in Mumbai in India. I have my family living with me and as I wanted to be self-reliant, I stopped receiving all types of support from my family. I worked for myself and also sometimes I shared my little income with my family. The event of being promoted to a higher post took place at the restaurant where I started to work a couple of years ago. Before joining here, I used to teach mathematics to students of lower grade and used the earnings for my study. Despite having born in a solvent family, I always tried to be self-sufficient and joined on earning activities to meet my regular expenses. I am too lucky that the restaurant authority has evaluated my efforts and promoted me to the post. The restaurant is located at the centre point of Mumbai city and one of the most important features is that the prices are too lower comparing the restaurants set in the adjacent areas.
To be frank, this is the first positive achievement for me in my career. I do not know how long I shall continue with the restaurant or shall I continue the marketing profession, the promotion is pleasant for me, truly. The authority has never shouldered too many responsibilities on me and in case of failures, they tried to inspire me. I think you are aware that dealing with customers is always unpleasant and convincing them is more difficult. Many of the times I had to return with a broken heart and also endured impolite behaves and attitudes from the clients. But I was strict to my goals and tried to achieve them gradually. After a certain time, I discovered that everything is becoming easier with me and I turned able to influence even the toughest client with my own techniques. So, I think I deserve such a gift from my employer and they did the right thing for me.
Model Answer 2:
I got married last year. And it was a happy event for me. In fact, I had to undergo lots of pressures from various ends. But finally, it was a successful marriage. Thank you for the question. I will describe the event now in brief.
It was my marriage ceremony that made me feel happy even in the present day. I had to deal with numerous unwanted situations and with a very cool head, I had to deal with them. My in-law’s family was reluctant to marry their daughter off with me because I did not have a stable job at that time. Moreover, they had a large and rich family and they thought I would not be able to socialise with the family. Finally, everything went well.
In fact, I need to add some more issues here to make the scenario clearer. I got married with my girlfriend in June last year. We continued our affair for around two years and got married in the third. The matter was exposed to her relatives and they tried to marry her off to someone else. With the firm determination and support from some of the friends, I stopped her marriage and persuaded her parents and relatives to select me as the life partner for their daughter. It was not an easy task. But the memories are still vivid in my mind.
The marriage took place at the local convention centre here in Singapore. A notable number of guests were invited to the ceremony and almost all of them arrived in due time. I tried to negotiate with all the relatives and issues with them so that there are no troubles of the day of the marriage ceremony. But some of the relatives tried to create a situation that my father in law handled strongly. He was on my side then and the relatives had nothing to say. I was happy with everything.
I felt happy for some grounds. First of all, it was the girl whom I loved most. Not everyone is able to marry their first love. They need to move to the second or third for some reasons. There were chances of separation in my case too but I was adamant. I took some tricky measures so that I do not get lost in the battle here. Finally, all the attempts resulted in positive outcomes. I was able to marry her after crossing the obstacles. So, the feeling was excellent to me. I was happy because I was having the most valuable gift of my life. It was my wife. She was also happy for the marriage and contributed a lot to make the marriage happen. So, everything made me happy.
Idea Generation for this Cue Card Topic:
Topic: Describe an event that you feel happy about.1. The event took place around a couple of years ago. I graduated from the local college and it was a cherished event for me and my family. The graduation ceremony took place at a convention centre here in Ho Chi Minh City. It was a gala event for me and the other students. I really felt glad on that day. It was a great success for and I was so happy. My parents were highly delighted too. Besides, my teachers and friends also congratulated me on the event.
2. I got my job last year. In fact, I had been trying hard to get a good job that will satisfy my soul. And accordingly, I got the job though it took about three months to get that. It was a tour service providing company based in New York and wanted to open its branch here in Pakistan. I was the key person to deal with everything including the tour organization. It was one of the happiest moments of my life. Actually, it was a dream for me that I will travel and at the same time will earn. My dream came true and every one of my family was happy too that I go the perfect job for me. I am doing the same job now and got promoted twice.
3. The birth of my niece was a happy event for me. She was born in September 2017. I felt happy and a heavenly feeling grabbed me then. I did not think that my niece would be beautiful as an angel.
4. Making an album of unique songs is undoubtedly a daunting task, and when I finished the tasks with the support of my friends, I felt happy. I published my first musical album last year and it was a great success for me. The album was initially published in the local markets here in Osaka, Japan. And I tried to market the album internationally. I was highly glad about the success as I had long been trying to make a music album. But I could not make it happen for many reasons and finally, it was done.
5. I will always remember the first smartphone I have had, and when I bought it, it became a memorable event of my life. I bought the very first smartphone of my life three years ago. I got the phone from a local shopping mall here in Hong Kong. It was an iPhone 6. I felt happy. It took about six months for me to arrange the necessary money to get the phone. I did not take help either from my parents or from anyone else. I saved all the money by reducing expenses and performing some part-time jobs. So, it was a great success for me indeed.
Part 3 questions/ Details Discussion:
Q. Do you think it is important to be happy?A. Yes, there should be no doubt over the issue. Happiness is the most desired thing in the world. Everyone wants to be happy. If you look around, you will see that people are seeking happiness in their surroundings. They want to be happy and thus they are getting involved in different sorts of activities. Everyone is adopting numerous ways to be happy. There are several reasons to be happy in life. If someone is unhappy, the first and most important thing is that they would be unable to do the required things they need to do to save their lives. Happiness is considered a peaceful mental state. When people have an unsatisfactory mind, they cannot perform their tasks and make mistakes. Consequently, they are lead to devastation. But if they were happy, they could have done the right things in the right manner and everything around them turned into a blessing for them. So, I firmly believe that it is important to be happy.
Q. Do you think that children are less happy now than in the past?
A. Umm … I do not think so. There are some particular logic and arguments against this belief. Earlier, the age was old and the children passed their times by their own ways. They used to participate in different games and sports and had a simple life. They were happy. They had no complaints against anything unless they were obstructed to do or have something. So, it is evident that the kids in past were happy. If we consider the present day, the kids are also happy. They are living in a modern age and have their modern toys while some other kids are seen engaged with social networks. They also participate in sports and other events (though in limited scale than the past days). It appears that they are happy too. They have no allegations against anything and they are doing everything they need to entertain them. So, clearly, it comes into sight that the children of the present are happier than the children of the past.
Q. Do you think that some people are born to be happy?
A. Well, this is a complicated question. There are some people who are always happy and they become able to adjust to any situations. I think this is a special quality and requires a strong mental state to be so. I think people cannot be happy from their birth rather they achieve the qualities gradually by dealing with difficult situations. In fact, most of the people cannot be happy always for they are affected by the surrounding negative impressions. On the other side, there are some people who own some special mental abilities to remain calm always and even in the most difficult situations. It is done naturally. They do not need any training or schooling for the purpose. When they are in deep trouble, they are seen with a happy face. They know that troubles will not last forever and thus they do not want to hamper their happiness for a temporary difficulty.
Q. What makes people in your country happy?
A. Well, happiness has a different meaning to people and not everyone is happy with what they have. The idea of happiness is dissimilar to a majority of the Indians. In India, people are mostly run after earning money by different means. They run after the riches to fill up their needs, and they feel happy when the needs are met. But in general, most of the people turn happy when they are free of wants and own plenty of wealth. Usually, the ordinary people are of the view that if all the necessary requirements and basic needs are met, they believe themselves to be happy. For instance, if an ordinary man in India owns a living space with the basic needs, he considers himself as a happy man in the country. But if you ask about happiness to a rich man of the country, he will share a different view. He might be in need of two more BMWs for his son and daughter or might be in need of more money from the bank to set up his new factory and similar other issues. So, as I said before, happiness varies in person.
Q. Do you think being happy is important in our life?
A. Yes, I do. Happiness is the thing we need most in our life. There are a good number of examples could be cited here. I am planning to have a good IELTS band so that I could go into a different country. What shall I do there? Certainly, I have to get engaged in different tasks which are better than my current job. But have you ever considered that why I want to go abroad? The answer is happiness. If I could go abroad, I will be able to lead a healthy and solvent life which in turn will make me happy. So, I am seeking my happiness in the life out of my country. If I am not happy, I think it would be difficult for me to survive. Without the mental stability and peace, it is impossible for anyone to live on. So, everyone is seeking happiness by their own means as it is truly important to be happy in life.
Q. What can we do to bring happiness to those we care about?
A. If you think that only money can buy happiness, I will say you are in the wrong direction. Happiness is a mental state and is brought by the peace of mind. But I am not rejecting the importance of wealth as well. Crying inside in a Mercedes is always better than crying on a broken bicycle. Everyone cares for their near and dear ones. To make them happy, we do not need to perform something special or spend bunches of money. Rather some simple ways are enough to make them happy. Paying attention to them, ask them about their overall situations, giving small presents sometimes, making a phone call or texting etc. will make them happier, I think. Besides, a day out will also have the same impacts. It will help them to gain the desired mental peace which will gradually take them towards happiness.