IELTS SPEAKING CUE CARD
[PART 2]
Describe something important that you lost in the past
You should say:
- What it was
- When did it happen
- Where did you lose it
And explain why it was valuable to you
A N S W E R
Let me tell you about an occasion when I was so depressed that I couldn’t find my wallet while I was on a train when I was traveling to Paris, France last year.
It was a perennial Louis Vuitton wallet that was made of black leather. It has four compartments in which I can keep my cash, cards, and photos. I considered that bi-fold wallet a luxury item since it was really costly when I bought it. I remember I saved some money for that wallet every payday during my first year of working as a salesman. It took me a couple of months to save and finally bought it, which I fell in love with the very first moment I saw it in one of the luxurious shops here in my city.
To be honest, that wallet had a sentimental value to me as it was like my tangible proof of hard work and determination to get what I wanted. Imagine, I gave up some of my guilty pleasures for a few months such as going to the cinema and visiting pubs just to save enough money in order to purchase that dream wallet of mine!
That incident of losing my precious wallet made me restless and broken-hearted for a few weeks. I kept thinking about how careless I was for not taking care of or keeping my wallet safe. I wish I could have put it in my sling bag instead of my pocket. I reckon I fell it off in the streets of Paris or someone pickpocketed me while walking around the city before taking the train. If only I had been much more careful enough, I wouldn’t have lost it.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Perennial Louis Vuitton [adj.] – when something is perennial it will last for a long time
Black leather [adj.] – the material of a wallet
Four compartments [noun] – four divisions of a wallet
Bi-fold [adj.] – double or twofold
Luxury/luxurious [adj.] – elegant; expensive
Sentimental value [noun] – the value of an object deriving from personal or emotional associations rather than material worth
Tangible proof [noun] – an actual thing
Pubs – bars
Guilty pleasure [noun] – something that you enjoy that induces a minor feeling of guilt
Purchase [verb] – another term for buy
Restless [adj.] – anxious; uneasy
Reckon [informal verb] – think; believe; imagine
Pickpocket – [noun] a person who steals something from another person’s pocket; [verb] the act of stealing something from someone’s pocket
Fall in love with – to be attracted; to begin to feel love
Fall (something) off – to drop
PRONUNCIATION
Louis Vuitton [LOO-i VWEE-ton] by some native English speakers, [LWEE vwee-TO(NG)] (-w as in wet, -o(ng) as in French bon); the company’s own preferred pronunciation
Leather [leth -er]
Luxury [luhk-shuh-ree, luhg-zhuh-]
Tangible [tan-juh-buhl]
GRAMMAR
- If only I had been much more careful enough, I wouldn’t have lost it. – This is using the third conditional form; it talks about something that didn’t happen in the past and imagines the possible result of the situation.
- The consistency of using the “past form of the verb” is observed throughout the speech since it talks about something that happened in the past.
PART 3
What do you think are the kinds of people who may lose things often?
In my opinion, those people who are unorganized are more likely to lose things as they have no sense of order. As you may know, if things are not organized at home or office, things that are both valuable and petty will surely be lost since that unorganized person simply puts things anywhere he feels like placing them and later forgets where he places those when he already needs them.
For instance, a man living in a messy or cluttered house would be having difficulty finding his car keys, as things in the house are all mixed up. If only he knows how to properly organize his things then he will absolutely not lose some of his things. So I say that those kinds of people tend to easily lose their valuables.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
As – because No sense of … – no ability to do things
Valuable – important
Petty – unimportant
Placing – putting
Cluttered – messy or untidy
Mixed up – not order; things are all over and altogether it is hard to find the thing that you are looking for
What can we do to stop losing valuable things?
Based on my experience, the most effective way to avoid losing some important things is to be mindful and to put them in the proper place always. When we are conscious enough of our things, especially if they are of high value, the chance of losing them is slim. Also, when we have developed the habit of placing things in their respective places such as keys, pens, or purses, we will always find them easily when we need them. For me, that is the most helpful way to keep our things not to get lost.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Mindful – conscious or aware of something
Of high value – important; valuable
The chance is slim – the possibility is little
Placing things – putting things
What would you do if you found something valuable on the street that didn’t belong to you?
As a good citizen, I have to do what is right and that is to take things to a police station or to a lost-and-found office. I could not forgive myself if I made things that I found my own. That is against my principle in life which is to never use what is not mine.
For example, if I find a bag full of cash, though I really need money, I will never ever tempt myself to use it. Instead, I have to report it to the authorities. The person who really owns it must be very anxious as that money might be intended for some important purpose such as paying the medical bill. I will always stand by my principle that I should never use what is not mine.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Principle – belief
Tempt – persuade; entice someone to do something that one finds attractive yet is known to be wrong
Anxious – very worried
Stick/Stand by my/your principles – a basic rule or belief on what is right and morally good which is influential on the way people behave
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Meaning of Words and Phrases Sources: Collins, Macmillan, Cambridge, Oxford
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