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Describe an important day in your life

Try the card on the exam timer first, then read the band-8 sample answer and the Part 3 questions that follow it.

Practice it like the exam

Part 2 · Candidate task card

Describe an important day in your life.

You should say:

  • when it was
  • what happened on that day
  • who was with you

and explain why this day was so important to you.

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1 minute to prepare, then 2 minutes to speak. It switches on its own.

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Band 8 sample answer

244 words · about 2 minutes at a natural pace · Phrases from the vocabulary list are highlighted.

The day I'd like to talk about is the day I received my university acceptance letter, which was about six years ago. It was an ordinary Tuesday in July, and I was at home with my mother, trying to stay busy because I'd been nervous for weeks. I had applied to study economics in another city, and the place was highly competitive.

In the afternoon, I checked my email almost without thinking, and there it was: a message saying that I'd been accepted with a partial scholarship. I read it three times before I believed it. Then I ran into the kitchen, and my mother, who had been cooking, simply dropped the spoon and hugged me. Later that evening, my father came home from work, and we all had dinner together. He didn't say much, but I could see how proud he was. I also called my best friend, who started screaming with excitement on the phone.

It was important to me for several reasons. First, it showed that all the hard work I'd done in school had paid off. Second, it meant that I'd be leaving home for the first time and starting an independent life, which was both thrilling and a bit frightening. I had mixed emotions, to be honest. Looking back now, I can see that it was a real turning point, because almost everything good in my life since then, from my friends to my career, began on that day.

What to notice

  • It takes the points on the card in order, so the examiner can follow it.
  • Each point gets a specific detail or a short story, which is what keeps a talk going for two minutes.
  • The "explain" line at the end gets the most time, because that is where you give an opinion and show your range of language.

We wrote this answer for practice; it does not come from IELTS. Take its structure and phrases and tell your own story, because examiners notice memorised answers.

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Useful vocabulary

PhraseMeaning
a turning pointa moment that changes the direction of your life
a major milestonean important stage in life
look back onto think about the past
mixed emotionsseveral different feelings at once
vivid memorya very clear memory
a life-changing momenta moment that greatly affects your future

Plan it in one minute

Choose what to talk about in the first ten seconds, then write two or three key words for each point. Full sentences take too long to write and to read back.

Who or what you could talk about

  • The day you got a place at university
  • The day you started your first job
  • The day you moved to a new city or country

How to spend the two minutes

  1. 25 swhen it was
  2. 25 swhat happened on that day
  3. 25 swho was with you
  4. 45 sand explain why this day was so important to you.

Part 3 questions

In the exam these come straight after your talk, on the wider subject: Milestones and memories. Answer each in 3–4 sentences, with your view, a reason and an example.

  1. Why do people remember some days more clearly than others?
  2. Which events do people in your country usually regard as milestones?
  3. Is it good to plan important days carefully or let them happen naturally?
  4. Do you think young people today celebrate achievements more than previous generations did?
  5. How do photographs and videos help us preserve memories?
  6. Can one single day really change a person's life?

Frequently asked questions

How should I describe an event in an IELTS cue card?

Set the scene with when, where and who was there, then walk through what happened in order. Finish with why it was memorable. If you were not at a big event, a small one you remember well works better.

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