Describe something valuable that you lost
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
Describe something valuable that you lost.
You should say:
- what it was
- when and where you lost it
- what you did to try to find it
and explain how you felt about losing it.
Ready
1 minute to prepare, then 2 minutes to speak. It switches on its own.
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Band 8 sample answer
268 words · about 2 minutes at a natural pace · Phrases from the vocabulary list are highlighted.
Last year I lost my phone, which was probably the most stressful thing that happened to me in months. It was a fairly new model that my parents had given me for my eighteenth birthday, and it contained all my photos, contacts and study notes.
I lost it on a crowded minibus on my way home from university. It was a Friday evening, and I was exhausted, so I put the phone in my jacket pocket and fell half asleep. When I arrived home, I put my hand in my pocket to take it out, and it was gone. At first, I could not believe it. I turned my bag upside down, then ran back to the bus stop, hoping to see the same bus, but of course it had left. I called my number from my sister's phone, and for a while nobody answered, which made me more nervous. I also used a tracking application to see where the phone was, and it showed a location on the other side of the city. Finally, around eleven o'clock, a man answered and said that he had found it under a seat. We agreed to meet the next morning, and I got it back, undamaged.
I felt terrible for those few hours. I was upset about the money, but even more about the memories and data I might have lost, as I hadn't made a backup in months. I was also embarrassed about my carelessness. After that, I changed some habits. Now I always keep my phone in an inside pocket and I back up my files every week.
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
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| retrace my steps | go back over the places I had been to find something |
| lost property office | a place where found items are kept |
| panic | feel sudden strong anxiety |
| turn the place upside down | search everywhere thoroughly |
| sentimental value | importance due to personal memories |
| come to terms with | accept a difficult situation |
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
- A wallet or phone left on public transport
- A piece of jewellery that belonged to a relative
- Keys or documents lost just before an important trip
How to spend the two minutes
- 25 swhat it was
- 25 swhen and where you lost it
- 25 swhat you did to try to find it
- 45 sand explain how you felt about losing it.
Part 3 questions
In the exam these come straight after your talk, on the wider subject: Loss and value. Answer each in 3–4 sentences, with your view, a reason and an example.
- Why do people feel upset when they lose an object with sentimental value?
- What things do people most commonly lose?
- Do you think people are more careless with their belongings now than in the past?
- How can technology help us avoid losing things?
- Is it right to return something you find, even if it is valuable?
- Why do some people become attached to objects?
Keep practicing
More cue cards: Objects
- Describe an item in your kitchen that you often use
- Describe an old object that you have kept for a long time
- Describe something you really wanted to buy but decided not to
- Describe something you bought online
- Describe a collection that you or someone you know has
- Describe a pair of shoes that you like or that are important to you
Frequently asked questions
How should I describe an object in an IELTS cue card?
Say what it is and how you got it, then talk about how you use it and one moment when it mattered. Objects run out of description fast, so the story around the object is what fills the two minutes.
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