Describe a happy childhood memory: cue card and sample answer

Cue card

Describe a happy memory from your childhood.

You should say:

what happened
how old you were
who was with you

and explain why this memory is special to you.

You have one minute to prepare and should speak for one to two minutes.

Try it before you read the sample. Answer this card out loud with our AI examiner and get an estimated band.

Practise with the AI examiner

Sample answer

About 244 words, or roughly two minutes of speaking.

The memory I'd like to share is of the day my father taught me to ride a bicycle. I must have been about seven, and it was during the summer holidays, when the days seemed to last forever.

My parents had bought me a second-hand red bike for my birthday. I'd been riding it with stabilisers, those small extra wheels at the back, and I was quite happy with that. One evening my father decided it was time to take them off. He took me to an empty car park behind his office, with my older sister, who came along mostly to laugh at me.

For the first hour it was a disaster. I kept falling, I scraped both knees and at one point I announced that I was never going to try again. My father just kept holding the back of the saddle and running behind me. Then, on what must have been the twentieth attempt, I'd pedalled halfway across the car park before I realised he had let go ages ago and was standing far behind me, clapping. Even my sister was cheering.

It's special to me for two reasons. It's the first time I can remember being proud of something I'd found really hard. And it's one of my clearest memories of my father, who was usually at work until late. He's much older now, and I think about that evening whenever I see a parent running behind a wobbling child.

Why this works: it covers every point on the card in order, gives specific details and a short story rather than general statements, and ends by explaining the feeling or reason, which the last line of the card asks for.

Useful vocabulary

second-hand: not new; owned by someone else before
come along: to go somewhere with someone
a disaster: something that goes very badly
let go: to stop holding something
ages ago: a long time ago
wobbling: moving from side to side in an unsteady way

Rounding-off question

After you finish, the examiner may ask one short question, such as:

Do you often think about your childhood?

Part 3 questions: Childhood and memory

In Part 3, the examiner asks more abstract questions linked to the cue card topic. Give an opinion, explain why, and add an example.

Why do people remember some childhood events and forget others?

I think emotion is the key. We keep the moments when we felt something strongly, such as pride, fear or embarrassment, and lose the thousands of ordinary days in between. Memories that are retold in the family also last longer, because each time the story is repeated it's refreshed. Sometimes I'm not even sure whether I remember an event or only the photograph of it.

Do children have enough free time to play these days?

In many families, no. Children's days are filled with school, homework and organised activities like music lessons, so there's very little time left that they control themselves. I think that's a loss, because free play is where children learn to invent games and settle arguments on their own. A less busy timetable would probably do them good.

Now say it out loud

Reading a good answer helps, but speaking is what improves your band. This set includes this cue card, Part 1 questions on toys and patience, and a Part 3 discussion.

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This sample answer was written by TestWise Prep to show language that scores well. It is not official IELTS material. Use it for ideas, not to memorise, because examiners mark rehearsed answers down.