Describe an object that is important to you: cue card and sample answer
Cue card
Describe an object you own that is important to you.
You should say:
- what it is
- how you got it
- how long you have had it
and explain why it is important 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 examinerSample answer
About 245 words, or roughly two minutes of speaking.
The object I'd like to describe is a wristwatch that used to belong to my grandfather. It's not valuable. It has a plain white face, a worn leather strap and a small scratch on the glass, and it has to be wound by hand every morning.
My grandfather bought it with his first month's salary when he started work as a teacher, so it's more than sixty years old. He wore it every day of his working life. When I was a child, he used to let me hold it to my ear and listen to it ticking. He gave it to me on the day I graduated from university, which was about eight years ago, and he died the following year.
I don't wear it all the time, because I'm afraid of damaging it, but I put it on for important occasions such as job interviews, weddings and exams. It's become a kind of lucky charm, although I'm not usually superstitious.
It matters to me for obvious reasons, because it reminds me of him. But there's something more specific too. Winding it each morning takes about ten seconds, and it's a small moment when I think about how he lived. He was a patient man who looked after his things and repaired them when they broke. In a world where I replace my phone every few years, the watch is the one thing I own that I expect to pass on to someone else.
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
- used to belong to
- was owned by someone in the past
- worn
- damaged or thin from long use
- wind (a watch)
- to turn a small part so that it keeps working
- a lucky charm
- an object that you believe brings good luck
- superstitious
- believing in luck and magic
- pass on
- to give something to a younger person in your family
Rounding-off question
After you finish, the examiner may ask one short question, such as:
Would you ever sell it or give it away?
Part 3 questions: Possessions
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 keep things they no longer use?
Mostly because objects hold memories. A ticket from a concert or a child's first shoes have no practical use, but throwing them away feels like throwing away the memory itself. There's also the thought that something might be useful one day. I think most people have a drawer full of cables for exactly that reason.
Are expensive objects always more valued than cheap ones?
Not at all. Price and personal value are quite separate. People often treasure something cheap, like a letter or a toy, far more than an expensive item that could be replaced tomorrow. What makes an object precious is usually the person or the moment connected with it, and no amount of money can buy that.
More questions to practise
- Do people today own too many things?
- Why do some people enjoy collecting things?
- Will people own fewer things in the future?
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 bags and housework, and a Part 3 discussion.
Start this Speaking testThis 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.