The gift cue card comes in two versions: a gift you gave or a gift you received. You can prepare one story and tell it from whichever side the card asks for.
The cue card
Describe a gift you gave to someone.
You should say:
what the gift was
who you gave it to
why you chose it
and explain how the person felt about it.
One-minute notes
- what: photo book, 60 old family photos
- who: my mum, 50th birthday
- why: she always says photos are lost on old phones
- felt: cried, shows guests, keeps it on the shelf
Model answer (about 2 minutes)
I'd like to talk about a present I made for my mum's fiftieth birthday last year: a printed photo book of our family's history.
The idea came from something she used to say all the time, that our best photos were "lost" on old phones and in boxes nobody opens. So about two months before her birthday, my sister and I secretly started collecting pictures. We asked our aunts and grandparents to send us old photos, scanned the paper ones, and in the end we had about sixty, going back to my mum's own childhood in the eighties.
Putting it together took much longer than we'd planned. We had to arrange everything in order, write short captions under each photo, and then order it from a printing company in Tashkent. It arrived only two days before her birthday, so we were quite nervous.
We chose it rather than something expensive because we knew she cared about memories much more than things. When she opened it, she was silent for a moment, and then she started crying, which honestly made us cry too. She spent the rest of the evening going through it page by page and telling stories about each picture.
She still keeps it on the shelf in the living room and shows it to almost every guest, so I think it was the most successful present I've ever given.
Useful words and phrases
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| a present | a present |
| going back to | going back to |
| put something together | put something together |
| captions | captions |
| care about | care about |
| go through something | go through something |
| it's the thought that counts | it's the thought that counts |
| less personal | less personal |
How to answer
- Explain your choice in detail: that is the "why you chose it" prompt.
- For the making-of story, use comparisons like "took much longer than we'd planned".
- Describe the reaction precisely: "she was silent for a moment, then...".
- If the card says "a gift you received", use the same shape from the other side.
Practise this topic now
The AI examiner asks you these questions, listens to your answers and shows your mistakes.
Part 3: follow-up discussion questions
Is it the thought or the price that matters most in a gift?
The thought, definitely, although it's easy to say that and harder to practise. A cheap gift that shows you really know someone usually means more than an expensive one chosen in five minutes.
Has gift-giving changed in your country?
Yes, I think money is given more often now, especially at weddings, whereas in the past people tended to give practical things like fabric or household items. It's more convenient, but a bit less personal.
Why do some people find it hard to choose gifts?
Should children be given money as a gift?
Part 2 strategy: the cue card guide. Next step: the Part 3 guide.
Practise this topic now
The AI examiner asks you these questions, listens to your answers and shows your mistakes.
