This IELTS speaking part 2 topic is on a current matter that appeared in the exam, and it is quite an easy topic card to talk about. We often exchange gifts and sometimes the gifts are handmade which makes it quite special. The title of the topic card can be  ‘Describe something that you made with your hand for someone’ or ‘Talk about a gift that you made with your hand for your friend’. You will find some discussions, ideas, a model answer, and some part 3 questions on the given topic card. Hopefully, this sample answers will help you to prepare for the cue card and some other cards as well.

Let’s have a look at the topic card first:

or,

Firstly, to answer this kind of topic card, you need to think about any gift that is related to your personal life and experience. You can, for example, think about:

• a flowerpot
• a wall-mat
• a painting
• something made from bamboo/wood etc.

Let’s have a look at the model answer:

Thank you for the cue card. Well, all people feel joyful when they receive a present from near and dear ones, and the joy multiplies when the gift is handmade. So, I presented my best friend Jimmie a landscape picture which I painted myself on his 25th birthday. He became very delighted after receiving my gift because he had been a lover of nature and any depiction of nature attract him most. So, it was a fair gift for him.

I have always wanted to give him a surprise gift on his birthday but unfortunately, I could not attend his last birthday due to some family problems. For this reason, I decided to give him a handmade gift this time. Jimmie is my childhood best friend and one of the closest persons in my life. So, the bondage between us is, in fact, great and I have had a clear idea about his choice. He loves handmade things more than any other thing. So I decided to make something unique. As I had some practice in painting, I thought I would present him with a landscape picture.

This was a bit easier said than done for me to paint the picture. I remembered our last college trip to the countryside where I, Jimmie and many other classmates had the chance to experience rural beauty. Keeping that in mind, I planned to draw a riverside village with hilly areas nearby. I thought of the trip every time I added something new to this picture. I did the outline with a pencil on a big art paper and then I used watercolour. Jimmie loved green and blue colours very much and so I tried my best to include these colours in most places. It took roughly 6 hours to complete the picture. Generally, it doesn’t take so much time to complete an artwork. However, this time it was special for me and I did not want to rush. So, I took enough time to make it as perfect as possible. Then I dried it with a dryer machine. Next came the big challenge, the framing of the picture. It was quite tricky as I had very little idea about it. I managed to finish the frame with Mahogoni wood carvings around and plastic paper on the top.

I went to a nearby stationary store to buy some wrapping papers and scotch tapes. I came back to my house and wrapped the picture nicely. The following day I was invited to Jimmie’s birthday party and I took the gift with me. I was quite nervous as it wasn’t a very expensive gift but I knew Jimmie’s taste about art and culture. So, I was confident that he would love it. When I presented the gift to him; and he unwrapped it, he felt so excited that he gave me a big hug. He told other guests about the painting and later that night he hung the picture in his large living room. Recently, I visited Jimmie when his father was sick; I saw the picture still hung there in his living room.

I felt quite ecstatic when Jimmie told me that he liked the picture very much. He talked about the use of green and blue colours on the picture and the strokes I used to add different dimensions to depict sunlight and shadows. I felt proud and honoured when I heard Jimmie complimenting me. I believe this is the best handmade work I’ve done until now.

Thank you.

This topic card answer can help you answer the following cue cards as well:

• A gift that gave to someone
• A memorable gift-giving
• An unusual gift which you gave to someone
• A handmade gift
• A handicraft that you/your friend likes
• A recent gift that you presented to your friend
• Something you made for your friend

Part 3 questions:

• Have you ever received any handmade gift from someone? What was it and when did you receive it?
• Why is giving and receiving gifts important?
• When you present someone a nice gift, what do you consider most, quality or price?
• Did you learn handicrafts in your school life?
• Is it vital for children/students to learn arts and crafts in school life?
• Do you think gifts play an important role in developing relationships?
• Are there other ways to please relatives and friends except giving gifts?

Here are model answers to some other topic cards for your preparation:

A sport or exercise that you do for fitness

Describe a handsome person you know

Describe someone you know who does something well

Describe a situation when you were late

Describe an important decision made by you

Describe the best gift or present you have received

Describe something that helps you concentrate 

Describe when someone gave you something you really wanted

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