This IELTS speaking part 2 topic is a very recent one and it is quite an easy topic card to talk about. All of us have the experience of joining any small or big event in our life. The title of the topic card is ‘An event that you attended recently’. We need to talk about an event which was very special to us for. The model answer provided here is a band 8.5-9.0 standard. There are some feedback questions and part 3 questions too. Hopefully, this sample answer will help you to prepare for the cue card and some other cards as well.
Here’s the topic card:
Here is a sample note that I used to prepare the model answer:
An event – dad and mom’s 25th marriage anniversary – Dad-50s, Mom-40s,
Venue- Tea Heaven Resort – big courtyard, garden, hall room – for evening meal,
People attended – me – my wife – brother – his fiancee – uncles – aunts -cousins-grandpa,
What happened –
– parents got emotional, mother cried,
– meeting uncles, aunts, cousins after long time
– background music – relatives came from UK, US,
– mom’s speech, thanked dad, cracked a joke,
– laughed & enjoyed – cut cake, took photos,
In this model answer, the speaker is talking about the 25th marriage anniversary of his/her parents. Have a close look at the different sentence patterns and cohesive devices used in the response and how the response progressed.
Model answer: Probable band score 8.5 – 9.0
Thanks for the card. I’m going to tell you about my parents’ wedding anniversary which was only a couple of months ago. My father is in his 50s now while my mother is in her 40s and they’ve been married for 25 years. So, it was quite a special occasion for our family and relatives.
Well, I’ve attended different kinds of parties, anniversaries and celebrations but I must concur that I’ve enjoyed this day more than any other. It was a very touching and unforgettable day for me. I think what made this day so special was the blending of the significance of the day in our family and the wonderful atmosphere that was created in the gathering of my family members and relatives.
This anniversary took place in a local resort that was very close to our residence. I think the name of the resort was ‘Tea Heaven Resort’ and it was quite a beautiful place for parties and programs. There were many guests who came from far and wide. This venue was ideal for the program as there was a big courtyard, a huge garden and even a hall room where we could take the evening meal. I was accompanied by my wife, my brother and his fiancée.
When my parents saw me and my brother with our partners, they became very emotional. My mother started to cry. I should mention here that my mother is quite a touchy person and she cries very easily on every family gathering. Some musicians were hired to play some background music and they played some of my most favorite music including ‘Over the rainbow’ and ‘Love you always’. This made the atmosphere so romantic!
Another important aspect of the day why I remember it most was that I could meet my uncles, aunts, and cousins after a long time. My mother’s brothers came from Britain and the USA to join her and I was surprised to see one of my grandpa’s sisters who came from the capital city. I had not seen these people for such a long time and we all got so emotional and my parents felt really happy which was fantastic to see.
The best part of the event was the speech given by my mother. She thanked my father for sticking with her for all these years and when I took some pictures with my smartphone I found out that my mother wasn’t the only person who cried that day. Even at this point, my mother managed to crack some jokes and everyday laughed. Finally, the program ended when my parents cut the cake and everyone present in the event came together and we took some group photos.
Here are some feedback questions which might be asked by the examiner:
- So, when did you go to bed that night?
- Did the program end that way?
- Wasn’t there any dance party that day?
- Did your parents’ friends join you?
Here are the questions for Part 3:
- Do you think photographs are important to record past events such as anniversaries and birthday parties or weddings perhaps? And why?
- What about written records such as a diary? Do they help to remember past events?
- Which one is, in your opinion, better? Writing a diary or taking photographs?
- Some people seem more concerned about the future than the past? What do you think about it? Is that a good notion? Why do you think so?
- Do you think the way we celebrate different occasions and days of our life will change in the coming years?
