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Describe Something That Surprised You IELTS Cue Card Sample Answers

Describe something that surprised you, which is discussed here. It includes the structure of answers, samples, and follow-up questions of the IELTS Cue Card.
authorImageSupriya Shrivastava2 Dec, 2024
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Describe Something That Surprised You IELTS Cue Card Sample Answers

Describe something that surprised you : An IELTS speaking cue card is a prompt for the Speaking exam that asks you to talk for 1-2 minutes on a specific topic. These cue cards are necessary for the exam and were created to evaluate your ability to speak English effectively and clearly.

On this page, students will get information about "Describe something that surprised you". Surprises can have an important effect, creating lasting impressions and even encouraging us in unexpected ways.

Describe something that surprised you

The IELTS speaking section is a three-part face-to-face interview. IELTS Speaking Part 1 is answering basic questions about yourself, your hobbies, and your interests. In part 2, you will be given a cue card with a subject and asked to talk for two minutes. In part 3, the examiner will ask you more questions about your topic once you finish talking. However, this article addresses the IELTS cue card topic "Describe Something That Surprised You" with sample answers and appropriate follow-up questions.

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How to Answer the Cue Card?

Each cue card shows a major topic and 3 or 4 sub-questions. These cards are meant to evaluate your capacity to learn about a topic effectively in two minutes. This task takes around 2-3 minutes for completion, including one minute for preparation. Use that one-minute opening for making notes on the topic you've been allotted. The examiner will look at your replies based on four criteria: fluency, coherence, grammar, and pronunciation. And, at the end of IELTS Speaking Part 2 , the examiner should have an overall view of your IELTS band score . This article also discusses sample answers for the cue card question "Describe Something That Surprised You." Based on the points given, organize your answer to the cue card "Describe Something That Surprised You."
  • What was the surprise?
  • When did it happen?
  • How did you find out about it?
  • And explain how you feel about it.

Describe Something That Surprised You Sample 1

Look at the first sample answer to understand how you could structure your answer in the IELTS test. What was the surprise? Life is full of surprises, but we don't always take the time to recognize them as such. One incident that stunned me was receiving an unexpected job proposal from a reputable organization. It was not something I had expected. That incident impacted me because it occurred while I was feeling insecure about my professional future. I'm sharing this since it improved my professional view and increased my confidence. When did it happen? I had applied to many opportunities, but I wasn't sure enough since the employment market is tough and competitive. At the moment, I wasn't planning on submitting my applications. After a few weeks, I got an email asking me to attend an interview. I was surprised since I hadn't even received a reply to my application. However, the interview went off without any difficulties and beyond my expectations. And when the offer letter came, I was completely stunned and happy. How did you find out about it? When it comes to how I learned about my career, all I can say is that everything occurred in confusion. Furthermore, they not only gave me a wonderful opportunity but also expressed their appreciation for my special skills and knowledge. Also, the offer of emigration assistance and a welcome gift, which was beyond my expectations and made me feel appreciated. But, on the other side, I felt bad that I had to leave my hometown for a new job. And explain how you feel about it. Indeed, learning about this unexpected position had a major impact on my life, providing me with a new start and renewed belief in my talents. I also learned that patience and applying it, even when chances seem depressing, may lead to incredible possibilities. This surprise remains a memorable event at work, and it has led to a different positive result. Conclusion In simple terms, this surprise has overwhelmed my heart with excitement and gratitude, making it an unforgettable memory that is going to last a lifetime.

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Describe Something That Surprised You Sample 2

Examine the sample answer and learn how to present the answer in the cue card round. What was the surprise? Surprises can give incredible joy and excitement, and I have been very lucky to receive many lovely surprises from my loved ones. Anyway, the surprise I'll be discussing happened around 7 years ago, when I was a final-year university student. My uncle, who loved me more than anybody else, was serving in the US peacekeeping force at the time, and I hadn't met him in about 5 years. But that year, I got the news that my uncle had planned on visiting home for a few weeks to celebrate one of the most holy religious festivals. When did it happen? I learned about this during my last days of college, but my joy and pleasure were just temporary since a few days later, I learned that my uncle would have to be unable to join us in our celebration due to some unavoidable reason. It wasn't the first time this had occurred, and all of my family members handled the shocking news very well. How did you find out about it? My uncle called and said he was not going to be able to join us for the celebration, but I was hopeful he might somehow magically arrive to celebrate with us. Every day, I kept praying to God that my uncle could join us for the celebration. They were challenging days for me, until one day, a miracle happened. And explain how you feel about it. I suppose God listened to my prayers and chose to grant me precisely what I had asked for. My uncle did visit us the night prior to the holy festive began. And when my family and I saw him, we couldn't believe our eyes. Well, it was a lovely surprise, and it made me extremely happy since I was finally able to see my uncle after so many years. Conclusion Overall, I was very pleased with this surprise since it occurred on the eve of a really important day that we all look forward to celebrating with our loved ones, regardless of how far away we are. Overall, this surprise made me extremely happy since it happened on the eve of a very important occasion when we all want to enjoy ourselves with all of our relatives and friends together, no matter how far away we are.

Follow-Up Questions

Students will have 4-5 minutes to do a few follow-up questions in IELTS Speaking Part 3 . Some follow-up questions to Describe something that surprised you are provided below. This will help you in achieving high exam scores. Question - How Do People Express Happiness in Your Culture? Answer - Smiles, laughing, embraces, and shared celebrations are common ways in which people have pleasure, along with appreciation and positive thinking. Question - Do You Think Happiness Has Any Effect on People? How? Answer - Happiness has a major impact on people, boosting their overall happiness, encouraging perseverance, strengthening relationships, and supporting physical and mental health via the production of endorphins and dopamine. Question - What Would You Do to Make Yourself Happy? Answer - To build happiness, I'm going to prioritize activities that link with my interests, build relationships, develop concentration, perform acts of kindness, and chase personal growth and satisfaction. Question - How Can People Be Happy? Answer - Healthy relationships, following interests, developing thankfulness, practicing concentration, creating sensible objectives, prioritizing self-care, and building a positive mentality all contribute to happiness. Question - Is It Good for People to Be Unhappy? Why? Answer - Unhappiness may motivate people to develop and think about themselves, which leads to beneficial changes. However, continuous disappointment could indicate underlying issues that need to be treated and encouraged for general well-being.

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Describe something that surprised you FAQs

Q1 - How do you describe a surprise?

Ans - A surprise is an immediate and unexpected feeling resulting from something unexpected or uncommon happening. It is a combination of shock, surprise, and fascination, sometimes accompanied by physical reactions such as enlarged eyes, a dropped jaw, and a faster heart rate.

Q2 - What has surprised you the most about your life or life in general?

Ans - What surprised me was how strong my ego was when I was a teenager. Even though I am an introvert, I am very passionate and would go beyond any limit to win. Then I decided to become a life coach. I went through a self-discovery period, and it changed my life.

Q3 - Why are surprises important in life?

Ans - Especially when you're not expecting it. Not only that but when you surprise someone, you feel the same level of happiness. The happy hormone dopamine is created, which increases your happiness.

Q4 - What surprises you most about humankind?

Ans - A wise person once said that what surprises me most about humanity is that we become bored with our young age, hurry to grow up, and then want to be children again. That we sacrifice our health to earn money, just to lose it once again and then recover our health. When we spend time on the future, we lose touch with the present.

Q5 - What type of emotions are surprises?

Ans - Surprise is one of Eckman's six basic classifications of human emotions. It is often short and characterized by a physiological surprise reaction following moments of something unexpected. This feeling could be any combination of good, negative, or neutral.
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