When something good happened to you

IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card 471 with Model Answer:

Describe a time when something good happened to you.

You should say:

• when it was
• what good thing happened to you
• what you had to do for that

and explain how you felt about it.

[You will have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes. You have one minute to think about what you are going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish.]

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Model Answer 1:
They say life has so many surprises for us and we have to be ready to embrace them no matter the consequences. This is why we have to be prepared to deal with bad situations while also enjoying the good things that happen to us. Thank you for this excellent topic, and here I'll share an event when something nice occurred to me.

I graduated from university around 3 years ago and was desperately looking for a decent job. But it was not easy to manage a job in a good company, especially for a fresher like me, who had no prior work experience. My parents' expectations and my economic burdens made the situation even worse for me, and I was getting a bit depressed after trying for a job for at least six months or so. At that time, which would be around 2 and a half years ago from now, a university friend of mine called and informed me that their company was looking for a few fresh and energetic graduates to work in its sales force. It was great news, to say the least, and exactly what I was looking for at that time.

This friend of mine joined a large telecom company and was promoted to the sales manager position. So when he called to give me the news of a possible job vacancy, it was certainly good news. This good news turned out to be one of the greatest events of my life when I successfully secured a job in this very company.

Well, to get the job, I had to apply for it, take a written test and then face an interview. Obviously, I had to do well to convince the authority that I was a deserving candidate. I also believe my friend's recommendation helped me to some extent - for which I will always be grateful to him.

As for how I felt, I was ecstatic and relieved to get the job. When I got a call from the HR manager of the company and learned that I was selected for the position, I could not believe it! The excitement of securing the first job in our life is something special, and I was happy to a great extent. I was also proud that my parents would no longer worry for me the way they used to do up until that point. It was indeed a great event.

Sample Answer 2:

Introduction:
Thank you for this nice topic. Here, I will tell you about a time when something positive happened to me.

When it was:
If my memory serves me well, it was exactly seven months and a few weeks ago. Since this was a good experience, I remember it clearly.

What good this happened to you:
The good thing that happened to me was that I received a scholarship for my studies abroad. I applied for a scholarship program at a foreign university, and after going through several rounds of interviews, I was eventually selected for the scholarship.

What you had to do for that:
In order to be eligible for the scholarship, I had to maintain a certain level of academic performance and write a research proposal on a specific topic. I had to put in a lot of hard work to prepare for the interviews and submit a strong application.

And explain how you felt about it:
I was extremely happy and grateful when I received the news that I had been selected for the scholarship. It was a dream come true for me as I had always wanted to study abroad but could not afford it without financial support. The scholarship not only provided me with the financial support that I needed but also gave me the opportunity to pursue my academic and personal goals. I felt proud of myself for the hard work I had put in to achieve this goal.

This experience also taught me the value of hard work and perseverance. It also gave me a great sense of accomplishment and confidence in my abilities.