Describe a celebration you enjoyed attending
You should say:
- what the celebration was
- where and when it took place
- who was there and what happened
- and explain why you enjoyed it
Part 3 discussion questions
After your talk, the examiner asks more abstract questions on celebrations and social gatherings. Practise giving a direct answer, a reason and an example.
- 1Why do people like to celebrate important occasions together?
- 2Are celebrations becoming more expensive than they need to be?
- 3How have family celebrations changed in recent years?
- 4Do traditional celebrations still matter to young people?
- 5What role do shared celebrations play in keeping a community together?
How to plan your answer in one minute
- Note one or two words for each bullet point; you can glance at them while you speak.
- Open with the main idea, then take the bullets in order so the examiner can follow you.
- Keep the last bullet (the "explain" part) for detail: this is where you show range.
- Keep talking until the examiner stops you; two full minutes shows fluency.
Notes for your minute of preparation
- What: my grandparents’ fiftieth wedding anniversary.
- Where and when: their old house in our home town, last December; courtyard with lights and long tables.
- Who and what happened: about sixty relatives and friends; our secret slideshow of old photos; grandfather’s speech; dancing.
- Why I enjoyed it: the whole family together, our surprise worked, seeing them so happy.
Model talk
239 words · about 2 minutes spoken
I’d like to describe my grandparents’ fiftieth wedding anniversary, which we celebrated last December.
The party took place at my grandparents’ house in our home town. It’s a big old house with a courtyard, so we decorated the courtyard with strings of lights and flowers and set up long tables for the meal.
Almost the whole family was there: around sixty people, including relatives who had travelled from abroad and some of my grandparents’ oldest friends. My cousins and I had secretly prepared a slideshow of old photographs, starting with their wedding in the 1970s. When it was shown after dinner, everyone laughed at the old clothes and hairstyles, and my grandmother actually cried. Then my grandfather, who is usually very quiet, stood up and gave a short speech about how they first met, a story nobody had heard before. After that there was music and dancing until quite late, and even my grandparents danced together.
I enjoyed it for several reasons. First, it was rare to have the whole family in one place; there were cousins I hadn’t seen for years. Second, I was proud that our surprise worked, because we’d spent weeks collecting photos without my grandparents finding out. But mostly I enjoyed seeing how happy they were. Fifty years together is a huge achievement, and it was lovely to celebrate it with everyone they care about. It’s honestly one of the best evenings I’ve ever had.
Written by Acedmi to show what a high-band talk sounds like. It is not an official IELTS sample, and your own ideas can be different.
Useful vocabulary
- anniversary
- The same date as an important event in an earlier year.
- “It was their fiftieth wedding anniversary.”
- take place
- Happen.
- “The party took place in the courtyard.”
- relatives
- Members of your family.
- “Relatives travelled from abroad.”
- decorate
- Make a place look attractive for an occasion.
- “We decorated the house with lights.”
- give a speech
- Talk to a group of people at an event.
- “My grandfather gave a short speech.”
- get-together
- An informal meeting of people.
- “Family get-togethers are rare now.”
- achievement
- Something done successfully, often with effort.
- “Fifty years together is a huge achievement.”
- find out
- Discover information.
- “They never found out about the slideshow.”
Common mistakes
- Only describing the food and decorations. The card also asks what happened and why you enjoyed it.
- Switching between past and present tenses. The event is finished, so tell it in the past.
- Vague words such as "it was very good". Show why with details, such as the slideshow and the speech.