Cue Cards Samples with band 8 answers
A situation when others didn’t tell you the whole truth - Cue Card # 401
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IELTS Speaking Part 2: IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card.
[The topic for your talk will be written on a card which the examiner will hand over to you. Read it carefully and then make some brief notes.]
Describe a situation when others didn’t tell you the whole truth.
You should say:
- what the situation was
- who was involved in it
- why they didn’t tell you the whole truth
and explain how you felt when you found out that you were not told the whole truth.
[Instruction: 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.]
Model Answer 1:
When somebody tells us a lie, we can detect it at a certain stage and correct our mistakes. But when somebody doesn’t tell us the whole truth, it can be even more damaging than a complete lie. But this is life, and we do face such situations when we are not told the whole truth, just like a time when I wasn’t told the complete truth.
It happened a few years ago when I needed to fix my car. In fact, our car was giving trouble on and off for the previous few months. But the problem was that we couldn’t find any other reliable car mechanic whom we knew in my town. So, when I learnt about the new mechanic and his “credentials”, I felt that we could finally get our car fixed again.
Later on, I even provided the details about my car problem to him, and he assured me that he would fix the problem within a few hours. So, the next morning, I left my car in his shop. But when I came back to pick up my car later that afternoon, he told me that it would take him the whole afternoon to fix the car, as he detected a few other problems, even though I was pretty sure that my car didn’t have other problems. Later on, I came to know that he didn’t tell me the whole truth because he didn’t find any problem with my car at all, after all, but he certainly wanted me to pay for his “lost time” which he “wasted” in figuring out the problem.
Anyway, when I found out that I wasn’t told the whole truth by the mechanic, I felt a bit sad and mad. But, more importantly, I actually lost my faith in him, which could be really damaging for a person’s reputation. However, this incident also encouraged me to learn to fix my own car, and other things, myself in order to avoid this kind of “unpleasant” situation.
Model Answer 2:
This topic reminds me of a sad event in my life. I was a university student back then, and one morning, I received a call from one of my cousins. He informed me that our grandmother was very ill and needed immediate medical care. I was very fond of my grandmother and could not wait to see her. I called my mum and she advised me to travel to my grandfather’s house immediately.
I had to travel for more than 8 hours before I reached my grandfather’s house. I met one of my uncles, who came to the train station to receive me, and he looked quite depressed. I asked him how grandma was doing, and he simply answered that ‘not good’. I asked a few more questions about my grandma, but he could not answer any of them. After I reached my grandfather’s house, I noticed that many relatives were present there, and everyone looked devastated.
All of a sudden, I realised that my grandma was no more! In fact, my grandmother died the night before, and I received the news of her illness the next morning. But my relatives did not tell me the whole truth. Now I think there was a logical reason behind this. They knew that if they told me the real news of my grandmother's passing away, I'd be disheartened and depressed, and it would be unsafe for my journey. They wanted to make sure I reached home safely, and then they would reveal the whole truth to me.
As I was very sad and was crying that my beloved grandma was no more, I was not worried that my relatives concealed the truth. There was a good intention to lie to me, and that was very understandable.
Model Answer 3:
Introduction:
Thank you for giving me this interesting topic. For this topic, today, I’d like to share an experience when I realised that others hadn’t told me the whole truth, and it left quite an impression on me.
What the situation was:
This happened a couple of years ago, right before my birthday. My family had been acting a little strange - busy with phone calls, whispering around me, and changing the subject whenever I entered the room. At first, I thought they were just busy with their own work, but later I understood something bigger was going on.
Who was involved in it:
The people mainly involved were my parents and a few close friends. They all seemed to be in on the same secret, but nobody gave me a hint of what was actually happening.
Why they didn’t tell you the whole truth:
The reason they didn’t tell me the full story was that they were planning a surprise birthday party for me. They wanted it to remain a complete secret until the very last moment, so they pretended that my birthday would just be a normal day with maybe a small dinner at home.
And explain how you felt when you found out:
When I finally walked into the decorated room and everyone shouted “Happy Birthday!”, I was honestly shocked. At first, I was a bit confused, because I felt like I had been left out of something important. But that feeling quickly turned into joy and gratitude. I realised that the half-truths and little secrets were all part of making the surprise successful, and it made me feel incredibly loved and valued. So even though I wasn’t told the whole truth at first, in the end, it turned out to be one of the happiest and most memorable experiences of my life.
Idea Generation for this topic:
This topic asks you to describe a situation when someone or a group of people didn’t tell you the whole truth. You should explain the situation, the person or people involved, the reason behind hiding the truth, and how you felt when you eventually discovered it. To make your answer effective, try to share the emotional impact as well as the outcome. Here are a few ideas to help you develop your own answer to this same topic:
1. Surprise birthday party:
I once suspected my friends were hiding something from me, but I later found out they were planning a surprise birthday party. They didn’t tell me the whole truth because they wanted to keep it a secret. When I found out, I felt overjoyed and touched by their efforts.
2. School exam results:
My parents once told me my exam results hadn’t been published yet, but later I realised they already knew and wanted to wait until I was calm to share the marks. They hid it because they thought I might panic. When I found out, I felt a mix of annoyance and gratitude.
3. A broken item at home:
Once, my younger cousin broke a vase at home but didn’t admit it. I only discovered the truth later when someone else told me. He didn’t tell me because he was afraid of getting scolded. I felt disappointed at first, but later forgave him since he was so young.
4. Office restructuring:
At my workplace, my manager once said there were “small changes” coming, but in reality, a major restructuring was planned. They didn’t tell us the full truth to avoid panic. When I found out, I felt a little betrayed but also understood their reasoning.
5. A friend moving away:
One of my closest friends didn’t tell me right away that she was moving abroad. She hid it because she thought I would be upset. When I finally found out, I felt sad that she didn’t share it with me earlier. However, I also understood her hesitation.
6. Family health issue:
My family once hid the seriousness of my grandmother’s illness from me. They said she was just “a little unwell.” They didn’t tell me the whole truth to protect me from worry during my exams. When I found out later, I felt hurt but also realised they had good intentions.
7. Surprise holiday trip:
My parents once told me we were going to visit relatives, but in reality, they had booked a holiday trip to the mountains. They didn’t tell me the truth because they wanted it to be a surprise. When I found out, I was thrilled and couldn’t stop smiling.
8. Group project contribution:
In university, my teammates didn’t tell me that one of them hadn’t done his part of the project until the last moment. They hid it because they didn’t want to upset me. When I discovered the truth, I felt frustrated but worked harder to fix the situation.
9. Sports competition result:
My coach once told me I had “performed well,” but in reality, I hadn’t qualified for the next round. He didn’t tell me the truth right away because he wanted to encourage me. When I eventually learned the result, I felt disappointed but also motivated to improve.
10. Misplaced gift:
One year, my sister told me that she hadn’t bought me a birthday gift, but later I discovered she had actually hidden it and wanted to surprise me on the day. She didn’t tell me the whole truth just to make the surprise more exciting. When I found out, I felt really happy and loved.
Vocabulary for this Candidate task card/ Cue card topic:
When describing a situation where you were not told the whole truth, using specific vocabulary can effectively convey the nature of the situation, the people involved, their reasons for not being truthful, and your emotional reaction upon finding out. Thoughtful word choices will help you articulate the feelings of betrayal, shock, or disappointment, making your response both personal and insightful. Here are some relevant words and phrases:
Deception/Deceit: – The action of misleading someone by concealing or misrepresenting the truth.
Example: I was a victim of a small act of deception by my friend.
Half-truth: – A statement that is only partly true, especially one intended to deceive or mislead.
Example: The person only told me a half-truth, leaving out the most important details.
Withheld information: – Facts or details that are kept secret or not shared.
Example: I later found out that a lot of crucial information had been withheld from me.
Omission: – A failure to include or do something.
Example: The omission of key details in their story made it difficult for me to understand the whole situation.
Misled: – Caused someone to have a wrong idea or impression about something.
Example: I felt like I was deliberately misled by the company from the very beginning.
Betrayal: – The action of being disloyal to a person, country, or group.
Example: When I found out the truth, I felt a deep sense of betrayal.
Shock: – A sudden, upsetting, or surprising event or experience.
Example: I was in a state of shock when I learned what had really happened.
Disappointment: – The feeling of sadness or displeasure caused by the nonfulfillment of one's hopes or expectations.
Example: The whole experience was a huge disappointment to me.
Frustrated: – Feeling or expressing distress and annoyance.
Example: I felt frustrated that I was not given all the facts from the start.
Unsettling: – Causing a person to feel anxious, uneasy, or disturbed.
Example: The whole incident was an unsettling experience that I won't soon forget.
Motive: – A reason for doing something.
Example: I tried to understand their motive for not telling me the whole truth.
Well-intentioned: – Having good intentions but not always producing good results.
Example: I later realised that their actions were well-intentioned, even though they were dishonest.
Justified: – Having a good reason for something.
Example: They thought their actions were justified because they didn't want to hurt my feelings.
Trust: – Firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something.
Example: It took a long time for me to regain the trust that was broken.
Hurt: – Caused physical or mental pain to.
Example: I felt deeply hurt by the fact that they weren't honest with me.
Broken promise: – A commitment or assurance that is not kept.
Example: I felt that the lack of honesty was a broken promise in our friendship.
If you prepare for the topic "Describe a situation when others didn’t tell you the whole truth", you should be able to talk about the following topics as well:
1) Describe a time when someone or something surprised you.
2) Describe an event/time when someone you trusted did not keep your trust.
3) Describe a birthday party that you enjoyed.
4) Describe a memorable event in your life.
5) Describe a time when you had a strong disagreement with a friend.
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