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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 an event/time when someone you trusted did not keep your trust.

You should say:

• when it was
• who the person was
• what happened

and explain how you felt about it.

[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:

Feeling betrayed is certainly not a great feeling, and if this betrayal comes from someone you trust, it is even worse. But this is life, and bad things happen to us whether we like it or not, as the scars of treachery are still fresh in my mind. I would like to thank you for this topic and share my experience when someone I trusted stabbed me in the back.

It was about five years ago when I felt betrayed by none other than my long-time friend Andrew, whom I thought I had known for more than 15 years. I can still vividly remember the day when he asked for our motorcycle (my family owned a motorcycle back then) as he “supposedly” needed it to run some “errands”, ensuring me that he would be back in 10 minutes. Having complete faith in him, I gave the motorcycle to my friend, who lived only a 10-minute walk away from me, without notifying my parents.

I waited for 10 minutes, but my friend was yet to come. I waited for another 20 minutes, but still no sign of my friend. My father started to ask me about the motorcycle, but I, still having faith in my friend, told them that my “friend” would be back in 30 minutes. When there was no sign of my friend even after 30 minutes had passed, I became worried and a bit annoyed at the same time. However, my “friend” did arrive after six straight hours, but he arrived with a broken motorcycle that required a lot of work to get fixed. When confronted, my friend said that he wasn’t at fault and that the accident had taken place because of another person’s fault. However, later on, I found out that he had taken the motorcycle far beyond the distance he was supposed to travel with another guy. I also found out that it was because of his fault that the accident had taken place as he was riding the motorbike really fast. In other words, he lied to me the whole time.

Not sure why he lied to me, but I felt really bad and sad, not because of the broken motorcycle, but because I felt that I was duped by a person whom I have always tried to help. Having seen the “deceit” in him, I kept wondering myself about how many times he might have lied to me in the past, or how many times he may have taken advantage of me by lying to me! What was even worse was that I chose to lie to my parents because I wanted to save a “so-called” friend who turned out to be a plain “liar” later on! Needless to say, after that terrible incident, I promised to myself that I would never let myself in a position again where I would feel “betrayed” and “deserted”.

Model Answer 2:

I believe deception and betrayal are more widespread today than in the past. It is a shame that it has become so common today, which used to be considered an unmentionable sin in the past. Unfortunately, I have been cheated a number of times by others, but for the sake of this topic, today, I will share the worst incident when I got stung by a close friend of mine whom I believed. That was shocking and unexpected for me, and the bitter feeling still lingers.

In 2023, when I was doing my post-graduation, we needed to submit a software project for 100 marks in the final term. At that time, almost everyone from my class was assisting companies of their choice to complete an internship or working hard to make a project for the final submission. I couldn't do an internship with any of these companies as it required some strong recommendations, which I did not have. So, I decided to complete a software project on my own with the help of the internet. And I finally did that. I painstakingly finished the project and spent many sleepless nights to complete it.

I had a friend in my class who was in the same situation as mine, and she was struggling with it. Just for humanity's sake, I would not expose her. She belonged to a poor family and didn’t even have her own laptop. I decided to help her by submitting my individual project as a group project. For this purpose, I gave her all my work details so that she could revise it before the final submission and presentation date.

Regrettably, that was one of the biggest mistakes in my life, as she betrayed me, and submitted my project as her own individual project a week prior to the submission date. That was unexpected and an act against morality. I was deceived so badly that I lost faith in helping others. I was trying to help her, and she stabbed me in the back as a reward! I was so crestfallen and dismayed that I felt helpless and depressed for a couple of days.

But luckily I had the blueprints of that project in my email and laptop. So, I was able to prove to my professors that I actually prepared that project. That was tough for me and took a great deal of effort, but I was happy to find that deception did not win over morality and humanity.

[Written by - Sharuti Sharma]

Model Answer 3:

For me, one instance that still seems like a bitter pill to swallow is when I felt betrayed during my final year of high school, just before our graduation ceremony. Here, I am going to talk about this incident that I have not talked about for a really long time. The person involved was my close friend, Paula, whom I had trusted and confided in for several years.

It all happened when I discovered that Paula had been spreading rumours about me behind my back. These rumours were not only false but also malicious, painting me in a negative light and damaging my reputation among our peers. When confronted, Paula initially denied any involvement but later admitted to it when confronted with evidence.

The betrayal hit me hard, especially because I had always considered Paula to be a loyal and trustworthy friend. I felt hurt, angry, and deeply disappointed by her actions. It was difficult to comprehend why someone I had trusted would betray me in such a way, especially at a time when support and solidarity were most needed.

The experience taught me a valuable lesson about the importance of discerning true friendship and the impact of betrayal on personal relationships. It made me more cautious about whom I trust and more mindful of the potential consequences of sharing personal information with others. While the betrayal caused me emotional pain initially, it ultimately served as a learning experience that helped me grow and mature as an individual.

Idea generation for this Candidate task card/ Cue card topic:

This cue card asks you to talk about a situation when someone you trusted broke your trust. You need to explain who this person was, what your relationship with them was, what they did to break your trust, and how this incident affected your emotions and perception. It is important to describe the nature of the trust, the expectations you had, and the consequences of the betrayal. You can also briefly mention whether the relationship recovered or remained damaged. Here are some detailed ideas to help you generate your own response:

1. A friend who shared a private secret:
About two years ago, I shared a personal matter with my close friend during our university days, trusting that she would keep it between us. However, she ended up telling others, and it spread quickly. I was embarrassed and deeply hurt. I had trusted her because of our long-standing friendship, but that incident made me more guarded in sharing personal matters later.

2. A colleague who took credit for my work:
While working on a joint project at my office, I had collaborated with a colleague I trusted. He assured me that we would present our ideas together. However, during the presentation to senior management, he took full credit for the work and didn’t mention my contribution at all. I felt betrayed, disrespected, and extremely disappointed in him.

3. A sibling who used my money without asking:
My younger brother once used my emergency savings without informing me. He thought I wouldn’t notice, but I had saved that money for an important health check-up. When I found out, I was shocked and upset- not because he used the money, but because he didn’t tell me. It took me some time to forgive him.

4. A school teacher who broke a promise:
When I was in high school, a teacher promised to nominate me for a national competition based on my performance. Despite doing well, she chose another student without explanation. I felt extremely disappointed and confused, especially because I had trusted her judgment and encouragement. It affected my motivation at the time.

5. A business partner who backed out last minute:
A few years ago, I planned to start a small online business with a friend. We had made arrangements and even discussed our investment shares. But just before launching, he backed out and joined another group, leaving me alone with financial responsibilities. I felt betrayed and financially strained due to his last-minute decision.

6. A roommate who broke my trust:
During university, I had a roommate I trusted completely. One day, while I was away for a weekend trip, he invited strangers to our room without informing me, and some of my valuables were stolen. I was devastated - not just for the loss, but because someone I considered a friend disregarded my privacy and safety.

7. A family member who disclosed my exam results without permission:
After a challenging university entrance exam, I had shared my result with a cousin, requesting him not to tell anyone as I wanted to reveal it myself. But within hours, my relatives started congratulating me. Although it wasn’t a negative outcome, I was frustrated and upset because he didn’t respect my wish to share it in my own way.

8. A trusted friend who didn’t support me in a difficult time:
When I went through a rough patch emotionally, I expected one of my closest friends to support me. Instead, he distanced himself and stopped responding to my calls and texts. It was painful because I had been there for him in the past. His absence when I needed him the most made me feel abandoned and mistrustful of others.

Vocabulary for this Candidate task card/ Cue card topic:

When describing a situation where someone you trusted broke that trust, using specific vocabulary can effectively convey the details of the betrayal, the nature of the relationship, and your emotional fallout. Thoughtful word choices will help you articulate the impact of their actions and the erosion of your confidence, making your response both clear and emotionally resonant. Here are some relevant words and phrases:

Betrayal: – The act of breaking trust or being disloyal.
Example: It felt like a deep personal betrayal when I discovered the truth.

Confidant: – A person with whom one shares a secret or private matter, trusting them not to repeat it to others.
Example: I had always considered her my closest confidant, so it was a shock.

Breach of trust: – An act of breaking a promise or violating an agreement, especially one involving confidence or reliance.
Example: Their actions constituted a severe breach of trust in our long-standing friendship.

Disclosed confidential information: – Revealed private or secret information.
Example: They disclosed confidential information I had explicitly asked them to keep private.

Deceived: – (Of a person) caused to believe something that is not true, typically in order to gain some personal advantage.
Example: I felt utterly deceived by their false promises and hidden motives.

Manipulated: – Controlled or influenced (a person or situation) cleverly, unfairly, or unscrupulously.
Example: It became clear that I had been manipulated for their own benefit.

Let me down: – Failed to provide the expected help or support to someone; disappointed someone.
Example: I was devastated because I felt they had truly let me down when I needed them most.

Broken promise: – An assurance that has not been fulfilled.
Example: The whole situation stemmed from a broken promise that impacted my plans significantly.

Eroded trust: – Gradually destroyed or diminished confidence or reliance.
Example: Their repeated untrustworthy actions slowly eroded the trust I had placed in them.

Disappointed: – Sad or displeased because someone or something has failed to fulfil one's hopes or expectations.
Example: I was deeply disappointed by their inability to keep my secret.

Hurt: – Caused emotional pain or distress to.
Example: The feeling of being hurt by someone I trusted was overwhelming.

Betrayed: – Harmed (someone or something that one supports or protects) by deserting or exposing them to danger.
Example: I felt utterly betrayed, as if a part of our bond had been severed.

Shocked: – Caused (someone) to feel surprised and upset.
Example: I was genuinely shocked by their unexpected dishonesty.

Wary: – Feeling or showing caution about possible dangers or problems.
Example: Since then, I've become much more wary about who I confide in.

Loss of faith: – A cessation of belief or confidence in someone or something.
Example: The experience led to a profound loss of faith in that friendship.

Lesson learned: – An experience from which one can learn and improve.
Example: It was a painful experience, but definitely a valuable lesson learned about trust.

If you prepare for the topic "Describe an event/time when someone you trusted did not keep your trust", you should be able to talk about the following topics as well:

1) Describe a time when you felt betrayed.
2) Describe something unexpected that happened to you.
3) Describe an event that made you feel sad.
4) Describe a time when you had to trust a stranger.
5) Describe a time when someone broke your trust.
 

• IELTS Cue Card
• IELTS Speaking
• Candidate Task Card
• Speaking Part 2

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