Describe a time you made a promise to someone IELTS Cue Card

IELTS Speaking Part 2: IELTS Cue Card

Describe a time you made a promise to someone.

You should say
Whom did you make the promise to?
What the promise was?
Why you made the promise?
Was the promise easy to achieve?

Note: 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 Answers and follow up questions to describe a time you made a promise to someone with IELTS cue card:

Model Answer 1

Introduction:
Well, we often make promises to different people with the intention to keep the promises. However, sometimes due to uncertain circumstances, we fail to keep our words.

Whom did you make the promise to?
I would like to share one such experience where I promised my friend to help, but I couldn’t.

What the promise was?
It happened the last month when my needs my friend who was taking part in a science competition called me. He said that he needs my help in making a project as he has to make a working model on a science topic.

Why you made the promise? and Was the promise easy to achieve?
Since I had taken part in many competitions like these, and I straightaway said not to worry, I will help you. In fact, I said to him that I will come a day prior to your submission will stay overnight at your place, and during this time, we will complete this project. My friend had a firm belief in me, and that’s why he was happy to hear, and now we were supposed to meet teach other on the promised day.

Unfortunately, that day my grandmother fall seriously sick, and I had to take her to the hospital where she got admitted. Instead of helping my friend in making the project had to be there with my grandmother to take care of her all night long. Inevitably, my friend couldn’t complete his assignment without my help, and he failed.

Conclusion:
However, I apologized to my friend for not being able to help him due to a medical emergency. But, I feel bad that my friend failed just because I couldn’t keep my words.

Model Answer 2

Introduction:
The promise means a commitment from someone to do or not do something. As a noun promise means a declaration assuring that one will or will not do something.

Whom did you make the promise to? and What the promise was?
It is an excellent habit to make some promise and make hard efforts to complete it. Two years ago, I promised my uncle that I taught her daughter at home.

Why you made the promise?
I made this promise because his daughter got injured in a road accident before one month of her school final examination. Doctors strictly warned her and restricted her to go out of the house., she did not go to school. So I promised her father that I helped her.

Was the promise easy to achieve?
It was not easy for me to teach a patient because she was suffering much pain. I tried many tricks to teach her, failed in many tricks, but got success in some. I not only taught her but gave motivations also, which improved her health too.

Conclusion:
Finally, I got success to achieve my promise when she passed in her class with good percentages.

Model Answer 3

Introduction:

Many people are pretty casual about making promises.
And it really irritates me; when people make promises/commitments, they have no intention to keep.
I don’t make promises easily, but I try my best to fulfil them if I do.

Whom did you make the promise to? and What the promise was?

Last year, during the coronavirus lockdown, my parents made me promise that I would not leave the house unnecessarily till the vaccine is released.
My paternal grandparents live with us, and they lie in the high-risk category because of their age.

Why you made the promise?

Moreover, my grandmother is also diabetic.
So, all of us were really worried about my grandparents catching the virus.
I am a very social person, and before the corona days, I used to spend at least two to three hours with my friends every day.
I also spend much time with my grandparents.
In fact, sometimes, I sleep on the couch in their room.
My parents were worried that I might catch the virus if I spend too much time outdoors and pass it on to my grandparents.
So, I promised my parents that I would not loiter around and spend time indoors.

Was the promise easy to achieve?

It was very hard in the beginning.
I felt so bored as I couldn’t meet my friends.
In fact, in the first few days, the only time I left the house was to get groceries.
I was in contact with my friends on the phone, and we used to pass the time by talking for hours on the phone.
However, within two-three days, I ran out of things to talk about.
Every day was the same.
I was also angry at my parents for making me promise to not leave the house.
However, in a few days, I came to know that one of my friends had caught the virus.
From that day onwards, I stopped complaining.
Things also became a bit easier as I developed some new hobbies like reading the news and playing indoor games like chess and carrom board with my grandparents.

Conclusion:

It has been nearly ten months since I made the promise, and I am glad I made the promise.
In fact, I think I am still enjoying the company of my grandparents today because of that promise.

IELTS Speaking Part 3 : Follow up Questions

Here some examples of follow up questions that you may asked during your speaking part 3 by examiner related to cue card “describe a time you made a promise to someone”.

1. Generally speaking, do Indian parents make promises to children?
Yes, I think, not only Indian but all parents make promises to children also. They do so because they want their children to improve their personality and concentrate on their studies.
OR
Yes, Indian parents often make promises to their children. The promises mainly involve buying new toys or expensive gifts or taking them on vacations if they score good marks in exams or behave well.

2. Do children also make promises to their parents?
Yes, if parents make promises to their children, they also take a promise from their children, and they also tell their children they will fulfill their promise only when they do break their promise and complete it with full honesty.
OR
Yes, children also make promises to their parents that they will study and not waste their time. They also promise to behave well in the absence of parents.

3. Do most people fulfil their promises?
Yes, most people complete their promise. They do it because they want to establish good examples in front of their children. On the other hand, due to some reasons, sometimes parents do not fulfill their promise, but they explain the reason for their children and make sure that their children would understand their problem.
OR
Unfortunately, many people in India make promises that they know they cannot fulfil or cannot keep. For example, to meet at a particular time.

4. How do you feel when others break their promises?
It is a very heart-breaking situation when someone breaks their promise. Sometimes people are stuck in a problematic situation, so they do not keep their promise, but some people only make promises, but they never want to fulfill their promise.
OR
It annoys me when people break their promises. In fact, in India, promises are frequently made and seldom kept. I believe that we should not make promises that we cannot keep. We should think before we make promises.

Some cue-cards you may like :

Credits :

Photo by Austin Neill on Unsplash