Part 2medium

Describe a time when you were surprised by something.

IELTS Speaking Practice — AI-Powered Feedback

Cue card

You should say:

what happened
when it happened
who else was involved
why it was surprising

and explain how you felt about this surprise.

Rounding-off questions

Do you like surprises?
Do you think surprises are always a good thing?

Preparation

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Model answer (Band 8-9)

Part 2

Original model answer written by our team for practice — not an official IELTS answer.

I’d like to talk about a time I was completely taken by surprise when my friends organised a secret farewell party for me before I moved to another city for work. I honestly had no idea anything was going on behind my back, so it really caught me off guard in the best possible way.

This happened about two years ago, just a couple of days before I was due to leave. I thought I was simply going out for a quiet coffee with one close friend after work. Instead, when I walked into the café, around twenty of my friends suddenly jumped up and shouted, “Surprise!” The whole place had been decorated with photos of us, fairy lights, and even a huge banner with my name on it.

Pretty much my whole inner circle was involved: my university friends, a couple of colleagues, and even my younger cousin, who’d travelled from another city just to be there. They’d clearly coordinated everything in a very sneaky but thoughtful way, from the customised cake to a video montage of our funniest and most embarrassing moments together.

It was surprising mainly because I’d been convinced that everyone was too busy to do anything special before I left. I’d also been a bit stressed and slightly pessimistic about the move, so I was expecting a low-key goodbye, not this elaborate celebration. The amount of effort and attention to detail really blew me away.

In terms of how I felt, it was a mix of shock, gratitude, and a bit of bittersweet sadness. I remember feeling genuinely cherished and suddenly much more confident about starting a new chapter, because I realised I had a strong support network behind me, no matter where I went.