Describe a gift you would like to buy for a friend
Describe a gift you would like to buy for a friend
You should say:
- who the friend is
- what the gift would be and where you would get it
- when you would give it to your friend
and explain why you think this friend would like the gift
Practise this card
One minute to plan, two minutes to speak, exactly like the exam. Nothing you record leaves your device.
01:00
02:00
- who the friend is
- what the gift would be and where you would get it
- when you would give it to your friend
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How to approach this cue card
This card tests whether you can talk about an imagined future action using accurate “would” and “going to” forms, and whether you can justify a choice by connecting an object to a person. Examiners listen for a link between the friend’s character and the gift, and for the grammar of plans and hypotheses, which many candidates only use in short bursts.
The easiest real angle is a friend who once said something small, such as “I wish I could draw” or “I’ve always wanted to learn to cook”. A gift built on that remark gives you the “why they would like it” explanation without any invention, and it sounds personal. Choose something you can describe in detail, including how it looks and where you would find it.
Use the minute to fix the friend, the object and the moment you would give it. Spend a sentence on each of the first two bullets, a few sentences on how and where you would get the gift, and leave real time at the end for the reaction you expect, since the explain line is where natural, flexible language appears.
Vocabulary that lifts this answer
These phrases help you describe plans and hypotheses more precisely than “I will buy”.
| Word or phrase | What it means | In a sentence |
|---|---|---|
| a thoughtful present | a gift chosen with care for the person | I want it to be a thoughtful present, not a last-minute one. |
| a gentle push | a mild encouragement to do something | The set would be a gentle push to start a hobby. |
| a throwaway comment | a casual remark said without much thought | She made a throwaway comment about it years ago. |
| be touched | feel moved because of someone’s kindness | I think she’d be touched that I remembered. |
| I’m planning to | I have the intention to do something | I’m planning to give it to her in person. |
| tailor something to someone | adapt it to suit a particular person | I tried to tailor the gift to her interests. |
| a personal touch | a detail that shows individual care | I’d add a handwritten card as a personal touch. |
| hand it over | give something to someone physically | I’d hand it over on her birthday. |
| a beginner’s set | a first collection for someone starting out | A beginner’s set is exactly what she needs. |
| come in handy | turn out to be useful | I think the brushes will come in handy for years. |
A one-minute plan
- who: Sevara, close friend, now studying in Almaty
- gift: watercolour set, paper pad, two brushes, wooden box
- where and when: small art shop near our old university, her December birthday
- why she’d like it: always wished she could paint, gentle push
The same answer at Band 6, 7 and 8
The three sample answers below tell exactly the same story, and only the language changes between them. Hover or tap a highlighted phrase to see what an examiner would notice about it, and treat these as illustrations of what each band typically sounds like, not scripts to memorise.
Band 6
I would like to talk about a gift I want to buy for my friend Sevara, who moveTense slip: should be “moved” to Almaty last year to study for a master’s degree. She always saySubject-verb agreement error: should be “says” that she wishes she could paint, but she was always too busy to start. So I will to buyVerb form error: should be “will buy” or “am going to buy” her a set of watercolours with a pad of paper and two goodBasic adjective; limits Lexical Resource brushes, all in a wooden box for her desk. There is a small art shop near our old university, and the owner knows about this, so I ask him help meMissing “to” and “will”: should be “will ask him to help me” choose the right ones, because I have no idea what a beginner needs. I will give it to her on her birthday in December, erNatural hesitation marker, minor filler maybe when I visit her. I think she will be loveVerb form error: should be “will love” it, because it is not just a thing, it is a way to help herBasic phrasing; limits Lexical Resource start something she always wanted, and I think she will be happy that I remembered what she said a long time ago, because many people forget these small things.
Band 7
I’d like to talk about a gift I’d love to buy for my friend Sevara, who moved to Almaty last year to start a master’s degree. For as long as I’ve known her, she has said she wishes she could paint, but she has always been too busy or too shy to begin. So I’m planning to give her a proper set of watercolours, together with a thick pad of paper and two soft brushes, in a wooden box she can keep on her desk. There’s a small art shop near our old university where the owner knows his materialsRelative clause giving a precise detail, and I’d ask him to help me choose, since I really don’t know which paints does a beginner needWord order error in an indirect question: should be “which paints a beginner needs”. I’d hand it over on her birthday in December, ideally in person. What I like about the idea is that it’s a gentle pushNatural, idiomatic phrase towards something she’s always wanted to try, and I think she’d be touched that I rememberedPrecise emotional collocation a casual comment from years ago. More than anything, I’d like her to feelNatural discourse marker introducing the final reflection that someone believes she can do it.
Band 8
I’d like to talk about a gift I’d love to buy for my friend Sevara, who moved to Almaty last year to start a master’s degree. For as long as I’ve known her, she has said she wishes she could paint, yet she has always been either too busy or too shy to begin. So I’m planning to give her a proper set of watercolours, along with a thick pad of paper and two soft brushes, in a wooden box she can keep on her desk. There’s a small art shop near our old university whose owner knows his materials, and I’d ask him to help me choose, since I wouldn’t have the faintest idea which paints suit a beginner. I’d hand it over on her birthday in December, ideally in person. What appeals to me about the idea is that it isn’t merely an objectCleft sentence with a contrastive structure but a gentle push towards something she has always wanted to try, and I suspect she’d be touched that I remembered a throwaway comment from years ago. More than anything, I’d like her to feel that someone believes she can do it.
What moved the band
- Band 6’s verb-form problems (“who move”, “She always say”, “I will to buy”, “she will be love”) become accurate present, past and conditional forms by Band 7, and none returns in Band 8.
- Band 6 relies on “good” and “help her start something”; Band 7 uses “a gentle push” and “touched that I remembered”; Band 8 tightens the hypothetical with “I wouldn’t have the faintest idea”.
- Band 6 closes with a plain feeling; Band 7 and Band 8 close on a reflective sentence about what the gift means to the friend, which is exactly what the explain line invites.
Common mistakes on this card
- Describing a gift you have already given instead of one you would like to buy, and so using the wrong tenses throughout.
- Naming an object but not saying why it suits this particular friend, which leaves the explain line unanswered.
- Choosing a gift that sounds impressive but that you cannot describe in any detail, such as its look, size or where you would find it.
- Using “will” for everything and never moving into “would”, “I’m planning to” or “I’d like to”, which keeps the grammar range narrow.
Part 3 questions that often follow
After your turn of one to two minutes, the examiner usually moves into a related Part 3 discussion — these are the kinds of follow-up questions that commonly come up around this topic.
- Why do people give gifts on special occasions in your country?
- Do you think a handmade gift means more than a gift from a shop?
- How has online shopping changed the way people choose gifts?
- Is it better to give someone an experience, such as a trip, than an object?
- Should workplaces have rules about giving gifts to colleagues?
Frequently asked questions
Does this card use the past tense or the future?
Mostly the future and conditional forms. You have not bought the gift yet, so you describe a plan with "would", "I'm going to" and "I'm planning to". Examiners notice whether you can keep these forms accurate, so avoid drifting into the past tense by habit.
What if I cannot think of a gift for a real friend?
Start from the friend, not the gift. Think of something they have mentioned wanting, a hobby they have begun or a problem they have, and the gift follows naturally. A small, personal choice is easier to explain than a clever one you have to invent.
Can the gift be an experience rather than an object?
Yes. The card says gift, so a lesson, a ticket to an event or a day out with you is acceptable. You still need to describe what it is, where you would arrange it and why it suits this particular friend.
More cue cards in this family
Describe a gift you received that was special to you
A commonly reported IELTS Speaking Part 2 cue card about a meaningful gift, with a one-minute plan, useful vocabulary, and the same sample answer at Band 6, 7 and 8.
Describe a friend you have known for a long time
A commonly reported IELTS Speaking Part 2 cue card about a long-time friend, with a one-minute plan, useful vocabulary, and a Band 7-8 sample answer.
Describe a hobby you would like to try
How to answer the IELTS Speaking Part 2 cue card about a hobby you would like to try, with vocabulary, a one-minute plan and a full sample response.
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