Describe a time when you made a promise to someone - IELTS speaking cue card

Describe a time when you made a promise to someone cue card - sample answer 1

Introduction

One of the promises I still clearly remember is the one I made to my mother following a poor performance in the 11th grade. This promise was a personal commitment and comfort to my mother, who was very concerned about my academic pursuits.

To whom did you make the promise?/ What was the promise?

About a year ago, I made this pledge after my unsatisfactory grades from the 11th were revealed. My mother's disappointment in me was a wake-up call, making me act immediately. So, I promised her she would get a good score in 12th grade. It was specifically said to my mother. Her expectations were legitimate, as she was a single mom who had made major sacrifices to support my education and was concerned about my poor academic performance.

Why did you make the promise?

The desire to live up to my mother's expectations and a deep realisation of my own shortcomings led me to pledge. It was a painful time to see her disappointed, and it inspired me to promise to study more diligently and sincerely going forward.

Was the promise easy to achieve?

There was a mixture of regret, resolve, and a strong sense of duty surrounding this commitment. I promised to change my academic trajectory out of a sense of duty, regret the consequences of my prior lack of dedication, and be determined to honour my mother's sacrifices. This dedication turned into a motivating factor that helped me study more intently and, as a result, boost my academic performance significantly. I scored good grades in 12th standard; in fact, I was in the top 5 students in my class.

Conclusion

I am glad that I realised my mistake then and worked on improving my academics. This has significantly contributed to my career now and has made my mother proud. 

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Describe a time when you made a promise to someone cue card - sample answer 2

Introduction

Making commitments is something that many people do rather casually. Furthermore, it is annoying when people make commitments or promises they intend to avoid following through on. I don't often make promises; when I do, I do my best to keep them.

To whom did you make the promise?/ What was the promise?

My parents made me swear during the coronavirus lockdown last year that I wouldn't leave the house until the vaccination was released. Since my grandparents live with us, there was a high risk that they might catch the virus quickly. And in old age, it would be a little difficult to cure them once they catch the virus.

Why did you make the promise?

In addition, my grandmother has diabetes. We were all quite concerned that my grandparents might contract the virus. I used to spend at least two or three hours a day with my friends before the pandemic days because I am a highly gregarious person. My grandparents and I also hang out a lot. My parents were concerned that if I spent too much time outside, I might get the virus and infect my grandparents. I, therefore, made a promise to my parents that I would avoid going out.

Was the promise easy to achieve?

In the beginning, it was really difficult. Because I couldn't see my buddies, I was really bored. To be honest, for the first few days, I only went outside to collect groceries. I spent hours on the phone with my buddies to pass the time while we were packed inside our houses. But after two or three days, I was short of topics to discuss. It was the same monotonous routine every day. My parents' insistence that I swear not to leave the house also infuriated me. But I found out a few days later that one of my friends had contracted the virus. After listening to the problems he faced after catching the virus, I realised how important it is to take precautions. I never complained again after that day. Moreover, I have also decided to do some indoor activities daily, like reading books, watching Ramayana, and playing Ludo with my grandparents to fulfil my promise of not going out.

Conclusion

Almost a whole year has passed since I made the commitment to my parents, and I'm happy I did. Because of that promise, none of my grandparents contracted the virus, and we all remain sound and safe.

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Describe a time when you made a promise to someone cue card - sample answer 3

Introduction

Some people keep their word, while some don't. Individuals who break promises and fabricate statements are not worthy of respect or worth.

To whom did you make the promise?

I want to talk about a promise I made to one of my closest friends.

What was the promise?/ Why did you make the promise?

We used to live in the same city until her father was transferred to Gurgaon. So, we had this ritual of celebrating our birthdays together. But since this time, she was in a different city; she took a promise from me to meet on her birthday.

Was the promise easy to achieve?

The following day, I received a notice from my college that my exam was set for the same day as her birthday. I was sad because I wanted to be with her to celebrate her 21st birthday. However, I was unable to accomplish that because of my exam. My friend sobbed and told me that she couldn't enjoy her birthday without me when I told her about the situation. I tried everything to get her to change her mind, but she didn't seem interested. Unfortunately, no transportation service was available that day. However, luckily, on that day, I found that one of my father's friends, who lived just 2 houses next to us, had a meeting in Gurgaon and was leaving in his private car at 1:00 pm. I asked if he could take me with him, and he agreed. Fortunately, I was able to reach my friend's house on time.

Conclusion

As soon as I got there, my friend was surprisingly shocked and immediately hugged me. I was delighted to be with her on her special day. We all laughed and enjoyed celebrating her birthday. Also, the fact that I could maintain my promise made me happy.

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IELTS Speaking Part 3 - Follow-up Questions

Question: Generally speaking, do Indian parents make promises to their children?

Answer: Indeed, they do. Indian parents may give their children a lot of promises, and they make sure they follow through on them. The relationship that exists among Indian families, particularly between parents and their offspring, is a model for all other relationships.

Question: How do you feel when others break their promises?

Answer: To be honest, I find it odd when someone promises something and can't follow through. Since we assume that people would follow through on their promises, it greatly affects me and makes it difficult to believe that person. Thus, if someone makes a promise, they must follow through. If they don't, people start to lose faith in them, and their relationship gets affected.

Question: Do most people fulfil their promises?

Answer: Yes, the majority of people keep their word. Their motivation for doing this is to set a positive example for their kids. On the other hand, parents occasionally break their word for various reasons, but they always make sure their kids know why and that they understand.

Question: Do children also make promises to their parents?

Answer: Yes, promises resemble give-and-take quite a bit. When parents make promises to their children, they expect reciprocation. For example, many parents offer to take their kids to the movies or an amusement park if they pledge to behave well and finish their homework. Not only that, but children typically promise to thrive academically to make their parents proud.

Question: Which promises are easy to fulfil?

Answer: Promises which can be easily completed in a short span of time and with less effort are easy to fulfil. For example, bringing a toy for kids.

Question: What do people do when they cannot fulfil their promises?

Answer: Well, people who fail to fulfil their promises either apologise to the other person and tell the actual reason for not fulfilling it or avoid conversing with them for at least a few days to hide their mistake.

Question: What are the reasons behind breaking someone’s promise?

Answer: There could be multiple reasons behind breaking the promise. Few people are unable to complete it because of some other priorities. Some people might forget the promise. While some people deliberately broke the promise.

Question: Why do some people feel happy instead of guilty after breaking a promise?

Answer: It's the only way for the person to get over everything if the agreement is damaged and illegal. Instead of feeling guilty, they were comforted by it.

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Conclusion

If you had any questions or concerns about the IELTS speaking test, maybe this article on the cue card topic "Describe a time you made a promise to someone" would have helped to clarify them. Hopefully, you have gained more insight into how to tackle these types of cue card subjects in the IELTS test. According to the examiner, your evaluation will be based on your accuracy, coherence, pronunciation, lexical resource, grammar range, and fluency. Don't panic and try to imagine the speaking exam as a conversation between two people.

But, still, if you are facing any problems, want to get further details or would like to prepare for IELTS, you can contact the Prepare IELTS exam (PI) expert counsellors for additional guidance. Our team of education experts is dedicated to providing you with the best test material and guidance to ace the IELTS exam. You can get a one-on-one counselling session and an IELTS online practice test via our platform. Contact us at info@prepareieltsexam.com or call us at +91 9773398388 for further queries.