Describe an occasion when you had to wait a long time for someone: IELTS Cue Card Sample 34
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Waiting for something or someone special requires a lot of patience. In life, each of us has been in such a situation and sometimes, it can be a tough test. So, in this cue card topic, you will express your thoughts in an organized and fluent way. To help you, we have presented two sample answers. Let’s practise!
A Time When You Waited For Something or Someone To Arrive
You should say:
- who or what you waited for
- where you waited
- why you waited (or, had to wait)
- and explain how you felt while you were waiting
Sample Answer 1
I would like to confess that waiting for somebody for a long time is something I am not fond of, especially if the person has not arrived at the agreed time. Talking about this, I am reminded of a time when I had to wait for a friend of mine, Vaishali, at a nearby park. She showed up at least an hour late than she was supposed to.
This incident took place almost a year back when Vaishali invited me to visit her hometown during the vacation. I had convinced my parents of this trip. Moreover, I needed a getaway to rejuvenate myself and experience the enchantments of a suburban area. Also, Vaishali had promised that she would pick me up from the park. I left and reached there within 20 minutes, and I thought she would be there any minute. That was the time when the horrible waiting period commenced, and I had to wait for an entire hour till she finally appeared.
If I had any idea that Vaishali was to arrive this late, I would have not reached early either. Moreover, when I tried calling her several times, she kept telling me that she was reaching in 2 minutes. At that time, I was quite worried and thought of returning plenty of times. However, I still kept my patience intact. The waiting time somehow seemed longer. I was a bag of mixed emotions. I was anxious, angry and worried – all at the same time. So, I would say my experience was not great.
At last, when Vaishali arrived and apologized profusely, I felt calm and tried cheering up. And then, we spent some quality time together.
Sample Answer 2
Click on the audio to listen to the sample answer above. Pay attention to the intonation and pronunciation of the words
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Having to wait for somebody is a common situation in our daily lives. There was this one time I had to wait for my friends, which was so special.
It was my birthday and I had invited a group of friends to a coffee house to celebrate it. We were scheduled to meet there at 8 that evening. I was so eager that I came early. Certainly, none of them were there, but it was easy to understand because I was early. However, I waited for half an hour, but nobody showed up, and then I started to feel uncomfortable and worried. As I was losing my patience, I began to call each of them to ask why they had not come yet. To my surprise, none of them picked up the phone. I was really fed up, as you can imagine, because it was my birthday and my friends had treated me like that.
I waited for a couple more minutes until I couldn’t stand it anymore, and decided to leave. As soon as I called the waiter for the bill, I heard the “Happy birthday” song start up in the coffee house. Out of nowhere, all of my friends suddenly appeared with a birthday cake. They hugged me and wished me happy birthday. It was such a surprise. My anger quickly gave way to laughter and we had an unforgettable night chatting until the early hours, drinking coffee and, of course, eating cake.
Vocabulary
- Show up: To arrive where you had arranged to meet somebody
Eg: It was getting late when she finally showed up.
- Lose my patience: To become annoyed or angry as a result of a delay.
Eg: The train is now 1 hour late, and I am losing my patience.
- Fed up: Bored and unhappy, especially with a situation that has continued for a long time.
Eg: The traffic congestion in our city never seems to get better, so people are really fed up with the time it takes to get to work. - Stand [something]: To dislike – used especially in negative sentences.
Eg: I like John, but I can‟t stand his sister, she is very rude.
- Out of nowhere: Appearing or happening suddenly and unexpectedly
Eg: The woman cried for help and, out of nowhere, a policeman arrived.
- Hug: To put your arms around someone and hold them tightly, to show that you like or love them.
Eg: The child ran out of the school and he hugged his mother, who was waiting at the school gate.
- The early hours: Early in the morning, for example about 2, 3, or 4 am.
Eg: We started in the early hours to avoid traffic.
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