Practise this cue card out loudPrepare for 1 minute, speak for up to 2 minutes, then compare with the Band 8 sample and try the Part 3 questions.
Old objects make excellent Part 2 answers, because they almost always come with a story. This card is a good chance to use descriptive language (worn, faded, scratched) and past habits (he would…, he used to…). Here is a plan, a Band 8 sample answer and the Part 3 questions about possessions and the past.
How to plan your answer in one minute#
You get one minute and a pencil. Don’t write sentences: note one or two key words per point, plus a detail or two that will make your story vivid. For example:
- what it is: grandfather’s wooden toolbox
- how you got it: inherited when he died; he was a carpenter
- why you have kept it: still use the tools; smell of wood; memories of the treehouse
- explain what it means to you: connection to him, reminds me to make things by hand
Practise, then compare: Band 8 sample answers
Record your own answer first, listen back, then compare. Don’t memorise these: examiners spot memorised answers. Borrow the structure and the highlighted vocabulary instead.
Part 2 sample answer (cue card)
Cue card
Describe something you own that is old but that you keep.
You should say:
- what it is
- how you got it
- why you have kept it
- and explain what it means to you.
Sample answerShowHide
Something old that I’ve kept for years is my grandfather’s wooden toolbox. It’s probably about fifty years old, a long box made of dark wood with a metal handle on top, and it’s quite battered now: the corners are worn and there are scratches and paint marks all over it.
My grandfather was a carpenter his whole life, and he made the box himself when he was a young man. When he passed away a few years ago, my grandmother asked each of the grandchildren to choose something of his to keep. Most of my cousins chose photos or his watch, but I immediately asked for the toolbox, because I spent so much time watching him use it when I was a child.
There are a few reasons I’ve kept it. The practical one is that the tools inside, a saw, chisels, a few hammers, are still excellent, much better quality than the cheap tools you buy today, so I actually use them when I need to fix something. But the real reason is sentimental. When I open the box, it still smells of wood and oil, exactly like his workshop did, and it takes me straight back to the summer we built a treehouse together when I was nine.
To me, it represents him: patient, practical and careful. He would never throw anything away if it could be repaired, and he used to say that if you make something properly, it will outlive you. The toolbox is a good example of that. I hope that one day I’ll pass it on to my own children, along with the stories that go with it.
Useful language:quite batteredworn cornerspassed awaythe real reason is sentimentaltakes me straight back toit will outlive youpass it on
Part 3 sample answers
Why do people keep old things?
Sample answerShowHide
Usually for sentimental reasons: old objects remind us of people, places and stages of our lives. Some people also keep things because they might be useful one day, or because they’re valuable as antiques. And for some, keeping things is a habit learned from parents who grew up with very little.
Useful language:sentimental reasonsantiques
Do young people today value old things?
Sample answerShowHide
Generally less than older generations, as they’re used to replacing things quickly, especially technology. But there are interesting exceptions: vintage clothes, vinyl records and film cameras are very popular with young people, partly because they feel more authentic than mass-produced products.
Useful language:vintagemass-produced
Is it better to repair things or replace them?
Sample answerShowHide
From an environmental point of view, repairing is usually better, because it reduces waste and the resources needed to make new products. The problem is that many modern products are designed to be hard to repair, and repairs can cost almost as much as buying new. Some countries are now introducing “right to repair” laws, which I think is a positive step.
Useful language:reduces wastedesigned to be hard to repair
Why do museums keep objects from the past?
Sample answerShowHide
Museums preserve objects so that future generations can understand how people lived, what they believed and how technology developed. An object can tell a story that a textbook can’t, like a child’s toy from two thousand years ago. They also protect things that might otherwise be lost or destroyed.
Useful language:preservefuture generations
Want your own answer scored? With Worddemy Pro, the AI examiner asks you real Part 1–3 questions and gives a band score for fluency, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation.
Why this answer would score well#
- Vivid description of an old object: battered, worn corners, scratches and paint marks.
- Past habits with would and used to, which is exactly the grammar this card invites.
- Practical and sentimental reasons, clearly separated (The practical one is… But the real reason is…).
- Sensory memory (the smell of wood and oil) and a forward-looking ending (pass it on).
Other ideas you could talk about#
You don’t have to use a true story, and you can adapt one you know well. Other good choices:
- A piece of jewellery or a watch from a relative
- An old toy, book or school uniform from childhood
- A letter, diary or photo album
- An old phone or camera that still works
Mistakes to avoid#
- Choosing something that is only a few years old. The card says “old”.
- Not explaining why you have kept it, which is the heart of the answer.
- Saying “It is very old and I like it” without describing it. Use adjectives like faded, worn, antique.
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