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.
Surprise cards (“a pleasant surprise”, “something that surprised you and made you happy”, “a time you received good news”) are all about building up to a moment. Set the scene, create a little suspense, then describe your reaction with strong emotion vocabulary. Here’s a plan, a Band 8 sample answer and the Part 3 questions.
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 was: surprise video from old classmates on my 25th birthday
- when and where it happened: last year, abroad, alone in my flat
- who was involved: my sister organised it, 20 people, my old teacher
- explain why it surprised you and made you happy: felt homesick + forgotten; I cried; showed people remember
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 that surprised you and made you happy.
You should say:
- what it was
- when and where it happened
- who was involved
- and explain why it surprised you and made you happy.
Sample answerShowHide
Something that both surprised me and made me really happy happened on my twenty-fifth birthday last year.
At the time, I had just moved abroad for a master’s degree, and I’d only been there for about six weeks. I didn’t really know anyone yet, and my birthday fell on a Tuesday, so I was expecting a pretty quiet, slightly lonely day. To be honest, I was feeling quite homesick. My family had sent messages in the morning, but that was it, and I assumed most of my friends had forgotten, which was understandable, because we’d all moved to different cities.
That evening, I was sitting in my flat, eating a rather sad microwave dinner, when my sister sent me a link to a video. I didn’t think much of it, but when I opened it, it turned out to be a twenty-minute film she’d secretly put together. She’d contacted about twenty people, old school friends, cousins, my football team, and even my secondary school English teacher, who I hadn’t spoken to in seven years. Each of them had recorded a short message, some funny, some quite emotional, and she’d edited them together with old photos of us all.
I was completely taken aback. I genuinely had no idea she’d been planning it for over a month. I’m not usually an emotional person, but I have to admit I cried watching it. I think it made me so happy because it came at exactly the right moment. I’d been feeling disconnected and a bit forgotten, and suddenly I realised how many people still cared. It also made me appreciate my sister even more. Whenever I feel low, I still watch that video.
Useful language:feeling quite homesickdidn’t think much of itit turned out to besecretly put togethercompletely taken abackcame at exactly the right momentfeel low
Part 3 sample answers
Do people like surprises?
Sample answerShowHide
Most people enjoy pleasant surprises, like gifts or unexpected visits, because they feel special. But some people don’t like surprises at all; they prefer to be in control and know what’s coming, and a surprise party can make them feel uncomfortable. I think it depends a lot on personality, so it’s worth knowing the person well before planning one.
Useful language:in controldepends on personality
Why do people plan surprises for others?
Sample answerShowHide
Mainly to show how much they care. A surprise takes time and effort, so it sends a strong message that someone is important to you. It’s also enjoyable for the person organising it, because they get to see the other person’s reaction. And sometimes, as in my case, it’s a way of cheering someone up when they’re going through a hard time.
Useful language:takes time and effortcheering someone upgoing through a hard time
Are unpleasant surprises sometimes useful?
Sample answerShowHide
Strangely enough, yes. An unexpected problem, like losing a job, can force people to rethink their lives and sometimes leads to something better. Unpleasant surprises also teach us to be flexible and resilient. Of course, it doesn’t feel useful at the time; you usually only see the benefit afterwards.
Useful language:rethink their livesresilientonly see the benefit afterwards
How has technology changed the way people celebrate special occasions?
Sample answerShowHide
Technology makes it much easier to include people who are far away, through video calls, group messages or shared videos like the one I received. On the downside, some celebrations have become more about taking photos for social media than enjoying the moment. I think technology is great for connecting people, as long as it doesn’t replace meeting in person.
Useful language:far awayon the downsideenjoying the moment
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#
- Builds suspense (a lonely evening, a “rather sad microwave dinner”) before the surprise, so the story keeps the listener’s attention.
- Strong emotion vocabulary: homesick, completely taken aback, disconnected, feel low.
- Narrative tenses used precisely: past perfect (she’d secretly put together, had recorded) and past perfect continuous (she’d been planning it).
- Explains why on two levels: perfect timing and appreciation for the sister.
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 surprise party or an unexpected visit from a friend
- Getting a better exam result than you expected
- Unexpected help from a stranger
- Receiving an unexpected gift or job offer
Mistakes to avoid#
- Giving away the surprise in the first sentence and then having nothing to build up to.
- Using “surprised” and “happy” only. Add delighted, thrilled, overwhelmed, taken aback.
- Confusing surprised (how you feel) and surprising (the thing): “I was surprised; it was surprising news.”
Want more? Practise a random card with the 2-minute timer in the cue card generator, or see every Speaking topic with sample answers.