IELTS Speaking Part 2
Describe something that you lost in a public place
You should say:
- What you lost?
- How you lost it?
- Where you lost it?
- And explain how you felt about it?
Sample Answer
Losing things is one of the most frustrating daily experiences, and can cost us both time and money. We are invariably unhappy about losing the item, but also about wasting time looking for it. Today, I would like to talk about one such experience.
One day I was taking a taxi home from the airport and had a lot on my mind, and when the taxi dropped me off at home, I got out, paid the driver, and didn’t really notice that my phone was laying on the back seat.
At first, I flew into a panic not only because of its value but mostly because it was the gift of my parents. I was so confused that I didn’t know how to contact the driver or even which taxi company it was that had taken me home. Then, I imagined the driver wouldn’t have known who the phone belonged to either. I tried to ring my own number over and over, and after several attempts, the driver answered. I explained what had happened, and asked if they would be kind enough to bring it back to me.
Finally, I heard a knock on the door — it was the taxi driver with my phone in his hand. I was smiling from ear to ear and offered him some money. However, he shook his head and refused, but instead wished me a good night as he passed me my phone.
It was a scary but memorable experience that I may never forget, and I was very happy and grateful for that driver. This experience has made me more careful of my belongings and now I try to keep my phone as securely as possible.
IELTS Speaking Part 3
1. What kinds of people may lose things often?
I think there are two groups of people who may lose things often. The first one is people who are careless and unorganized. They are the ones who do not have the habit of putting things in order and like leaving things around carelessly. Therefore, they always forget where they have put certain things and may lose things often. The second group is the elderly, who can become forgetful as time goes by.
2. What can we do to prevent losing important things?
There are a few ways I can think of to prevent losing stuff. First, we should learn to put stuff away immediately and reorganize the different areas in the house that are prone to clutter. People should make cleaning up a weekly routine. Another solution is to turn your head to check your surroundings one more time whenever you exit a place – whether it’s a subway train, cab, restaurant, etc. We should also check our pockets from time to time and keep in mind all the essentials that we have at the moment – and verify them one by one.
3. What kinds of things do people lose most often?
The first thing that comes to my mind is mobile phones. In the modern world, most people don’t go anywhere without their phones. They’re not only important in our daily life but also our perfect vacation partners, ideal for taking photos, keeping in touch with friends and family, and using apps to find our way around when traveling, but they’re also easy to accidentally misplace or leave behind. Some personal things such as wallets and keys are also some of the most commonly lost items.
4. What would you do if you saw something valuable that didn’t belong to you on the street?
Obviously, I will not keep it for myself. When I was a little kid, my parents always taught me that it was wrong to keep the things of other people without their permission, and it was a good virtue not to pick up the things that do not belong to you. Instead of that, I will try my best to find out the person who lost the thing by reporting it to the police station to find the owner of that lost item.
