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IELTS Speaking Part 2: IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card.

Describe how you would organise a surprise party for one of your friends.

You should say:

• where you would do it
• how you would do it
• what arrangements would need to be done for the surprise party

and explain why would you arrange such a surprise party.

Model Answer 1:

It is a rather interesting topic because I have always wanted to organise a surprise party for my friends, but I haven’t yet managed to do that so far. However, I would still like to share my ideas here about how exactly I would like to organise a surprise party for my friend.

Anyway, whenever it comes to organizing a surprise party, the “birthday party” almost automatically comes to our minds, except, of course, my surprise would be organised in order to commemorate a wedding anniversary of one of my best friends.

Anyway, to give a surprise wedding anniversary party, I would choose a nice and big restaurant which has all the arrangements for such a surprise party. Of course, for that, I would first need to order a big wedding anniversary cake with a very nice looking flower on top of it. Then, I would also prepare a nice stage (hidden from the public, of course) in that restaurant, with the names of my friend and his loving wife, plastered all over, and decorated with beautiful flowers and colourful paper rosettes. I would like to turn the stage into a dreamy place with all kinds of beautiful lightings. To put the icing on the cake, I would also like to compose a romantic song with the name of my friend and his wife in it.

Finally, when the anniversary date approaches, I would invite my friend and his wife to the restaurant either before one day of the anniversary date or after. Once, they arrive at the restaurant, the romantic song, I just mentioned about, would be played from the background to call my friend and his wife onto the stage in order to surprise them on their anniversary.   

Anyway, I would organise this surprise party to show how I really care about my friend and his wife, who have been through thick and thin with me throughout many years. Besides, I also want to help my poor friend show his love and appreciation for his loving wife since he keeps forgetting about his wedding anniversary pretty much …well… every year. 

Sample Answer 2:

It is not always easy to organise a surprise party and I did organise such 3-4 surprise parties for my family members and friends. The surprise party I would like to do is for one of my friends on his birthday. He is going to turn to 26 next February and I'd through a completely surprise party for him at his home.

There is a good chance that his family members would organise a birthday celebration on the day, so my planning would be to through it at 12:01 am at night. I would keep everything secret from him and would let only 2-3 friends know about the planning of the party who would also participate in organising it. We would buy a big birthday cake and birthday candles in the evening and 6-7 friends would gather together. We will buy our individual gifts for him and would go to him home exactly at 12:00 am. We will then notify his mother and would let her know that we are planning a surprise party for him. At exactly 12:01 am we'll enter his house and probably there would be a lot of shouting and birthday wishing. That would be a big surprise to my friend as he would have no clue about our arrival at his home on his birthday.

He is a very good friend of mine and I remember him to be very supportive to me in several times. A birthday is a very special day for a person and people become very happy when he finds that people who care him also celebrates and congratulates him on special occasions like a birthday or a wedding ceremony. I would organise the surprise party to make him happy and to enjoy the occasion.

Tips for answering this Cue Card topic:

People usually arrange surprise parties for friends on the following occasions:
1. Birthday.
2. Marriage Anniversary.
3. First day at school.
4. First day at university.
5. Before departing the country.
6. On his/her mentionable success/ achievement.

Please note that this cue card is slightly different as it does not ask you to describe something you did/ saw or planned. Rather it asks your hypothetical description of a surprise party for your friend that you would organise. Usually, this type of party is thrown for an occasion and without the knowledge of the person for whom this is arranged.

The description of this cue card would be your imagination of a surprise party and you should be able to give a very resounding description of such a surprise party.
People usually arrange the surprise party at home/party centre and then bring the fried to totally surprise him/her. Sometimes this is known to all other friends except for the person intended to be surprised. For the first question, you should mention where you will actually arrange this party and for whom. Then mention why you would like to arrange this party at that place. For the second question specially mention your plan and details of this plan for the party. State how you would keep it hidden from the friend you are planning to through the party for and then mention what sort of arrangement you would do. Besides, you should speak about your relationship with your friends and how intimate you two are. Then mention who would be invited to the party and how they would help to make it a great party.

A good description of the second question would actually cover the expectation for the answer to the third question as well. The final question asks your reason for arranging such a surprise party and here you should mention how bosom you are with this friend and how much it means to you to make him/her happy. A surprise party would be a memorable event for your friend and you want a person to arrange a party to make it memorable.
 

Similar Cue Card topics:

1. Describe a party you have attended.
2. Describe a birthday party you attended.
3. Describe a party you recently participated in and enjoy.
4. Describe one of your close friends.

• IELTS Cue Card
• IELTS Speaking
• Candidate Task Card

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