IELTS Speaking 2025 Part 2&3: Describe Something That Surprised You and Made You Happy 🎁😊

Describe Something That Surprised You and Made You Happy 🎁😊

Ideas 💡

• What the surprise was: A birthday party 🎂, a special gift 🎁, good news 📰, an unexpected visit 🛬
• How you found out about the surprise: A friend/family member told you, you walked into the surprise, you received a message/call
• What you did after you found out: Celebrated, thanked the people involved, took photos 📸, cried happy tears 😭
• Why the surprise made you happy: Felt loved ❤️, an unforgettable experience, a turning point in life

Useful Grammar & Structures 🏗️

✅ Past simple & past continuous (I was studying when my friends suddenly appeared with a birthday cake.)
✅ Relative clauses (It was a moment that I will never forget.)
✅ Idioms & Phrasal Verbs (On cloud nine, burst into tears, jump for joy, caught me off guard)

Collocations 🌟

1. A heartfelt surprise 💖 (một bất ngờ đầy cảm xúc)
2. A touching gesture 🤗 (một hành động đầy ý nghĩa)
3. Completely unexpected 🎭 (hoàn toàn bất ngờ)
4. Tears of joy 😭 (nước mắt hạnh phúc)
5. A day to remember 📆 (một ngày đáng nhớ)

Full Sample Answer (2 minutes) 🎤

One of the biggest surprises of my life happened last year on my birthday 🎂. Normally, I don’t expect much because my birthday is during the exam season 📚, so my friends and I are usually too busy to celebrate. However, that year, something completely unexpected happened 🎭!

On the day of my birthday, I was at home studying when my best friend suddenly called me 📞 and asked me to come over to her house. I didn’t think much about it and just went. But the moment I walked in, I was completely shocked 😲! All my closest friends were there, waiting with balloons, a beautiful cake 🎂, and a huge “Happy Birthday” banner 🎉. They had planned a surprise party for me, and I had absolutely no idea!

At first, I was so surprised that I just stood there, speechless. But then, I burst into laughter 😂 and even shed a few tears of joy 😭. We spent the whole evening playing games 🎮, eating delicious food 🍕, and taking lots of photos 📸. I also received a scrapbook full of our memories together, which was such a touching gesture ❤️.

This surprise meant so much to me because it showed how much my friends cared. It was a day to remember, and even now, when I think about it, I still feel warm inside. It reminded me that happiness often comes from the little things in life – like the love and support of the people around us 💕.

Part 3: Follow-up Questions & Answers 🎤

1. How do people express happiness in your culture? 😊🎉

Ideas 💡

• Smiling 😁, laughing 😂, hugging 🤗
• Sharing food 🍜, giving gifts 🎁
• Posting on social media 📱

Collocations 🌟

1. A beaming smile 😁 (nụ cười rạng rỡ)
2. Laughter is contagious 😂 (tiếng cười rất dễ lây lan)
3. A warm embrace 🤗 (một cái ôm ấm áp)

Sample Answer 🎤

In my culture, people express happiness in many ways. The most common is through a beaming smile 😁 or a warm embrace 🤗. People also celebrate by sharing food 🍜, giving gifts 🎁, or even posting happy moments on social media 📱. Laughter is a big part of our culture too – we believe that laughter is contagious and spreads joy to everyone around us!

2. Do you think happiness has any effect on people? How? 🧠💖

Ideas 💡

• Improves mental & physical health 🏃‍♂️
• Strengthens relationships 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦
• Increases productivity at work/study 📚

Collocations 🌟

1. A positive mindset 🌞 (tư duy tích cực)
2. Boost emotional well-being 💖 (cải thiện sức khỏe tinh thần)
3. A chain reaction of happiness 🔗😊 (hiệu ứng dây chuyền hạnh phúc)

Sample Answer 🎤

Absolutely! Happiness boosts emotional well-being 💖, helps people maintain a positive mindset 🌞, and even makes them healthier. Studies show that happy people tend to be more productive at work and more successful in life 📚. Happiness also creates a chain reaction of happiness 🔗 – when one person is happy, they spread positivity to others around them!

3. How can people be happy? 🏖️🎶

Ideas 💡

• Spend time with loved ones 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦
• Take care of health 🏃‍♀️, eat well 🍏
• Do things they love 🎶🎨

Collocations 🌟

1. Find joy in the little things 🌸 (tìm niềm vui trong những điều nhỏ nhặt)
2. Live in the moment ⏳ (sống trong hiện tại)
3. Practice gratitude 🙏 (rèn luyện lòng biết ơn)

Sample Answer 🎤

Happiness comes from different sources. Some people feel happy when they spend time with loved ones 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦, while others find joy in hobbies like music 🎶 or travel ✈️. A great way to stay happy is to find joy in the little things 🌸, live in the moment ⏳, and practice gratitude 🙏 by appreciating what they have instead of focusing on what they don’t.

4. Is it good for people to be unhappy? Why? 😔🤔

Ideas 💡

• Teaches valuable life lessons 📖
• Helps people grow and become stronger 💪
• Makes happiness more meaningful 🎭

Collocations 🌟

1. A valuable life lesson 🎓 (một bài học cuộc sống quý giá)
2. Embrace challenges 🏆 (đón nhận thử thách)
3. Find light at the end of the tunnel 🔦 (tìm ánh sáng cuối đường hầm)

Sample Answer 🎤

Yes, in some ways, being unhappy can be beneficial. It helps people embrace challenges 🏆 and learn valuable life lessons 🎓. Struggles make happiness more meaningful – after all, we appreciate good times more when we’ve experienced difficulties. As the saying goes, “You can’t have a rainbow 🌈 without a little rain ☔.”