Describe a Prize You Have Received
Suggested Ideas for Each Part
- What it was: 🏆 A gold medal / 🎓 A scholarship / 📜 A certificate of excellence
- When you received it: 🎉 During a school competition / 🏅 At a national event / 👩🏫 At a graduation ceremony
- What you did to receive it: 📚 Worked hard and practiced daily / 🎤 Won a speech contest / 🏃 Excelled in a sports event
- How you felt: 😃 Proud and excited / 🥲 Emotional and grateful / 💪 Motivated to achieve more
Useful Grammar Structures
- Past simple: Last year, I won a national writing competition.
- Past perfect: Before receiving the prize, I had spent months preparing for the contest.
- Comparisons: This prize was the most meaningful award I had ever received.
- Conditional sentence (Type 2): If I hadn’t worked so hard, I wouldn’t have won the award.
- Present perfect: I have never felt prouder in my life.
Collocations
- Prestigious award 🏆 (giải thưởng danh giá)
- Sense of achievement 🎉 (cảm giác thành tựu)
- Highly competitive 💪 (cạnh tranh khốc liệt)
- Overcome challenges 🚀 (vượt qua thử thách)
- Rewarding experience 🌟 (trải nghiệm đáng giá)
- Hard-earned success 📚 (thành công nhờ nỗ lực)
- Boost motivation 🔥 (tăng động lực)
Full Spoken Sample (2 Minutes)
One of the most unforgettable moments in my life was when I received a prestigious award 🏆 for winning a national English speech contest 🎤. It happened last year during my final year of high school. The competition was highly competitive 💪, with students from all over the country taking part, so winning it was a big deal for me.
To prepare, I had spent months practicing my speech every day. I worked on my pronunciation, body language, and storytelling skills to make my speech more engaging. I also participated in smaller competitions to gain confidence and receive feedback. On the day of the final round, I was incredibly nervous, but I gave it my all. When they announced my name as the winner, I couldn’t believe it! It was one of the happiest moments of my life.
The prize included a certificate, a medal 🏅, and a cash reward. But for me, the most valuable thing was the sense of achievement 🎉. Winning the competition made me realize that all my hard work had paid off. It also boosted my motivation 🔥 to keep improving my English skills. If I hadn’t practiced so much, I wouldn’t have won this award.
Looking back, this experience was a rewarding experience 🌟 because it taught me resilience and perseverance. It also opened up new opportunities, like receiving a scholarship for my university studies. I truly believe that working hard towards a goal makes the victory even sweeter!
Part 3: Discussion Questions
1. Do you think competition is all about the prize?
Ideas
- 🏆 Some people compete only for the prize
- 🚀 Others see competition as a way to improve skills and push themselves
- 😊 Healthy competition helps people grow
Collocations
- Healthy competition 🏁 (cạnh tranh lành mạnh)
- Drive for excellence 💯 (động lực để vươn lên)
- Lifelong learning 📖 (học tập suốt đời)
Sample Answer
No, I don’t think competition is just about the prize 🏆. While rewards can be motivating, the real benefit of competition is healthy competition 🏁, which encourages people to do their best. Some people compete not for the prize, but for the drive for excellence 💯. In my opinion, competitions should focus on lifelong learning 📖 rather than just winning.
2. What prizes should schools set for students?
Ideas
- 🎓 Scholarships for outstanding students
- 🏆 Medals and certificates for competitions
- 🎁 Small gifts to encourage participation
Collocations
- Academic excellence 📚 (thành tích học tập xuất sắc)
- Merit-based scholarships 🎓 (học bổng dựa trên thành tích)
- Encourage participation 🎭 (khuyến khích tham gia)
Sample Answer
Schools should offer merit-based scholarships 🎓 for students with academic excellence 📚. They can also give out certificates and medals 🏆 to recognize achievements in competitions. Even small rewards like books or stationery can encourage participation 🎭 and motivate students.
3. Why do many companies offer prizes to their customers?
Ideas
- 💰 To attract more customers and increase sales
- 🎁 To build customer loyalty
- 🏆 To promote new products
Collocations
- Customer loyalty 🤝 (lòng trung thành của khách hàng)
- Marketing strategy 📈 (chiến lược tiếp thị)
- Brand recognition 🔥 (nhận diện thương hiệu)
Sample Answer
Many companies offer prizes as part of their marketing strategy 📈 to attract more customers. It also helps build customer loyalty 🤝 because people feel more valued when they receive rewards. Additionally, giveaways increase brand recognition 🔥, making customers more likely to choose their products in the future.
4. Why do some companies encourage employees to compete with each other?
Ideas
- 💪 To increase productivity
- 🏅 To push employees to do their best
- 😕 However, too much competition can create stress
Collocations
- Performance-based rewards 🎯 (phần thưởng dựa trên hiệu suất)
- Workplace motivation 🚀 (động lực tại nơi làm việc)
- Toxic competition ☠️ (cạnh tranh độc hại)
Sample Answer
Some companies encourage competition to boost workplace motivation 🚀 and increase productivity. Employees may work harder if they know they can receive performance-based rewards 🎯. However, too much pressure can lead to toxic competition ☠️, which can harm teamwork and create stress in the workplace.