IELTS Speaking Part 2 Cue Card
Describe a time when you forgot or missed an appointment.
You should say:
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What the appointment was for
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Who you made it with
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Why you forgot it
And explain how you felt about the experience.
Speaking Expressions
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To be honest… (Thành thật mà nói…)
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It totally slipped my mind… (Tôi quên béng mất…)
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Long story short… (Nói ngắn gọn là…)
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I was kicking myself… (Tôi tự trách mình dữ lắm…)
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In the end… (Cuối cùng thì…)
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Make it up to someone… (Đền bù cho ai đó…)
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Lesson learned… (Bài học rút ra…)
Ideas & Collocations
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Doctor’s check-up (buổi khám sức khỏe)
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Back-to-back meetings (các cuộc họp nối tiếp nhau)
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Deadline overload (quá tải hạn chót)
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Calendar reminder (nhắc nhở trên lịch)
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Time management meltdown (khủng hoảng quản lý thời gian)
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Reschedule the appointment (dời lịch hẹn)
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Send an apology message (gửi tin nhắn xin lỗi)
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Mental note (ghi nhớ trong đầu)
Sample Answer
To be honest, the appointment I missed was a doctor’s check-up I’d booked with a clinic near my office. I’d made it with Dr. Hanh a week earlier because I’d been having headaches, but on the actual day, it totally slipped my mind. I was stuck in back-to-back meetings and dealing with deadline overload, so my brain just went into survival mode. There was a calendar reminder, but my phone was on silent, and I only saw it hours later.
Long story short, I realised what had happened when the clinic called to ask if I was still coming. At that moment, I was kicking myself—partly because I hate wasting other people’s time, and partly because I still wasn’t feeling great. I immediately sent an apology message to the receptionist and begged to reschedule the appointment for the next morning. They were surprisingly chill about it, which was a huge relief.
Emotionally, it felt like a mini time management meltdown. I kept thinking, “Why didn’t I make a proper mental note or set two alarms?” In the end, I decided to make it up to myself and the doctor by showing up early the next day and bringing a small box of fruit for the staff. It wasn’t required, but it made me feel less guilty.
The whole thing taught me a real lesson learned: never rely on just one notification. Now I double up—phone + sticky note on my laptop—because health isn’t something you gamble with. So yeah, the experience was stressful, embarrassing, but ultimately useful. I came out of it more organised and a bit kinder to myself when I mess up—because hey, it happens.
IELTS Speaking Part 3 Questions
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How do busy people remember things they need to do?
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Do you think people should remember their family history?
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What do you think about using calendars and reminders to manage schedules?
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Why do some people often forget important dates or appointments?
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Is it better to manage your schedule digitally or on paper? Why?
Question 1
Speaking Expressions:
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Honestly, one trick is… (Thật ra, một mẹo là…)
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What works for me is… (Điều hiệu quả với tôi là…)
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At the end of the day… (Cuối cùng thì…)
Ideas & Collocations:
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Digital to-do list (danh sách việc cần làm kỹ thuật số)
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Calendar blocking (chặn thời gian trên lịch)
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Habit stacking (xếp chồng thói quen)
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Accountability buddy (bạn đồng hành nhắc nhở)
Sample Answer:
Honestly, one trick is using a digital to-do list that syncs across devices. What works for me is calendar blocking, so each task has a time slot, not just a wish. Some people add new habits through habit stacking, like checking their planner right after morning coffee. An accountability buddy can help too—texting each other reminders keeps you honest. At the end of the day, the system only works if you actually check it.
Question 2
Speaking Expressions:
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For sure… (Chắc chắn rồi…)
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It keeps you grounded… (Nó giúp bạn giữ vững bản sắc…)
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On the flip side… (Mặt khác…)
Ideas & Collocations:
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Family tree (cây gia phả)
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Oral tradition (truyền thống truyền miệng)
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Shared heritage (di sản chung)
Sample Answer:
For sure, remembering family history matters because it ties you to a shared heritage. It keeps you grounded when you know who your grandparents were and what they survived. Building a family tree or recording oral tradition stories gives younger generations roots. On the flip side, not everyone has access to records, so we should be sensitive about that. Still, even small stories at dinner can keep the past alive.
Question 3
Speaking Expressions:
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I’m all for it… (Tôi hoàn toàn ủng hộ…)
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It’s a set-and-forget system… (Hệ thống thiết lập rồi quên…)
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Color-code everything… (Mã màu mọi thứ…)
Ideas & Collocations:
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Reminder notifications (thông báo nhắc nhở)
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Sync across devices (đồng bộ trên nhiều thiết bị)
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Zero-brainpower system (hệ thống không cần suy nghĩ nhiều)
Sample Answer:
I’m all for it—calendars and reminder notifications save my life daily. It’s a set-and-forget system, especially when events sync across devices. I even color-code everything so I can see work, family, and health at a glance. It’s kind of a zero-brainpower system: the phone remembers, so my brain can chill. As long as you don’t ignore the alerts, it’s super effective.
Question 4
Speaking Expressions:
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Let’s be real… (Nói thật nhé…)
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Out of sight, out of mind… (Khuất mắt là quên…)
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Cognitive overload… (quá tải nhận thức…)
Ideas & Collocations:
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Information overload (quá tải thông tin)
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Mental bandwidth (băng thông tinh thần)
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Decision fatigue (mệt mỏi vì phải quyết định)
Sample Answer:
Let’s be real, people forget because of information overload—too many pings, too many tasks. When something’s out of sight, out of mind, it just vanishes from the radar. Add cognitive overload and low mental bandwidth, and poof—appointments disappear. Decision fatigue at the end of the day makes it worse; you just can’t hold one more thing in your head. That’s why external systems are a lifesaver.
Question 5
Speaking Expressions:
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It really depends… (Thật sự còn tùy…)
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Pros and cons on both sides… (Ưu nhược điểm cả hai bên…)
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For me personally… (Riêng tôi thì…)
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Hybrid approach… (cách tiếp cận kết hợp)
Ideas & Collocations:
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Bullet journal (nhật ký bullet)
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Cloud backup (sao lưu đám mây)
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Analog planner (sổ kế hoạch giấy)
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Screen distractions (xao nhãng từ màn hình)
Sample Answer:
It really depends on your style—there are pros and cons on both sides. Digital tools offer cloud backup and easy edits, but screen distractions can derail you. Paper gives that tactile feel—an analog planner or bullet journal can be super satisfying. For me personally, I use a hybrid approach: big picture on paper, details in my phone. That way I get flexibility and focus.