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 ☔.”

By admin

Thầy Nguyễn Thanh Bình là 1 giáo viên Tiếng Anh, là đối tác đăng ký thi IELTS chính thức của IDP từ 2017 và PTE của Pearson từ 2025 tại Tiền Giang. Thầy Bình vận hành hệ thống mô phỏng bài thi IELTS tại https://EnglishUps.com