Describe a Time When you Received Money as a Gift

Describe a Time When you Received Money as a Gift IELTS Cue Card Topic

Describe a Time When you Received Money as a Gift. You should say:

• When it happened?
• Who gave you the money
• Why he/she gave you the money

And explain how he used the money

Note: You will have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes. You have one minute to think about what you are going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish.

Sample Answer 1:

Describe a Time When you Received Money as a Gift

It always feels nice to give and receive gifts. However, I normally don’t like to receive money as a gift because my mother takes it from me and I never get to see that money again. Today, I am going to talk about a time when I actually got to spend the money I received as a gift.

In Indian culture, when we visit an elder relative’s house for the first time, they give us money as a present. It’s a tradition. Recently, I visited my father’s cousin for the first time. He used to live in the US, but he shifted back to India after his retirement last month. He was very excited to see me, and we had a wonderful time at his house.

When we were leaving, he handed me a small envelope with money. I expected it to be a small amount, but it was actually 100 dollars, so I was completely shocked. At the same time, I was sad too because I knew I would never get to spend it.

My mother told me to return it, but my uncle refused to take it back. I knew my mother was going to take it from me, so before she could, I handed it to my grandma for safekeeping. This is how I outwitted my mother. If I had given it to her, she would have told me that she spent it buying food for me and paying my electricity bills.

Then, after a few days, my phone broke, and I had to buy a new one. So, I used the money to buy myself a new Samsung phone. The first thing I did was take a photograph of the phone and send it to my uncle along with a thank-you note.

Money as a gift is extremely popular in my country. In fact, it can be called a tradition as well. People usually gift money to each other during weddings, birthdays, etc. Today, I would like to talk about one such occasion (out of so many others), when I received money from someone instead of an actual gift item.

The occasion was my 18th birthday. And as per Indian laws, I became an adult on this day. My parents gifted me a motorbike on my birthday as I was now eligible to drive a motor vehicle. When my friends came to know about this, all of them wanted a party from me. Unfortunately, I did not have much savings at that time to give a party to my friends.

But luckily, my grandparents were visiting us during that time. They had come to spend their winters with us. I love my grandparents a lot—they are humble and polite. They always teach me good moral values and love me deeply. Since my grandparents are too old, they could not go to the market to buy a gift for me.

Moreover, they were not sure about what gift they should buy for me that would make me happy. So, they decided it was best to give me money as a gift, so that I could use it to buy anything I liked.

Initially, I refused to accept the money, but then my parents said I should not say no to the elders as it would be disrespectful. I then thanked my grandparents, and they gave me their blessings as well. I also told them that I had everything I needed but my friends were asking for a party, so I would use that money for the purpose of celebrating my birthday.

My grandparents were happy that I was using the money to have a good time and share happiness with my friends. They wished me good luck for the party.

I had a great outdoor party with my friends. So, this was one of the occasions when I received money as a gift, and I used it for celebrating with my friends.

Describe a Time When you Received Money as a Gift Follow-Up Questions

1. What kind of occasions require people to send money as gifts?
Occasions like birthdays, weddings, congratulating someone on the birth of a baby, and some other such occasions require people to send money as gifts, especially in the Indian culture.

2. Why do people rarely use cash now?
People rarely use cash now because it is more convenient to use debit/credit cards, mobile wallets, and online banking. Electronic payments are more secure, and it is easy to replace a credit card if it gets lost.

3. When do children begin to comprehend the value of money?
I don’t think there is a particular age as it varies depending upon their upbringing. Typically, children begin to understand the value of money between ages 5-7. By this age, they realize that money is needed to buy things and must be earned or saved.

4. Is it good and necessary to teach children to save money?
Yes, it is very important to teach children to save money so that in their adult life they understand the value/importance of money, do not waste it, and are better at managing their finances in the future.

5. Should parents reward children with money?
I think it’s okay to reward children with money to teach them the value of working hard. They can be rewarded for completing house chores or achieving certain goals.

6. What are advantages and disadvantages of using credit cards?
Credit cards are more convenient for online and in-person transactions. Many cards offer incentives like cashback or travel miles. However, they can lead to overspending, accumulating debt, and incurring fees for late payments.

7. Do you think it’s a good thing that more people are using digital payments?
Yes, I think it’s a good thing as they are more convenient and secure than carrying physical cash everywhere. It also allows people to budget and keep track of their spending.

Also Check:  Describe An Indoor Or Outdoor Place Where It Is Easy For You To Study