Describe an occasion when you forgot something important. You should say: what you forgot how important it was why you possibly forgot it and explain what you did when you remembered it. [You will have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes. You have one minute to think about what you're going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish. ] Sample Answer 1:
I have recently graduated from a college and my major was finance. Though I have already left my college, my memories related to my academic years are still vivid. On one occasion, I forgot to submit an important assignment and for this cue card topic, I would like to talk about this event.
I was in my 8th semester at that time and in a coursework, we were supposed to submit an assignment which alone carried 40% marks of this course. The pass mark for each coursework was 50% and due to this, the assignment was so crucial for every student.
The teacher who took this course was a guest teacher from another college. As I recall, his name was Stuart and he was around 40 years old. In the last month of our course, he assigned individual assignments to every student and gave us a deadline for the submission. He warned us not to copy-and-paste any part of the assignment and he had a reputation for dealing with the plagiarism very strictly. He also told us that the only reason someone might fail in this course is due to the plagiarism in his assignment. I worked on the assignment and completed almost 80% to 85% of it until I got a severe fever. I had to see a doctor and take medicine to recover from this viral fever. The medical report showed that it was a viral fever and there was nothing to worry about. After a week I joined the class but unfortunately, I completely forgot my deadline for the assignment and the due date was already over! I possibly forgot it due my sickness and distractions caused by it. Sometimes the fever was so severe that I had to take several pills together.
Soon after I realised that I have missed my deadline, I tried to contact professor Stuart but I heard that he would not be available until the next week. It was quite a frustrating experience for me. I then concentrated on finishing my assignment and waited for the professor to get back to our college. Next week I met him and explained his everything. To my surprise, he did not seem convinced. I told him that I can show him my medical as well as the test reports, but he looked like he did not care. He got busy on his cell phone and I was literally broke! After he finished his phone conversation, he suddenly asked me the name and address of the doctor whom I saw during my illness. He, in fact, did contact this doctor and saw him personally, which I learned at a later time. He wanted to be sure that I was not making an excuse for the delay to submit my assignment and was genuinely ill. To my relief, two days later he called me into his room and gave me an email address. He asked me to send my assignment to this email address within 12 hours. I would like to mention before ending my story that I got 'A' on this assignment. Sample Answer 2:
Forgetting things is usual with me. Often I forget to do or carry things that are important to me. Consequently, I have to waste times over the issues. Recently, I forgot to bring my laptop which contained the important files required for the meeting.
In fact, it was my mistake. I was in a rush on the day. On the previous night, I went for attending a marriage ceremony and made late to come back home. So, I had to sleep late. As a result, I could not track the alarm. When I woke up, it was almost 8. 45am while my office was to begin at 9. 00am. So, I rushed towards the office and made the late. I forgot about the laptop. All the necessary files and presentations that I made a day before yesterday was on the laptop while I was supposed to present them during the meeting which was set with some of the high officials.
Just after entering the office compound, I realised that I did not bring the laptop. It was the most important component of the meeting. The managing director of the office had a private meet with me a couple of weeks before. He instructed a draft and asked me to make a details plan that will include the sales targets, strategies, analysis of competitors’ performance, allocation of responsibilities and more other issues. Without the laptop, it was impossible to present the data and analysis to high officials at the meeting. Moreover, I did not have the ideas on my mind right then. So, without the laptop, I was unable to run the meeting and I had to go back home to bring it.
Generally, when there is something important at the office of the meeting, event, field trip etc. , I try to make a reminder about the issue on my cell phone. Besides, I take a note and keep that in the daily appointment book – provided by the office. But I was unable to make anything of them due to participation at the marriage ceremony of my college buddy. I complete the tasks after the office hours or before leaving the office. But, I could not create any reminder for the meeting as some of my friends came to my office to grab me and go together to the ceremony. Amid their chaos, I was unable to create any new reminder or check the former ones. Moreover, I was late to return home and everything got disorganised. As a direct result, I made the mistake. It was hard to ask my boss to move into my home again to get the laptop. So, without mentioning anything to anyone, I left for home to bring the laptop. In the middle of my way, I received a phone call from my immediate boss asking about my location and why I was late. I replied with a false excuse that I was stuck in a huge traffic jam. In fact, he is well aware of the traffic congestions in Delhi. Luckily, I reached home within a short time and brought back the laptop. The meeting started in the afternoon as the participants were unable to join in the morning for some sudden change in their schedule. So, I was relieved, made some other changes to the plans and presented the revised copy to the meeting. My plans were accepted with some minor modifications. More Ideas to talk about this Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card topic: Topic: Describe an occasion when you forgot something important. 1. In the last board meeting of my office, I forgot to bring the presentation from my desk. The presentation was extremely important because it contained the strategical planning for next six months. I actually forgot amid thousands of business. I also was assigned to take care of the logistics and other necessary matters. After remembering, I rushed to my station. It took around five minutes for me to come back with the pen drive that contained the presentation.
2. Driving on the streets of New York is hard if someone does not have the driving license. In fact, if police can trace that the driver does not have the license, the penalties are harsher. Last Wednesday, while driving to the office, I forgot to take the license with me. In fact, I was in a rush because I made late to wake up that morning. But it was not possible for me to return home to get the license. Luckily, I reached the office and returned home safely at the end of the day without any legal trouble.
3. I forgot to take my mobile phone with me when I started my college in Tokyo. It was highly important for me to carry the mobile phone with me because it was the only mode of my communication with others. I cannot exactly remember why I forgot that but it might have been a headache that made me forgot to carry the phone. Later, I made a phone to my mom and asked her to switch the phone off.
4. Last weekend, I forgot to get the bus ticket for me that I bought the previous day to make a trip. It was important because, without the ticket, I would not be able to ride the bus and make the trip happen. I thought that I have taken the ticket with me and I did not crosscheck the matter. Later, I went back to home when I found no ticket with me. Luckily, I did not miss the bus as it was a bit late.
5. I went to my office without feeding my fishes on the small aquarium. It was highly important because the fishes will remain starved for a long time. I had to prepare some presentations and some other complicated calculations for the office. So, I might have forgotten about feeding fish. When I remembered that I did not feed the fishes, I rushed back to my home – located in the eastern corner of the Paris city- and fed them. By the time, I informed the office about my late appearance.
Describe
an occasion when you forgot something
important
. You should say: what you forgot how
important
it was why you
possibly
forgot it and
explain
what you did when you remembered it. [You will
have to
talk about the
topic
for one to two minutes. You have one minute to
think
about what you're going to say. You can
make
some
notes to
help
you if you wish.
]
Sample Answer 1:
I have recently graduated from a college and my major was finance. Though I have already
left
my college, my memories related to my academic years are
still
vivid. On one occasion, I forgot to submit an
important
assignment
and for this cue card
topic
, I would like to talk about this
event
.
I was in my 8th semester at that
time
and in a coursework, we
were supposed
to submit an
assignment
which alone carried 40% marks of this
course
. The pass mark for each coursework was 50% and
due
to this, the
assignment
was
so
crucial for every student.
The teacher who took this
course
was a guest teacher from another college. As I recall, his name was
Stuart and
he was around 40 years
old
. In the last month of our
course
, he assigned individual
assignments
to every student and gave us a deadline for the submission. He warned us not to copy-and-paste any part of the
assignment and
he had a reputation for dealing with the plagiarism
very
strictly
. He
also
told
us that the
only
reason someone might fail in this
course
is
due
to the plagiarism in his
assignment
. I worked on the
assignment
and completed almost 80% to 85% of it until I
got
a severe
fever
. I had to
see
a doctor and take medicine to recover from this viral
fever
. The medical report
showed
that it was a viral
fever
and there was nothing to worry about. After a
week
I
joined
the
class
but
unfortunately, I completely forgot my deadline for the
assignment
and the
due
date was already over! I
possibly
forgot it
due
my sickness and distractions caused by it.
Sometimes
the
fever
was
so
severe that I had to take several pills together.
Soon
after I
realised
that I have missed my deadline,
I tried to contact professor Stuart
but
I heard that he would not be available until the
next
week
. It was quite a frustrating experience for me. I then concentrated on finishing my
assignment
and waited for the professor to
get
back
to our college.
Next
week
I met him and
explained
his everything. To my surprise, he did not seem convinced. I
told
him that I can
show
him my medical as
well
as the
test
reports,
but
he looked like he did not care. He
got
busy on his cell
phone and
I was
literally
broke! After he finished his
phone
conversation, he
suddenly
asked
me the name and address of the doctor whom I
saw
during my illness. He, in
fact
, did contact this doctor and
saw
him
personally
, which I learned at a
later
time
. He wanted to be sure that I was not making an excuse for the delay to submit my
assignment
and was
genuinely
ill. To my relief, two days
later
he called me into his room and gave me an email address. He
asked
me to
send
my
assignment
to this email address within 12 hours. I would like to mention
before
ending my story that I
got
'A' on this
assignment
. Sample Answer 2:
Forgetting things is usual with me.
Often
I forget to do or carry things that are
important
to me.
Consequently
, I
have to
waste
times
over the issues. Recently, I forgot to
bring
my
laptop
which contained the
important
files required for the meeting.
In
fact
, it was my mistake. I was in a rush on the day. On the previous night, I went for attending a marriage ceremony and made
late
to
come
back
home.
So
, I had to sleep
late
.
As a result
, I could not
track
the alarm. When I woke up, it was almost 8. 45am while my
office
was to
begin
at 9. 00am.
So
, I rushed towards the
office
and made the
late
. I forgot about the
laptop
. All the necessary files and
presentations
that I made a day
before
yesterday was on the
laptop
while I
was supposed
to present them during the
meeting
which
was set
with
some of the
high officials.
Just
after entering the
office
compound, I
realised
that I did not
bring
the
laptop
. It was the most
important
component of the
meeting
. The managing director of the
office
had a private
meet
with me a couple of
weeks
before
. He instructed a draft and
asked
me to
make
a
details
plan that will include the sales targets, strategies, analysis of competitors’ performance, allocation of responsibilities and more
other
issues. Without the
laptop
, it was impossible to present the data and analysis to high officials at the
meeting
.
Moreover
, I did not have the
ideas
on my mind
right
then.
So
, without the
laptop
, I was
unable
to run the
meeting
and I had to go
back
home to
bring
it.
Generally
, when there is something
important
at the
office
of the
meeting
,
event
, field trip etc.
,
I try to
make
a reminder about the issue on my cell
phone
.
Besides
, I take a note and
keep
that in the daily appointment book
–
provided by the
office
.
But
I was
unable
to
make
anything of them
due
to participation at the marriage ceremony of my college buddy. I complete the tasks after the
office
hours or
before
leaving the
office
.
But
, I could not create any reminder for the
meeting
as
some
of my friends came to my
office
to grab me and go together to the ceremony. Amid their chaos, I was
unable
to create any new reminder or
check
the former ones.
Moreover
, I was
late
to return home and everything
got
disorganised
. As a direct result, I made the mistake.
It was
hard
to ask my boss to
move
into my home again to
get
the
laptop
.
So
, without mentioning anything to anyone, I
left
for home to
bring
the
laptop
. In the middle of my way, I received a
phone
call from my immediate boss asking about my location and why I was
late
. I replied with a false excuse that I
was stuck
in a huge traffic jam. In
fact
, he is
well
aware of the traffic congestions in Delhi. Luckily, I reached home within a short
time
and brought
back
the
laptop
. The
meeting
started
in the afternoon as the participants were
unable
to
join
in the morning for
some
sudden
change
in their schedule.
So
, I
was relieved
, made
some
other
changes
to the plans and presented the revised copy to the
meeting
. My plans were
accepted
with
some
minor modifications. More
Ideas
to talk about this Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card
topic
:
Topic
:
Describe
an occasion when you forgot something
important
. 1. In the last board
meeting
of my
office
, I forgot to
bring
the
presentation
from my desk. The
presentation
was
extremely
important
because
it contained the strategical planning for
next
six months. I
actually
forgot amid thousands of business. I
also
was assigned
to take care of the logistics and
other
necessary matters. After remembering, I rushed to my station. It took around five minutes for me to
come
back
with the pen drive that contained the
presentation.
2
. Driving on the streets of New York is
hard
if someone does not have the driving
license
. In
fact
, if police can trace that the driver does not have the
license
, the penalties are harsher. Last Wednesday, while driving to the
office
, I forgot to take the
license
with me. In
fact
, I was in a rush
because
I made
late
to wake up that morning.
But
it was not possible for me to return home to
get
the
license
. Luckily, I reached the
office
and returned home
safely
at the
end
of the day without any legal trouble.
3. I forgot to take my mobile
phone
with me when I
started
my college in Tokyo. It was
highly
important
for me to carry the mobile
phone
with me
because
it was the
only
mode of my communication with others. I cannot exactly remember why I forgot that
but
it might have been a headache that made me forgot to carry the
phone
.
Later
, I made a
phone
to my mom and
asked
her to switch the
phone
off.
4. Last weekend, I forgot to
get
the bus
ticket
for me that I
bought
the previous day to
make
a trip. It was
important
because
, without the
ticket
, I would not be able to ride the bus and
make
the trip happen. I
thought
that I have taken the
ticket
with me and I did not crosscheck the matter.
Later
, I went
back
to home when I found no
ticket
with me. Luckily, I did not miss the bus as it was a bit
late.
5
. I went to my
office
without feeding my fishes on the
small
aquarium. It was
highly
important
because
the fishes will remain starved for a long
time
. I had to prepare
some
presentations
and
some
other
complicated calculations for the
office
.
So
, I might have forgotten about feeding fish. When I remembered that I did not feed the fishes, I rushed
back
to my home
–
located in the eastern corner of the Paris city- and fed them. By the
time
, I informed the
office
about my
late
appearance.