Describe a time you made a promise to someone.
This test has appeared in 4 seasons · 2 reported by test takers
- Sep–Dec/2025
- May–Aug/2025
- Jan–Apr/2025
- Jan–Apr/2022
Reported by test takers Forecast only
Part 1
The examiner asks about you and two familiar topics. About 4–5 minutes.
Work or study
- Do you work, or are you a student? (Why?)
- Why did you choose that job or that subject? (Tell me more about that.)
- What do you enjoy most about it? (Why?)
- Is there anything you would like to change about it? (Why?)
Borrowing and lending
- Do you often borrow things from other people? (Why is that?)
- What kind of things do you lend to your friends? (Tell me more about that.)
- Have you ever lent something and not got it back? (Why is that?)
- Do you think it is a good idea to lend money to friends? (Why is that?)
Gifts
- How often do you buy gifts for other people? (Tell me more about that.)
- What kind of gifts do you like to receive? (Tell me more about that.)
- What is the best gift you received when you were a child? (Tell me more about that.)
- Do you think it is better to give money or a gift? (Why is that?)
Part 2
One minute to prepare, then speak for one to two minutes.
Describe a time you made a promise to someone.
You should say:
- who you made the promise to
- what you promised
- whether you kept it
and explain why the promise was important.
Follow-up question after your talk: Do you find it easy to keep promises? / Who did you make that promise to?
Part 3
A broader, more abstract discussion of the Part 2 topic. About 4–5 minutes.
promises between people
- Can you explain why people sometimes make promises they cannot keep?
- In general, how do people decide whether someone can be trusted?
- What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of putting a promise in writing rather than simply saying it?
trust in public life
- Can you explain why people stop believing companies that make big claims?
- What could be done about the loss of trust when a business lets its customers down?
- Can you speculate on how trust between strangers will change as more business is done online?
Test titles follow test-taker reports and each season's forecasts — IELTS does not publish its papers. "Reported" means someone reported meeting this topic in a dated test. The questions are written by us in the format of the real test.