IELTS Speaking part 2: Money as a gift

Topic cue card:

Describe a time when you received money as a gift. Please say

– When did you receive it?
– What did you do with it?
– How did you feel about it?

Similar topic:

Talk about an instance when you gave someone money as a gift. Please say

– Who was that person?
– When and why did you give them money?
– How did you feel about it later?

Answer:

Well, I have received money as a gift many times, mostly because in Vietnam, people have the tradition of giving a ‘red envelop’ that contains money on special occasions. I would like to talk about the time my parents gave me money as a birthday gift when I was young.

That was my 18^th birthday, and instead of buying me a present like in previous years, my parents decided to give me a red envelop. The envelop contained a million Vietnam dong – which was quite a large amount of money to me at that moment. My dad told me that because I turned 18, I was an adult and I could decide on what I want to spend the money on. Of course that was just part of the reasons. A bigger reason was that our parents could not decide on what to buy for me on my birthday, so they just gave me some money and let me buy whatever I liked.

Anyway, I was happy to have some money at my disposal, and instead of spending it on buying any product, I decided to save it for later use. After all, I had been saving all the money I received from the many red envelopes in the past, and the birthday gift of my parents just helped my savings grow. My plan that time was to accumulate enough money to travel around the country when I graduated from university. A few years later, I got enough money to realize my plan.

My parents were quite pleased with my decision. They of course did not expect me to waste the money on useless stuffs like dresses or shoes but wished me to spend it on meaningful things like a big plan like travelling or studying. After that birthday, every time my parents wanted to give me a gift, they would give me money instead.

Follow up questions:

– Do you think people prefer to receive gifts instead of money? Why?

I think no. Some people do not like the presents that they are given, and they think that they can use the money for other purposes. For example, if someone gives them the thing that they already have, they would not be as happy as receiving money.

– Do you usually use cash or a credit card? 

I use both cash and credit card. Whenever I go to a place that accepts card payment, I use cards, and when I go to a place that doesn’t accept cards, I use cash. In Vietnam, most of the time you will have to use cash.

– What are the advantages of having a credit card? 

I think cards have many advantages. First, it’s more convenient to have a card in your wallet because you do not need to bring along much money. Second, cards are safer than cash, you do not need to worry about your money when you lose your wallet. In case of cash, you will not be able to find them back. Last but not least, you can keep track of your spending in your account statement, and see what you have been spending on.

– Do credit cards have drawbacks? 

Of course yes, having a credit card means that you can spend more than what you actually have, and it will result in a deficit. You will have to work harder to pay the overdraft amount. On the other hand, you have a limit to spend using cash.

– Do you think cash will be replaced by credit cards in the future? 

I think so. In many countries, cash has been mostly replaced by cards. For example, Sweden has the plan to eliminate the use of cash in 2020 I think. Most transactions are made with the use of cards now.