Part 2 cue card · Events · Retained in September–December 2026

Describe a time when you sent a message or an email to someone but received no reply for a long time.

You should say:

·who you sent it to
·what the message/email was about
·whether you finally received the reply

and explain how you felt about the experience.

One minute to prepare, up to two minutes to talk. Then Part 3 asks the questions below.

Sample answers

Two answers to the same card

Same story, two levels. Both were written by Ashore, then checked against the public band descriptors in a separate pass. The bands are practice estimates, not official IELTS results.

A simpler answer

Checked at band 6.5 · 176 words

A few months ago, I sent a message to my friend Lin, who I used to work with. We still meet sometimes, and I asked her if she wanted to have dinner with me on Saturday. I suggested a small restaurant near our old office because we both liked the food there. I sent the message on Tuesday evening, so I thought she had plenty of time to answer.

But she didn't reply for several days. I checked my phone many times, and I started to think she might not want to meet me. On Saturday morning, she finally sent a reply. She said she had been busy helping her parents move, and she was sorry she had forgotten to answer. We couldn't meet that day, so we chose another evening the following week.

I felt a little worried and disappointed while I was waiting, especially because I didn't know if she had seen my message. After she explained, I felt better. It was not a serious problem, but the long wait made me feel unsure.

Set the time · “on Tuesday evening”
State a feeling · “I felt a little worried”

A stronger answer

Checked at band 7.5 · 246 words

Honestly, the first time that comes to mind was a few months ago, when I texted Lin, a friend I used to work with. We still catch up every now and then, so I was hoping to make a simple plan rather than arrange anything special. I asked whether she fancied dinner on Saturday and suggested a small restaurant near our old office, which we both liked because the food was good and it was easy for us to get to. I sent it on Tuesday evening, thinking she had a few days to let me know.

When I heard nothing by Thursday, I started checking my phone more often than I normally would. I didn't want to pester her with another message, but I also couldn't tell whether she'd seen it or was just busy. By Saturday morning, I was beginning to assume the plan wasn't going to happen.

She finally replied that morning. She'd been helping her parents move house and had simply forgotten to answer; she apologised, which made it clear it wasn't personal. We couldn't meet that day, so we picked another evening the following week.

I felt a little anxious and disappointed during the wait, mainly because the silence left me guessing. I wasn't angry with her, though. If she'd sent even a quick note to say she was busy, I would've felt much more settled. Once she explained, I felt fine, and we had a lovely dinner the next week.

Natural contrast · “rather than arrange anything special”
Specific detail · “checking my phone more often”
Reason plus feeling · “the silence left me guessing”
Use a conditional · “If she'd sent even a quick note”

Angles

3 ways to answer it

1Emailing a professor you hoped to study under: checking your inbox a dozen times a day
2Messaging a recruiter after applying for a job: seen, but never answered
3An apology text to a friend after an argument: bumping into them in the canteen days later

Expressions

5 expressions that fit this card

left on read: message seen but not answered
drop someone a line: send a short message
follow up: contact again later
it slipped their mind: they forgot
jump to conclusions: decide too quickly

Part 3

The questions that follow

After the long turn, Part 3 asks bigger questions on the same theme. Each one comes with two points you can build an answer from.

1
In what situations do people not respond to messages right away?
- ·Meetings, classes or driving can prevent an immediate reply.
- ·Some messages require checking information, so a delay is not necessarily rude.
2
Are you more polite when sending a message to a stranger than to a friend?
- ·With strangers, clear context and a polite tone reduce misunderstanding.
- ·Messages to friends can be casual while remaining respectful.
3
In what situations do people not respond to messages at all?
- ·People often ignore spam or irrelevant promotional messages.
- ·Someone may simply miss a message, so silence does not prove their attitude.
4
What would you do if you did not receive a reply after sending out a message?
- ·Consider the urgency and send one polite follow-up if needed.
- ·For a real deadline, a call may be appropriate with a clear explanation.

Stories

One story, many cards

This card fits this story. Prepare the story once and you can bend it to every card listed with it on the season page.

A trip that went wrong
A commute or short trip: the early start, the phone that died, the message nobody answered, what you did instead.

More events cards

A time you changed an opinionDescribe a time when you changed an important opinion.A change you made recentlyDescribe a change you made recently.A problem with an electronic deviceDescribe a time when you had a problem using an electronic device.

Say it out loud and get a band score

How the mock test works Start free