Do you enjoy giving gifts?
Yes, I genuinely do, perhaps even more than receiving them. I love the moment when someone opens something and you can see they're pleasantly surprised. The challenge is finding something meaningful on a student budget, so I usually go for small, personal things rather than expensive ones.
What was the last gift you gave someone?
It was a book for my younger sister's birthday, a collection of short stories by an author she'd mentioned once in passing. I'd made a mental note of it months earlier. She was amazed that I'd remembered, and she finished it within a week, so I'd call that a success.
What is the best gift you have ever received?
Probably the second-hand laptop my parents bought me when I started university. They weren't well off at the time, so I knew it involved a real sacrifice. That laptop has carried me through hundreds of assignments, and even though it's painfully slow now, I still can't bring myself to replace it.
Would you prefer to receive money or a present?
Money is hard to beat when you're a student, and I still look forward to Eid salami from my relatives. A present feels more personal, though, because someone has spent time thinking about what I'd like. So my ideal would be cash from older relatives and proper presents from friends.
On what occasions do people give gifts in your country?
The main ones are Eid, weddings and birthdays. At Eid, elders give money to younger family members, and people buy new clothes for their relatives. Weddings involve a lot of gift-giving, from cash envelopes to household items. Durga Puja is a big gift-giving time for Hindu families, and young people increasingly exchange gifts on Valentine's Day too.
Do you find it difficult to choose gifts for people?
Sometimes, yes, particularly for older relatives who seem to have everything already. For friends it's easier, because I know their tastes. With my father, for example, I always end up stuck between a shirt and a wallet, which is exactly what I gave him last time. I've learned that the thought behind a gift often matters more than the object.
Sample answers written by Abroadway as models of natural, high-band speaking (not official IELTS samples).
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