Prepare for {IELTS}

Describe a time when you lost something and then got it

back
You should say:
• What it was
• How you lost it
• Where you found it
• And explain how you felt about it

It was quite tricky to decide what to talk about because I can’t remember
the last time I lost something, well I’m always losing my keys and phone
in the house but they’re not lost, I’ve just misplaced them so nothing
immediately came to mind but then I suddenly remembered losing my
bag a while ago so I’ve decided to talk about that particular loss.

I can’t remember precisely when it was because I have a terrible memory

for dates, but it was a few years back and I was travelling around the UK.
That particular day, I was going by train to London and had a lot of luggage
with me. The train was jampacked with* passengers and so I put one of
my bags on the luggage rack above the seats. When the train arrived in
London I was meeting my friend near the station so I rushed off the train
because it had been delayed so I was a bit late. Because I was rushing, the
bag that I had put on the rack completely slipped my mind and I left it on
the train.

*jampacked with = full of

A short while later, I was having coffee and catching up with* my friend
when I remembered that I had brought her a present and looked down
for my small case and it wasn’t there. I started panicking because that
case had a lot of valuable things in it, not particularly expensive stuff, but
a lot of things with sentimental value** such as jewellery.

*to catch up with = talk to (someone) you have not seen for some time in order to
find out what they have been doing

**sentimental value = important to someone because of a connection with a happy

time of life, a special person

I couldn’t think clearly because I was freaking out*** but my friend

calmly asked where I had it last and then it all came back to me****, it
was on the train. We ran back to the platform but the train had already
left. My friend noticed a lost property office so we ran to that and to my
relief the case had been handed in. I breathed a sigh of relief and was so
grateful that I had got it back. Now, I am extra careful and make sure that
I count all my bags so I don’t leave it again.

***to freak out = to lose or cause to lose emotional control from extreme excitement,
shock, fear, joy, despair, etc

****to come back to you = If something comes back to you, you start to remember it:
I can't think of her name - it'll come back to me later.