my possession essay

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Describe your Favourite Possession

Posted by David S. Wills | Jan 17, 2022 | IELTS Tips , Speaking | 0

In part two of the IELTS speaking test, you could be asked to describe almost anything – a person , a place , a memory , a part of history , a website , and so on. Of course, you could also be asked to describe an object, and that is what we will look at today.

In this lesson, I will show you how to describe your favourite possession or describe something you own that is important to you .

Cue Card: Describe your favourite possession

As there are countless possibilities in terms of cue cards, it is not worth memorising them and trying to create answers that you could produce in the exam. Instead, you should be familiar with the style and topics that often arise and be ready to answer whatever cue card you are given.

With the idea of a favourite possession, there are various ways the cue card could appear. If could say:

Describe your favourite possession.
Describe a possession that is important to you.

It might not even use the word “possession” and instead use something more generic, like “thing” or “object.” In fact, according to the sample questions on the official IELTS website , the phrase “something you own” has been used:

Describe something you own which is very important to you. You should say: – where you got it from – how long you have had it – what you use it for; and explain why it is important to you.

This might seem a little confusing, but remember that “thing you own” and “possession” have the same meaning, so the topic is basically the same.

Special note: Most cue cards that you see online are not real and the people who run those websites do not understand IELTS. For example, this is from a terrible website called IELTSband7. It posts rubbish cue cards that will mislead you, alongside really bad sample answers.

Note that a real cue card does not have questions! This shows how terrible these “teachers” are and why you should ignore them. There’s a review of good and bad IELTS websites here .

Analysing the Cue Card and Planning an Answer

When you get the cue card, you have just one minute to plan an answer, so don’t waste any time. Read what you are meant to do and pick the first thing that comes to mind. In this case, you need to pick an object about which the following is true:

It is important to you

Think of something quickly. For me, it would be a camera that I got many years ago. Is this the best thing to talk about? Probably not, but it is the first thing that jumps into my mind, so I would not waste time thinking of anything else.

Pay attention to the bullet points, but don’t worry too much about covering all of them. You can use these as guidelines. Watch out for those question words:

These should guide you but remember that you are not answering questions. They just introduce ideas that you should talk about.

You also do not need to talk about these things in order. For example, you might find that it is easier to begin with “how long” you have had the thing because this would naturally allow you to say “Seven years ago, I bought this…” Don’t worry about the order of ideas as long as they are natural and logical.

You can see my ideas on structuring part two speaking answers here:

Vocabulary About Favourite Possessions

In terms of vocabulary that you need to know for this sort of cue card, it totally depends on what you choose to talk about. As I am discussing cameras, I would need to know photography vocabulary , but if you chose a smartphone then you would need technology vocabulary .

However, there are some words that would help you answer those parts of the cue card that guide the content of your answer:

Here’s a very short example that answers all parts of the question and uses some of the vocabulary above. Note that it is not a full answer because it does not last for more than one minute:

I saved up for this computer for six months and then eventually bought it. I suppose now I’ve had it for three years and honestly I would be lost without it . It helps me to do so many important things, particularly in terms of work .

Now, let’s see my proper sample answer, about the camera that I mentioned previously.

Sample Band 9 Answer

About seven years ago, I went home to visit my parents for the first time in a few years. My mum told me that it had been so long since I had been home for my birthday that she wanted to buy me a present and so I told her that I had been thinking about buying a camera. Before then, I had owned a few digital cameras that weren’t very good, but I had started to enjoy the process of taking photos and was looking to get into it as a hobby.

We went to a nearby city and found a technology shop and looked through the cameras they had on offer. One of them had a really long optical zoom, which I felt would be a huge advantage, and so I picked that one. In the months and years that followed, I took my camera on safari around parts of Africa and Asia, shooting hundreds of animals. Photography became my favourite pastime and that camera became my favourite possession.

I still have the camera, even though it more or less stopped working a few years ago. I keep trying to fix it and sometimes it does work, but it is a little unreliable now and I have a much more expensive camera that I use for most shots. I cannot bring myself to throw the old one away because it was a present from my mum and it has accompanied me on so many important trips. I think that even when it can no longer take another photo, I’ll put it on a shelf alongside some framed photos as a reminder of where they came from.

Notes on the Answer

You may notice that I have re-used a familiar structure, which is to start with a personal anecdote. This means I can avoid starting with a boring and awkward cliché like “Today, I want to talk about…” or “My favourite thing is…” This allows me to give an answer that does not seem like a dull response to a cue card, but is rather an engaging story that would be interesting for the examiner. It makes it easier for me to think of ideas and incorporate vocabulary that I know.

Speaking of vocabulary, I did use a lot that relates to photography, but obviously that would not be helpful for most of you. I have also used verb tenses carefully to frame my response. It begins in the past, leads up to the present, and even talks briefly about the future! By having topic-specific vocabulary and an array of appropriate verb tenses, I have satisfied all the requirements for a good grammar and vocab score.

I also answered all parts of the cue card, but as I mentioned before, I inverted the order of the first two because I wanted to start with the idea of getting it in the past, which put the time slightly before the place. That’s not really important except that you should always order your ideas logically and in a way that will help you give a good answer.

About The Author

David S. Wills

David S. Wills is the author of Scientologist! William S. Burroughs and the 'Weird Cult' and the founder/editor of Beatdom literary journal. He lives and works in rural Cambodia and loves to travel. He has worked as an IELTS tutor since 2010, has completed both TEFL and CELTA courses, and has a certificate from Cambridge for Teaching Writing. David has worked in many different countries, and for several years designed a writing course for the University of Worcester. In 2018, he wrote the popular IELTS handbook, Grammar for IELTS Writing and he has since written two other books about IELTS. His other IELTS website is called IELTS Teaching.

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Most Prized Possession (Essay Sample)

Most prized possession.

Anyone values something. Be it an object or someone, he or she will have them as their most prized possession. For you, what is your most prized possession? This essay will discuss what a prized possession is, what are common prized possession, and my personal prized possession. It is something that you love so dearly and you cannot afford to live without.

A prized possession has three forms: a person, an animate object, and an inanimate object. Valuing a person is a common practice, especially for those belonging in long term and healthy relationships. People value other people because they are important to them, they love and cherish them. Sometimes, people have others as their most prized possession since they are assets instead of liabilities. Sometimes people possess other people because they are they are good for their soul. What does that mean? In a romantic relationship and a familial one, people often look as love as good for their soul wherein they are not just mere assets but they are already a part of their entire well being. They look at the person as if they are a lifeline or someone they can trust their entire lives with which is why they are so important to them. As an animate object, it takes a physical form.

Some of valued animate objects are usually trophies, medals or any life achievements they deem are worth valuing, objects which are very expensive such as trending technologies like iPhones and iPads, and even handmade objects given to you by someone special or relatives. Having animate objects is a common practice for kids and elderly adults who reminisce the good ol’ days during their prime. How about inanimate objects? This comes in the possessing treasures incapable of human grasp. One good example is knowledge. Many intelligent people treasure their knowledge to a degree that they put it first above anything else.

Another example is love. Love is flexible, it can take the shape in a person but love in general is inanimate. Love can reach distances that no material things can do. It is the superficial kind of love that makes people go crazy, yet motivated to achieve their goals. It is in the judgment of the person whether to treasure love and value it as their most prized possession. In general, whether or not it does not matter what form your prized possession is. However, from a personal perspective, the person I value the most is my lover.

When a person values something or someone, she or he will do anything to protect it. People are territorial just like animals; we are selfish when it come to things that we really value. A most prized possession of a person maybe something that he or she worked hard for just to have it. When you worked hard for something you really want and it finally becomes your possession you tend to be possessive and over protective, but it is normal for anyone.

Normally, people of my age would pick their career over love anytime; however, I would not be able to gain so much in my career and successes in life if it were not for her. She supports and loves me unconditionally and makes sure I am able to do things I would not normally do. If it was not for her, I would not be given a chance to give the same love and support as well nor will I be able to succeed in anything. Feelings and emotions are also considered as prized possession for some because not everything can be bought by money. Happiness, love and affection are some of the example prized possessions that nobody can buy. Again, regardless of what form the thing you deem as your most prized possession, so as long as it is your most valued, it should be the one to reach you.

What Are Your Most Prized Possessions? (51 That Are On Most Lists)

What are your most prized possessions ?

And what makes them so?

You might say, “my prized possession is an old espresso maker my mother gave me when I moved out.”

Or you might jealously guard an heirloom collection of coins, vinyl records, or vintage jewelry because they remind you of departed loved ones.

Most people have something they treasure so much that losing it would cause them pain.

But what makes your prized possessions so precious to you?

And what are the benefits and downsides to your attachment?

What Is a Prized Possession?

Can a person be a prized possession, why we value prized possessions , what possessions do you prize the most.

A prized possession is something you value more than others because of an emotional attachment. There’s something special about it — even if it’s only special to you.

In most cases, there’s nothing shady about having prized possessions. We all have them or have had them. There are situations, though, when your attachment can be less benign:

When you’re willing to harm someone else to hold onto or reclaim the object
You panic or are unable to fulfill your duties due to fear of losing the object
Losing the item triggers a deeply painful and lasting grieving process

Your attachment to a prized possession can also fade with time or as your priorities change, and you learn to prize other, less tangible things more.

That said, you still might hold onto a few unique treasures, even if no one else understands why.

You’ll find people conspicuously missing on the list of prized possession examples further down because people cannot be possessions.

You may treasure your relationship with someone, but you don’t own them. They’re not your property. And that includes your children, though you are responsible for them until they’re able to be responsible for themselves.

variety of keepsakes most prized possession

If you owned them, you would have a right to use them however you pleased or even destroy them. No one has that right when it comes to other people.

As mentioned earlier, you prize your most prized possessions because you feel an emotional attachment to them. They have meaning for you that goes beyond their physical properties.

They connect you to something precious. Think of the possible reasons why:

It belonged to someone you love
It was given to you by someone you love
It reminds you of an important moment in your life
It reminds you of an important person in your life
It calls out to you — as if it were made just for you

Your Most Prized Possession? 51 of the Most Common

Keep in mind all 51 of these prized possession examples are material objects. And some of the items on your list of things you hold precious may be less tangible — like your closest relationships and your health.

We’re still willing to bet you found some delight in at least one of the following.

1. Photographs of loved ones (living or deceased)

2. Family photos (professional or informal groupings)

3. Photos of your significant other

4. Books (a few favorites or an entire collection)

5. Baby book/s (with photos and recorded milestones)

6. Collection of personal journals (yours or someone else’s)

7. Engagement ring

8. Wedding ring

9. Wedding dress

10. A child’s memory box

11. A child’s artwork

classroom of students most prized possession

12. Handcrafted gifts from children

13. A favorite item you made in school

14. Houseplants

15. Homes (something owned)

16. Jewelry

17. Jewelry box

18. Parents’ wedding rings

19. Family heirlooms

20. Scrapbooks

22. Smartphones

23. Tablets

24. Laptops (esp MacBooks)

25. Gaming system (Xbox, Wii, etc.)

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26. Motorcycle, Moped, or Scooter

27. Bicycle

28. Favorite (expensive) blender

29. Shoes

30. Favorite jacket/s

31. Favorite handbag/s

32. Comfortable undergarments (so underrated)

33. Vinyl records and turntable

34. CD collection

35. Favorite chair

36. Sewing machine

37. Quilts (especially those made by a loved one)

38. Hand-knit or crocheted items (scarves, hats, shawls, etc.)

39. Favorite vase/s

40. Wall clock

41. Crystal/stone collection

42. Comic book collection

43. Dolls or action figures

44. Favorite wall art pieces

45. Favorite rug (pulls the whole room together)

46. Favorite travel mementos

47. Set of artistic tools (paintbrushes, pottery wheel, etc.)

48. Teapot with strainer and teacups

49. Coffeemaker (one that makes particularly good coffee)

50. Pocket knife or whittling/wood carving tools

51. Favorite serving ware or dishes

Now that you know what we mean by “prized possessions,” and you know 51 of the most familiar favorites, which ones stood out for you?

Prized possessions usually find their way to a spot where you can see them (except, maybe, for #32).

The more you declutter your space, the more you can give pride of place to the things you hold most precious.

Allow those things to remind you of the people and memories they represent. The place you call home will feel all the homier for it.

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My Most Prized Possession: An In-depth Analysis of Materialism

Bryan Tortolani

Possessions may come and go, but often the emotional attachment associated with them remains eternal. I have a disturbingly long history of losing my possessions. Given my history, I rarely allow myself to form an emotional attachment to my possessions. Nevertheless, there have been a few possessions that have provoked within me a deep psychological connection that continues to stir my emotions even today, even though I no longer possess them. A passport, photo album, and a stuffed animal were among my most treasured lost possessions. These lost possessions fill me with a feeling of profound grief and anxiety, which is accompanied by a warm nostalgic feeling of times long past. Three years ago I was psychologically reunited with one of my most prized possessions.

On my thirty-fourth birthday a huge package was delivered to my door. I was surprised to discover that it was sent by my mother. I could not begin to guess what the package might contain because my mother's standard gifts were always the same. My mother always sent me a check accompanied by a very impersonal card, which she rarely bothered to sign. I suppose she felt the signature on the check was enough, so she regularly adhered to her efficient nature by leaving the card unsigned, avoiding redundancy. My mother's aloofness has often bothered me, so it was not unusual for me to be excited at the sight of something that was potentially more personal and meaningful than her usual gifts.

Exhilarated, I quickly tore open the package as if I were a ten-year-old boy on Christmas morning. With stray pieces of cardboard littering the floor and lime-green Styrofoam scattered in every direction, I held up my new treasure, an exact replica of the stuffed animal I had lost years earlier. The original monkey had been given to me by my mother while I was undergoing a bone-marrow transplant. My mother and I had been estranged prior to my illness; we had always had a detached and remote relationship. The monkey symbolized a level of closeness that had been foreign to our relationship.

I could not control my tears as I inspected the dark-brown and incredibly soft stuffed monkey. His glass eyes had a humanlike characteristic of warmth and affection. His cute, happy expression, round soft stomach, and clumsy body were evocative of my unique characteristics as a child. As I squeezed him affectionately, out of the corner of my eye I noticed something else buried under the remaining packing material. I reached down and pulled out a second, much smaller monkey. With closer examination I discovered that it was a baby monkey with clenched forefingers and extended thumbs that fit in the monkey's open mouth. I took the little arm and placed the extended thumb in the cute little monkey's mouth. Spent with emotion, I drifted off into a daydream.

Suddenly, I was transported back to the lonely, cold hospital room where I had received the bone-marrow transplant. Most of my friends were unable to deal with watching me shrivel up and possibly die. Fortunately, I had a dedicated girlfriend and my mother as regular visitors. In fact, my girlfriend was allowed to sleep over as long as she underwent a rigorous disinfecting process. She also had to sport an entire surgical outfit with sanitary slippers, hat, and facemask. My father, on the other hand, was unable to accept my condition and chose instead to retreat into the safety of denial. Unfortunately for me, and the two women in my life, this meant that I had only two regular visitors. They both tried to make up for the others' weaknesses by dedicating an enormous amount of their time to visiting with me.

I will never forget the moment my mother brought me the stuffed monkey. I remember the smell of the disinfectant and the way the sun's rays swept past my window reflecting off the stainless steel bedrails as a dark reminder of the world outside moving along without me. The television was off and I was concentrating on the sound of the birds singing outside my window over the continuous beeping and pumping of the many machines needed to keep me alive. The contrast between machinery and nature was so great that I longed for some semblance of the natural world. My girlfriend's mother had sent me many crystals, which I surrounded myself with, and my aunt had sent me a tropical fish mobile from Hawaii. I valued these treasures greatly and lacked the words to fully express their significance and meaning. Each gift represented thoughtful devotion, love and the natural world, which was everything that my inert machine bound existence denied me. Yet I had nothing of equal meaning from my immediate family.

While lying in my hospital bed, I could hear the steady pattern of my mother's footsteps approaching my door. I felt relief to have a break in the monotony, but was not particularly excited because an emotional barrier remained between my mother and me. I was aware she was giving up much of her life to be with me each night, and I could tell by her graying hair and haggard face that she was under a great deal of stress over my condition, yet I longed for a relationship built on a deeper connection. I needed her to express verbally what I could see in her face, that she loved me and wanted me to live. On that day, when she came around the corner, holding something in her hand, my somber mood quickly lifted.

She was smiling as usual, but this time it didn't appear strained or artificial. I watched her go through the routine of disinfecting herself. Even after she washed up and tied on her surgical mask, I could still feel her smiling. She then walked over to her usual seat by the window and handed me the monkey. No words were needed. I realized that given her distant nature she was unable to express her feelings to me verbally and gifting the monkey to me was her way of showing me affection. The monkey represented the words she was unable to express. When she had brought me the tropical fish mobile from my aunt and I had told her how much it meant to me, her face turned white and she stammered for a few minutes before making a quick retreat. I felt that she wanted to tell me the things I need to hear, but she was unable to do so.

The feeling of my wife's arms tenderly wrapping around my waist snapped me out of my daydream. As I stood holding my two new possessions, I thought of the big monkey as representing my mother and the infant representing me. Although I no longer need the stuffed animals, the fact that my mother remembered after over ten years is what touched me so deeply. I keep the animals in plastic on top of a bookcase and rarely think of them. It is the act of receiving them that I prize, not the actual material object. What I consider to be my "prized possessions" are not material in nature, but are treasured in my heart and soul. Material objects often come and go but treasured memories last a lifetime.