IELTS Speaking Part 2 – Topic: Describe an antique or some other old thing that your family has kept for a long time

Today, I am going to share with you an old possession that my family has kept for a long time. It is an antique terra-cotta dish, which is displayed in an honoured position in the living room.

This old dish originated from feudal times in Vietnam, although I am not sure of the year exactly. It might have belonged to the Nguyen Dynasty. It is made from pottery material with some small artificial fissures, and it was my grandfather’s favourite thing when he was still alive. There is a village picture painted in blue in the centre of the dish.

When I was a child, my grandfather used to tell me the story of this dish. His close friend gave it to him to celebrate his house-warming in the past. They had been companions in arms for a long time, so that was the reason why he really treasured their ties and that gift as a reminder of their friendship.

There is a lot of other modern furniture arranged in my house nowadays, however, this antique object is still a treasured possession for each member of my family. We have kept this antique dish for over 30 years, even when my grandpa passed away and left it for my family. Whenever I look at this dish, it always reminds me of my grandfather as a fond memento.

– possession: [noun] something that you own.
Example: When leaving the plane, please make sure that you have all your possessions with you.

– antique: [adjective] old and often valuable
Example: I have an antique table in my living room which is about 200 years old.

– terracotta: [noun] material of a red-brown colour, used to make pots.
Example: My mother still cooks using traditional terracotta pots.

– honoured: [adjective] very respected, showing respect for something.
Example: The President was an honoured guest at the ceremony.

– feudal: [adjective] describing a time in the past when given land and protection by a rich person, and had to work and fight for him in return.
Example: Life in feudal times in Vietnam was very hard for poor people who worked on the land.

– dynasty: [noun] a series of rulers of a country who all belong to the same family.
Example: Pottery from the time of the Ming Dynasty in China is very valuable. 

– pottery: [noun] pots or dishes, usually made by hand from a type of earth called clay and made hard by baking in an oven.
Example: I learned to make traditional dishes by hand by going to a pottery class.

– fissures: [noun] long cracks in something.
Example: The rocks had many fissures, some of which were very deep.

– house-warming: [noun] a party given by someone who has moved into a new house.
Example: My new neighbours invited our family to their house-warming party.

– companions-in-arms: [noun] people who have been soldiers, fighting together.
Example: My two uncles were companions-in-arms during World War 2.

– treasure: [verb] to have or keep something that you love and is very valuable to you.
Example: Thank you for your gift. I will always treasure it.

– ties: [noun] strong connections between people, especially friendships or family relationships.
Example: She continues to have close ties with her old school friends, and she often visits or calls them.

– fond: [adjective] kind, happy and loving [when used before a noun].
Example: I have fond memories of my years in London.

– memento: [noun] a thing that you have which reminds you of a person or place.
Example: We returned home with some mementos of our holiday in China.