🔥"Describe a time you told a friend the truth."IELTS SPEAKING PART 2,3: Bài mẫu kèm từ vựng

Bên cạnh hướng dẫn Phân tích đề thi IELTS 21/11/2020 WRITING TASK 1 (map)"The plans show a school library 5 years ago and the same library now"(kèm bài sửa cho HS đi thi), IELTS TUTOR Phân tích đề 🔥"Describe a time you told a friend the truth"IELTS SPEAKING PART 2,3: Bài mẫu kèm từ vựng

Describe a time you told a friend the truth.

• Who the friend was
• What the truth was
• Their reaction
• Why it was important

IELTS TUTOR gợi ý bài tham khảo:

Today, I would like to tell you about a time when I had to tell a close friend a difficult truth, even though it wasn’t easy emotionally.

The friend I’m referring to is Linh, a long-time companion (bạn đồng hành lâu năm – a friend I’ve known for many years) who studied with me in high school.

The truth I told her was that her boyfriend was two-timing (lừa dối trong tình yêu – secretly dating another girl at the same time) after I saw him at a café with someone else.

At first, she was completely taken aback (bị sốc – extremely surprised) and didn’t say anything, but after thinking it over, she thanked me for being honest.>> tham khảo CẦN VIẾT & THU ÂM BAO NHIÊU BÀI ĐỂ ĐẠT 8.0 SPEAKING & 7.0 WRITING?

It was important to tell her the truth for two reasons. First of all, I believe that genuine friendships (tình bạn chân thành – true and honest connections) must be based on mutual respect (sự tôn trọng lẫn nhau – when both people value and care for each other’s well-being), and keeping silent would’ve been a form of betrayal. By telling her the truth, I showed that I respected her enough to be honest, even though it hurt. For example, if I had kept it to myself and she found out later that I already knew, it would’ve damaged the trust between us permanently.

Secondly, I felt a moral obligation (nghĩa vụ đạo đức – a personal sense of duty to do what’s right) as her confidante (người bạn tâm tình – someone she trusted deeply) to help her avoid further emotional pain. She had been investing a lot of time and energy into that relationship, and by exposing the truth early, I helped her stop wasting her feelings on someone who didn’t deserve her. In the end, she broke up with him and later told me that it was a painful but necessary turning point in her life.

📘 New Vocabulary List

1. Long-time companion – bạn đồng hành lâu năm – a friend you’ve had for many years

   • Synonyms: old friend, lifelong buddy, longstanding friend

   • Antonyms: stranger, new acquaintance, temporary friend

   • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ: The friend I’m referring to is Linh, a long-time companion.

2. Two-timing – lừa dối trong tình yêu – dating two people at once dishonestly

   • Synonyms: cheating, betraying, being unfaithful

   • Antonyms: being loyal, faithful, committed

   • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ: Her boyfriend was two-timing after I saw him with someone else.

3. Taken aback – bị sốc – shocked or surprised

   • Synonyms: stunned, startled, shaken

   • Antonyms: unfazed, expecting, prepared

   • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ: At first, she was completely taken aback.

4. Genuine friendships – tình bạn chân thành – honest, meaningful relationships

   • Synonyms: true friendships, authentic connections, real bonds

   • Antonyms: fake friendship, shallow bond, insincere relationship

   • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ: I believe that genuine friendships must be based on mutual respect.

5. Mutual respect – sự tôn trọng lẫn nhau – both people value and honor each other

   • Synonyms: shared regard, reciprocal respect, equal admiration

   • Antonyms: disrespect, contempt, neglect

   • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ: Genuine friendships must be based on mutual respect.

6. Moral obligation – nghĩa vụ đạo đức – duty to do what is right

   • Synonyms: ethical duty, moral responsibility, personal conscience

   • Antonyms: immoral act, negligence, apathy

   • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ: I felt a moral obligation as her confidante.

7. Confidante – người bạn tâm tình – someone you trust with personal matters

   • Synonyms: trusted friend, intimate, close advisor

   • Antonyms: enemy, stranger, outsider

   • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ: I felt a moral obligation as her confidante.

📘 Difficult Grammar Structures

1. “Had I kept it to myself, it would’ve damaged the trust between us permanently.”
   → Inversion of third conditional without "if"
   → Translation: Nếu tôi giữ im lặng, niềm tin giữa chúng tôi đã có thể bị tổn hại vĩnh viễn.

2. “...even though it hurt.”
   → Subordinate clause of contrast
   → Translation: Mặc dù điều đó làm cô ấy đau lòng.

3. “By exposing the truth early, I helped her stop wasting her feelings...”
   → Prepositional phrase + gerund clause as subject
   → Translation: Bằng việc phơi bày sự thật sớm, tôi đã giúp cô ấy không lãng phí tình cảm...

❓Question 1: When is honesty difficult?

Honesty becomes particularly difficult in emotionally-charged situations (emotionally-charged – đầy cảm xúc – involving strong emotions) where telling the truth may hurt someone's feelings. In such scenarios, people often weigh the benefits of sparing someone’s feelings (spare someone’s feelings – tránh làm tổn thương ai – avoid hurting someone emotionally) against the value of being truthful. For instance, giving feedback on a close friend’s performance can be awkward and emotionally taxing (emotionally taxing – gây mệt mỏi về cảm xúc – mentally and emotionally draining). Another difficult situation arises when being honest may lead to serious consequences, such as jeopardizing one’s career prospects (jeopardize – làm nguy hại – to put in danger). Take, for example, a whistleblower revealing unethical practices in a company; while the act is morally commendable, it might cost them their job or ruin professional relationships (professional relationships – mối quan hệ nghề nghiệp – connections in one’s workplace). These scenarios highlight how honesty often requires emotional intelligence and moral courage (moral courage – dũng khí đạo đức – the strength to do what’s right despite fear or consequences). People must navigate complex interpersonal dynamics (interpersonal dynamics – động lực giữa người với người – the way people interact in relationships) while trying to remain truthful. Therefore, honesty becomes difficult not because people lack morals, but because the context makes the truth a heavy burden to bear.

❓Question 2: How do lies affect relationships?

Lies can seriously damage trust, which is the cornerstone of any meaningful relationship (cornerstone – nền tảng – the most important part or basis). Once dishonesty enters a relationship, it creates a ripple effect of suspicion and insecurity (ripple effect – hiệu ứng dây chuyền – a spreading series of consequences). For instance, if a partner lies about finances or past relationships, it can lead to emotional detachment and constant second-guessing (second-guessing – nghi ngờ lại – to doubt or question something repeatedly). Moreover, persistent lying may indicate a lack of respect, turning the relationship into a toxic emotional environment (toxic emotional environment – môi trường cảm xúc độc hại – emotionally harmful atmosphere). On the other hand, even white lies (white lies – lời nói dối vô hại – small, harmless lies) told to avoid hurting others can accumulate over time, making people question the authenticity of their bond. In friendships, this erosion of trust may result in emotional withdrawal or even total estrangement (estrangement – sự xa cách – the process of becoming distant or alienated). Ultimately, lies create a fragile foundation (fragile foundation – nền tảng mong manh – weak base or support) where open communication becomes nearly impossible. When truth is replaced by fabrication, relationships lose their stability and gradually fall apart.

✅ New Vocabulary & Explanation

1. emotionally-charged – đầy cảm xúc – involving strong feelings or emotions

   • Synonyms: intense, passionate, heated

   • Antonyms: calm, detached, emotionless

   • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ: Honesty becomes particularly difficult in emotionally-charged situations.

2. spare someone’s feelings – tránh làm tổn thương ai – to avoid hurting someone emotionally

   • Synonyms: protect, shield, comfort

   • Antonyms: offend, upset, hurt

   • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ: People often weigh the benefits of sparing someone’s feelings.

3. emotionally taxing – gây mệt mỏi về cảm xúc – mentally and emotionally draining

   • Synonyms: draining, exhausting, overwhelming

   • Antonyms: refreshing, uplifting, light

   • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ: Feedback can be awkward and emotionally taxing.

4. jeopardize – làm nguy hại – to put in danger

   • Synonyms: endanger, compromise, threaten

   • Antonyms: protect, secure, safeguard

   • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ: Being honest may lead to jeopardizing one’s career prospects.

5. moral courage – dũng khí đạo đức – the strength to do what’s right

   • Synonyms: integrity, bravery, conscience

   • Antonyms: cowardice, dishonor, weakness

   • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ: Honesty requires emotional intelligence and moral courage.

6. cornerstone – nền tảng – the essential foundation

   • Synonyms: foundation, base, pillar

   • Antonyms: top layer, finishing touch, decoration

   • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ: Trust is the cornerstone of any meaningful relationship.

7. ripple effect – hiệu ứng dây chuyền – spreading consequences

   • Synonyms: domino effect, chain reaction, spillover

   • Antonyms: isolation, containment, stillness

   • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ: It creates a ripple effect of suspicion and insecurity.

8. second-guessing – nghi ngờ lại – constantly doubting

   • Synonyms: doubt, question, re-evaluate

   • Antonyms: trust, believe, accept

   • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ: It leads to constant second-guessing.

9. toxic emotional environment – môi trường cảm xúc độc hại – emotionally harmful atmosphere

   • Synonyms: unhealthy space, emotional minefield, hostile setting

   • Antonyms: supportive space, safe environment, uplifting atmosphere

   • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ: Lying creates a toxic emotional environment.

10. estrangement – sự xa cách – becoming emotionally distant

• Synonyms: alienation, separation, detachment

• Antonyms: closeness, intimacy, connection

• IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ: This may result in emotional withdrawal or even total estrangement.

💡 Difficult Grammar Structures

1. “People often weigh the benefits of sparing someone’s feelings against the value of being truthful.”
   ➤ Complex sentence with parallel structure
   ➤ Mọi người thường cân nhắc giữa lợi ích của việc tránh làm tổn thương người khác với giá trị của sự thành thật.

2. “Another difficult situation arises when being honest may lead to serious consequences.”
   ➤ Complex sentence with subordinate clause
   ➤ Một tình huống khó khăn khác xảy ra khi việc trung thực có thể dẫn đến hậu quả nghiêm trọng.

3. “Even white lies told to avoid hurting others can accumulate over time.”
   ➤ Passive voice with infinitive of purpose
   ➤ Ngay cả những lời nói dối vô hại được nói ra để tránh làm tổn thương người khác cũng có thể tích tụ theo thời gian.

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