You should say: when you received the money, who gave it to you, why they gave it to you ,and explain how you felt.
The model answers below are taken from a members-only video lesson.
Watch the full lesson:
Download the audio track and full transcript of the lesson here:
https://buymeacoffee.com/tracywang/extras
Speaker: Finn
I’d like to talk about a time when I received money as a gift, which was during my first year at university.
It happened on my 19th birthday. At that time, I had just moved away from home and was still adjusting to living independently, so everything felt quite new and a bit overwhelming.
The money was given to me by my parents. Instead of buying me a physical gift, they decided to give me some cash because they thought it would be more practical. They knew I was still figuring out how to manage my expenses, so they wanted to support me in a flexible way.
The main reason they gave me the money was to help me settle into university life. I think they understood that being a student comes with a lot of unexpected costs, like textbooks, groceries, and transportation. So rather than guessing what I might need, they trusted me to decide for myself.
Honestly, I felt really grateful when I received it. It wasn’t just about the money—it made me feel that my parents had confidence in me and respected my independence. At the same time, it also made me more aware of my responsibilities, because I didn’t want to waste what they had given me.
Overall, it was quite a meaningful experience, because it wasn’t just a simple gift—it marked a point where I started to become more responsible and self-reliant.
Speaker: Blondie
Honestly, I’m usually the kind of person who prefers a physical gift—something I can unwrap—but there was one occasion about three years ago that really changed my perspective. It happened right before I moved across the country to start my first job.
My older brother and his wife invited me over for a farewell dinner. Just as I was leaving, they handed me a card with some money inside. They told me it was a kind of “startup fund” for my new apartment. They had both experienced moving into an empty place and realizing they lacked even the basic essentials, so they wanted to make things easier for me.
At first, I felt a bit hesitant to accept it because I’ve always tried to be independent, and it seemed like quite a generous amount. However, that feeling quickly turned into genuine gratitude. Moving is both expensive and stressful, and having that extra support made the whole experience feel much more manageable.
What really stayed with me was how thoughtful the gesture was. It wasn’t just about the money, but the fact that they understood exactly what I would need during that transition. It made me feel supported and less alone in a completely new environment.
Even now, I still think about that moment as something that made a significant difference in how I began that new chapter of my life.
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