IELTS Speaking Part 2

Describe the person in your family who you most admire

Describe the person in your family who you most admire.

You should say:

One minute to prepare, then speak for one to two minutes.

How to plan it in one minute

  1. Choose a real person to make your description sound more authentic and natural.
  2. Use the bullet points to create a chronological narrative flow for your talk.
  3. Focus on one or two specific character traits to explain your admiration clearly.

Band 8 model answer

The person I look up to most in my family is my maternal grandfather, Arthur. He has been a constant source of inspiration for me since I was a child. Growing up in a small, coastal town in Cornwall, Arthur left school at fourteen to work in the local shipyards. His life has been defined by incredible resilience; he survived the harsh conditions of the post-war era, eventually working his way up to become a master carpenter, a trade he mastered through sheer grit rather than formal education. He spent decades crafting bespoke furniture for families across the county, often staying up late into the night to finish a project, smelling perpetually of sawdust and cedar wood. Now in his late eighties, he is officially retired, though he spends most of his days pottering around his greenhouse or restoring antique clocks in his shed. I admire him so much because of his unwavering integrity and his quiet, understated wisdom. He never boasted about his achievements, even when times were tight, and he always prioritised the needs of his family over his own desires. What strikes me most is his insatiable curiosity about the world; despite his limited schooling, he taught himself to speak basic Italian just so he could read Dante in the original language. He embodies the idea that true success is not measured by wealth or status, but by the character one builds and the kindness one shows to others. His humility and dedication continue to serve as my personal moral compass whenever I face a difficult decision in my own life.

264 words, about two minutes at a natural pace. Details are invented; use your own.

Vocabulary from the answer

resilience
The capacity to recover quickly from difficult situations.
bespoke
Made for a particular customer or specific user.
pottering
Moving around in a relaxed or unhurried way.
understated
Presented in a subtle or restrained, simple way.
insatiable
Impossible to satisfy, especially regarding a strong desire.
moral compass
An inner sense of what is right versus wrong.
grit
Strength of character and sheer mental determination.
perpetually
In a way that never ends or changes.

Part 3 questions that follow this card

Answer each in three to five sentences: position, reason, example, limit. See the Part 3 guide.

Say it out loud and get a band

Record this card with the AI examiner: one minute of prep, two minutes to speak, then a band for fluency, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation with the words that cost you.

Practise this cue card

On your phone? Get the BandLadder app and record cue cards anywhere.

Frequently asked questions

How should I start the cue card "Describe the person in your family who you most admire."?

Choose a real person to make your description sound more authentic and natural.

How long should my answer be?

Speak for the full two minutes, about 220 to 280 words at a natural pace. The examiner will stop you at two minutes, which is a good sign, not a problem.

Can I use this model answer in the exam?

Use its structure and vocabulary, not its sentences. Examiners recognise memorised answers and mark fluency down; a shorter answer from your own memory scores higher than a recited one.

More cue cards: a person