Describe a family member who you admire.: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

Who is it?
What's their relationship with you?
Why do you admire this person?

24 unique answers with expert feedback

What qualities of your mom do you admire the most?

I admire her selflessness, her ability to listen without judgment, and her unwavering support. She always puts my needs before hers and encourages me to pursue my dreams. Her kindness and strength inspire me to be a better person.

How has your relationship with your mom influenced your life choices?

My mom's guidance has shaped my values and decisions. Her belief in me has given me the confidence to take risks and follow my passions. I often seek her advice when faced with important choices, knowing she has my best interests at heart.

Can you share a memorable experience you had with your mom?

One memorable experience was when she surprised me with a visit during my first semester at college. I was feeling homesick, and her presence lifted my spirits. We spent the day cooking together and reminiscing, which made me feel loved and supported.

Band 6-7

00:00

A family member I admire more is my own sister and her name is Divya. Initially I won't like her but when I started growing up her activities attracted me so much. The one thing I admired more about her is her problem solving skills and her persistence. She just got placed at TCS at her 4th attempt so that's the one thing that I keep on thinking about her. If you don't know about TCS it's Tata Consultancy Services and it's one of the best multinational company in India and she just got placed there at her 4th attempt. One thing I love about her is her encounter towards a problem and how she finds a solution towards the problem she just faced. And if you don't know about her, she just got a straight first in her secondary schoolings. Everyone in our family just like her because no one can match her studying levels and her decision making skills. The fascinating thing about her is she just studies a week before exam and scores a straight first in secondary schoolings.

Follow up questions

What qualities do you think are important for success?

I believe qualities like persistence, problem-solving skills, and adaptability are crucial for success. My sister exemplifies these traits, especially her ability to keep trying despite failures, which ultimately led her to succeed in getting a job at TCS.

How do you think your sister's achievements influence you?

Her achievements inspire me to work harder and not give up easily. Seeing her dedication and success motivates me to pursue my own goals with the same level of commitment and resilience.

What challenges do you think she faced during her job search?

I think she faced a lot of rejection and self-doubt during her job search. Each attempt must have been challenging, but her persistence and ability to learn from each experience helped her overcome those obstacles and eventually succeed.

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Reported by Leap students who gave IELTS

Describe your favourite food at a traditional festival or a special event in your country

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 7.5

Pitampura Test Centre, New Delhi

Answer

I like to taste different types of cuisine. Here I would like to talk about my favorite dish at my traditional festival of Onam which is Sadya. Sadya is popular in my city. We are experimenting these cuisines on Onam festival day. Onam is a famous festival in my city. All family members get together in my home and we make a delicious Sadya. There are many ingredients includes that Sadya. Moreover, we make a big feast that day as well as we create a lot of memories together and we wear that day the traditional dress called Sari and men wear the Dhotis. That festival is really important to us because the whole day we are conducting different kinds of games at our homes and all the family members came together. It's a memorable day in my life. This is the festival. We are making the Sambar and Aviyal. These all the kinds of foods are making with the vegetables.

Talk about a toy you liked in your childhood

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 8

Sector 34 Test Centre, Chandigarh

Answer

The toy which I liked in my childhood was a panda doll, which makes me pleasant and makes me more blush. The pandas are the most beautiful creatures of the world, which looks gigantic and has pooshy cheeks and they are like stars in the clouds and they dream in me. Furthermore, these have been given by my father. My father is a very very beautiful artistic person, who makes me think of that. Every day you will face every difficulties and make you suffer and move forward. Pandas are always seen in Japanese countries. It is my lifelong dream to visit a Japanese country and click a photo with the original pandas, which makes sounds better.

Describe a time you were in a place where you didn't know the local language

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 6.5

Whitefield Test Center, Bengaluru

Answer

As India is a very large country full of diversity, so there are many places which have their own language and speak their native language. The place which I visited and I didn't know about their language was Leladakh, which is about 300 km away from my hometown and it is a very good place as it consists of different kind of trees, animals and have many scenic views and I visited over there last year in summers as it was the best time to visit because it has many, it was cold over there and we had summers in our area so it was the best time to visit over there and I went over there with my whole family.

Describe a time when your friend damaged something you owned

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 7

Begumpet Test Centre, Hyderabad

Answer

When I was a kid, I had a little pencil box which had these four buttons which gave the pencil box an operative use. When you press the button, the box would open up. When you press the second button, a little part of it would slide out. Basically it was just a little electronical and a fun thing to have and I owned it when I was in 6th. One day after break, I was standing and talking there with one of my friends and another friend of mine was running through the hallway and accidentally she pushed my shoulder and my pencil box hit the ground and it broke into multiple pieces to the point that it was not functional anymore.

Describe a book you recently read

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 7.5

CBD Belapur Test Centre, Navi Mumbai

Answer

It Ends With Us is a book I read recently. It's by the author Colleen Hoare. It's mainly a story about two teenagers, Atlas and Lily, and how they just handle their life going through high school, adolescence, and just domestic violence at home. Both of them come from very, very different families. However, they have one common determining factor between them, which is domestic violence. The abuse that they've seen their moms go through is just insane, and they connect through that on a different level. They're actually in the same high school, but they never speak to each other until Atlas actually crashes into an empty house next to Lily's villa. When Atlas is homeless and he doesn't have anywhere to go, he just comes and breaks into the house next to Lily's, and Lily helps him with all the daily necessities like clothes and food, medicines and stuff. Furthermore, their friendship blossoms into love, but it doesn't really fructify as Atlas has to leave. This book really gave me a lot of knowledge about domestic abuse and how to deal with it.

I try to show my appreciation by helping her with household chores and spending quality time together. I also express my gratitude verbally and make sure to celebrate her achievements, as I believe it's important to acknowledge her hard work and sacrifices.

Show all 24 answers

Cue 1:Who is it?

Begin by introducing the family member clearly, mentioning their name and role in your family.
Provide a brief background about their life or career to give context.

Example

The family member I admire the most is my elder sister, Priya. She is a software engineer and has always been a source of inspiration for me.

Cue 2:What's their relationship with you?

Explain your relationship with this person, highlighting any special bonds or memories.
Mention how long you have known them and any significant experiences you have shared.

Example

Priya is my sister, and we have grown up together in a close-knit family. We share a special bond, and I have always looked up to her since childhood, especially during my studies.

Cue 3:Why do you admire this person?

Discuss specific qualities or achievements that make this person admirable.
Share personal anecdotes that illustrate why you hold them in such high regard.

Example

I admire her for her determination and hard work. Despite facing numerous challenges in her career, she never gave up. For instance, she worked late nights to complete her projects while also helping me with my studies during my exams.

Conclusion

Summarize your feelings about this family member and their impact on your life.
Conclude with a statement about how you hope to emulate their qualities in your own life.

Example

In conclusion, my sister Priya is not just a family member but also a role model for me. I aspire to be as dedicated and resilient as she is in my own life.

Following this structure will ensure you cover all the essential points while providing a clear and engaging response to the cue card topic.

Tips to answer this Cue Card

1: Avoid Vague Descriptions

Using vague language can make your answer less engaging and informative. It may leave the examiner unclear about who the person is and why they are admirable.