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Describe a person you disliked at first but ended up being friends with: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

  • Who the person is?
  • When and where you met him/her?
  • Why you disliked this person at first?
  • And explain how your opinion of him/her changed and why.
Show all 104 answers

Cue 1:Who the person is?

  • Introduce the person by name and describe your relationship with them.
  • Mention any relevant background information that helps to understand who they are.

Example

The person I initially disliked is named Rohan. He was my classmate in college, and we were both part of the same study group for our engineering course.

Cue 2:When and where you met him/her?

  • Specify the time and place where you first met this person.
  • Provide context about the situation that brought you together.

Example

I first met Rohan during our first semester at university, in a crowded lecture hall. We were both attending an introductory class on computer science, and it was a bit overwhelming for all of us.

Cue 3:Why you disliked this person at first?

  • Clearly explain the reasons for your initial dislike.
  • Share specific incidents or traits that contributed to your feelings.

Example

At first, I found Rohan to be quite arrogant. He often interrupted others during discussions and seemed to think he was better than everyone else. This behavior really annoyed me, and I felt he was not a team player.

Cue 4:And explain how your opinion of him/her changed and why.

  • Describe the turning point that changed your perception of this person.
  • Explain how you got to know them better and what positive traits you discovered.

Example

Over time, I had to work closely with Rohan on a group project. As we collaborated, I discovered that he was actually very knowledgeable and passionate about the subject. He was also willing to help others, which made me appreciate him more. I realized that his confidence was just a way of expressing his enthusiasm for learning.

Conclusion

    Example

    In conclusion, my initial dislike for Rohan transformed into a strong friendship as I got to know him better. This experience taught me the importance of looking beyond first impressions and understanding people more deeply.

    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. Candidates often fail to provide specific details about the person or the situation, which can lead to a lack of clarity.

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    Tip

    Include specific examples and anecdotes about the person and your initial feelings to create a vivid picture for the examiner.

    2: Don't Overemphasize Negativity

    Focusing too much on negative feelings can create a one-sided narrative. Candidates may dwell on their initial dislike without explaining the positive changes that occurred later.

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    Tip

    Balance your response by discussing both your initial dislike and the qualities that led to your friendship, highlighting personal growth.

    Neglecting the 'Why' Factor

    Failing to explain why your opinion changed can leave your answer incomplete. Candidates often skip this crucial part, making it hard for the examiner to understand the transformation.

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    Tip

    Clearly articulate the reasons behind your change of heart, emphasizing specific interactions or experiences that influenced your perspective.

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    All Answers

    Here are all the answers by real-users practicing speaking for IELTS Cue Cards on our IELTS Prep App.

    Band >7

    Well, a person that I disliked at first, but later on ended up being great friends, was my best friend, whom I met during the initial days of my college. Her name is Hida Elsa Johnson. So the first time I met her was during the induction program that was conducted for getting a subject overview and building a strong relationship between our alumni members. So when I first met her, I was a very talkative person and I thought she was not a very good listener and I kind of thought she was a person who was a bit show off, but later on we ended up being in the same class and we were forced to share the same bench. We boarded the same college bus and our bus reached the last, so there was very few benches left as everything will be preoccupied, which forced us to share the same bench. Later on we had a few conversations and these usual conversations made us know better and later on we understood we both shared a lot of things in common, from we have mutual friends and our ideas and perspectives were similar in a lot of ways and by the end of graduation we became great friends. After graduation we moved to the same city and even shared the same room. Those were really struggling periods.

    Band >7

    The person that I ended up disliking the first time I met them was Pooja, who's my senior in college. I had met her at the orientation ceremony and I just felt that she was extremely obnoxious from the start. In addition to her personality which was unpleasant, she also was extremely shy.

    Band 7

    I would like to tell you about one of my good friends named Ehman. We were in school together and he was the head boy of the school. When I looked at him, I thought that he was very arrogant and full of pride, which did not make me like him at all. And to be very honest, he was really good at studies, sports, and really good at being a head boy, so I envied him too, which made me dislike him even more. However, during one day, I did not have lunch as I forgot to bring my food from home. Out of the blue, he came to me and he offered me his lunchbox and we shared the lunch. This was not something that I had expected because although we were classmates and knew of each other, we had never talked to each other or made an effort to become friends. However, this gesture really stood out to me and I came to know that he is a benevolent person beneath all of the rumors and his facade that he puts on. This really made me open up to him and we became good friends. We played together, we did projects together, and also organized events, which made me grow closer to him and he is still one of my greatest friends to this day.

    Band 7

    So, you know how in every class there's this one teacher's pet obnoxious kid who always wants to be at the top? Ananya was one such kid and I personally disliked this behaviour wherein she always used to follow teachers, be the good kid and complain when others were trying to have fun. I initially did not even think that we would be friends but one fine day during our science exam when we were all sitting in our classroom extremely tensed is when I realised that I had forgotten one main important thing that is required to write the paper, my pen and that is when Ananya who is sitting right next to me with a very big heart offered to lend me one of her pens. That day I realised that it is always maybe way too early to judge people based on how they act in a public setting. That day I realised that she may be a teacher's pet but that might be due to the goals or expectations that she has from herself and that made me realise that she is actually genuinely a good person at heart. We started talking, we laughed about this later after the exam and that's how we bonded and now she is my best friend and I go to her when I have the slightest bit of problem. She is like a comfort person for me who helps me find solutions to difficult problems, who guides me and who has helped me in the most difficult times of my life. So from this the one thing that I have understood is that we should never judge a book by its cover.

    Band 6-7

    The person I got off at the wrong foot at first and got along with later, eventually, is my best friend, Anjali, who I met in school in 11th standard. We got off at the wrong foot at first because she thought I had a lot of attitude because I was new to the school and I wasn't very comfortable talking to all the students at the beginning. And I am an introvert person, so it is not very easy for me to be socially active, which is why it took us some time to become friends. We became friends later in 12th standard when we met at a coaching where only the two of us were the students. And because there weren't many students in the coaching, the two of us started talking and then we got along really well. In fact, so well that today we are very good friends and we stay connected very well. We meet quite a few times a month to hang out at different restaurants or at each other's house. So that is the story of how I ended up being friends with a person I disliked first because she thought I was a person with ego and she didn't like me and so I didn't like her too. But now we are best friends.

    Band 6-7

    The person is my best friend. I met my best friend in 5th class. He was very arrogant at first. I didn't like him because of his arrogance. Then I started to hang out with him a lot and I found out he wasn't arrogant for no reason at all. He was only arrogant to bad people and was nice to me and normal people. I chilled out with him for a long time. We became best friends sometimes later. I'm in 12th now and I still contact him, meet him. He is my best friend.

    Band 6-7

    Once I was on a trip with my girls, like my girls' friends from the college. We went to Goa. And as we all know, Goa is a beautiful city covered with beaches, surrounded by beaches. And where I met a friend, his name was Amal, and he was also in Malayalee. I am also in Malayalee, we are from the same state. That makes me give my attention to him. And at first, I saw him in a restaurant. Me and my friends went to eat some food there. And he was talking so rude to the waitress. And I was like, why is he like that? Why is he rude to the people? And I feel like ashamed because he was also in Malayalee even though he is speaking bad to the waitress. After that, we had spicy food, delicious food and paid the bill and left the restaurant. I had a chance to talk to him and I said, your behavior was so bad. I told him that your behavior was so bad. And he responded me that, what was wrong with that? I ordered a different food and they gave me another one. And that's their fault. It's necessary to say our opinion or say our boundaries. It's not okay to be nice always. And I was like, yeah, he's telling the truth. I'm a person, I'm an introvert. I like to be nice to everyone. I'm a person who says no very rarely. But at that time, I understood the power to say no or the importance to say no in our life.

    Band 6-7

    When I was in this school, in the 8th grade, there was one girl in my classroom. I don't like her at first, but then after when I came up in the 11th grade, she was in the same college of mine, and there we became friends, we ended up being friends. And that time I thought that when I was in school, I don't like that girl. And now when I'm in the college, I started interacting with her, I started sharing my experiences and gossips, and we started to travel together, going for shopping, we ended being friends in the college. And still now we are friends, and yes, I like her very much as she is honest and straightforward. She's kind, she's a kind person. That was it.

    Band 6-7

    When I was doing my UG in college, I met a person, her name is Navya. When we met, we are not good friends. That time I didn't like her because she is not my type. Because we are talking some more times about our studies. We will have our views, that's why I didn't like her. I didn't like her when we had a trip last year. That time I spent more time with her. I like her character. From now we are good friends.

    Band 6-7

    There was a girl named Priya in my college. At first I really didn't like her because she seemed very arrogant and always argued during group discussions. I felt she was too bossy and wanted to control everything. But later we were assigned to the same project team. So we had to work together. During that time I realized she was actually very helpful and intelligent. She just spoke strongly because she was confident and wanted everyone to do well. We spent more time together, shared ideas and slowly I understood her better. We started laughing, studying together and even hanging out after classes. Now she is one of my closest friends and we support each other a lot. So this experience taught me not to judge anyone too quickly because sometimes people are not what they seem at first. Priya was bossy but she's an intelligent woman and I'm very happy for that to meet a friend like her. Wow! So don't you think the nature will make us meet some new persons, a new environment to change our destiny and I'm very happy to meet her and to invite her into my life. She has a special place in my life. Thank you!
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