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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 6-7

    The person I disliked at first and I now like would be my friend Daya Mani. I have met her on my first day of college, mostly like six years back from now. I just want to go to this engineering college. Until then I was studying like 12th standard, 10th standard. I have all studied in my hometown only and I am not exposed to that much of the outer world. So the first time I went to this college with a huge number of people, we almost had around 70 to 80 members in our class and I haven't seen that many people in my school or in my 12th and 11th standard as well. So this girl first came to me and talked to me like can we be friends and we talked for a while or 10 minutes or something like that after the class started. But after that day I had to shift to another class because like the class I am going was filled with people and I have to go to another class. So I have moved to other class but when I came back to this class after 5 years or 6 years like that she made new friends and she is sitting with someone else and my heart was broken. She was like we are friends right, you should have a spot for me and you should save a spot for me if I come back but you have not even saved a spot for me and now she is not even talking to me. Now I am like you talked to me the first day but now you are not even bothered if I have a seat or not. I am disheartened and I am like heartbroken at that time. So after that eventually I got to know that she wanted to make a spot for me but she don't have a spot as the classroom is full of people. Eventually we got friends and I liked her very much because of her personality.

    Band 6-7

    One person I disliked at first but ended up being a best friend with a woman named Anita. It was during our high school time. I was in a ninth grade. She was or had recently transferred to our school and while she arrived she used to be quite introverted and used to sit at the back of the row. She never mingled with any of our other friends and even in our gang and what I feel is like I feel she's so sometimes selfish and also have attitude that she never talks to anyone. It was my first impression of her. After some months we had a trip to Kochi, a famous place in Alleppey and there's a time moment we for me and her we break the ice between us and at that moment we know that we always share the same energy and the vibe. There was some clashes between her friend and so she ended up by crying and something problems so we were in the I mean me and my friends were only there for to comfort her so that the time when she was so along with us especially with me and after one year we ended up with sitting together in the same class and we make jokes and also mock others and we also mock at each other and she's a special person for me till now. What I felt is like that I I never think I she would be my best friend and she's now I

    Band 6-7

    Well, some people come in our life as angels in disguise. Today, I'll take this opportunity to talk about a time when I met a person that I first disliked and then ended up being friends. Actually, it was middle of the last year when I was travelling from Ludhiana to Jalandhar for my school purpose and for some work. I saw a girl sitting next to me having a weird behaviour and was just arguing for a seat. She was saying that she was sitting here and it's her seat and asked, tell me that she has to leave this seat. I was very frustrated that it was a public transport and there was no demand for her to take any decision. So we started quarrelling. The whole bus passengers looked towards us as the noise was too loud that the matter would get worse. As soon as the pupil told us that you solved the matter, so she finally agreed to sit next to me. After a few minutes, she started talking to me and was asking about my life. Slowly and steady, the conversation became so deep that at the end, we became as a friend. She not only gave us her number, but also gave us her phone number.

    Band 6-7

    The person that I disliked at first but ended up being best friends with her is my best friend. This person I met in college. I did not like her in the beginning as I thought she was arrogant and cheeky and had a lot of attitude. My friend had also disliked her and she asked me not to stay with her. I thought okay, I should stay away from her. A person I disliked at first but ended up being friends with is my best friend Shreya. She was arrogant and cheeky and had a lot of attitude in the beginning. That's what I thought. But later I started realizing that she is a social butterfly and such a sweetheart. I was alone one day and was feeling very low and lonely and was in the washroom and that's when she came to me and comforted me and said I am the best and she gave me the best piece of advice which was not to care about anybody and that made me feel like she is one of my favorite ones and she was always there with me. I started hanging around with her a lot as we stay near to each other and now that she has become my best friend. I am glad that she is the person I adore the most right now.

    Band 6-7

    The person I initially disliked was a classmate named Rohan, whom I met during my first year of university. We were in the same literature course and I found him arrogant at first because he often interrupted others and dominated discussions. However, when we were assigned to work together on a group project, I realized he was an insightful and genuinely passionate not arrogant. As we collaborated more, we became good friends. Thank you. The person I am going to talk about is a classmate named Rohan. The person I am going to talk about is a classmate named Rohan, whom I met during my first year of university. We were in the same literature course and I found him arrogant at first because he often interrupted others and dominated discussions. However, when we were assigned to work together on a group project, I realized he was an insightful not arrogant. However, when we were assigned to work together on a group project, I realized he was an insightful not arrogant. Things changed when we were randomly assigned to work together on a group project. I wasn't too thrilled at first but once we started working, I saw a completely different side of him. He was actually quite respectful, organized and had a deep passion for the project. He encouraged everyone in the group to share ideas and made sure no one felt left out. It became clear to me that he wasn't arrogant, he was just enthusiastic and perhaps didn't realize how he came across others. Over the course of the project, we spent a lot of time together and discovered we had quite a few things in common like a love for classic novels and similar taste in music. By the end of the semester, we had developed a strong friendship and he is now one of the people I trust the most. This experience really taught me the importance of keeping an open mind and not judging people too quickly based on the first impressions. Thank you.

    Band 6-7

    Satyam was the guy who I disliked at first. I met him at VIT Chennai in my college. At first, I thought he was a selfish guy and would do anything for his own gain. He would even try to harm me if it benefits him. So I was pretty anxious and cautious when it came to him. However, as time passed and things started becoming more and more clear, as exams went, I saw how he helped me during my exams, how he gave me the materials, how thoughtfully he provided me with opinions and different solutions for my problems. And even the interactions that he had with others, like he would help others, give others money whenever they needed, advise them whenever they needed. He was always there for others. So as time passed, I realized that no, he is a really good guy and I am lucky to have him as my friend, as my roommate in fact. So at first, initially, there was a barrier between us. But as time passed, that barrier became vague and it shattered.

    Band 6-7

    So, the incident happened 4 years back during my college period. At a friend's house, I believe, I met a girl there. My friend had organized a small get-together where all of his friends and my mutual friends had come there. So, as soon as I entered the room, everyone was sitting there, having chats, having talks and all. And I saw this girl sitting at the corner, not talking to anyone, kind of being rude and introvert. So, I judged her because of that and I believed her to be very rude and thought that she was thinking very proud of herself, not talking with anyone. So, I judged her because of that and I felt that and I disliked her because of that. But later when I got to know her more and had talks with her and spent more time with her, I came to know that she is a very friendly girl but she gets shy over a meeting, over a place. So, later my belief, my attitude towards her changed and from then we ended up being good friends.

    Band 6-7

    Yeah, one of my friends, firstly, he's a random person, I met him in school. Now he's my friend, but before 15 years back, he's a random person who came, took the school with me and sat beside of me. Then I thought, firstly I thought he will sabotage my overall career. I should avoid him to be in a good position in the future. Then after I realized that his innocence and his intelligence helped me to become a software engineer. Now, before I met him first time, I thought he will sabotage my overall career. And I don't know he will influence me for the bad habits. But after that I came to know he's the top of the class. And he's the most influential people in my life to succeed in my career.

    Band 6-7

    So I joined, I joined the organization called Reliance Ritukumar and there I met a colleague of mine named Sabah Afri. Me and her were working in the same team but she was handling a different category altogether. Initially I saw her speaking to different people and I assumed that she was over confident and had ego issues and sometimes she used to even yell at people and I used to maintain a safe distance from her because I don't want to be at the other end of her yelling. Which was really, now I feel which was really wrong of me to have a perception of people and make an opinion without knowing them. So it all changed when we went out for a team dinner on a Christmas Eve. I spoke to her after a couple of drinks and we really gelled along well and thereafter we started hanging out more and we even went for a trip together and I realized she is a totally different person from what I assumed. She is more humble, she is very friendly. I think the person actually acts differently when a different situation comes up and I just assumed or I just made a notion that she is very egoistic which is not right.

    Band 6-7

    I would like to talk about my friend in college. I am a person who values friendship very much so friends in my life has a very great role. So I am talking about my friend whom I met in college in my second year. Her name is Kavya and it at first we were not so close because we were from two different districts. She was from Kozhikode and I am from Malappuram. We have different slangs of language so I didn't understand her language at first and it was so difficult to understand what she was actually telling and we and after that our college got closed for corona for in third year. Then we only messaged, we rarely meet and all so we become close and still fourth year there was corona and it was very very for us and after that I got job in Bangalore. She also got job in Bangalore and she asked me to stay with her for a while so I was a little confused like should I really want to stay with her will I be happy like that. Then I then I came to realize it was the best decision that I have ever done. Moreover she made me happy in every ways. She made sure that I am like I am treated in the very best way. She even make food for me. She used to do everything that a friend can do and we went for different trips. We went to Sri Lanka, we went to Pondicherry and we were so happy together and we are planning for a better future together in conclusion.
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