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Describe a popular/well known person in your country: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

  • Who is this person?
  • What has this person done?
  • Why is this person well-known?
  • Explain why you admire this person.
Show all 104 answers

Cue 1:Who is this person?

  • Introduce the person by name and their profession or role in society.
  • Provide a brief background about their origins or early life.

Example

The person I want to talk about is Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, who was a renowned scientist and the 11th President of India. He was born in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, and came from a humble background, which makes his achievements even more inspiring.


Cue 2:What has this person done?

  • Highlight key achievements or contributions of the person.
  • Mention any significant projects or initiatives they were involved in.

Example

Dr. Kalam played a pivotal role in India's space and missile programs, particularly in the development of the Agni and Prithvi missiles. He also contributed to the Indian satellite launch vehicle program, which helped India become a significant player in space technology.


Cue 3:Why is this person well-known?

  • Explain the impact of their work on society or the country.
  • Discuss any awards or recognitions they have received.

Example

He is well-known not just for his scientific contributions but also for his inspirational speeches and writings. He received several prestigious awards, including the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honor, which solidified his status as a national icon.


Cue 4:Explain why you admire this person.

  • Share personal feelings about the person's character or values.
  • Connect their achievements to your own aspirations or values.

Example

I admire Dr. Kalam for his humility and dedication to education. He believed in empowering the youth and often encouraged students to dream big. His life story motivates me to work hard and contribute positively to society, just as he did.


Conclusion

    Example

    In conclusion, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam is not only a celebrated scientist but also a beacon of hope for many in India. His legacy continues to inspire countless individuals to pursue their dreams and serve their country with integrity and passion.


    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 unclear and unengaging. It's important to provide specific details about the person to make your response more interesting.

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    Tip

    Use specific examples and anecdotes to illustrate who the person is and what they have done.


    2: Don't Overlook Personal Connection

    Failing to explain why you admire the person can make your answer feel incomplete. Personal connections add depth to your response.

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    Tip

    Share a personal story or reason that highlights your admiration for the person to make your answer more relatable.


    Avoid Repetition of Information

    Repeating the same information can make your answer sound monotonous and unstructured. It's important to keep your response varied and engaging.

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    Tip

    Organize your thoughts and ensure each part of your answer addresses a different cue without redundancy.


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    IELTS Cue Cards asked last week

    Reported by Leap students who gave IELTS

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

    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 7.5

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    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
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    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 8

    location icon

    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
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    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 6.5

    location icon

    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
    anonymous person icon

    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 7

    location icon

    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
    anonymous person icon

    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 7.5

    location icon

    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.

    All Answers

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

    Band 7

    I would like to talk about one of the most popular and respected people of my country Mahendrasingh Thoning. Usually people known him as M. S. Thoning. He is a legendary cricketer and a former captain of a Indian cricket team. He is especially famous because under his leadership India won many tournaments like 2007 T20 World Cup, 2011 ICC World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy. Thoning is also known as one of the best wicket keeper and finisher in the cricket history. He is admired not only for his cricketing skills but also ability to handle pressure and calm nature. Many people call him a captain cool because he never lost his temper on the field. I admire him because he came from a small town, work hard and achieving so much in his life. His leadership, discipline and humility inspire million of youngsters in India including me. Even after retirement he continues to be a role model. To sum up M. S. Thoning is not just a sportsman but also an icon of hard work, leadership and simplicity. That's why he is one of the most popular personality in my country.

    Band 7

    I want to talk about Priyanka Chopra Jonas who is arguably one of the most well-known Indian actresses not just in our country but now worldwide. Everybody knows her name but she's also an inspiration through the humanitarian work that she has done with UN foundations and I believe that she has such a great command over her thoughts and she voices them with so much confidence that just listening to her instilled in me the hope that I can someday be able to help others through my platform as well. What is so impressive about her life story is that at the mere age of 18 she won the Miss India pageant and then internationally won the title of Miss World for our country which is such a huge achievement especially at such a tender age. Through this crown she was able to then establish a massive career in Bollywood where she became a household name and that is not in the capabilities of most of the people so I think having that exposure at such a young age but being in control of her life being in control of the image that is portrayed she is truly amazing and a woman to look up to in today's day and age.

    Band 7

    Okay, so the well-known person in my country is a cricketer whose name is Virat Kohli. He is a former Indian player and a one-down batsman. He has done various things for Team India. He has snatched matches from the opponent team and given Team India a lot of wins which are memorable. His mindset is unbelievable. I don't know why but I am inspired by him. The reason why I admire Virat Kohli is his thinking is brilliant. He never thinks that he will lose the game until the game is finished. I will tell you one thing, once Virat Kohli said that if 50,000 people in a stadium could say it cannot be done, I would challenge myself to say it can be done. Thank you.

    Band 7

    So, the person I am going to talk about is the Honorable Prime Minister of our country Mr. Narendra Modi. He is the Prime Minister of India since 2014 and since then he has done a lot for the country. As the Prime Minister of the country, he is continuously serving the nation through his efforts and by making India more popular globally. He is a well-known and one of the Prime Ministers serving the country for the longest term. Since 2014, it has been the third time he has been the Prime Minister of India. Personally, I admire him the most because of his qualities and his leadership skills and how as a person or as the Prime Minister of the country, he is continuously taking India ahead and ahead. India today is developing every day and in that he as a Prime Minister plays a very great role. He has made the international relationships of India very strong by visiting the places globally. Therefore, I admire him the most because of his quality of honesty towards his work. Thank you.

    Band 7

    So, the person I admire the most is Mr. Shivraj Singh Chauhanji. He is not only my relative but also the former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh and now he is in Central Administration of our country, India. So, I have known him since forever and now let's come to why I admire him. He has a great passion. He is very passionate about his country, his people, his family and everything, anything he puts his soul into. So, he is very compassionate and on the top of all of that, he is very humble. He has to be the most kind human being I have ever talked to and he as the Chief Minister never had an arrogance and that's what inspires me the most and that's what I admire the most. He has built an army of people who love him, not because of the corruptions he has done but because of his genuine concern for everyone. He welcomes everyone, they are his own family members and he usually gives a wide hug to everyone. He is very welcoming, in fact the most welcoming human being I have ever learnt and you might think I am bragging but I am not.

    Band 7

    One of the most popular and well-known person in my country is the singer named Karan Ojala which is famous among youth. He is a Punjabi singer, songwriter and rapper. Karan Ojala is famous for his catchy lyrics and the way of writing in Punjabi music. He started his career by writing lyrics for other artists but as soon he became popular for his own songs, his tracks such as Chitta Kurta and Softly have been massive hits not only in India but also across various countries like Canada, UK and Australia. He is admired for his energetic music and powerful performance. Apart from being a singer, he is a talented songwriter who has written many songs for other Punjabi big artists. His popularity is huge on social media as he has millions of followers who eagerly wait for his new releases. I think he is so popular because he represents modern Punjabi youth culture while also keeping traditional elements in his music. Personally, I appreciate his journey because he faced struggles in his life at young age yet he worked hard and built a very successful career. He is a true inspiration for many youngsters who want to follow their passion in music.

    Band 7

    The person I'm going to be talking about today is none other than Virat Kohli. He is an Indian cricket player. He burst onto the national scene in 2011 during the ICC Cricket World Cup that India won. He played a crucial contribution in most of the games, especially in the final. And from then on, with legends such as Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman retiring, there was a gap to fill and he perfectly peaked at that time. So he became the sort of national sensation with his batting performances, his attitude on the field and off the field, and he became very popular for that. What I admire about him in particular is his ability to go into a situation where he's under tremendous pressure to perform and deliver, and instead of being bogged down by that pressure, he feeds off that pressure. It translates into even better performances. And that's something that's really important, a mental fortitude to have. So that's one thing I really admire about him. The other is his willingness to always fight till the very end. He is regarded as one of the finest Test Match captains India has ever had. One of the reasons for that is Test Match is played over five days, right? So there are moments in the game where nothing is happening, where nothing is happening, and he still finds a way to make something happen just by being there in an hour.

    Band 7

    Okay, so, the name of this person is Mr. Rajshramami. He is a well-known YouTuber, or Influencer you can say, who makes podcasts on YouTubes and his podcasts are widely watched on YouTube. The views are generally on millions. So, why do I admire him? Firstly, he is known for his deep-ended questions and he is very optimistic. He asks the questions very, very optimistically and very clearly, even to the greatest personalities all over the world. For instance, he was interviewing the head of Kickfisher Airlines and he asked very deep-ended questions, direct questions to him and he answered all of them. So, why do I admire him? Because he is a very benevolent personality, he is very knowledgeable, he is very ethical and whatever is required in today's era to be a successful person in this world, all of the qualities I find in him and I really admire the work he is doing for the society and the way he represents himself. The way he speaks for others, the way he takes care of the society and the general thing, the general thing means the good work that he is doing for the general good of people is really, really commendable. So, really, I always look up to him and I want to become like him.

    Band 7

    I'm very glad that I got a chance to speak about the most popular and well-known person of my country. And he is none other than Mr. Narendra Damodar Das Modi, the Prime Minister of India. Well, he has done a lot for the country in these past 15 years, being a prime minister. A lot of amendments in the constitution, which were important for the social and economic growth of the country, removing the special article for our state, Jammu and Kashmir, which made one country, one nation, one flag, think more valuable and important. Well, he has done so many other things for the welfare of society. He always stood for his nation. Whenever we got attacked by our neighboring countries, he's always been supporting and he's always faced every challenge with intelligence and with prudence. He is overall the best prime minister our country has had till date. And of course, he has built a very good foreign relations with so many countries and I am

    Band 7

    Today, I would like to talk about a very popular and well-known person from India, Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam. He was a renewed scientist, educator, and the 11th President of India. Dr. Kalam is often called the Missile Man of India because of its significant contribution to Indian space and defense program, especially in the development of ballistic missiles and satellites launch vehicle technology. Dr. Kalam played a key role in India's nuclear weapon program as well. Beyond his scientific achievements, he was also an inspiring teacher and motivational speaker who encouraged millions of Indian students to dream big and work hard to achieve their goals. His book, The Wings of Fire, continues to inspire students across the country. He is well-known not just because of his scientific accomplishments but also for his humility, simplicity, and dedication towards his nation. People admired him for his ethical values, vision for India's progress, and his ability to connect with everyone from children to world leaders. I admire Dr. Kalam deeply because he showed the knowledge and hard work and can truly change a country. Despite achieving so much, he remained humble and focused on helping others succeed. His life motivates me to pursue my dreams, stay disciplined and contribute positively to society. In conclusion, Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam is a person who left a lasting legacy in India and the world. His achievements and character make him a role model for everyone and I feel fortunate to have grown up learning about his life.
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