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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

    location icon

    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
    anonymous person icon

    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 8

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    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
    anonymous person icon

    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 Virat Kohli, who is one of the most famous cricketers in India and a global sports icon. He is not only admired for his incredible talent on the field, but also for his discipline, determination and leadership qualities. Virat has achieved countless records in international cricket and his consistency as a batsman is truly remarkable. What sets him apart, in my opinion, is his intense passion for the game. You can see it in the way he celebrates every run and motivates his teammates. Beyond sports, he is also involved in various charitable initiatives, particularly those supporting underprivileged children. Moreover, his public image is quite polished. He carries himself with confidence and professionalism, which makes him a role model for many young people in the country. Personally, I admire him not just for his skills, but for his work ethic and the way he has handled both success and criticism. I think his journey is a perfect example of how talent combined with relentless effort can lead to extraordinary achievements.

    Band 7

    Virat Kohli is one of the best cricketers in the world. In India, he is the person who is looked up as a role model for various factors such as his hardworking nature, determination and easy-go spirit. Due to his hardworking nature, he has inspired a lot of young minds to push their limits and pursue their dreams. He has set a benchmark of how a person can change himself just by going from the most agitated person to the most calm person and humble person ever. Whether it is on field or off field, he has always pursued his dreams.

    Band 7

    So, the most well-known person in our country is Mr. Narendra Modi. Mr. Narendra Modi is the Prime Minister of India and one of the best Prime Ministers so far. So, Narendra Modi has few qualities which makes him very better as compared to the previous Prime Ministers. The qualities are, he is a very sensible person, he knows what he has to do, he always tries to do something better for the people of his country and I admire him too. India was previously not even in the top 10 economies of the world but just after Mr. Narendra Modi's regime, India stands out to be the 4th largest economy of the world making a pavement through the G20 nations. India had never planned of coming into the G20 nations and nor was it an approachable thing. Whereas, just after Mr. Narendra Modi's regime began, he made sure that he has good ties with other companies, strives better in setting up industries and factories, making sure that many of them are employed and India gets a lot of foreign funds as well as make it to the best country across the globe and I can proudly say that after him becoming the Prime Minister of India, the poverty rate is quite decreased, the employment rate is increased and India now stands to be the 4th largest economy beating Japan. This is the biggest achievement any Prime Minister has ever fulfilled and I think these are few things that make me admire him more. So, one thing which I miss telling is that I admire his oratory skills. He is a very good speaker. He can convince people up to any level. So, this is the reason I consider him.

    Band 7

    Mahendra Singh Dhoni is a very famous cricketer in India. He has struggled a lot since his childhood to achieve this fame. He has also led our Indian team to win World Cup in 2011. His childhood has been with a lot of struggle. He has also been a ticket conductor while he wanted to pursue cricket, but he had to support his family, so he left his dreams, but later on in his life he pursued cricket again and is very successful. He is literally one of the most loved cricketers. They call him Captain Cool and his nickname is Mahi. He has been an inspiration for many youngsters who wanted to pursue cricket.

    Band 7

    Hello, one of the most popular and admired people in India is APJ Abdul Kalam who was not only brilliant scientist but also served as the 11th president of India. He is often referred to as missile man of India. Because of his significant contributions to the country's defence and space programs, Dr. Kalam played a key role in the development of India's missile technology and was deeply involved in the Pokharan 2 nuclear test in 1998. Apart from his scientific achievements, he was also known for his humble personality and deep love for students and education. He became well known not only for his knowledge and leadership but also for his inspiring speeches and books like Wings of Fire which motivated millions of young Indians to dream big. Despite holding one of the biggest positions in the country, he lived a very simple life and disciplined life. I truly admire because he came from a modest background and worked his way up through dedication, hard work and strong belief in education. He proved that with the right mindset, anything is possible. His values and vision continue to influence a lot of people including me. So yeah, this is why I feel he is the most famous and well-known person in our country, not only in our country, throughout the world, many youngsters are inspired by him. Through his thoughts, they can achieve anything.

    Band 7

    One of the most popular and widely known person in our country is Shah Rukh Khan. He is an actor by profession, but he also holds a lot of business and brand ambassador and he has endorsed a lot of brands and he is a great veteran actor and he has been doing a lot of good work since a lot of years in the country and has contributed a huge part of his passion towards Indian cinema and there are a lot of fans for Shah Rukh Khan in India and people admire him a lot because of not only his acting but also the kind of person he is and the kind of husband he is or the kind of father he is and the way he has supported his wife throughout the journey and not only supported her but made her also very respectable and gave her a dignity in the society and also his children and he has taught them really good morals and he always maintains a very good profile and I think the way he sees the world or the way he sees women or the way he treats children is very very commendable. I think yes that's what I was talking about.

    Band 7

    A popular person in my country is the actress and celebrity Deepika Padukone. The reason she has gained this vast popularity is because she has been acting in the Bollywood film industry for over two decades at a stretch. She is a very versatile actress and has this magnetic aura and a strong presence which not just moves the hearts of fans in India but also abroad. It attracts masses like a secret spell. She just casts a spell on the viewers that make her energy so damn powerful and magnetic. She not just takes up the role of the character but she literally lives in it. She gives off this vibe that she is the character herself and not the one playing it. Her on-presence and off-presence charisma are just so different. She is a very down-to-earth person as well. She has donated for various organizations whenever there is some kind of a crisis situation. She is definitely very much open-hearted and she has shown sufficient amount of love to her fans. It's not like popularity and richness.

    Band 7

    One well-known person in my country is Virat Kohli, who is one of the most famous cricketers in India. He has served as a captain of the Indian National Cricket Team and is known for his outstanding battling skill, aggressive playing style and leadership on the field. Virat is admired for his dedication and discipline and constant performance over the years. He holds numerous records in international cricket, including being one of the fastest players to reach the multiple milestone in runs. Apart from his cricket career, he is also known for his fitness, lifestyle, charity work and his strong presence on social media. He is very popular among the both young and old generation, not just because of his talent, but also due to his confidence and determination. He is married to Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma, which makes him even more popular in both sports and entertainment circles. Personally, I admire him a lot. He is the inspirations of many young people, showing how passion and hard work leads to success. His journey from a regular young boy in Delhi to becoming one of the greatest cricketers in the world is truly motivating.

    Band 7

    Then, according to me, Amitabh Bachchan is the most popular and well-known person in my country. In India, I think hardly there will be any person who does not know Amitabh Bachchan. He has been an actor since a very long time in the Indian Bollywood industry and his movies are really very popular not just in India but abroad as well. He is an international icon as well as a popular idol in India. And of course, his personal qualities like being punctual and being consistent is also an important point to consider for his popularity because I think over the last four decades or something, he has been working and has never stopped. Many of the actors of his age and time have retired from the Indian Bollywood industry but still he continues to be popular. And of course, his acting skills always increases with the time, not decreasing. So, according to me, Amitabh Bachchan is the person who every Indian knows and who deserves to be the well-known person in my country.

    Band 7

    So today I'd like to talk about a famous personality among the Indian cricket team who is Virat Kohli. He is a phenomenal cricket player. He is very famous and I've been following his Instagram account and on other social media platforms since years now. I've been watching him on television playing cricket for India for almost as I was a kid. He's a very hard-working player. He's a very strong athlete with a very strong mindset. He has been putting up the hard work in his game since a very young age of his career. He has come from a very mediocre family and background so that is the reason many people relate to his career and his achievements and he as a person is very much relatable to almost all Indians. A lot of Indians aspire to be like him. He is married to a famous Indian actress named Anushka Sharma. They both share a family together and really set up good values and high expectations for the society. They both show that how love is the epitome of living life. Virat Kohli takes his career very seriously. However, also he promotes his personal life and he really admires and respects his privacy and wants others to respect his privacy as well. He is very keen on his diet and he's very particular about his work.
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