Describe an old person you know who has had an interesting life: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

Who is this person?
Where he/she lives?
What he/she has done in his/her life?
And explain how you feel about him/her.

34 unique answers with expert feedback

What qualities do you admire most in your grandfather?

I admire his resilience and dedication. Despite facing numerous hardships, he never gave up and always prioritized his family's well-being. His ability to forgive and support others is truly inspiring.

How has your grandfather's life influenced your own values?

His life has taught me the importance of hard work, compassion, and forgiveness. I strive to embody these values in my own life, especially when facing challenges or helping others.

What lessons do you think younger generations can learn from him?

Younger generations can learn the value of perseverance and the importance of family support. His life shows that even in tough times, one can rise above challenges and help others, which is a vital lesson for today's society.

Band 7

00:00

This person that I am going to talk about is my neighbor Mr. Hazarika. He lived right beside my house in Guwahati, Assam. In his heydays, he wore many hats. He was a pilot who visited a number of countries, and he used to speak very fondly about each of his travels experiences. Moreover, he was also an avid sportsperson, a gardener, as well as a painter. I feel inspired when I see people like him because they carried their interests well into their old age. Nothing could deter them from the fact that they wanted to live a colorful life, not of an age. And because of this fact, I was really inspired to create a life, similar life of my own. He lived a long life and died recently at the age of 97. Another reason that I feel so enthralled by his personality is because he lived alone. His family lived abroad. His wife had passed away by then. But this did not make him any less cheerful. He was always happy, greeting everyone who would pass him by. This kind of a personality, the demeanor, the grace which he carried on with his life is what I want to emulate as I grow old.

Follow up questions

What qualities do you think made Mr. Hazarika an interesting person?

Mr. Hazarika had a diverse range of interests and experiences. His adventurous spirit as a pilot, along with his talents in sports, gardening, and painting, made him a well-rounded individual. His ability to maintain a positive outlook despite living alone also contributed to his interesting personality.

How do you think his life experiences influenced your perspective on aging?

Mr. Hazarika's life taught me that aging doesn't mean giving up on passions. His active lifestyle and cheerful demeanor showed me that one can continue to pursue interests and live vibrantly at any age, inspiring me to embrace life fully as I grow older.

What lessons did you learn from Mr. Hazarika's approach to life?

I learned the importance of resilience and positivity from Mr. Hazarika. His ability to stay cheerful despite challenges and his dedication to living a colorful life taught me to appreciate every moment and to pursue my passions, regardless of age or circumstances.

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

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.

One memorable lesson he taught me was the importance of perseverance. He often said that success comes from hard work and determination. This lesson has stayed with me and drives me to keep pushing forward, especially in my studies.

Show all 34 answers

Cue 1:Who is this person?

Introduce the person by name and relationship to you.
Mention their age and a brief description of their personality.

Example

The person I want to talk about is my grandfather, Mr. Sharma. He is 85 years old and has a very warm and cheerful personality. He always has a smile on his face and loves to share stories from his past.

Cue 2:Where he/she lives?

Describe the location where this person lives.
Mention any interesting aspects of their living situation.

Example

He lives in a small village in Rajasthan, surrounded by beautiful fields and a close-knit community. His house is traditional, with a lovely garden where he grows vegetables and flowers.

Cue 3:What he/she has done in his/her life?

Highlight key achievements or experiences in their life.
Include any challenges they faced and how they overcame them.

Example

Throughout his life, my grandfather worked as a teacher and later became the headmaster of the local school. He faced many challenges, especially during tough economic times, but he always prioritized education and inspired many children to pursue their dreams.

Cue 4:And explain how you feel about him/her.

Share your personal feelings and admiration for this person.
Mention any lessons you have learned from them.

Example

I feel incredibly proud to have him as my grandfather. His resilience and dedication to education have taught me the importance of hard work and perseverance. I often seek his advice, and his stories motivate me to strive for my goals.

Conclusion

Example

In conclusion, my grandfather is not just an old person I know; he is a source of inspiration and wisdom in my life. His interesting life experiences and positive outlook have greatly influenced my values and aspirations.

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