Who is your favourite person?
Almost everyone says their mother. That's fine, but it means your answer has to be more specific than everybody else's to stand out: what exactly they do, a habit, a phrase they always say.
This is a Part 1 question, so keep it to three or four sentences. Save the full story for Part 2, where "describe a person you admire" is one of the most common cue cards.
Sample answers at 3 bands
Same question, three answers. Read them out loud and notice what changes: not longer words, but more detail, better linking and a bit of you in it.
My favourite person is my mother. She is very kind and she always helps me. She works very hard for our family. I love her very much.
Why it scores Band 5.5: Sincere and clear, but every line is general. "Kind", "helps me" and "works hard" could describe anybody's mother.
It's probably my older brother. He's six years older than me, so when I was a teenager he was the one I went to with problems I couldn't tell my parents about. He never lectured me, he'd just listen and then say something that made it seem less serious.
Why it scores Band 7: A specific person and a specific reason. Past habit with "would" ("he'd just listen") is good grammatical range, and the answer has a natural shape.
That's a tough one, but I'd say my grandfather. He's in his eighties and still walks to the market every morning and argues with the same three shopkeepers about prices. He has this completely unshakeable good mood, and I've never once heard him complain about anything, which, given his life, is remarkable.
Why it scores Band 8: Vivid and specific ("argues with the same three shopkeepers"), with a precise adjective ("unshakeable") and a final comment that shows depth. That is the kind of detail that makes an answer memorable.
Bands are our estimate against the public IELTS Speaking band descriptors. In the real test your band comes from all three parts, not one answer.
The follow-up questions
Part 1 stays on one topic for three or four questions. These are the ones that usually come next.
- Who do you spend most of your time with?
- At the moment, my classmates. We're together most of the day and we study together in the evenings too, so I probably see them more than my family.
- Do you have any famous people you admire?
- Not really in the celebrity sense. I admire people who are good at what they do and don't make a big fuss about it, like some scientists or doctors whose names most people don't know.
- Is it easy to make friends where you live?
- It depends where you meet people. At university it's easy because everyone's new. Once you start working, I think it's much harder, because people already have their own circles.
- What makes someone a good friend?
- Being honest with you, even when it's not what you want to hear. Anyone can be nice to you. A good friend tells you when you're making a mistake.
Words that lift this answer
- look up to
- Admire and respect someone older or more experienced.
- down-to-earth
- Practical, modest and easy to talk to.
- be there for someone
- Support them when they need it.
- a role model
- Someone whose behaviour you want to copy.
- he'd (would) always…
- Talks about repeated habits in the past, a strong grammar signal.
- get on well with
- Have a friendly relationship with someone.
Mistakes that cost marks here
- Using only general adjectives (kind, nice, helpful). Give one habit or story instead.
- Turning it into a two-minute speech. This is Part 1: three or four sentences, then stop.
- "She always helps me in everything". Say what she actually helps with.
Reading answers won't move your band. Saying them will.
Take a full Cambridge Speaking test: the examiner's questions are played out loud, you answer, and you get a band for fluency, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation. 10 free corrections a day.