Describe someone older than you whom you admire
The cue card
Describe someone older than you whom you admire.
- You should say: who this person is
- You should say: what he or she does
- You should say: what he or she is like
- You should say: and explain why you admire this person so much
How to answer it
Almost everyone picks a grandparent, and that is fine — the examiner is not marking your choice. What separates answers is the third bullet, "what he or she is like", because that is a character question and most candidates answer it with a list of adjectives. Give one habit instead of three adjectives: what they do every morning, how they treat a waiter, what they say when something goes wrong. A single habit implies the character and shows you can describe a person rather than label one.
What moves the band
- Character through behaviour: she has never once raised her voice, he still writes letters, she remembers everybody's children's names.
- "Admire" is stronger than "like" — the last bullet wants a reason you could defend, ideally something you have failed to copy.
These are candidate recalls. These are questions reported by test-takers after their exams, not official or leaked IELTS material. Wording varies by test version, location and memory. Use them for timed practice — never as a prediction of what you will be asked.
Practise these next
Know the number. Now move it.
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