Describe a person who has influenced you

In IELTS Speaking Part 2 you get this card, one minute to prepare and up to two minutes to speak. Below: the notes a strong candidate might make in that minute, a natural Band 7–8 answer, the words that make it work, and the Part 3 discussion the examiner usually moves on to.

The cue card

One-minute notes

Notes in the preparation minute should be keywords, not sentences — one line per bullet, plus the one detail that makes your story yours. Something like:

• uncle — bakery in my hometown
• summer job at 16 (parents: "off the phone")
• up at 4 a.m., bread for the whole street
• quietly helped customers who were struggling
• small tasks matter → my own first job

Band 7–8 sample answer

I'd like to talk about my uncle, who ran a small bakery in the town where I grew up. I've known him my whole life, obviously, but I only really got to know him when I was about sixteen, because that summer my parents sent me to work for him — partly, I suspect, to keep me away from my phone.

What he did, day after day, was get up at four in the morning and bake bread for the whole neighbourhood. That sounds simple, but watching him up close, I realised how much thought went into it. He'd adjust the recipe depending on the humidity, he knew which customers were struggling financially and quietly gave them a bit extra, and he never once complained about the hours — at least not in front of me.

As for why he influenced me, I think it comes down to one habit: he treated small tasks as if they mattered. If a loaf came out slightly wrong, he didn't sell it, even though most people wouldn't have noticed. At the time I found that a bit excessive, to be honest. But years later, when I started my first proper job, I caught myself doing the same thing — rewriting a report nobody had asked me to rewrite, because I knew it could be better.

So it wasn't anything he said, really. He wasn't someone who gave speeches or advice. It was more that I saw, every single morning, what it looks like when someone takes pride in their work, and that's stayed with me far longer than anything I learned at school that year.

About 272 words — roughly two minutes at a relaxed pace. Notice what it does: one specific story instead of general statements, every bullet covered, natural spoken linking rather than "firstly… secondly…", and the "why" part of the card answered properly at the end — that is where many candidates run out of things to say. Use it to see the structure; don't memorise it. Examiners are trained to spot memorised answers, and your own story will always sound more fluent.

Useful vocabulary

• take pride in (your work) — to care a lot about doing something well — "he took pride in every loaf"
• up close — from very near, so you notice details — "watching him up close"
• it comes down to — the main reason is — "it comes down to one habit"
• stay with someone — to be remembered for a long time — "that has stayed with me"
• role model — a person whose behaviour others copy
• lead by example — to influence people through actions, not words

Part 3: questions and model answers

After your two minutes, the examiner moves to a discussion linked to the card's topic. These questions are more abstract: give an opinion, a reason and an example, and it's fine to say "it depends" — as long as you explain on what.

What qualities make someone a good role model?

I'd say consistency matters most. A good role model behaves the same way whether people are watching or not, and they admit their mistakes rather than hiding them. Fame or success on its own doesn't make someone a role model — plenty of successful people are pretty poor examples.

Do you think celebrities influence young people too much?

To some extent, yes. Teenagers follow celebrities on social media every day, so their influence is constant in a way it wasn't before. That said, I think young people are more sceptical than adults assume — most of them know the lifestyle they see online is heavily edited.

How has the idea of a role model changed over generations?

It's become much broader. My grandparents' generation looked up to people they actually knew — a teacher, a local doctor, a parent. Now a role model can be a stranger on the other side of the world, which is inspiring in a way but also makes the relationship much more distant.

Should schools teach students about historical role models?

I think so, as long as it isn't just memorising names and dates. If students look at how real people dealt with difficult choices — and where they got things wrong — it gives them a much more realistic idea of what courage or leadership actually involves.

More cue cards about people

• Describe an older person you admire
• Describe a friend you have known for a long time
• Describe a teacher who helped you
• Describe a person who is very good at their job
• Describe a person you know who speaks a foreign language well

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