Describe a person who taught you something new
The full IELTS Speaking Part 2 cue card, a band-8 model answer you can learn from, the Part 3 questions that follow, and examiner strategy. Free, no sign-up.
Describe a person who taught you something new.
You should say:
- who this person is
- what they taught you
- how they taught you
- and explain how you felt about learning it
You will have one minute to prepare and should then speak for one to two minutes.
Band-8 model answer
The person I'd like to talk about is a colleague of mine called Farah, who taught me how to give a proper presentation. She's a senior designer at the company I work for, and she's known for being brilliant at communicating complicated ideas simply, which is exactly what I struggled with when I first joined. I'd been asked to present some research findings to the wider team, and I was absolutely dreading it, so I asked her if she'd mind giving me a bit of advice. What she ended up doing was much more than a bit of advice — she blocked out a whole afternoon and walked me through the way she structures her own talks. She showed me how to open with a single, sharp question that hooks the audience, how to strip a slide down to one idea, and how to slow my speech during the important parts rather than rushing through them. We even did a full rehearsal where she deliberately interrupted me to build my confidence. Honestly, by the end of that session I felt genuinely prepared for the first time, and the presentation itself went much better than I'd expected. What I learned from her wasn't just a technique; it was that being generous with your time is what makes a good mentor, and I've tried to pass that on to newer teammates ever since.
Why this answer scores band 8
- ✓Specific, quotable technique details ('open with a single, sharp question', 'strip a slide down to one idea')
- ✓A clear emotional arc: dreading it → prepared → passing it on
- ✓Reflective ending that generalises the lesson without sounding preachy
Part 3 follow-up questions
After the cue card, the examiner discusses the topic in more depth. Practise these aloud too — Part 3 is where the highest bands are won or lost.
Examiner strategy for this cue card
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Describe a person who taught you something new — FAQ
How do you answer the 'Describe a person who taught you something new' IELTS cue card?
Spend your one minute of preparation noting a few keywords for each prompt (who this person is; what they taught you; how they taught you; and explain how you felt about learning it), then speak for the full two minutes. Cover each point briefly but give most of your time to the final 'explain why' prompt, where the marks are. A full band-8 model answer is shown on this page.
How long should the IELTS Speaking Part 2 answer be?
You should talk for up to two minutes without stopping. It is better to keep going and cover the topic in depth than to finish early — the examiner will stop you when the time is up.
What Part 3 questions follow 'Describe a person who taught you something new'?
Part 3 broadens the topic into a discussion. For this cue card, expect questions such as: Do you think schools should teach practical skills as well as academic subjects? Why do some people learn better from mentors than from formal teachers? How has the way people learn new skills changed with technology?