Describe an interesting older person you know
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 an interesting older person you know.
You should say:
- Who this person is and how you know them
- What they are like as a person
- Some interesting things they have done or experienced
- And explain why you find this person so interesting
You will have one minute to prepare and should then speak for one to two minutes.
Band-8 model answer
I'd like to talk about my neighbour, Mrs Fernandes, who's in her late seventies and has lived next door to my family for as long as I can remember. She's originally from Goa but moved here decades ago with my grandparents' generation, so in a way I grew up thinking of her as an honorary aunt rather than just someone who lives nearby. As a person, she's incredibly sharp as a tack, quick witted, and refreses to be treated like a fragile old lady, which I really admire. She still cycles to the market every morning, rain or shine. What makes her genuinely interesting, though, is her past. She used to work as a midwife in a rural clinic, and she has these extraordinary stories about delivering babies during storms, power cuts, even a flood once, when she had to wade through waist deep water carrying medical supplies. Looking back, I think what draws me to her is that she never treats these stories as heroic, she just shrugs and says it was simply her job. The thing that really strikes me is her perspective on ageing itself. She's told me more than once that getting older has made her braver, not more cautious, because she's got less time to waste being afraid. That mindset has genuinely changed how I think about growing old myself.
Why this answer scores band 8
- ✓Wide range of tenses used naturally: past narrative, present habitual, present perfect and conditional, without any strain
- ✓Idiomatic and topic-specific vocabulary such as 'sharp as a tack', 'set in her ways' used accurately and not overused
- ✓Clear coherence through discourse markers like 'what really stands out', 'the thing is', 'looking back' that organise ideas the way a fluent speaker naturally would
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
Practise this answer out loud in a real Speaking test
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Describe an interesting older person you know — FAQ
How do you answer the 'Describe an interesting older person you know' IELTS cue card?
Spend your one minute of preparation noting a few keywords for each prompt (Who this person is and how you know them; What they are like as a person; Some interesting things they have done or experienced; And explain why you find this person so interesting), 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 an interesting older person you know'?
Part 3 broadens the topic into a discussion. For this cue card, expect questions such as: In what ways do older people contribute to society that are sometimes overlooked? Do you think younger generations today respect the elderly less than in the past? Why or why not? How does the role of older people in the family differ between rural and urban areas?