Speaking Part 2 · PeopleIn the May–Aug 2026 forecast
Describe a Friend You Have Known for a Long Time
In short
“Describe a Friend You Have Known for a Long Time” is a common IELTS Speaking Part 2 cue card. You get 1 minute to prepare and should speak for 1–2 minutes, covering all four points below. This page gives you a Band 9 model answer, an idea map so you can make it your own, the Part 3 follow-up questions with answers, and the vocabulary examiners reward.
The task card
Describe a Friend You Have Known for a Long Time. You should say:
- •Who this friend is
- •How you met
- •What you usually do together
- •And explain why your friendship has lasted
Band 9 model answer
The friend I would like to talk about is Daniel, whom I have known since we were about seven — so we go back well over twenty years now, which feels slightly unreal when I say it out loud.
We met in primary school, sitting next to each other purely by chance, and we just hit it off straight away over a shared obsession with football and terrible jokes. What started as a classroom friendship somehow survived changing schools, moving cities, and both of us going abroad for university.
These days, because we live in different countries, what we do together has changed. We can't just meet up after work, so we've built our own routines — a long video call most weekends, a shared running challenge we compete on through an app, and one proper trip together every year, no matter what.
As for why it has lasted, I think it comes down to two things. First, we have a lot in common but we're also different enough to keep it interesting — he's far more spontaneous than I am, which pulls me out of my comfort zone. And second, he's been there through thick and thin: the difficult years as well as the good ones. That kind of history can't be manufactured; you can only earn it over time. So even when months pass without a proper conversation, we pick up exactly where we left off — and to me, that's the truest test of a real friendship.
Make it your own: three angles
A childhood friend
Best for the "why it lasted" bullet — a long shared history gives you narrative past tenses and genuine warmth.
A school or university friend
Good for describing how you met and grew up together.
A friend from work or a hobby
Works if you can show what you have in common and how the bond formed.
What the examiner is listening for
This warm, personal card rewards natural fluency and real feeling. Use the present perfect for the length of the friendship ('we've known each other for…'), past tenses for how you met, and evaluative language for why it lasts. A specific shared memory beats a list of adjectives.
Part 1 warm-up questions
- Do you have many friends?
- Do you prefer a few close friends or a large group?
- How do people usually make friends in your country?
- Is it easy to make friends as an adult?
Part 3 follow-up questions & answers
How do friendships change as people get older?
They tend to become fewer but deeper. Young people make friends easily through school and shared activities, whereas adults have less time and are more selective, so they invest in a smaller circle. Distance and busy lives also mean maintaining friendships takes more deliberate effort than it did in childhood.
Are online friendships as real as face-to-face ones?
They can be genuine, especially over shared interests, and for people who are isolated they're a real lifeline. But I think they work best alongside offline contact; friendships that are purely online can lack the shared experiences and physical presence that deepen a bond over time.
What makes someone a good friend?
For me it's reliability and honesty above all — being there when it's inconvenient, and telling you the truth kindly rather than just what you want to hear. Add genuine interest in your life and the ability to pick up after time apart, and that's a friendship worth keeping.
Is it harder to make friends as an adult?
Definitely. School and university throw you together with people daily, which does the work for you, whereas adult life doesn't. Making friends later takes intention — joining groups, keeping in touch — and many people find that awkward, which is why adult friendships often form slowly, through repeated contact.
Do people have fewer close friends than in the past?
There's some evidence they do. People move for work more, screens absorb time that used to be social, and communities are looser than they were. We have more contacts than ever, but arguably fewer of the deep, in-person friendships that genuinely sustain us.
Which is more important, friends or family?
It's not really a competition — they meet different needs. Family offers a kind of unconditional foundation, while friends are chosen and often understand parts of us family don't. Ideally people have both; when family is difficult, close friends can become a chosen family of their own.
Useful vocabulary
| Word / phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| to hit it off | to like each other immediately |
| to have a lot in common | to share interests or views |
| to go back years | to have known each other a long time |
| through thick and thin | through good times and bad |
| to keep in touch | to stay in contact |
| to see eye to eye | to agree with each other |
| a shoulder to cry on | someone who gives emotional support |
| to drift apart | to slowly become less close |
| to get on well | to have a good relationship |
| to pick up where you left off | to continue easily after time apart |
More cue cards
Describe a Time You Helped Someone
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