Speaking Part 2 · PeopleIn the May–Aug 2026 forecast
Describe a Person You Admire
In short
“Describe a Person You Admire” 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 Person You Admire. You should say:
- •Who this person is
- •How you know them (or know about them)
- •What this person does or has done
- •And explain why you admire them
Band 9 model answer
The person I'd like to talk about is my old secondary-school teacher, Mrs Fernandes, who taught me English for about three years. I actually still keep in touch with her, so she's someone who has stayed in my life long after I left school.
I first got to know her when I was around fourteen, and honestly, at that age I wasn't a particularly motivated student. What set her apart was that she never gave up on the quieter, less confident students — and I was very much one of them. She'd stay behind after class, go over things one more time, and somehow make you feel that your effort mattered.
In terms of what she does, she's spent her whole career teaching in state schools, which isn't glamorous or well paid, and she could easily have moved into private tutoring for far more money. But she chose to stay where she felt she was needed most, and I think that says a lot about her.
The main reason I admire her, though, is her integrity and her patience. She led by example rather than lecturing us — she was endlessly fair, she never played favourites, and she treated a struggling student with exactly the same respect as the top of the class. She instilled in me the idea that being good at something matters far less than being decent to people while you do it.
Looking back, I genuinely think the confidence I have today, especially with language and public speaking, traces straight back to those three years. So when I'm asked who I admire, she's the first person who comes to mind — not because she's famous or successful in the obvious sense, but because she quietly changed the direction of someone's life, and probably many people's, without ever expecting anything in return.
Make it your own: three angles
A teacher or mentor
Easiest to give concrete examples — a specific thing they did, and a lasting effect on you. Rich in evaluative language ("led by example", "instilled").
A family member
A grandparent or parent lets you use narrative past tenses and talk about values passed down; very natural and hard to run dry on.
A public figure you respect
Workable, but harder — you risk listing facts rather than personal reasons. If you use one, focus on why their qualities matter to you, not their biography.
What the examiner is listening for
Cover all four bullets, but spend most of your long turn on the last one — why you admire them — with specific reasons and a concrete example, not a list of adjectives. Aim for two minutes of connected speech, mix your tenses (who they are now vs. what they did), and use evaluative language to show a wide lexical range.
Part 1 warm-up questions
- Who do you spend the most time with?
- Is there anyone in your family you take after?
- Do you think it is important to have role models?
- Who did you admire when you were a child?
Part 3 follow-up questions & answers
Why do you think some people become role models?
Usually because they embody qualities others aspire to — integrity, resilience, or generosity — and they demonstrate them consistently rather than just talking about them. People are drawn to that kind of quiet reliability, especially when the person expects nothing in return.
Do celebrities make good role models?
Some do, but I'd say it's risky to assume so. Fame rewards visibility, not character, so a celebrity might be admired for talent while their behaviour off-screen sets a poor example. I think we should separate admiring someone's work from treating them as a moral guide.
Have the qualities people admire changed over time?
To an extent. Previous generations tended to admire duty, sacrifice, and expertise built over decades. Today, partly because of social media, there's more admiration for visible success and self-expression. The underlying qualities — kindness, courage — haven't changed, but what gets celebrated has.
Is it important for children to have role models?
Very — children learn far more from imitation than instruction. A good role model, whether a parent, teacher, or coach, shows them what patience or honesty actually looks like in practice, which is much more powerful than simply being told to behave well.
Can social media influencers be positive role models?
They can, if they use their reach responsibly — promoting genuine skills, honesty about failure, or good causes. The danger is that the platform rewards a polished, unrealistic image, so young followers compare themselves unfavourably. It really depends on the individual.
Should schools teach students about admirable historical figures?
I think so, provided it's done honestly rather than as hero-worship. Learning why certain people showed courage or changed society is genuinely instructive, but students should also see their flaws, so they learn to admire actions and values rather than idolise people uncritically.
Useful vocabulary
| Word / phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| to look up to (someone) | to admire and respect someone |
| a role model | a person whose behaviour others try to copy |
| integrity | the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles |
| to lead by example | to show others how to behave through your own actions |
| to instil (a value) in someone | to gradually put an idea or feeling into someone |
| down-to-earth | practical, sensible, and not pretentious |
| selfless | caring more about others than about yourself |
| resilience | the ability to recover quickly from difficulty |
| to play favourites | to treat one person better than others unfairly |
| to expect nothing in return | to help without wanting a reward |
More cue cards
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