Speaking Part 2 · PeopleForecast: May–Aug 2026
Describe a Person You Enjoy Talking With
In short
“Describe a Person You Enjoy Talking With” 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 Enjoy Talking With. You should say:
- •Who this person is
- •How you know them
- •What you usually talk about
- •And explain why you enjoy talking with them
Band 9 model answer
The person I most enjoy talking with is my friend Imran, who I've known since secondary school — so we're going on twelve years now. We ended up at different universities and now work in completely different fields, he's in software and I'm not, but somehow the conversations have only got better with time.
These days we have a standing arrangement: every couple of weeks we meet at this slightly shabby tea stall halfway between our neighbourhoods, order far too much tea, and talk for two or three hours straight. It's such a fixture in my calendar that friends have learned not to invite me to anything on those evenings.
As for what we talk about — honestly, everything, and that's precisely the appeal. We might start with something trivial like the cricket score, drift into whether our city's new metro line will actually change anything, and end up somewhere completely unexpected, like whether we'd want to know the date of our own deaths. There's no agenda. Some of the best conversations start with 'I read this weird thing the other day' and just spiral from there.
What makes him such good company, though, is the way he listens. He's one of those rare people who listens to understand rather than just waiting for his turn to speak. He'll actually pause before responding — a proper pause, which feels almost strange these days — and then he'll come back with a question that makes you realise you hadn't fully thought your own opinion through. He disagrees with me constantly, but never dismissively, so a debate with him sharpens my thinking instead of raising my blood pressure.
I also trust him completely, which changes the texture of a conversation. With most people there's a version of yourself you're performing, even slightly. With Imran I can think out loud, say something half-formed or even a bit stupid, and know he'll engage with the idea rather than judge me for it. There's real freedom in that.
In a world where most of my communication has shrunk to voice notes and two-line messages, those long, meandering, face-to-face conversations feel almost like a luxury from another era. But I'd argue they're the most valuable hours in my month — I always walk home from that tea stall with my head buzzing, feeling more like myself than when I arrived.
Make it your own: three angles
An old friend with a conversation ritual
The regular meeting place (café, tea stall, walk) gives your answer a vivid setting, and the long friendship lets you contrast deep talk with small talk.
A grandparent or older relative
Rich territory — stories from another era, advice, different worldviews — and it links neatly to Part 3 questions about generations communicating.
A colleague or mentor
Choose this if your best conversations are about ideas and work; focus on how they challenge your thinking rather than what they taught you.
What the examiner is listening for
This card is really about the quality of the relationship, so the strongest answers describe how the conversation feels, not just its topics. Use the third bullet to show topical range (sport → city life → philosophy) and the fourth to analyse why it works — listening, trust, honesty. That shift from narrative to analysis is exactly what distinguishes band 7 from band 8+.
Part 1 warm-up questions
- Do you prefer talking or listening in a conversation?
- Who do you talk to most often every day?
- Do you like chatting with strangers?
- Has the way you communicate with friends changed over the years?
Part 3 follow-up questions & answers
What makes someone a good communicator?
Mostly listening, ironically. Good communicators pay genuine attention, pick up what isn't being said, and adjust to the person in front of them rather than delivering a monologue. Clarity matters too — knowing your point before you open your mouth — but I'd take an average speaker who truly listens over an eloquent one who doesn't, every time.
Do people have fewer face-to-face conversations than in the past?
Almost certainly. A huge share of daily communication has migrated to messages and voice notes, which are convenient but thin — you lose tone, expression, and the pauses where honesty tends to live. I don't think people want less connection; they've just accepted a more efficient, lower-quality substitute, often without noticing the trade.
Is it important to be able to talk to strangers?
I think it's an underrated life skill. Practically, opportunities — jobs, friendships, even marriages — often begin as small talk with a stranger. Beyond that, chatting with people outside your circle keeps your view of the world honest, because your friends usually think like you. Cultures where strangers talk easily always strike me as warmer places to live.
Why do some people find deep conversations difficult?
Partly habit — if every exchange in your day is transactional, depth feels unfamiliar and even risky. Deep conversation requires admitting uncertainty and revealing what you actually feel, which makes people vulnerable. Some were simply never shown it at home. And modern pace doesn't help: depth needs time, and time is the first thing we cut.
Do men and women communicate differently, in your opinion?
There are tendencies, though I'm wary of overstating them — variation between individuals is far bigger than between genders. Where differences show up, I suspect upbringing explains most of it: in many cultures boys are quietly discouraged from discussing feelings, so as men they default to facts and banter. Change the upbringing and the difference shrinks.
How important is conversation for elderly people?
Critically important — for many older people, conversation is the difference between a life and an existence. Regular talk keeps the mind active and is one of the strongest protections against loneliness, which doctors now treat as seriously as smoking. A daily chat costs nothing, which makes it strange how many elderly people go days without one.
Useful vocabulary
| Word / phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| to have a lot in common | to share many interests or attitudes with someone |
| small talk | polite conversation about unimportant subjects |
| a heart-to-heart | an honest, personal conversation about feelings |
| to think out loud | to say your thoughts as they form, before they are final |
| to put the world to rights | to have a long conversation discussing problems and how to fix them |
| meandering | moving without a fixed direction; (of talk) drifting from topic to topic |
| to wait for your turn to speak | to listen only superficially while planning what you will say |
| good company | enjoyable to spend time with |
| a standing arrangement | a regular plan that repeats without needing to be re-agreed |
| to sharpen your thinking | to make your ideas clearer and more precise |
More cue cards
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