Describe the person in your family who you most admire
Describe the person in your family who you most admire.
You should say:
- what their relationship is to you
- what they have done in their life
- what they do now
And explain why you admire them so much.
Practise this cue card with a timer Use it in a full mock
One-minute preparation plan
Choose someone with a clear story. Admiration is easier to explain with one or two concrete events than with general adjectives.
| Cue card point | What to note (keywords only) |
|---|---|
| What their relationship is to you | 1–2 specific details: a name, a place, a time, or an example |
| What they have done in their life | 1–2 specific details: a name, a place, a time, or an example |
| What they do now | 1–2 specific details: a name, a place, a time, or an example |
| And explain why you admire them so much. | Your main reason plus how it affected you—save 30 seconds for this |
Sample answer
The person I most admire in my family is my aunt, my mother's younger sister. She's someone I've always been close to, partly because she lived with us for a few years when I was small.
What stands out about her life is how determined she's been. She grew up in a small town where very few women went to university, but she saved money from a part-time job, moved to the city on her own and eventually qualified as a civil engineer. Later, when her company closed, she didn't give up; she retrained in project management and worked her way up again.
These days she runs her own small consultancy, and in her spare time she mentors young women who want to go into engineering. She's incredibly busy, but she always makes time for family gatherings.
I admire her so much because she never treated obstacles as excuses. Whenever I feel like a goal is out of reach, I think about how she handled far bigger setbacks, and it genuinely motivates me to keep going.
About 176 words, roughly two minutes at a natural pace. This is an original example written for SpeakingIELTS to show structure and vocabulary—use it for ideas, not as a script to memorise. Real test cards are worded differently, and examiners notice rehearsed answers.
Useful words and phrases
- what stands out about
- worked her way up
- treated obstacles as excuses
- out of reach
- setbacks
- genuinely motivates me
Try using three of these in your own answer. For more topic vocabulary, see the vocabulary helper.
Part 3 follow-up questions
After this cue card, the examiner moves to a Part 3 discussion on the same theme. Give an opinion, a reason and an example for each.
- In what ways have families in your country changed in recent years?
- Should husbands and wives have different roles within the family?
- Why?
- Which are more important to you: your family or your friends?
- What conflicts can arise between a person's family and a person's friends?
- What responsibilities do parents have towards their children?
- What responsibilities do children have towards their parents?
Practise these Part 3 questions
Check your own answer
Record yourself, then listen once and ask: did I cover every point, keep talking for close to two minutes, link ideas clearly, and explain my reasons at the end? The self-evaluation checklist covers all four speaking criteria.