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IELTS Speaking Part 2: IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card.

Describe a close friend you have.

You should say:

• how long you have known this person
• how you met
• what kind of person he/she is

and explain why you like this close friend.

[You will have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes. You have one minute to think about what you're going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish.]

Model Answer 1:

Thank you for choosing this nice cue card topic for me as it will allow me to talk about a close friend of mine. His name is Matt Henry, and he has been one of my best friends since my early university years.

I met Matt about 9 years ago when I was a 1st-year university student. Since we both lived in the same dormitory and loved to practice table tennis in our sports hall, it was quite natural for us to have casual talks with each other once in a while.

But, I wouldn’t really call ourselves as “close” friends as yet at that time because we would hardly meet or talk to each other outside of our table tennis practice back then. But that slowly changed after several months when my scientific calculator suddenly stopped working, and Matt loaned his calculator to me for a few days. Our friendship grew even stronger and meaningful after a few more months when I taught him to play the guitar. By the way, Matt didn’t have any idea that I was able to play the guitar until he incidentally found me arguing about the guitar playing skills of a famous music band of my country with a couple of music enthusiasts of our dormitory. And, it was at that time, I realized that Matt was a passionate person about arts and culture, just as he still is today.

This close friend of mine is also a fun-loving person who still enjoys watching old movies on his television. But, above all, if I don’t tell how helpful of a person he really is, I will do a great injustice to his reputation as a close of mine.

Well, I like Matt, mainly because he loves life while hardly forgetting to share his fun with his friends around him. I also like this close friend of mine because he never hesitates to help others even if it means suffering his own loss. However, above all, what makes Matt so likeable is that he is always true to himself.

Sample Answer 2:

Thank you, sir/ madam, for this opportunity to let me talk about one of my closest friends. Without a doubt, that would be Martin, who is a very intimate friend of mine and with whom I spend a lot of time these days.

I know him for more than 8 years. I can still recall the day we first met and that was the very first day in our high school. He sat next to me and when our new class teacher gave us a task to complete, I could not find my pen that supposed to be in my bag. Noticing that I was searching my bag over and over again, Martin gave me one of his pens and I thanked him profoundly for saving me from an embarrassment, especially in front of a room full of new classmates! The next day we sat together again and this arrangement went on for a long. In the meantime, I found that he plays football, which I also did and he became a member of our high school debate club which was also an activity I was very passionate about. Within a few months, we became good friends and in a year we became very close.

Martin is a good person and a very helpful friend. The most remarkable characteristic of Martin is his leadership quality. He can quickly judge a situation, make an action plan and act promptly. Several times his prompt decision-making ability saved us from unexpected and difficult situations. Furthermore, he is very talented, well-read and well-travelled. The stories we heard from him about his tour in Europe were quite remarkable. Finally, he looks like an athlete and very strongly built. He runs for more than 2 miles each morning, a habit I wish I would take up! He is very kind, contrary to his heavy built, and soft-spoken.

Why do I like Martin? - Well, this is probably because he is a great person. He is one of my best friends and I like to spend time with him. We have some common interests and passions that make us close friends. I like the leadership quality he possesses and the way he often helps other selflessly.  Finally, as a close friend, I know him very intensely. I would certify him to be a good human being, a humble person, a good and helpful friend. I hope our friendship lasts forever!  

Sample Answer 3:
My recent graduation ceremony was outstanding. It appeared all the connections with my university mates and friends are finished after the ceremony. But we will maintain contact with each other, especially my link with Sabrina Nubia will remain forever.

I am the only daughter of my parents. They have always tried to do the best for me. With their inspiration and association, I got admitted to the Al- Azhar University in Cairo in Egypt. It was the very first day of my university when I met with Nubia. She is an extraordinary girl with an exceptional smiling face. We have a strong bond of friendship and in some cases, she is more than a friend. She turns a guide and mentor for me. I take important decisions with a discussion with Nubia. She also loves me much. In fact, we have a healthy friendship and it has been five years since we are maintaining this.   

I met with Nubia in the classroom She was the only girl in the first few days with us in the class. Actually, not much of the students prefer Social Science as their subject. So, the number of students was less than the other departments. But after a week of the class, we got some other students. As a result, there were 37 students in our class and the number of female students was only 12 including me. But there was a close relationship with everyone inside the class. Besides, the teachers were also happy seeing the intimate bond among the students which is not found in the other classes. Since she lived near my residence, we used to move together for classes. Gradually, the bond between us grew stronger and we turned into best friends.    

Nubia is a great person. She is extremely helpful in all matters, especially about academic assistance. She helped me and many other students in several ways. Whenever I missed any class for any reason or needed any guidance overtaking any notes, she came into my help. We had some group studies before the exam nights. Either she came to my place or I went to her and the next day moved for the exam. Furthermore, she is also a person who does not know how to turn angry. In fact, I have not seen such a cool person like her. She never got agitated or irritated with the negative attitudes of her surroundings. She dealt with the issues in a calm manner and finally, she became the winner.    

I like Nubia for many reasons. She is a great friend of mine; in fact, she is my best friend. With her attractive smile, she wins the heart of people she meets. She never makes any false promise and tries to keep her commitment. I have never seen her being rude to anyone. In addition, she was from a noble family where she was taught all the manners. I loved her way of explanation. She is able to explain the most complicated thing in a simple manner. I think this is the quality that she inherited from her family. Overall, she is a loveable person for her amiable nature. Thereby, I like her the most.

Part 3 – Two-way discussion:

Q. What are the differences between adults and children in terms of making friends?

Q. Can adults make friends with children?

Q. What do you think are the most important factors when making friends?

Q. What are the possible factors that cause the break-up of friendship?

Q. Why is it difficult for adults to make friends?

Q. What will the friendship become like when getting old?

• IELTS Cue Card
• Candidate Task Card

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