IELTS Speaking Part 1, 2 and 3 - Talking about Family and Friends

This article gives you some sample answers for IELTS Speaking Section part 1, 2 and 3. Family and friends are two of the most common topics given in the interview, and today we're going to learn how to answer several questions related to this topic, both the easy questions and the difficult ones.



IELTS Speaking Part 1 - Talking about Familiar Topics

Family

Do you spend much time with your family?

Unfortunately, no. Since I went to college, I no longer live with my parents and I don't get to see them very often. Even now, I only visit them like, once in a month. They live in town, while I am working in the city. It is very interesting since we used to live as an extended family. So, all of the family members lived in the same house. My grandparents have a very huge house and a farm, and the entire family lived in that house. But then their children, including my mother, started their own family and just, moved out.

Who are you closest to in your family?

Both of my parents, actually. I know that some people are very close only to their mother, or father. But the way my mother raised me was quite different from my father's, and for me, they're all important. My mother is very strict, especially when it comes to education and career. It may sound a little bit strange, but she's the one helping me make a lot of important decisions in life. She told me which university I should go to, what kind of job I should apply for. Unlike my mother, my father is less strict. He is always supportive and more tolerant. For me, this is a perfect balance between  freedom and guidance.  

Do you have a best friend?

I do. I have this one best friend in college. I'm an outgoing person, so, naturally I had a lot of friends in college. But, there's this one selfless guy, who's always there when I needed him the most, the kind of friend to whom I tell a lot of secrets. His name is Kris. One thing that I really like from Kris is the fact that he always lets me know my mistakes without judging me, and that he always listens and tries to understand, before giving an advice. From him, I have learned a lot about life and become the best person that I can be today.

Do you prefer spending time with your family or friends?

I'd rather spend my time with my family, because now I don't get to see them very often. So, every time I have the chance to go home, I will have a little quality time with my family. 

Are you still friends with people from your childhood?

Some of them, yes. My family moved a lot when I was a child, and I had childhood friends from different cities. The problem was, mobile phone was not so common those days, so when I moved out with my parents I could no longer contact them. Some of them found me on social media recently, I don't know how. So, it's now possible to stay in touch with them. Apparently, some of them are also working in the city, and we have met up a couple times actually.

Is family important in your country?

Of course, it is. I think family is important no matter where you live. It's true that family life in my country is a little bit different from family life elsewhere. In many western countries for example, teenagers are leaving their home for college or work, but in my country, teenagers living with their parents while they are working or studying in college is not strange at all. In fact, some adult people are expected to stay with their parents to take care of them, just the way they took care of them when they were a child. Even if they don't live in the same house, at least they can live nearby. The elderly are also very happy to see their grandchildren, instead of spending their old days feeling lonely. This may not be the case with families in other countries, but when it comes to the importance of family, I don't see any difference.


IELTS Speaking Part 2 - Self-Presentation

A Person that You Admire

Describe a person that you admire

You should say:

Who the person is

What he or she is like

What are you first memories of this person?


Why you admire him or her

Who the person is

I've always admired my mother. She has always become my role model when it comes to hard work. I remember how she always woke up early and got prepared for work while cooking for the family. She worked all day but still managed to help me with homework, and took me to music courses in the evening.

What he or she is like

I don't remember how she looked like when I was a child. The only things that I remembered about her was her discipline. She was very strict, especially when it comes to school grades. She would check on me as I studied in my room, sometimes holding a ruler. Yes, the ruler was a disciplinary tool that she used to warn me every time I got distracted. I didn't know why I was so scared of her pointing that drawing tool and glaring at me, but I think it had something to do with the amount of respect I have for her. She worked hard to pay for school so I thought I'd just do my part by studying hard. One thing that I still can't figure out is how she managed to walk to my room so quietly. My house had a wooden floor back then and it cracked very loudly when you stepped on it. It was as if she were floating instead of walking around the house. I often got bored of too much schooling and studying, and would often doodle to entertain myself. My mother sometimes caught me doing this, and when I heard her  behind me clearing her throat, I knew I was in a lot of trouble. 

What are you first memories of this person?

One thing that I always remember is the fact that my mother had to struggle as a career woman and a mother. She often picked me up at kindergarten and took me to my grandparents' house. I was five years old. I'd stay there until she picked me up after work. Sometimes she took me to her office because she had an important meeting, and got no time to drive me to my grandparents' home, since they lived in nearby town, and it would take half an hour to drive me there. I would wait in my mother's office, drawing animals with her assistant. My mother would often check on me through the glass door, making sure that I behaved.

Why you admire him or her

The first thing that I admire about my mother is her ability to balance family life and career. Being a busy woman that she was, she still managed to keep the balance in life, and I think it was extremely remarkable. My mother was also a real exemplary figure. She never told me to do things without her giving an example, things like working hard, taking responsibilities and caring for others.




IELTS Speaking Part 3 - Discussion

Talking about Someone's Personality

What is the most important quality of a friend?

In friendship, loyalty is the most important thing of all. We may be an outgoing person and have a lot of friends. But of all those friends that we have, only few of them will stay on our side in the good and bad times. I have a lot of friends, but when I got sick and needed to go to the hospital at 4 am one day, there was only this one person who drove all the way from his home to my dorm just to get me to the hospital. I'm not saying that he was the only loyal friend that I had. My other friends would actually help me too, but it really was not the right time to call somebody. I mean, it was 4 am, nobody would force themselves to wake up and pick up a call just to be asked for help, except one person.

Do you always expect people to be honest? 

Yes, I do. It's true that some things are better left unsaid, but I really do expect my friends to tell me the truth. Some of my friends often try to hide things from me because they don't want to hurt my feeling, but I always tell them to be truthful. I'm not the kind of person who would spend my time guessing what I have done wrong, so I'd rather know the truth and get hurt just to get things right. I can always take criticism, but I don't really like it when my friends are talking behind my back.

What is the nicest thing that a stranger has ever done to you?

One of the nicest things that a stranger had ever done to me is when a guy helped me patch a tire. I was riding a motorcycle and had a flat tire, so I pulled over and saw a tire repair ahead of me. The problem was, it was almost midnight and the tire repair was about to close. However, knowing that my house was ten kilometers away and that there were a lot of street crimes in that area, the guy decided to help me patch the tire anyway. I thanked him profusely, knowing just how much trouble I'd be in had he decided to ignore me and close his tire repair service. My bike was very heavy, there's no way that I'd push it back home. Besides, I had a lot of precious items in my bag, so it was quite likely that I would be robbed.

Have you ever made friends online?

Yes, several times. It usually happens when I meet a stranger online and we happen to have the same interest. For example, I was planning to go to a dragonforce concert in my city and accidentally met a girl. I don't normally see a woman going to heavy metal concert here in my country, so she got my attention instantly. We ended up chatting on twitter about the upcoming event, and became friends. 

What is the hardest thing in friendship?

Separation. As I said before, my family moved out a lot when I was a kid, so I had to say good bye to some of my childhood best friends. I never mind attending a new school or making new friends after moving out, the only problem was that I had to say good bye.