Describe someone older than you whom you admire

The IELTS speaking cue card in Part 2: ‘Describe someone older than you whom you admire’ requires you to speak about an older person other than your mother and father. It must be someone whom you admire the most for their personality, work, accomplishments, etc. Don’t try to talk about your family, like your elder brother or sister.

You should say
Who is this person?
How do you know this person?
What kind of things do you like to do together?
Explain how you feel about this person/ why do you admire him/her?

Since there will be a couple of minutes of time to prepare before the IELTS Speaking Part 2 test starts, use it to quickly revise your vocabulary (new words).

Describe someone older than you whom you admire IELTS cue card: Model answers and follow-up questions

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There are two model answers and follow-up questions are given here related to describe someone older than you whom you admire.

Model Answer 1:

Introduction:
In our life, we meet various people of different age groups, and we get attracted to someone older for their characteristics, wisdom, and experience. Now, let me share someone older than me whom I admire the most.

Who is this person?
His name is Daniel Edwin, being the program director of an NGO. He is aged 50+ but he is a man carrying a sigma male personality on his shoulders. He works for the vulnerable community across India.     

How do you know this person?
During my college, I did an internship program at an NGO. Later, I worked there for more than 2 years. There I met him and became a fan of his aura and personality. 

What kind of things do you like to do together?
I had the opportunity to work under him. But if I get a chance, I wish to travel with him, especially in a car. Since he’s knowledgeable, it’s difficult to discuss topics like politics, history, people management, etc. However, he drags himself to the other speaker’s intellectual level and converses with them at ease. 

Explain how you feel about this person/ why do you admire him/her?
When I met him for the first time, I felt that he was a soft-spoken person who won’t get angry easily. But, subsequently, I was overwhelmed by his quick temper. He can’t tolerate silly mistakes. If anyone is not disciplined, they can’t stand next to him. However, I admire him the most because of his discipline, work ethic, and logical thinking. To win a battle, he knows all the tricks of the trade and legitimately uses them. He never gives up against his opponents. The next best thing about him is his great appetite for work, and he never gets burned out. Thus, I admire him completely when it comes to career and profession. 

Model Answer 2:

Introduction:
Generally, soft-natured people attract others and exhibit a positive vibe wherever they go. They won’t hurt others and never let others hurt them. In this regard, I’m going to talk about someone who is older than me whom I admire for his kind-hearted nature.  

Who is this person?

• He is the head of the Chemistry department in the Tamil Nadu Forensic Science Lab. 
• He is above 50 years of age, does forensic investigation for criminal cases, and gives guest lectures at universities for forensic science students.  

How do you know this person?

• While I was pursuing Criminology at the University of Madras, I studied a subject called Forensic Science and Medicine. 
• There, he came for a guest lecture. 
• His experience with the crime scene and criminals was fascinating to listen to. 
• He also spoke about the dog squad he worked in. Whatever work he had done was amazing. In fact, he shared some of his mistakes like making wrong judgements. 

What kind of things do you like to do together?

• I would like to have a pleasant conversation with him. 
• Since he’s like a father figure to me, I don’t think I am capable of working with him. 
• Instead, I try to extract as much wisdom as possible. 
• Fortunately, I had an opportunity to visit his home and seek his guidance for my research on child trafficking. 
• As I have mentioned before, I want to talk to him about his perspective on life, humility, how to handle difficult situations, his source of inspiration, and many more. 

Explain how you feel about this person/ why do you admire him/her?

• Whoever meets this person for the first time, would not see his humorous side. 
• Yes. he has a great sense of humour through which he easily grabs everyone’s attention. 
• His knowledge and intelligence are unshakable. Above all, he treats everyone with respect and dignity. 
• Though people in his position tend to show off and project themselves as superior, he is humble and modest. 
• He makes others feel comfortable and tries to help them in every possible way. 

IELTS Speaking Test Part 3: Follow-up Questions

Based on the response to the speaking test part 2, that is cue card - ‘describe someone older than you whom you admire’ the examiner might ask you follow-up questions in the IELTS Speaking Test part 3. There are five questions given below.

1. What can young and old people learn from each other?
The one thing that older people must learn from young people is that young people seek respect, freedom, and equality. Whereas, young people must learn patience, discipline, and reading habits from older people. When people of two different age groups understand their uniqueness and disregard their differences, things will fall into place naturally. For example, if an old person learns to give respect to all, irrespective of their background, it creates a new society. Similarly, when a young person starts reading books in any field, it will spark new ideas for them.    

2. How has old people’s life quality improved when compared to the past?
The old people’s quality of life has improved significantly compared to the past in terms of adequate hospitals, connecting with various communities on social media, travel, and entertainment. Since old people are mostly family-oriented, they seek attention from the younger people in the family. So they connect with their family on the phone and social media every day. They also have plenty of conversations with their friends virtually. Thus, it satisfies their emotional needs and keeps them mentally healthy.     

3. Why is there a generation gap between the young and the old?
There is a generation gap between the young and the old because of the fast-moving world. Earlier generations take at least a decade to achieve something huge, but the younger generations take limited time to achieve the same. For example, A business back in the 60s and 70s would take a generation to reach its boom state, but now, a startup business can reach its peak in less than a decade. All because of accessible resources, quick labour, bank loans, and more. On the other hand, parents are highly-competitive, pushing their children to the edge. They persuade their children to earn more and buy luxurious things. All these together create a fast-paced atmosphere in society, ignoring the traditional facts and benefits. Thus, it leads to a widening gap between the young and the old. 

4. What do old people usually do in their life?
Old people aged in their early 70s and 80s usually delegate responsibility to the next generation. They take rest and advise others whenever required. However, they seek attention from family members and sometimes fight like a child over small things. It’s their children’s responsibility to look after their health and well-being.

5. What can young people and old people do together?
First, the young people and old people must sit together and have a conversation. However, it should not end in a debate. They must share their memorable moments and what they like the most in their life. Full of positive energy. Then, they can indulge in some activities. It can be creative, playful, or something serious. Eventually, it must create a pleasant experience.  

Related IELTS cue card topics

To visit the other speaking cue cards, refer to the below links:

• describe a skill that was difficult for you to learn
• describe an old person you know and respect
• describe a time you moved to a new home/school
• describe a puzzle you have played
• describe a famous athlete you know
• describe your favourite movie
• describe a bag you want to own
• describe a time when you felt bored
• describe a leisure activity near or on the sea

Conclusion

The IELTS Speaking cue card - “Describe someone older than you whom you admire” is one of the tough topics in IELTS speaking mock tests. So take some time for preparation and then attend this practice test. It will ensure an improvement in your speaking performance.