Describe someone who has had an important influence on your life.

You should say:

Who the person is

How long you have known him/her
What qualities this person has

Explain why they have had such an influence on you.

1. Use other ‘question’ prompts

These are question prompts:

Who
What
When
Where
How
Why

When you prepare, write down the other question prompts that are not on the list, and
think of things you can say about those as well.

For example:

When - When did you meet?

Where – Where did you meet?

2. Think of a Story

You can also tell a story about the person, place, event or thing you are discussing.

So in your one minute, think of and note down a quick and preferably interesting story to
tell about the topic.

You can tell the story anywhere in your IELTS speaking part 2, as long as it fits in.

Example IELTS Speaking Part 2

The person I’m going to talk about today is my teacher from high school. (who) Her
name was Miss Chadwick and she taught quite a few subjects at the school. She had been
working there for quite a few years when I met her I think. (where) We met for the first
time in my English class. (more about ‘who’) I remember this well because she was
quite young compared to most of the other teachers in the school so I was surprised that
she was a teacher! In fact she looked more like she could be one of the older students!

(How long) So I met her when I was 15, and that was 10 years ago. I don’t actually know
her anymore as we lost contact soon after I left the school, but I still remember her very
well for several reasons. (What qualities) Firstly, she was very kind. She always treated
all the students very well in the class, and I can’t remember her ever shouting at anyone.
Also, she had a really good sense of humour. She would make jokes in the class which
most of the other teachers never did. The other teachers were very serious all the time.
And she made the classes a lot of fun and very interesting, something that I think is very
important otherwise you start to get bored. Oh, and also she explained things very well
and very clearly. Often teachers are not able to do this in a way that students can
understand, especially when it's complicated subjects.

So those are the qualities that she had. (why such an influence) The reason she had such
an important influence on me is because I was quite a shy person at school and not very
confident, but she helped me to change this. (tell a story) Each year, there was a school
play that would be held in front of all the parents, and that year, when I was 15, Miss
Chadwick was organizing and directing the play. I really didn't want to be in it because I
was so shy, but Miss Chadwick insisted that I take one of the roles, and it was one of the
main roles which meant that I would have to do a lot of speaking! I was so nervous.
Anyway, I went ahead and did it, and on the night I did really well and really enjoyed it.
And that really boosted my confidence and this has helped me to this day.

So my teacher Miss Chadwick is the person who has influenced my life and I will never
forget her.

Describe your favorite person in the family

Who is your favorite person in the family?

My favorite person in my family is my brother.

Is this person important for the family?

He is very important for the family because he loves everyone and he also provides
guidance to the family members.

What impact does this person have on you?

My brother has a great impact on my personality. My brother is a very honest person and
after being inspired from him, I have also become an honest man. My brother is also a
very soft hearted person.  I have also started taking care of other people, and I have also
started feeling the pain of other people.

 
Describe a character in a movie

What was the name of the character, and who played it?

I liked the character of Victor Novaski in the movie Terminal. The character was played
by Tom Hanks.

What impact did the character have on you?

I liked the character in the movie very much. The character has made me a courageous
person.

What did you learn from this character?

The character showed me that we as human beings should always do the right thing. The
character in the movie went through very hard times, but still he did not leave the right
way. I have learned that if a person stands up for the right thing then God gives him the
courage to fight till the end.

How would you like to spend your ideal weekend (ideal means best weekend)

With whom would you like to spend your ideal weekend?

I would like to spend my ideal weekend with my cousins.

What would you like to eat on your ideal weekend?

I would like to eat pizza with my cousins.

How much money would you be ready to spend on your ideal weekend?

I would be ready to spend $100 on my ideal weekend.

Construct your own house

If you ever get a chance, would you make your own house?

Right now I am living in my parent’s house, but if I ever get a chance of constructing my
own house I will make a house which will consist of at least 10 rooms.

What kind of interior would you use in the house?

I would like to give a royal touch to the interior of my house. I am greatly impressed by
the Mughals, so I would like to make my interior same as the Mughal did.

What location would you choose for your dream house?

I would select a location which is calm and peaceful. I am allergic to noise and pollution
so I would most probably choose a location which is away from the downtown.

Describe a school you attended

What was the name of the school and where was it located?

My school was located in Lahore and the name of my school was International school of
Choueifat.

How many faculty members and pupils were there in the school?

I studied in a very big school. There were about 5,000 students and 200 teachers in the
school.

Why did you like the school?

I liked the school a lot. The foremost reason I liked the school was that the teachers were
very polite. The teachers were soft hearted and they treated us very well. The teachers
also motivated us to work hard and achieve good grades in exams.

Describe a day in your life you will never forget

What happened on that day?

I will never forget the day when I met with an accident.

Why can’t you forget it?

I cannot forget it because it was my birthday that day. I was coming back from my
birthday party and my car was hit by a bus. I suffered severe injuries and my leg got
fractured.

What lesson did you learn from that day?

After the accident I understood the meaning of life, I started loving my life.
 

Family event

When was the event held?

The family event occurred 2 months ago.

Why was the family event held?

It was the birthday party of my niece.

Who attended the event?

The event was attended by friends and family members.

Did the people enjoy the event?

People enjoyed the event very much because the event gave them the chance to meet
their loved ones. Apart from that there was also food served on the event which was liked
by everyone.

Why do you remember this event?

I remember this event because I was given the responsibility of arranging the entire
event.

Enjoyable trip

Where did you go?

I went to an enjoyable trip last month. I went to Dubai.

Why was this trip special?

The good thing about the trip was that I was accompanied by my friends and cousins.

Why do you consider it to be a enjoyable trip?

I remember this trip a lot because I had a great time over there. I enjoyed every bit of the
trip because I ate a lot and enjoyed a lot.

 
Your favorite book

Which is your favorite book?

My favorite book is Harry Porter.

Why do you like this book?

I like this book because I have always been a great fan of fantasies. I love the way the
author describes the whole magical world.

What influence did the book have on you?

The book not only provided me entertainment, but it also gave me knowledge.

Do you believe people should read book?

Yes, I definitely believe that people should read books. I have two reasons for saying this,
first the books give us tremendous amount of knowledge and the second reason is that we
can improve language skills by reading books.

Describe means of transport

What are the different means of transport in your country?

There are many different means of transport available in my country. People in my

country travel my land, water and air.

In the rural area you can find bicycles, horses, and rich haws, Where as in the urban areas
you can find motor cycles, cars and buses.

It is very costly to travel on a car, but if you do not have the money you can travel on the
bus or the rickshaws because they are relatively cheaper.

You favorite museum

When was the last time you went to a museum?

I went to a museum last week.

What kind of museum was it?

It was a science and technology museum.

What things did you see in the museum?

I saw some great inventions of the century in that museum. I saw the first computer
which was built in the world. I was really inspired by the great inventions.

Why do people make museums?

I think that people make museums to applaud the work of great people. They also want to
show their present and future generations that their ancestors had to work very hard in
order to give them the things which they have right now.

leisure time

What do you do in your leisure time?

I watch movies in my leisure time.

How should people spend their leisure time?

Leisure time is another word for free time, so I think that everyone in this world has a
right to decide what they want to do in their free time.

Why is leisure time important?

Leisure time is very important because all of us spend our entire day working, and we
deserve some free time in order to relax our mind and do something which we like.

Your favorite animal

What is your favorite animal?

My favorite animal is a horse

What do you like about this animal?

I like the horse very much because it is a very beautiful animal. I love it when the horse
gallops. The horse is also a very a friendly animal.

How do people use this animal?

Nowadays the horses are mostly used for the purpose of horse riding, but in the older
time horses were the primary means of transport for the human beings. Nowadays, the
horses have lost their importance and they are ignored.

Importance of newspaper in your life

What is the importance of newspaper in your life?

Newspapers play a very important role in my life.

How often do you read the newspaper?

I read the newspaper every day.

Why do you read the newspaper?

I read the newspaper because I want to be well informed of the current situation of my
country and the rest of the world. I also read the newspapers because I want to search for
some jobs which are available in my city.

Do you think that the importance of newspapers is decreasing?

Yes, I think that the newspapers are facing tough competition by the news websites, but I
still believe that many people still regard newspapers to be a very reliable source of
information.

Favorite restaurant

Which is your favorite restaurant?

My favorite restaurant is China town.

Why do you like the place?

I like the restaurant very much because it offers Chinese food. I love to eat Chinese food
and the restaurant’s staff is also very amiable.

Why do people eat food from restaurants?

People eat food from the restaurants because they want to change their mood. Other than
that some people eat food from restaurants because it is convenient for them.
 

Concert

Describe a concert you recently attended?

I recently attended a concert to hear my favorite band Crazy lovers

What kind of music were they playing?

The band was playing rock music.

Did you enjoy?

Yes I enjoyed so much, as I told you earlier that the concert was performed by favorite
band so I enjoyed a lot. I was accompanied by my friends so we danced, sang and ate a
lot of food in the concert.

Favorite teacher

Who is your favorite teacher?

My favorite teacher is Mr. John

What subjects did he teach you?

He taught me English and Social Studies.

What did you like about him?

Mr. John was a very polite teacher. He always motivated me to work harder and he also
helped whenever I was unable to understand a concept.

Why do people become teachers?

I personally love this profession. I think that people become teachers because they want
to help other people. Teachers play a very important role in the character development of
a student. In my opinion they are serving the society in a very good way.

Internet

How often do you use the internet?

I use the internet every day.

Why do people use the internet?

People use the internet for communication, education, games, movies, news, and
information.

Why do you use the internet?

I usually use the internet to communicate with my friends and family. I also use the
internet to watch and download movies.

Do you think internet is gaining more popularity than TV?

Yes, I agree with you. I think that internet is gaining popularity day by day. I personally
believe that internet is more convenient. For instance, if I want to watch a program on
internet then I can watch it at anytime. But if I want to watch a program on TV then I will
have to wait for it.

Dress code

What kind of clothes do you want to wear?

I like to wear casual clothes.

Are you brand conscious?

No, I am not brand conscious. I can wear any clothes.

Why do people wear formal clothes?

People wear formal clothes when they have to go to an important place. Businessmen
also wear formal clothes because they have to represent their companies in front of the
world.

Uniform

Have you ever worn uniform?

Yes I used to wear a uniform when I was in my school.

Do you think uniform is important?

Yes I strongly believe that uniform is very important. Uniform gives us discipline. I used
to love my school uniform because it showed us that we were together. Uniform also
shows unity. Moreover it is not possible for everyone in the school to buy expensive
clothes, so uniform eradicates the problem of inequality.

Teacher

Who is your favorite teacher?

My favorite teacher is Mr. John

What subject did the teacher?

Mr. John taught me Economics.

Why do you consider him as your favorite teacher?

I regard Mr. John as my favorite teacher because he was a very friendly teacher. He
motivated me to work harder and he also taught very well. I used to enjoy his lectures
because he made the lecture exciting and interesting.

Why impact did the teacher have on you?

Mr. John had a great impact on me. I was greatly impressed by his friendliness, and I
have also started to behave in a similar manner with other people.

Current job

Where are you working right now?

These days I am working in a real estate agency.

What kind of job is it?

I have a really simple job to do. I have to rent out apartments.

Do you like the job?

I like my job because I have to visit different places when I have to show apartment to
my potential clients. Another reason I like my job is that I only have to work 8 hours a
day. I do not have to worry about the work after I am done with my working hours.

How will this job help you in your future?

I hope to open my own real estate agency in near future. This job is providing me hands
on experience on how to run and manage a real estate agency.

Chair

Describe a chair?

Chair is an object which has 4 legs, a back and a seat. There are many kinds of chair in
the world.

How important is a chair in your life?

Chair has played a very important role in my life. I remember that the first thing which I
saw on my first day at school was a chair. Chair has been in my life since then. The types
of chairs have over the years but chair have remained in my life. In school I used sit on a
wooden chair, in college I used to sit on a plastic chair and now as I am in my
professional life, I get to sit on comfortable chairs.

Do you prefer chair over a sofa?

I certainly prefer chair over sofa. Whenever I am doing something important, I always sit
on the chair.