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Describe a classmate or colleague you work well with

Try the card on the exam timer first, then read the band-8 sample answer and the Part 3 questions that follow it.

Practice it like the exam

Part 2 · Candidate task card

Describe a classmate or colleague you work well with.

You should say:

  • who this person is
  • what you work on together
  • what this person is like to work with

and explain why the two of you work well together.

Ready

1 minute to prepare, then 2 minutes to speak. It switches on its own.

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Band 8 sample answer

250 words · about 2 minutes at a natural pace · Phrases from the vocabulary list are highlighted.

I'd like to talk about my classmate Ilyas, with whom I worked on several group projects during my second year at university. We were put in the same team for a business course, and to be honest, I wasn't sure at first that we'd get along because he is very quiet and I tend to talk a lot.

Our main project was to design a marketing plan for a small local bakery. We divided the tasks quite naturally: I did the research and the presentation, while he handled the numbers and the layout of the report. We met twice a week in the library to compare progress, and in between we used a shared document to keep everything in one place.

He's an excellent person to work with, for several reasons. Firstly, he's extremely reliable. If he says he'll finish something by Thursday, it's there on Wednesday night, and it's always accurate. Secondly, he is good at spotting errors that I miss, because I tend to focus on the big picture rather than the details. We really complement each other in that sense.

Thirdly, he's calm under pressure. The night before the deadline, our file crashed, and I started to panic, but he simply reopened an earlier version and rebuilt the missing pages in an hour.

I think we work well together because we respect each other's strengths and communicate honestly. We got the highest mark in the class, and we've decided to team up again for our final-year project.

What to notice

  • It takes the points on the card in order, so the examiner can follow it.
  • Each point gets a specific detail or a short story, which is what keeps a talk going for two minutes.
  • The "explain" line at the end gets the most time, because that is where you give an opinion and show your range of language.

We wrote this answer for practice; it does not come from IELTS. Take its structure and phrases and tell your own story, because examiners notice memorised answers.

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Useful vocabulary

PhraseMeaning
complement each otherhave different strengths that work well together
pull your weightdo your fair share of the work
share the workloaddivide tasks between people
on the same pagein agreement about what to do
bounce ideas off someonediscuss ideas with someone to improve them
meet a deadlinefinish on time

Plan it in one minute

Choose what to talk about in the first ten seconds, then write two or three key words for each point. Full sentences take too long to write and to read back.

Who or what you could talk about

  • A classmate from a group project
  • A colleague at your first job or internship
  • A teammate in a sports or volunteering group

How to spend the two minutes

  1. 25 swho this person is
  2. 25 swhat you work on together
  3. 25 swhat this person is like to work with
  4. 45 sand explain why the two of you work well together.

Part 3 questions

In the exam these come straight after your talk, on the wider subject: Teamwork. Answer each in 3–4 sentences, with your view, a reason and an example.

  1. Do you prefer working in a team or on your own?
  2. What skills are important for working well in a team?
  3. Why do some teams fail to work well together?
  4. Is it a good idea for friends to work together?
  5. How can managers or teachers encourage teamwork?

Frequently asked questions

How should I describe a person in an IELTS cue card?

Pick someone you know well enough to tell a story about: that is easier to stretch to two minutes than a famous name. Say who they are and how you know them in a few sentences, spend most of your time on one or two specific moments, and finish with why they matter to you.

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