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Describe a person you know who is good at music

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 person you know who is good at music.

You should say:

  • who this person is
  • what instrument or style they play
  • how you know them

and explain how you feel when you listen to them.

Ready

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

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Band 8 sample answer

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

The person I know who is really good at music is my friend Malika, who plays the piano. We met in a summer English course three years ago, and when I found out about her talent, I started going to her recitals.

She began learning when she was five, and she's now studying at a music conservatory. She mainly plays classical pieces, by composers like Chopin and Rachmaninoff, but she also loves jazz, and sometimes at parties she improvises something light-hearted. She can even play by ear, so if I hum a tune, she will find the notes on the piano within minutes, which I find amazing.

I know how skilled she is, firstly because I have attended several of her concerts, and secondly because she plays for me when I visit her house. Once she performed at a city festival, and I remember the entire hall was silent while she played a slow, emotional piece.

When I listen to her, I feel a mix of calm and excitement. Her slower pieces make me forget about my worries and just breathe, while the faster ones are thrilling. Sometimes I get goosebumps, especially during the parts where she plays very quietly and then suddenly increases the volume.

What impresses me is not only her technical skill but also the emotion that she brings. She told me that practising for hours every day isn't easy, but she does it because music is how she expresses herself. Watching her has made me appreciate classical music much more, and I've now started learning the guitar.

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
a gifted musiciansomeone with a natural talent
play by earplay music without written notes
have perfect pitchbe able to identify musical notes exactly
give a performanceperform in front of an audience
lose yourself in the musicbe completely absorbed
give me goosebumpsproduce a strong emotional reaction

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 friend who plays guitar or piano at gatherings
  • A relative who sings traditional songs
  • A local musician you have seen perform

How to spend the two minutes

  1. 25 swho this person is
  2. 25 swhat instrument or style they play
  3. 25 show you know them
  4. 45 sand explain how you feel when you listen to them.

Part 3 questions

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

  1. Why is music important in people's lives?
  2. Should children be taught to play a musical instrument at school?
  3. How has the way people listen to music changed?
  4. Do you think musical taste is influenced by age?
  5. Can music bring people from different cultures together?

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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