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Describe a person you know who lives in a different country from you

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 lives in a different country from you.

You should say:

  • who this person is
  • where they live
  • how you keep in touch

and explain how you feel about them living far away.

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

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Band 8 sample answer

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

The person I'd like to talk about is my older brother, Jamshid, who has been living in Germany for the last four years. He went there to do a master's degree in engineering, and after graduating he found a job with a car manufacturer, so he decided to stay.

He lives in a medium-sized city near Stuttgart, in a small flat he shares with a Brazilian colleague. From his photos, it looks very green and quiet, with lots of bicycle paths. He has learned German to a good level, and he tells us that he now dreams in it occasionally.

We keep in touch mainly through video calls. Every Sunday evening, the whole family gathers around my mother's laptop to talk to him, and he shows us what he's cooking or what he's seen during the week. In between, we exchange messages on an app, and he often sends funny voice notes. Occasionally we send each other parcels; my mother mails him traditional sweets, and he sends back German chocolate.

Honestly, I have mixed feelings about his living so far away. I'm proud of him because he's built a successful life through his own efforts, but I miss him a lot, particularly at family celebrations. When he visits once a year, the house feels full again.

Still, I think the distance has made us closer in a way, because we both try harder to communicate. I'm also considering visiting him next summer, which I'm looking forward to.

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
emigrateleave your country to live elsewhere
homesicksad because you miss home
time differencethe gap in clock time between countries
stay connectedkeep in regular contact
long-distance relationshiprelationship between people who live far apart
settle inbecome comfortable in a new place

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 sibling who moved abroad for work or study
  • A childhood friend who emigrated
  • A relative who lives in another country and visits rarely

How to spend the two minutes

  1. 25 swho this person is
  2. 25 swhere they live
  3. 25 show you keep in touch
  4. 45 sand explain how you feel about them living far away.

Part 3 questions

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

  1. Why do so many people move to other countries?
  2. How has technology changed the way people keep in touch over long distances?
  3. What difficulties do people face when they move abroad?
  4. Is it better to live in your home country or abroad?
  5. What are the effects on families when members live in different countries?

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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