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Describe a person who makes you laugh

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 who makes you laugh.

You should say:

  • who this person is
  • how you know them
  • what this person does or says that makes you laugh

and explain why you find this person funny.

Ready

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

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Band 8 sample answer

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

The person who makes me laugh the most is my cousin Jasur, who is a year older than me. We grew up in the same neighbourhood, and we've been inseparable since we were small. These days he works in sales, but I think he could easily have been a comedian.

What makes him funny is that he doesn't need jokes. He just tells ordinary stories in a very dramatic way. For instance, he once described how a pigeon followed him for half a kilometre because he'd bought a sandwich. By the end, he was imitating the pigeon's walk, and the whole family was in tears. He's also brilliant at doing impressions. He can copy our grandfather's voice so exactly that, when he does it on the phone, people sometimes get confused.

I find him funny for a number of reasons. First, he's very good at observing small details that most of us miss, such as how people tap their phones or the faces they make when they argue. Second, he never laughs at others unkindly. His humour is warm, and he's usually the first to make fun of himself. When he fell off a bicycle in front of his entire office, he told the story at every family event for months, with himself as the fool.

Personally, I think he has a special talent for lifting the mood. At stressful times, like exam periods, a phone call from him can change my whole day. I can't imagine family gatherings without him.

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
have a great sense of humourbe good at being funny
crack me upmake me laugh a lot
burst out laughingsuddenly start laughing
a natural comediansomeone who is funny without trying
light-heartedcheerful and not serious
lift the moodmake people feel happier

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 cousin or sibling who imitates people
  • A colleague who tells stories about everyday mishaps
  • A comedian or presenter you watch regularly

How to spend the two minutes

  1. 25 swho this person is
  2. 25 show you know them
  3. 25 swhat this person does or says that makes you laugh
  4. 45 sand explain why you find this person funny.

Part 3 questions

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

  1. Do you think a sense of humour is important in a friend or partner?
  2. Why do different cultures find different things funny?
  3. Is humour important in the workplace?
  4. Do you think people laugh as much now as in the past?
  5. Can humour ever be harmful?

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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