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Describe a person you know who travels a lot

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

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Part 2 · Candidate task card

Describe a person you know who travels a lot.

You should say:

  • who this person is
  • where they usually travel
  • why they travel so often

and explain what you think about their lifestyle.

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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

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

The person who travels the most among the people I know is my aunt Shahnoza, who works as a consultant for an international company. She is in her late thirties, and she spends at least half of each year on the road.

She usually travels within Asia and Europe, visiting clients in cities such as Singapore, Dubai, Frankfurt and Istanbul. A typical trip lasts from three days to two weeks. Occasionally she also takes personal holidays, and she prefers destinations that are off the beaten track, like small mountain villages and islands where few foreigners go.

She travels so often partly because of her job, which requires her to attend meetings and workshops in person. But she also has a genuine love of exploration. She told me that even on business trips, she always tries to spend one evening walking around the city or trying local street food.

My feelings about her lifestyle are mixed. On the positive side, she has seen so much of the world, and she has fascinating stories and a very open mind. She brings gifts for the whole family and has taught me words in half a dozen languages. On the other hand, I think it must be tiring to live out of a suitcase, and she misses a lot of family events. She once confessed that her favourite moment of a trip is coming home.

Personally, I'd love to travel, but perhaps not that frequently. I would prefer a balance between exploring new places and having a stable base where I can relax.

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
globetrottera person who travels widely
jet-laggedtired after long flights across time zones
off the beaten trackin places few tourists visit
itchy feeta strong desire to travel
live out of a suitcasetravel so much you never settle
expand one's horizonsgain new experiences

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 relative with a job that involves business trips
  • A friend who is a backpacker or travel blogger
  • A flight attendant or pilot you know

How to spend the two minutes

  1. 25 swho this person is
  2. 25 swhere they usually travel
  3. 25 swhy they travel so often
  4. 45 sand explain what you think about their lifestyle.

Part 3 questions

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

  1. Why do some people travel so much?
  2. What are the disadvantages of travelling for work?
  3. Has travel become easier than it used to be?
  4. Do you think people learn more from travelling or from studying?
  5. Is tourism good for local communities?
  6. What problems can frequent travel cause for the environment?

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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