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Describe a person you disagreed with about something

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 disagreed with about something.

You should say:

  • who this person is
  • what you disagreed about
  • how you handled the disagreement

and explain how you felt about the situation afterwards.

Ready

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

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Band 8 sample answer

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

I'd like to describe a disagreement I had with my father about what I should study at university. He's a very practical man who has worked as an accountant for thirty years, and he's always assumed that I would follow a similar path.

However, I'd become really interested in graphic design after taking a short online course, and I wanted to apply for a design programme. My father felt that it was too risky. He believed that design was more of a hobby than a profession, and he worried that I would struggle to find stable work. We had a long discussion at the dinner table, which became quite heated, and at one point I left the room.

The next day I tried a different approach. Instead of simply insisting that I was right, I prepared a short presentation with information about salaries, job openings and examples of successful designers in our country. I also offered a compromise: if my first year went badly, I would reconsider and switch to business studies. He listened properly this time and asked several questions.

In the end, he agreed to support my choice, although he admitted he was still a bit worried.

Afterwards, I felt relieved but also grateful that we'd managed to talk calmly. I realised that disagreements are not necessarily bad; they can help people understand each other better. Now my father often asks to see my projects, and he has even recommended me to a friend who needed a logo. So that argument turned out to be a good thing.

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
see eye to eyeagree with someone
agree to disagreeaccept that you have different views
meet halfwayreach a compromise
hold a different opinionthink differently
a heated discussionan argument with strong emotions
stand your groundrefuse to change your position

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 parent about a study or career choice
  • A teammate about how to complete a group project
  • A friend about how to spend money or time

How to spend the two minutes

  1. 25 swho this person is
  2. 25 swhat you disagreed about
  3. 25 show you handled the disagreement
  4. 45 sand explain how you felt about the situation afterwards.

Part 3 questions

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

  1. Why do people often have different opinions on the same issue?
  2. Is it better to avoid arguments or to discuss disagreements openly?
  3. How can people disagree politely?
  4. Do you think young people and older people disagree more than people of the same age?
  5. Is compromise always the best solution?

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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