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Describe a person you used to know but have lost touch with

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 used to know but have lost touch with.

You should say:

  • who this person is
  • how you met
  • why you lost touch

and explain whether you would like to get in touch with them again.

Ready

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

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Band 8 sample answer

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

The person I'd like to describe is a boy called Kirill, who was my closest friend in primary school. We met when I was seven, on the first day of school, because he sat next to me, and from that moment we did everything together. We played football in the yard, shared our lunches, and even had matching bicycles.

We lost touch when I was about twelve. Kirill's father got a new job in another city, and his family moved far away. At the beginning, we wrote letters and talked on the phone a few times, but as time went by, we both got busier with new schools and new friends. Our messages became less frequent, and eventually they stopped. There was no argument or anything like that; it was simply a case of distance and different lives.

I'd definitely like to contact him again. Sometimes when I look at old photographs, I wonder what he is doing and whether he still remembers the little treehouse that we built together. I have tried searching for him on social media, but his name is quite common, and I couldn't be sure which profile was his. My mother thinks she might still have his family's old address, so I plan to ask her.

I'm a little nervous, because we are both very different people now and perhaps we would have little in common. But I think it would be worth sending a message. At the very least, it would be nice to say thank you for a wonderful childhood friendship, and if it goes well, perhaps we might even meet up.

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
lose touchstop communicating with
grow apartbecome less close over time
track someone downfind someone after searching
rekindle a friendshipbring back an old friendship
out of sight, out of mindyou forget people you don't see
reminisce about old timestalk about happy memories

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 childhood neighbour who moved away
  • A friend from a summer camp or language course
  • A former classmate who changed schools

How to spend the two minutes

  1. 25 swho this person is
  2. 25 show you met
  3. 25 swhy you lost touch
  4. 45 sand explain whether you would like to get in touch with them again.

Part 3 questions

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

  1. Why do friends lose touch?
  2. Is it more difficult to stay in touch now that people move more often?
  3. Do social media sites help people reconnect with old friends?
  4. Is it worth trying to renew an old friendship?
  5. Do friends need to meet regularly to stay close?

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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