Speaking for IELTS - an old person you like talking to
Here is an example of an IELTS speaking question from Part 2 of the speaking test. The questions asks you to talk about an old person you like to talk to.
- who is this person?
- how do you know him/her?
- what do you usually talk about?
And explain why you like to talk to him/her.
Describe an old person you like talking to | IELTS Band 9 Sample Speaking Answer
Okay, so I would like to tell you about my grandfather, that’s my grandfather on my mother’s side of the family. He’s such an interesting person to talk to. He’s 85 years old now, but he’s still very active and has an excellent memory for even the smallest details. He can still remember what we used to do when my sister and I went to stay with him and my grandmother during the summer vacations on his farm.
My grandfather was a farmer all his life until he retired, except for the time he spent in the army earlier in his life. When he became too old to do the hard physical work on the farm my uncle took over the daily running of it.
In the summer my sister and I used to visit and stay for a couple of months and help out around the farm and ride the horses he kept there. In fact it was my grandfather who taught me to ride.
Whenever we get together which isn’t as often as before, we talk about all kinds of things. He’s still very interested in what’s happening in the world and how things are changing, so he usually has a lot to say about what’s been happening in the news and around the world when we chat.
He has a great sense of humor and has very clear ideas about what’s wrong with the world nowadays and I sometimes think he is happy to have lived most of his life in the last century, because he thinks it was a much better time for people – less complicated and more honest.
He keeps saying how people have lost their way now and how the future is not looking good for young people. He’s very happy that I am working and doing something that I love, and he often likes to talk about when he was young and he and my grandmother worked the farm and made it grow into what it is today.
He tells stories about how they had to struggle at the beginning, but how happy they were living in such a beautiful part of the country and working outside in the fresh air all day. He can even remember the names of the very first animals they had on the farm, which is more than I can remember!
Whenever I chat with my grandfather I always feel more calm and sure of things afterwards. He has a way of making sense of even the craziest things which – it’s as if he has this ability to see through things and get to the simple facts of something, making it easier to understand.
I guess that’s the wisdom which comes with age. When you’ve seen and done so much in life – it’s maybe easier to figure it all out than when you’re younger.
One things for sure, there’s never a dull moment when we get together.
Follow-up question:
Do you like talking with older people?
I definitely enjoy talking with older people. I think they have a lot of wisdom and experience to share, and I always learn something new from them. Plus, I enjoy hearing their stories about their lives. It's just interesting to get a different perspective on things.
How would you answer this IELTS speaking question? If you had to speak about an old person you know well, who would you talk about?