Describe a friend from your childhood
IELTS Speaking Part 2 cue card with a full sample answer, a Band 9 model of the two-minute long turn.
The cue card
Describe a friend from your childhood
You should say:
- who this person is
- how you met each other
- what you did together
- explain why you liked him or her
Sample answer
I'd like to tell you about a close childhood friend of mine named Elvin, who was my best friend throughout my primary-school years and remains a cherished friend to this day.
Elvin and I first crossed paths when we were about six years old, on our very first day of school. As luck would have it, we were seated next to each other in class, and we struck up a conversation almost instantly. I remember we bonded over our shared love of drawing and a particular cartoon we were both obsessed with at the time. From that day onward, we were practically joined at the hip.
We got up to all sorts together growing up. After school, we'd often kick a football around the park near our homes, cycle round the neighbourhood, and while away hours playing video games at each other's houses. During the summer holidays, our families would sometimes go on trips together, which produced some of my fondest childhood memories. We also studied side by side and helped each other with homework, so he was a huge part of both my fun times and my schoolwork.
There are countless reasons why I was so fond of Elvin. Above all, he had a wonderfully kind and generous nature, and he was always on hand to support me whenever I was upset or wrestling with a problem. He also had a brilliant sense of humour and could make me laugh even on my worst days. Beyond that, he was fiercely loyal and trustworthy, qualities I've always valued deeply in a friend.
Even though our lives have taken slightly different paths as we've grown older, we've managed to stay in touch and still meet up whenever we can. Looking back, I feel genuinely fortunate to have had such a wonderful friend during my childhood, and the bond we forged all those years ago has truly stood the test of time.
Reading a model answer is not the same as saying one. The sample above shows what a strong Part 2 answer sounds like. What it cannot tell you is how yours sounds — whether you hesitate, repeat the question back, or run out of things to say at forty seconds.
You can record an answer to this exact question and get it marked on fluency and coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range and pronunciation — the same four criteria the examiner uses.
Common questions
How long should I speak for in Part 2?
Between one and two minutes. The examiner stops you at two, so aim to still be talking at the ninety-second mark rather than finishing early — running out at forty seconds is the most common problem in this part.
What do I do with the one minute of preparation time?
You get one minute and a pencil and paper. Most candidates waste it writing full sentences they then read aloud, which sounds flat. Note a few keywords against each bullet instead, so you have four things to talk about rather than a script.
Do I have to cover all four bullet points?
They are prompts, not a checklist, and you are not penalised for skipping one. In practice they are the easiest way to fill two minutes, so covering them is usually the simplest way to keep going.
Does it matter if the story is not true?
No. You are assessed on your English, not on whether the events happened. Inventing detail is fine and often easier than recalling a real memory under pressure.
Model answers written and reviewed by The English All-in-One IELTS team. They are teaching models showing what each band looks like, not real candidate scripts.