Describe a Person Who Taught You Something Important- IELTS Cue Card

Sample Answer

According to me, as long as we breathe, we have diverse scopes of learning various things from different people and our surroundings. As a result, I am always open to acquiring knowledge from elders and younger people equally. So, I will share about one such person who gave a life lesson that will remain with me forever. The person was none other than my best friend.

She lived in our locality and coincidentally, we went to the same school. Being an introvert, I used to look at her from afar but avoided talking in the fear that she might become clingy. But, God had his own plans and gradually, we became best buddies. At first glance, you will find her very energetic and amicable, always gushing about something or the other. As you get to know her, you will realise that underneath the chirpy person was a doleful person who wanted to live peacefully away from her current situation.

She used to live with her grandparents as her mother has passed away at childbirth and her father had remarried and stranded her. Her grandparents blamed her for her mother’s death and rebuked her for every small matter. Days passed like this until we joined college. I moved to another city for further studies, and we both got busy. Although we kept in touch, we did not share as we did. Eventually, after around a decade, we met one day and she shared her current situation. She had somehow completed her studies by receiving scholarships and worked in a multinational company for a few years. Despite the phenomenal rise in her career, she left her job, started a small business, and made an NGO where she helped children, especially girls, study. In spite of being a burden to her close ones, she chose to be a pillar for people in need by giving up a life of luxury and fortune. When I look at her, I feel motivated as she has taught me the values of patience, determination, sacrifice and made me believe in the goodness of others.

I have heard and read about people fighting various circumstances yet reaching the top. But, my friend had taught me the true value of the adage – ‘No beauty shines brighter than that of a good heart’. She definitely has a good heart, and I am proud of the person she has become.

Vocabulary

• Clingy

Meaning: a person who is overly attached to or emotionally dependent on another person
Eg: The newborn is very clingy and cries whenever his mother leaves him.

• Doleful

Meaning: full of grief
Eg: I was mesmerized by her doleful eyes.

• Stranded

Meaning: leave (someone) without the means to move from somewhere
Eg: After the ship wrecked, many passengers were stranded on an nearby island .

• Phenomenal

Meaning:  unusually great; much more or much better
Eg: Our company’s performance in this quarter is phenomenal.

• Adage

Meaning:  a wise saying or proverb
Eg: ‘Where there is a will, there is a way’ is my favourite adage.

Part 3 Follow Up Questions

• What qualities do you think a good teacher should have?

In my opinion, a good teacher should have good communication skills, patience, in depth of knowledge of what he/she is dealing with, flexibility, and an engaging presence. The person should also be empathetic and impartial towards the students as each student, and their circumstances are unique. So, he/she should be able to comprehend the needs of the students and impart the lesson in such a way that every individual can fathom the lesson.

• Who do you think can learn better? Old people or youngsters?

I believe the pace of learning depends on individual capability and interest. I have seen young people struggling to learn new things, while aged people pick up new lessons easily. But, if you consider the technological advancements and daily updates that occur in our day-to-day life, I would say that youngsters can cope better with these changes and adapt themselves faster than the senior population.

• What do you think is the best age for children to go to school?

With the ballooning competition and evolution of modes of learning, the age of going to school for a child is decreasing every year. To make their ward more successful compared to others or just to show off, parents are putting a lot of burdens and sending off the little ones to institutions like kindergarten, pre-school training centers, and others from the age of 2 to 3. But, I think we should let the young ones relish the innocent and worry-free days of their childhood. So, the best age to send a child to school is around four to five years, depending on the learning capabilities of the child.

• Do you prefer to study by yourself or with friends?

I prefer to study by myself as I can concentrate better. While studying with friends can help exchange ideas, we tend to become distracted by various stories and lose track of time. Furthermore, the methods I follow to make my learning effectual may differ from my friend, which may cause conflict.

Vocabulary

• Empathetic

Meaning: the ability to share another person’s feelings or emotions as if they were their own
Eg: The selfish giant became empathetic towards the end.

• Fathom

Meaning:  to understand it thoroughly
Eg: I cannot fathom how he escaped such a dreadful accident.

• Pace

Meaning: the speed at which someone or something moves, or with which something happens or changes
Eg: The pace at which one learns varies from person to person.

• Ballooning

Meaning:  to quickly increase in size, weight, or importance
Eg: The price of the company stocks is ballooning.

• Effectual

Meaning:  successful in producing the intended results
Eg: One of the effectual ways of development is adapting yourself to the changes.