Describe a situation when you had to be nice to someone you dislike – IELTS Cue Card
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Describe a situation when you had to be nice to someone you dislike
You should say:
- Who this person was?
- Why you do not like him/her?
- What happened?
and why you still had to be nice to him/her
Sample Answer 1
It is typical for people to prefer the company of certain individuals over others. On the other hand, there are people who we tend to dislike and try to avoid interacting with as much as possible. However, there are situations where we are obligated to put on a facade and be courteous to these individuals to avoid any kind of dispute. One such instance, where I had to act civil with someone I detested was during a group project in the first semester of college. This person was a classmate of mine and we happened to be grouped together due to our roll numbers being one after another.
The person that I am talking about was called Saurav, and he had a tendency to disrupt the class during important lectures with his distasteful pranks and jokes which made him quite unlikeable to the majority of our classmates. He was also known to make disrespectful remarks towards many of the professors which most of us did not appreciate.
Since the groups for the project had been formed according to our roll numbers, we did not have the provision to change or leave the groups. Thus, members of the group including me had to compromise and work with Saurav in order to get the project completed. As expected, Saurav was insincere with his part of the project and he even tried to pass off someone else’s work as his to get out of working on this group project.
Nevertheless, me being the group coordinator for this project had to find a way to make him complete his tasks without any kind of altercations. Although my initial solution was to complain against him to the professor who had assigned us the project, however, I realized such a step would not lead to a productive outcome. Eventually, I decided to ask him politely to do his share of the work. Surprisingly, this approach worked and he completed his tasks on his own and we were able to finish the project on time.
Sample Answer 2
Humans are dependent individuals. While living in a community, it is almost impossible to stay alone. However, there is no guarantee that we are always going to be surrounded by merely kind and cooperative people. So, talking about a situation when I had to be nice to somebody I dislike, it would be one of my paternal uncles.
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My father has three brothers and a sister. While everybody else seems to be good enough to spend some time with, the youngest of his brothers is ill-mannered. Majorly, he has been the sole accountable for all the significant fiascos that happened in our family. Practically, he doesn’t think twice before spitting the words out of his mouth. This habit leaves him disconnected from the rest of the family most of the time.
One of the reasons why I don’t like this uncle is because he is the master of false, baseless allegations. In fact, I have been a victim of his unsubstantiated assertions a lot of times.
Last year, during my final examinations, I used to study until the wee hours of the night. While doing so, I used to be active on the internet to find solutions to complex questions and stay connected with my friends to update on another on the status of the syllabus completion. This uncle would have seen me online on WhatsApp around 2 AM. The next day, he called my father and complained about the same. Fortunately, my father has undying trust in me, and he defended me like a trooper.
However, despite his iniquity, I still have to behave nicely to him as he is a family member and my father’s brother.
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Sample Answer 3
In our daily walk of life we meet different kinds of people. We may like or dislike some, and some attract ambivalent feelings from us. But there is a fourth category of people whom we ‘dislike but have to be nice’. This category mostly comprises relatives and people from our professional field because we cannot ignore their presence in our lives. We have to act in a responsible manner and respect them to make our life easy.
I met one such person when I joined my first job. Both of us were English teachers, but she had joined the institution before me. As she was my senior, the head told her to help me out whenever I needed help. Whenever I would approach her for advice, she gave me answers that were not much of a help. So, I started asking the other teachers for guidance. Later, I learnt that she had told my colleagues that I was very arrogant and did not accept any of her helpful approaches.
She used to complete her responsibilities in a careless manner and suggested to me not to put so much effort in my work. Although she was gifted in the field of creating and producing drama, she did not take any responsibility. As a result, some of my colleagues and I were burdened with most of the cultural duties. As both of us taught the same subject, the head had suggested that we work in sync with each other. When I tried to consult her, she complained that I was making her do all the work. In the beginning, most of my colleagues and the head trusted her and supported her because they thought I was jealous of her. In spite of all these actions, I tried to be amicable with her. But, one incident changed their perception and also made me dislike her.
During my second year at the institution, I was made the coordinator for the half-yearly examination. By then, I had gained enough experience and the head began to put some faith in me. With the cooperation of my colleagues, I completed all my duties. After the exams ended, the students were given one week of relaxation, and it gave us time to review their work. One day, I was summoned by the head, who informed me that some English papers could not be found. I remembered I had submitted the answer scripts, but the sheet which was to be signed in the office was blank.
I searched for the papers in all the cupboards which my English partner and I had used, but I failed to find them. The head rebuked me for being irresponsible. Seeing me upset, one of my colleagues, who by then had become my friend, suggested that I look through the footage of the CCTV. So, after some coaxing, my head gave me permission. As we were looking through the footage, we found that my English partner had taken the answer scripts and put them in the cupboard of another teacher who was on leave after the exam was over. After the papers were found, the head appreciated my efforts and talked to my counterpart in private. From that day, she changed a little of her attitude towards me.
Sharing a workplace and working for the same goal are the main reasons I had to be nice to her. I did not mind working with her and liked to have a subject partner. Sometimes, her attitude irked me a lot, and I avoided her. I hoped that someday we could be friends like my other colleagues. Unfortunately, she left the institution soon after, and we did not get another chance to work together cordially.
Vocabulary
- Ambivalent – having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone
Eg: The class teacher was ambivalent when I expressed my thoughts on the controversial topic. - Rebuked – express sharp disapproval or criticism of (someone) because of their behavior or actions
Eg: Roy’s parents rebuked him for returning home so late at night. - Coaxing – persistent gentle persuasion
Eg: After coaxing for a long time, she was allowed to go on a solo trip. - Cordially – in a warm and friendly way
Eg: The diplomat welcomed the minister cordially. - Irked – to irritate; annoy
Eg: Any noise during worship irked my grandmother.
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