Describe a Successful Person You Know - IELTS Speaking Part 2 & 3

In the walk of life, we often meet people who become successful in their life and their story motivates us to do better. In the IELTS cue card, ‘Describe a Successful Person You Know’, you will get an opportunity to share about such a person in your life. They can be someone you have met during your study years, in a workplace or later in life.

Learn how to frame the answer to the topic - Describe a Successful Person You Know - and brush up your speaking skills by reviewing the sample answers accompanied by the IELTS Speaking Part 3 questions. These answers will also help you answer similar cue card topics like ‘Describe a Successful Person Who You Once Studied’ or ‘Describe a Successful Person Who You Once Studied or Worked with’.

Describe a Successful Person You Know - IELTS Cue Card Sample Answer 1

• Who this person is?

One of the most promising people I have known in my life is my cousin, Sunaina, who has built a successful business in the tech industry. She is currently the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of a well-known software company, where she has played a key role in developing innovative solutions for businesses around the world.

• How you knew him/her?

Sunaina and I had been best buddies since childhood. Despite a friendly rivalry between our families, we have never let it affect our relationship. Growing up, we helped each other in studies and extracurricular activities. She has always been curious, smart, determined and hard-working, the qualities that have helped to reach the place she had aimed for.

• What he/she does?

After completing her engineering degree, she moved abroad for higher education and earned a master’s degree in Artificial Intelligence from a prestigious university. She stayed back in the country and worked for several multinational companies, where she gained vast experience and climbed the corporate ladder. With the knowledge and experience she gained there, she came back to her native land with an actionable plan for her own startup. Today, as the CTO, she leads a team of hundreds of engineers and is responsible for making strategic decisions that shape the future of her company.

• And explain why he/she is successful.

Sunaina’s vision and work ethic are what genuinely distinguish her and made her successful. She has always been committed to lifelong learning, fast to adapt to new technology, and forward-thinking. Along with her technical proficiency, she possesses excellent leadership qualities that motivate others to give their best effort. Her success also stems from her ability to strike a balance between short-term obstacles and long-term objectives. In addition, she truly loves to innovate, which has led to her company creating ground-breaking goods that have completely changed the way companies run.

Describe a Successful Person You Know - IELTS Cue Card Sample Answer 2

• Who this person is?

• How you knew him/her?

The most successful person I know is my cousin, an MBBS doctor working in a government hospital in my town. Having studied at a government school for high school, he was weak in his studies during the earlier classes. But one day, my grandmother advised him that if he went on like this, he would have no future. Her words have made him take a serious path toward his tomorrow. He went on to pass high school and higher secondary with flying colours and was able to achieve an MBBS degree because of his hard work and determination.

• What he/she does?

• And explain why he/she is successful.

He has done outstanding services to differently-abled people in society. As a Social Worker, his work has gained him several accolades from various sections of the community. With his simple way of living, he could make this happen within a few years. Since then, he has served his part in helping various groups of people by organizing several programmes to encourage them for their upliftment and making better living standards for them.

Presently, he is married with four kids and lives happily with his parents. He used to advise my brother and me about our career choices and has always encouraged us to follow our passion. He has been and is always an inspiration for each member of our family through his achievements and demeanour. I hope to fulfil my wishes by working diligently like him.

Describe a Successful Person You Know - IELTS Cue Card Sample Answer 3

• Who this person is?

• How you knew him/her?

• What he/she does?

Everyone desires for a successful life. However, success only knocks on the doors of those who are determined and focused on their goals. Some iconic personalities have faced serious failures. Yet, they persisted in their pursuit of accomplishment, eventually achieving great success in their fields of expertise.

One of my favorite actors and the most successful people I’ve ever known is Thalaiva Rajinikanth, a legendary South Indian superstar, and a cultural icon. He’s one of the highest-paid celebrities in India, but his childhood wasn’t as luxurious as it is now. Born into an impoverished family with 4 siblings, he had to undergo a lot of hardships. Before becoming a prominent personality, Rajinikanth worked in various blue-collar jobs, including being a coolie, carpenter, and bus conductor.

During this time, he was approached by a director in the Tamil film industry, and the rest is history. He has acted in several blockbuster films. In a nutshell, he rose to fame after facing a fair share of troubles. His journey from being a bus conductor to ruling the film industry in South India is phenomenal. Despite being a huge superstar, he earned his name for his compassion and humility. I was moved when I learnt of his obstacles and struggles through his biography.

• And explain why he/she is successful.

His life story has inspired many. It’s only because of his unwavering perseverance and commitment he could become what he’s today. Rajnikanth is the epitome of a star who rose from obscurity to stardom. Thus, it’s rightly said that if one wants to accomplish great things, one should never quit. It takes a lot of hard work, persistence, and courage to succeed.

Vocabulary You Can Use to Answer IELTS Speaking Part 2 Questions on Describe a Successful Person You Know

Check out the IELTS Speaking vocabulary for 'Describe a Successful Person You Know' with examples.

• Promising

Meaning: showing signs of being very good or successful
Eg: Naina is a promising girl in the field of education.

• Friendly rivalry

Meaning: a situation where people or businesses compete with each other in a pleasant and kind way, while still being at odds over specific issues or outcomes
Eg: The friendly rivalry between the friends makes it a healthy and growing relationship.

• Corporate ladder

Meaning: a series of increasingly important jobs that someone can do within a company
Eg: He plans to move up the corporate ladder with his hard work and dedication.

• Stems from

Meaning: to start or develop as the result of something
Eg: The problem of the family stems from the lack of money.

• Persistence

Meaning: the fact of continuing in an opinion or course of action despite difficulty or opposition
Eg: It took a lot of practice, persistence, and assistance from tutors to crack the CAT exam.

• Unwavering

Meaning: not wavering; steady or resolute
Eg: Zayn’s unwavering commitment towards helping the poor was praised by everyone.

• Iconic

Meaning: of, relating to, or having the characteristics of an icon
Eg: Steve Jobs is an iconic personality.

• Phenomenal

Meaning: remarkable or exceptional, especially exceptionally good.
Eg: The portal achieved phenomenal success.

• Legendary

Meaning: remarkable enough to be famous; very well known.
Eg: Everyone mourned the loss of their legendary Actor.

Describe a Successful Person You Know - IELTS Part 3 Follow-Up Questions

In Part 3, you will be asked some questions related to the topic of the cue card you have been given in IELTS Speaking Part 2, 'Describe a Successful Person You Know'. Given below are the sample answers to Part 3 questions mentioned in the previous section of the article with expert-curated sample answers.

1Do you want to be successful?

Of course, I want to be successful in my life, for which I need to work diligently, with uttermost dedication and commitment, because success does not happen by coincidence. Therefore, one must be purposeful and proactive to achieve their goal, which provides enormous satisfaction and joy once achieved.

2 Why do people want success?

People want to achieve success because it’s one of their life objectives; for example, they wish to graduate with high scores, get the desired job, start their own business, become an entrepreneur, etc. Achieving these milestones is a success for any individual, and once these successes are achieved, people get a sense of self-confidence and hope to move to the next level in life. In addition, these successes let them understand that they’ve made an impact in a competitive world.

3 What is the standard of success?

It depends on people’s perspectives towards achieving success. Because some individuals define success as being well-known in the crowd, while others define success as making a lot of money. As a result, each person’s definition of success is unique to their choices.

4 Does money mean success?

Yes, in my opinion, success is highly defined by money to a large extent. Money is a critical aspect of life since it enables people to obtain fundamental necessities such as food, medicine, and education. Although money cannot ensure success, it can help to improve one’s chances in life. As a result, money is the secret of happiness and success in life. Apart from that, social status, network, skills, and positive attitude are other factors that accelerate success.

5 Do you have any other ideas about success?

Every person has a different concept of success. It is easy to dream and imagine being successful in life, but achieving success is a challenging one. It is not something that can be accomplished without exerting effort. As a result, if someone wants to be successful, they must be determined and devoted to their goals.

6 Can you be successful without money?

Of course, one can be successful without money because success is all about attaining personal satisfaction and fulfillment. Even if a person makes a few cents, they should be doing it with love. Because something accomplished without personal fulfillment is unlikely to be successful. To put it another way, the true meaning of success is earning happiness and fulfillment in life as a result of being able to accomplish something you love.

7 What is the importance of money?

We currently live in a materialistic world where life, happiness, education, business, and many other daily life activities depend on money. As a result, money is the basic necessity for everything in life. Money can facilitate any obstacles, whether in trade, personal relationships, or health emergencies. With the help of money, one can achieve their life goals such as studying abroad, traveling abroad, and leading a luxurious life. In short, Money raises the standard of living in everyday life.

8 What is the difference between being successful and rich?

Well, being rich and successful are two different things. They’re the two sides of the same coin. To become rich, one must make a large sum of money, whereas one must achieve one’s objectives to become successful. For instance, A rich person may have a huge bank balance and own many worldly things. But just being rich doesn’t imply they are successful. In contrast, A person does not need to be rich to be successful. For example, a less fortunate person may be successful if he achieves his target of becoming a doctor or getting a desired job in an MNC.

9 Is there a controversy between success and happiness?

Of course, there’s a huge controversy between success and happiness. Some people debate that success is more important than happiness because happiness is a temporary emotion, and success is something that will sustain and support through life. Therefore, they assume that they will eventually find happiness if they achieve success.

However, others argue that happiness is a priceless emotion that is more important than success. They believe that happy people achieve more success than those who are always chasing after money. As a result, Success and happiness are directly related but running only after worldly things is not a proper way to live because life is meant to be lived fully.

10 How can you strike a balance between them?

In order to strike a balance between happiness and success, people should compile a list of activities they love and the goals they want to achieve and start pursuing them to attain self-satisfaction. In addition, they should try to do more things that will make them happy, increasing their chances of success.

11 Is it worthwhile to give up a happy life for success?

No, it’s not worth giving up a happy lifestyle just to achieve success. Most people have a strong desire to succeed because they feel that achieving success will inevitably make them happier. However, this isn’t always the case. They do not obtain contentment once they achieve, and accomplishing that level of success is a waste if there is no inner fulfillment. So, sacrificing happiness for success is inappropriate.

12 Can everyone achieve success?

Of course, anyone can achieve success if they are determined to work hard, persistent to go the extra mile, devoted, and committed to achieving the specific goal. But in addition, success sometimes necessitates a combination of luck, opportunity, and talent. As a result, in my opinion, if a person wants to succeed, they should act and work on it, i.e., if they want to live the life they want, they must work on it, take action, and make it happen.

13 How do successful people live?

I believe that successful people strike a good balance between earning money, spending time with family and friends, and reaching personal goals. Successful people believe in living in the present instead of concentrating on the past or worrying about the future. They concentrate on productivity and stick to a set routine.

14 Can their private life be known by others?

Yes, the life of successful people is always under media scrutiny. This is because the media invades their personal life by either spying or following them and exposing information about their personal lives in newspapers, social media, and publications.

Vocabulary You Can Use to Answer IELTS Speaking Part 3 Questions on Describe a Successful Person You Know

Level up your IELTS band score by using these cool words to talk about successful people during the Speaking section.

• Obstacles

Meaning: a thing that blocks one’s way or prevents or hinders progress
Eg: Jack had to undergo a lot of obstacles during his young age.

• Spy

Meaning: a person employed by a government or other organization to secretly obtain information on an enemy or competitor
Eg: Mr. West works as a spy for an international agency.

• Chase

Meaning: pursue in order to catch or catch up with.
Eg: Kay was chased by a breed dog.

• Accelerate

Meaning: increase in rate, amount, or extent.
Eg: The company accelerated huge success after the launch of their new product.

• Proactive

Meaning: (of a person or action) creating or controlling a situation rather than just responding to it after it has happened
Eg: The company should take proactive steps to stay ahead in the competition.

Also Check:

• IELTS Speaking: Person Related Cue Cards
• My Strategy for IELTS Speaking Part 2 (Video)
• How to Answer IELTS Speaking Part 3 ?
• Idioms for IELTS Speaking
• IELTS Pronunciation Guide
• Common English words in IELTS Speaking
• Ough words