Chủ đề Talk about your best friend - IELTS Speaking Part 2

Similar to any question in IELTS Speaking Part 2, you need to quickly analyze – What is the requirement of the question? What important things need to be said?

For example, you can brainstorm the following ideas:

1. How long you have known this person

2. How you met

3. What kind of person he/she is

4. What makes you like him/her

You should start from the beginning of your friendship, the chance that brought you two together. Then, describe their personality, the special things about them, and what makes you like them. This is a good and quite easy question to answer. But first, take notes.

You can briefly note how you know the person and their personality. Write down any useful vocabulary as well as the sequence of events when you met. This will help you organize the structure of your speech. For example:

Remember that you only have one minute to take notes, so keep them very short. Don't try to write any sentences during this time, as you don't have much time.

When it comes to IELTS, you need to use vocabulary that is relevant to the topic being asked, you don’t need to use fancy words.

For example, if you look up synonyms for “best friend”, you might find that phrases like “soulmate” don’t really mean the same thing. The phrase “bosom buddy” is also a bit far-fetched.

Instead, choose language that is appropriate, important and modern. Since this is a speaking test, you can be a little informal. Nowadays people often say “besties” or “BFFs”.

For the topic of “best friend”, you should evoke the nature of the friendship and how the two of you became best friends. Here are some examples:

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Along with learning vocabulary, grammar is also very important. When it comes to friendship, grammar is really important because it helps you understand the context when something happens. Here are examples of different tenses for the same event to see how important the change in meaning is.

In the topic best friend, you can talk about many things like meeting that person for the first time, doing things together, going through life experiences, describing their personality, etc. All of these you have to be careful with the verb tenses.

Here is an example paragraph. Note the verb tenses used:

I first met Suzie in 1998, when we were both about twelve years old. We immediately got along well with one another and started hanging out. Of course, it’s tough being that age and so it really helped to have such a close friend as we went through those awkward teenage years together.

Later, we went to different unis and then got jobs in different cities, so we weren’t so close, but we still chatted on the phone and over the internet, and we meet up regularly even now. I’d still call her my best friend even though we don’t see each other that much and I expect she will be my bestie even twenty years from now.

Notice the verb tenses used here. Initially, the simple past is mainly used (I first met; we were both,...) but then it changes to the simple present (we meet up; we don’t see,...). The future tense is incorporated in the sentence “I expect she will be…”.

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Here is a sample answer describing a close friend.

My best friend is a guy called Rich. We met in 2003 on our first day of university, during Freshers’ Week. I can hardly believe that it was fifteen years ago! We were both seventeen at the time and we met in the halls of residence, which is where we stayed during that first year. He was an art student and I was studying literature. We got along well from the very first moment. I remember him wearing a Guns n Roses t-shirt, and they were my favourite band at the time.

We lived together for two years and have stayed best friends ever since. Rich is a very generous and creative person. He plays in a band and he loves to paint and do other artistic things. A few years ago he got married and now he has a child. He’s changed a lot since we were students, but in many ways he has stayed the same. I liked him back then because he was such a nice guy, and the same is true now. Everyone who knows him thinks he is patient and open-minded, so he’s very easy to get along with.

This speech should take about 1 hour and 20 minutes to complete. However, if you get nervous and speak too quickly, it will take you less than 1 minute, so keep your timing in check.

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Stay on topic

You should read the prompt carefully because skipping a few words can change the meaning of the question, thus affecting how you answer. For example, the prompt mentions “best friend,” but if it’s slightly different, does it change the meaning of the question? See the example below.

• Describe the person who was your best friend as a child.

• Describe a friend that you rarely speak to now.

The prompt can have many variations like “describe an old friend” or “describe a friend you met at school.” You need to make sure you understand the question clearly before coming up with an answer to avoid going off-topic.

Use simple words

The sample uses simple words. Do not use high-level vocabulary. You should focus on using simple, everyday English.

Some adjectives used are:

• open-minded

• patient

• generous

• creative

However, you should not just list adjectives when asked to describe a friend. Instead, you can tell stories or provide information about their past or present. For example, simple but effective sentences:

• He plays in a band and he loves to paint and do other artistic things.

• A few years ago he got married and now he has a child.

• He’s changed a lot since we were students, but in many ways he has stayed the same.

These things tell the listener a lot about your friend, so they are very useful. Remember that you do not need to use high-level vocabulary. Just make sure the words you use are appropriate and relevant.

Control your speaking time

The most important thing to remember is not to speak for less than 1 minute. To confidently speak for 1-2 minutes, you must practice regularly at home. Use a stopwatch when practicing to help you get used to speaking within a limited time. Control your speaking speed. Do not speak fast and do not be tense. People who are anxious tend to speak very fast and you will run out of ideas in just 30 seconds. When that happens, you will repeat ideas and your score will be very low.

I hope through this article you can have the most profound and realistic talks about your best friend. Always remember that memorizing the structure of the talk about your best friend will help you save and control your time & answer. To help you effectively prepare for the IELTS exam, IDP provides resources useful for exam preparation including Masterclass webinars, Preparation courses suggested based on each individual's needs and level.

As soon as you are ready, register for the IELTS test with IDP here!

See more:

• Topic Talk about your dream job

• Topic Describe a person you admire

• Topic Describe a family member

• Topic Describe a picture