People, Advice and Personal Influence – IELTS Speaking Questions
Practice focus: Describing a person and a meaningful interaction, explaining qualities with evidence, and discussing influence across generations.
Before you begin practice
Ask a partner to act as the examiner, or record yourself. Allow approximately 11-14 minutes for the full interview. The examiner should ask the questions in order and should not explain or teach during the test.
Part 1 – Introduction and interview
Suggested practice time: 4-5 minutes. The examiner introduces the interview and asks questions about familiar topics.
Examiner: Good morning/afternoon. My name is ____. Could you tell me your full name, please?
Examiner: Thank you. Now, let us talk about a few familiar topics.
Friends
- Do you have a large group of friends or a small one?
- How do you usually keep in touch with friends?
- What qualities do you value in a friend?
- Do you find it easy to make new friends?
Advice
- Who do you usually ask for advice?
- Do you prefer giving advice or receiving it?
- Has anyone given you advice that you still remember?
- Do people ask for advice online nowadays?
Celebrations
- What occasions do people celebrate in your country?
- Do you prefer large celebrations or small gatherings?
- How do you usually celebrate your birthday?
- Have celebrations changed since you were a child?
Part 1 – Band comparison
Question: Who do you usually ask for advice?
Notice how each answer responds directly, adds an appropriate amount of detail and sounds like a spoken reply rather than a prepared mini-essay.
Band 6 model response
I usually ask a close friend or a family member, depending on the problem. If it is about work, I may talk to a friend who has more experience. For personal matters, I prefer speaking to someone who knows me well.
Band 7 model response
It depends on the decision. For practical matters, I often turn to someone with relevant experience, whereas for personal issues I speak to a close friend or family member. I value advice from people who listen carefully rather than immediately telling me what to do.
Band 8 model response
I choose the person according to the issue. If I am making a professional decision, I would rather speak to someone who has dealt with a similar situation. For personal matters, I tend to approach a trusted friend or relative who understands my priorities and will be honest with me.
Band 9 model response
I try to match the source of advice to the decision. For a career question, I would seek out someone with first-hand experience; for a personal dilemma, I would speak to someone who knows my values well enough to challenge me constructively. I do not necessarily follow their recommendation, but a thoughtful outside perspective is invaluable.
Part 2 – Individual long turn
Suggested practice time: 3-4 minutes in total. You have one minute to make notes. Then speak for 1-2 minutes. The examiner may ask one short follow-up question.
Describe a person who taught you something important.
You should say:
- who the person is
- what they taught you
- how they taught you
and explain why what you learned has been important to you.
Band 6, 7, 8 and 9 sample long turns
The four responses address the same task. Compare how the speaker develops the story, chooses vocabulary and controls sentence structure. Do not memorise them as scripts.
Band 6 model response
A person who taught me something important was one of my former teachers. He taught me how to organise my time and prepare for difficult tasks. Before that, I often started work without a clear plan and then became stressed when I had several deadlines.
He did not give me a complicated system. He advised me to write down the tasks, decide which ones were most important and divide large tasks into smaller steps. He also showed me how to review my progress at the end of the day. I tried his method for a few weeks and gradually made it part of my routine.
It has been important because I can manage my responsibilities more calmly. I still do not follow the plan perfectly every day, but I waste less time and feel more in control.
Band 7 model response
Someone who taught me an important lesson was a teacher I had several years ago. He helped me understand the value of planning rather than relying on last-minute effort. At the time, I tended to underestimate how long assignments would take, which meant I often felt under pressure.
Instead of simply telling me to work harder, he showed me a practical method: list the tasks, break each one into manageable stages and set a realistic deadline for each stage. He encouraged me to try it for a month and then reflect on what had improved.
I still use a version of that approach. It has made me more reliable and reduced unnecessary stress. What mattered most was that he demonstrated the method and allowed me to test it, rather than expecting me to change overnight.
Band 8 model response
A person who had a lasting influence on me was a teacher who showed me how to manage my time more deliberately. I used to confuse being busy with being productive, so I would begin several tasks at once and struggle to finish them properly.
He introduced me to a simple but effective routine: identify the most important outcome, divide it into smaller actions and give each action a realistic time frame. He also asked me to review what had interrupted me, which helped me recognise patterns rather than blame myself whenever I fell behind.
I value the lesson because it changed the way I approach work. I am now more likely to prioritise, estimate the effort involved and leave room for unexpected tasks. It is not a magic formula, but it has made me more consistent and less reactive.
Band 9 model response
The person who taught me one of the most useful lessons was a teacher who helped me rethink my relationship with time. I had always assumed that working longer hours meant making better progress, yet I was often switching between tasks and finishing the day with little to show for it.
He encouraged me to start with the outcome rather than the activity. I would decide what genuinely needed to be achieved, break it into specific steps and allocate time realistically. He also asked me to review distractions without turning the exercise into self-criticism. Over time, I began to notice which habits were undermining my concentration.
The lesson has stayed with me because it is transferable. Whether I am studying, working or organising something personal, I now try to distinguish what is urgent from what is important. It has made me more deliberate, and perhaps more importantly, it has taught me that effective work depends on judgement as much as effort.
Part 3 – Two-way discussion
Suggested practice time: 4-5 minutes. These questions move from personal experience to broader social issues. Give reasons, examples and qualifications where they are relevant.
Why do some people have a stronger influence on us than others?
Band 6 model response
Some people influence us because we trust them and spend a lot of time with them. They may also have experience that we do not have. If they treat us well and give useful advice, we are more likely to listen to them.
Band 7 model response
Influence often comes from a combination of trust, experience and personal example. We are more likely to listen to someone whose actions match their words, especially if they understand our situation and do not try to force their opinions on us.
Band 8 model response
People tend to influence us when they combine credibility with a genuine understanding of our circumstances. Their behaviour may demonstrate a quality we admire, while their advice feels relevant rather than imposed. That makes their example persuasive even when they are not actively trying to teach us.
Band 9 model response
Influence is strongest when credibility and emotional connection reinforce one another. We may admire someone’s expertise, but we are more likely to be changed by them when they also understand our concerns and behave consistently with the values they express. Their example gives their words weight.
Is advice from older people always better than advice from younger people?
Band 6 model response
No, not always. Older people usually have more life experience, but younger people may understand new technology or current trends better. The best advice depends on the subject and the experience of the person giving it.
Band 7 model response
Not necessarily. Older people may offer valuable perspective because they have experienced more situations, but younger people can have more up-to-date knowledge in certain areas. I would judge advice by the person’s relevant experience, not simply their age.
Band 8 model response
Age can bring perspective, but it does not automatically make someone’s advice reliable. A younger person may understand a rapidly changing industry far better, while an older person may be better placed to discuss long-term consequences. Relevance and judgement matter more than age alone.
Band 9 model response
I would avoid treating age as a proxy for wisdom. Experience can help people recognise patterns and anticipate consequences, but experience is only useful when it is relevant and critically examined. In a fast-changing field, a younger specialist may offer much sounder advice than an older person relying on outdated assumptions.
How has social media changed the way people maintain friendships?
Band 6 model response
It is easier to stay in contact because people can send messages and share photos at any time. However, online communication is not the same as meeting in person, and some friendships may become less personal.
Band 7 model response
Social media makes it easier to maintain contact across distance and keep up with small events in friends’ lives. However, frequent messages can create an illusion of closeness, so people still need meaningful conversations and face-to-face time.
Band 8 model response
It has made friendship maintenance more convenient, particularly when people live in different places. At the same time, communication can become shallow if it is limited to reactions and brief updates. Digital contact works best as a bridge to genuine interaction, not a substitute for it.
Band 9 model response
Social media has lowered the effort required to stay visible in one another’s lives, which is useful when distance or busy schedules get in the way. Yet visibility is not the same as intimacy. Strong friendships still depend on attention, trust and conversations that go beyond exchanging updates.
Should schools teach children how to resolve disagreements?
Band 6 model response
Yes, because children will have disagreements with classmates and friends. They should learn to listen, explain their feelings and find a fair solution. These skills can help them at school and later in their working lives.
Band 7 model response
Definitely. Disagreement is part of everyday life, so children need to learn how to express a different view without becoming aggressive. Schools can teach listening, negotiation and ways to solve problems through group activities.
Band 8 model response
It would be a valuable part of social education. Children should learn to distinguish disagreement from personal conflict, listen to another viewpoint and look for a workable compromise. These abilities are useful in classrooms, families and future workplaces.
Band 9 model response
Yes, because the ability to disagree constructively is central to cooperation. Children can be taught to listen for the other person’s reasoning, express their own concerns clearly and separate criticism of an idea from criticism of an individual. Those habits are relevant far beyond school.
Do public figures have a responsibility to set a good example?
Band 6 model response
I think they should, especially when many young people follow them. They cannot be perfect, but they should understand that their behaviour can influence others. They should be careful about promoting harmful ideas or products.
Band 7 model response
They do have some responsibility because their actions can reach a large audience. That does not mean they must behave perfectly, but they should be aware of the influence they have, particularly on younger followers.
Band 8 model response
A degree of responsibility is reasonable, especially when public figures actively use their platform to influence behaviour. They should be transparent about commercial interests and avoid presenting harmful conduct as harmless. However, audiences also need to think critically rather than imitate everything they see.
Band 9 model response
The larger the audience and the more deliberately someone seeks to influence it, the greater their responsibility should be. Public figures are entitled to private lives and ordinary mistakes, but they should not exploit trust, conceal commercial motives or encourage behaviour that could foreseeably harm followers.
Test strategy and language bank
- For a person description, choose two or three qualities and prove them through actions rather than listing adjectives.
- Make the story personal: explain what you did differently afterwards and why the lesson lasted.
- Part 3 often invites generalisation. Qualify your view with ‘not necessarily’, ‘it depends on the field’ or ‘to some extent’ when appropriate.
Useful topic language
- first-hand experience – direct personal experience
- lead by example – show others how to behave through your actions
- a lasting influence – an effect that continues over time
- constructive criticism – feedback intended to help someone improve
- a proxy for wisdom – a substitute indicator that does not always prove wisdom
After the test: review your performance
- Did I answer the question before adding extra detail?
- Did I develop my Part 2 response with a clear sequence and enough specific detail?
- Did I explain and support my Part 3 opinions rather than simply state them?
- Did I repeat the same vocabulary or linking phrases too often?
- Could a listener understand every word without needing to concentrate unusually hard?