Describe a time you were friendly to someone you did not like.
This test has appeared in 2 seasons · 1 reported by test takers
- May–Aug/2022
- Jan–Apr/2022
Reported by test takers Forecast only
Part 1
The examiner asks about you and two familiar topics. About 4–5 minutes.
Your home
- Do you live in a house or an apartment? (Why?)
- Which room do you spend the most time in? (Why?)
- What would you like to change about your home? (Why?)
- Do you think you will live there for a long time? (Why not?)
Mobile phones
- How often do you use your mobile phone? (Tell me more about that.)
- What do you mainly use your phone for? (Tell me more about that.)
- How old were you when you got your first mobile phone? (Tell me more about that.)
- Do you think children should have their own mobile phones? (Why is that?)
Keeping old things
- Do you usually keep old things or throw them away? (Why is that?)
- What is something old that you still keep? (Tell me more about that.)
- Have you kept anything from your childhood? (Why is that?)
- Do you think it's a good idea to keep old things for a long time? (Why is that?)
Part 2
One minute to prepare, then speak for one to two minutes.
You should say:
- who the person was
- why you did not like them
- what the situation was
and explain why you decided to be friendly to them.
Follow-up question after your talk: Has your opinion of this person changed since then? / Was it difficult for you to be friendly on that occasion?
Part 3
A broader, more abstract discussion of the Part 2 topic. About 4–5 minutes.
getting along with difficult people
- Can you explain why people are polite to others they do not really like?
- In general, how honest should people be about their real feelings at work?
- What could be done about colleagues who argue with each other constantly?
manners in society
- Can you describe the kinds of behaviour that are considered polite in your country?
- In general, how much have manners changed since your parents were young?
- Can you speculate on how working from home will affect the way colleagues treat each other?
Test titles follow test-taker reports and each season's forecasts — IELTS does not publish its papers. "Reported" means someone reported meeting this topic in a dated test. The questions are written by us in the format of the real test.