IELTS Speaking Part 2: Describe a family member you are close to

This topic overlaps with 'a person you admire', so examiners specifically listen for closeness — shared time, private jokes, small daily habits — rather than achievements or admiration in the abstract.

The cue card

Describe a family member you are close to.

You should say:

  • who this person is
  • how often you see them
  • what you do together
  • and explain why you are close to this person

60 seconds to prepare · speak for 1–2 minutes

Your one-minute prep plan

  1. 1Choose someone you genuinely see often, not the family member you're 'supposed' to pick.
  2. 2Note one small shared ritual — a phone call, a meal, a walk — that proves the closeness.
  3. 3Note something that has changed in the relationship over time, which adds depth.
  4. 4Note the specific reason for the closeness, not just 'because we're family'.

Band 9 model answer

The family member I'm closest to is actually my older cousin Wei, who's more like a sibling since we grew up in the same building and our mothers worked opposite shifts, so one of us was basically always at the other's flat. We're both in our late twenties now and don't live together anymore, but we still talk almost every single day, usually a voice message while one of us is cooking, which sounds trivial but has been the constant thing in both our lives through several house moves and two failed relationships between us. When we actually meet, maybe twice a month, we don't really plan anything — we just end up at the same noodle place we've gone to since we were teenagers and stay there for three hours doing nothing important. What's changed, I think, is that when we were younger the closeness was just circumstance, proximity, whereas now it's a choice we both keep making despite living in different parts of the city. That's really why I'd say we're close — not shared blood, which we obviously have anyway, but the fact that neither of us has ever let the daily voice message become optional, even during the periods when we were both genuinely busy or a bit low. It's the most reliable relationship I have, and I don't think I fully appreciated that until I tried to imagine going a week without hearing from him.

The same answer at band 7

I am closest to my cousin Wei. We grew up in the same building because our mothers had different work shifts, so we spent a lot of time together as children. Now we are both in our late twenties and we do not live together, but we talk almost every day by voice message. We meet about twice a month and we usually go to the same noodle restaurant we went to when we were teenagers, and we just talk for a long time. When we were young we were close because we lived near each other, but now I think we choose to stay close even though we are both busy. I am close to him because he has always been there for me and we never stopped talking, even when things were difficult. He is like a brother to me, not just a cousin.

Both answers use the same real detail, which is why they are believable. The band 9 version separates 'closeness by circumstance' from 'closeness by choice' as an idea, and ends with a small emotional admission, which lifts it above competent description.

Phrases worth stealing

“…more like a sibling than a cousin.”
Efficient way to signal unusual closeness for a family topic.
“It sounds trivial but has been the constant thing.”
Elevates a small daily habit into a meaningful detail.
“We don't really plan anything — we just end up at…”
Natural phrasing for a long-running, low-effort routine.
“Back then it was circumstance; now it's a choice.”
Then-and-now contrast that suits any long relationship topic.
“…neither of us has ever let it become optional.”
Strong phrase for describing consistent effort in a relationship.
“I didn't fully appreciate that until I imagined the alternative.”
Reflective closing line for closeness/gratitude topics.

Part 3 questions that usually follow

Do you think extended families are as close as they used to be?

Contrast living arrangements a generation ago with today, and mention how technology partly compensates.

Should adult children live with their parents?

Distinguish cultural expectation from personal circumstance, and avoid a single blanket answer.

How does technology affect family relationships?

Give one clear benefit and one clear drawback, then a brief personal judgement rather than sitting on the fence.

Mistakes to avoid

Now say it out loud

Reading model answers only gets you so far. Linguently gives you a timed Part 2 recorder with AI feedback on fluency, grammar and pronunciation, plus native speakers to practise with in real conversations.

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More Part 2 cue cards

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