IELTS Speaking Part 2: Describe a friend you spend a lot of time with

Friend cue cards often collapse into 'we like the same things and never argue', which is flat and unconvincing. A believable answer includes at least one point of friction, because real friendships have some.

The cue card

Describe a friend you spend a lot of time with.

You should say:

  • who this friend is
  • how you met
  • what you usually do together
  • and explain why you spend so much time with them

60 seconds to prepare · speak for 1–2 minutes

Your one-minute prep plan

  1. 1Name the friend and how you met in one sentence, so you don't waste time deciding this live.
  2. 2Note your actual weekly or regular routine together — a real habit, not a generic activity.
  3. 3Note one difference between you two, which makes the friendship sound real rather than idealised.
  4. 4Note the one reason the friendship has lasted, which is your answer to the final bullet.

Band 9 model answer

The friend I want to describe is Priya, who I met in my first week at university when we were both assigned the same badly organised group project and ended up doing most of it ourselves at two in the morning. We've been close for about five years now and we probably see each other three or four times a week, which is a lot considering we don't even work in the same field anymore. Our routine is pretty unglamorous — we usually just cook dinner at whichever flat is closer and complain about our weeks, and every couple of months we go running together, badly, and stop halfway to get food instead. We're actually quite different people; she's extremely organised and plans everything two weeks in advance, whereas I decide what I'm doing for the day about an hour beforehand, and that used to genuinely annoy her. I think the reason we've stayed this close, honestly, isn't that we're similar — it's that she's one of maybe two people I don't have to perform anything for. I can turn up at her door having had a terrible day and not explain myself, and she just puts the kettle on. That sounds small, but there are very few relationships in adult life where that's true, and I think that's exactly why I keep making time for this one even when my schedule doesn't really allow it.

The same answer at band 7

I want to talk about my friend Priya. I met her in my first year at university when we worked together on a group project. We have been friends for about five years and we see each other three or four times a week, which is quite often. Usually we cook dinner together at one of our flats and talk about our week, and sometimes we go running together, although we are not very fast. We are different in some ways — she is very organised and plans things early, but I usually decide things at the last minute, so this sometimes causes small problems. I spend a lot of time with her because I feel very comfortable with her and I do not need to pretend to be someone else. She is one of my closest friends and I think we will stay close for a long time.

The band 7 answer hits every bullet cleanly. The band 9 answer adds a genuine point of friction (the planning habit that used to annoy her) and closes on an idea — not performing for someone — which makes the final bullet feel earned rather than stated.

Phrases worth stealing

“We ended up doing most of it ourselves at two in the morning.”
Concrete, slightly self-deprecating detail that makes a 'how you met' story memorable.
“Our routine is pretty unglamorous.”
Honest phrase that avoids sounding like a rehearsed answer.
“That used to genuinely annoy her.”
Small conflict detail that adds realism to a friendship description.
“…isn't that we're similar — it's that…”
Contrast structure for explaining a relationship's real basis.
“I don't have to perform anything for her.”
Natural, slightly abstract phrase for close-friendship topics.
“That sounds small, but…”
Signals you're about to justify a detail with a bigger idea.

Part 3 questions that usually follow

What makes a good friendship last a long time?

Offer two factors — shared values and simple availability — and say which you think is underrated.

Do you think online friendships are as strong as offline ones?

Avoid an absolute answer; distinguish between maintaining an existing friendship online and forming a new one that way.

How do friendships change as people get older?

Contrast the quantity of friends in childhood with the depth of fewer friendships in adulthood, with a brief personal note.

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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