Describe a person you would like to study or work with IELTS Cue Card

IELTS CUE CARD TOPIC

Describe a person with whom you like to study or work with.

You should say:

Who is that person?
Why would you like to study with him/her?
What will you study?

Sample 1

Introduction

In this modern era, knowledge is power, and to properly understand the concepts, you need an excellent technique to study.

To our dismay, most educational institutions teach us what to study, but they do not tell us how to learn. I am lucky to have a friend with whom I like to explore because of his unique way of looking at things.

Who is this person?

He is my bosom friend and classmate, and his name is Andrew. Like me, he is a final-year college student. Our friendship started six years back when we first interacted while having a cup of joe, and now it is burgeoning with leaps and bounds.

Explain why you want to study with this person.

I like to study with Andrew for many reasons. Firstly, he has this habit of always thinking beyond the conventional domain. Due to this reason, I always seek flashes of inspiration from him to lead my career toward an impressive growth trajectory.

Secondly, he always remains full of beans, and under his guidance, I always study with determination, dedication, and discipline.

Moreover, he focuses a lot on fostering willpower. According to him, it is a limited resource we should refrain from utilizing on menial tasks.

Apart from this, he always shares motivational stories with me, and whenever I feel stressed due to being overburdened, he boosts my morale by telling me inspirational quotes. Under his aegis, I have become as happy as a clam.

Lastly, he uses techniques like mind maps and mnemonics to study how our knowledge rises exponentially.

My friendship with him is working like a charm, which is why I love being in his company.

What will you study?

I will study with him upcoming technologies like Artificial Intelligence and Robotics etc because he knows everything from soups to nuts regarding them.

Sample 2

Introduction

Studying is a must-have to succeed in our lives; we need to do it effectively to scale heights in our careers. Although learning alone has charm, I love studying with a companion. To get better grades, I have planned to study in tandem with a person.

Who is that person?

He is my elder brother.

Why would you like to study with him?

I am in favour of studying with him for many reasons. Firstly, he does not waste time. According to him, time is the most precious resource at our disposal. Hence its practical usage is a must-have to lead our careers towards the road to success.

Secondly, he firmly believes in the power of the compound effect. Rather than focusing on significant changes, he divers his focus towards tiny improvements. He says improving by 1% daily is more than enough for continual success.

Moreover, he has read many motivational books and knows the ingredients to get good marks. As per his philosophy, morning hours are the best for study and our capacity to study declines as the day advances. By following his footsteps, I have become a morning person, and I get up at 4 am every day to start my day with a bang.

Apart from this, under this guidance, many people have gained success in their lives. And by studying in unison with him, I will enhance my knowledge.

What will you study?

We have planned that apart from the college syllabus, we will study burgeoning fields like robotics, artificial intelligence, genome sequencing, space exploration, blockchain technology, etc.

Sample 3

Introduction

In this modern era, there is more focus on understanding than getting good marks. Due to this reason. I prefer to study with someone so that I gain proper knowledge.

Although I have many people with whom I can study, I prefer one of them.

Who is that person?

He is my classmate Vivek. We have been bosom friends for five years.

Why would you like to study with him?

It is significant for me to study with him for many reasons. Firstly it will lead to a sense of accountability and motivation, as there are fewer chances to procrastinate or quit.

Additionally, studying with someone else can provide a valuable opportunity for discussion and collaboration, which can deepen your understanding of the material and help you retain information better.

Moreover, studying with someone else empowers us to pick and fill any gaps in our understanding and offers a new way to look at the questions.

Furthermore, studying alone is usually isolating for me, and sometimes I find it challenging to focus. However, when I learn with others, I feel energized and connected.

Another reason is that studying with him works like a charm for me because he has a logical mindset which helps him understand and explain complex problems with tremendous ease.

Lastly, studying with him is enjoyable, which is not the case when I learn alone, as the learning process becomes less cumbersome.

What will you study?

As my final year exams are nearby, I will study all my subjects with him.

Sample 4

Introduction

Since childhood, I have dreamed of running a profitable business and identified a partner for my venture.

Who is that person?

He is my friend Philip, and we have been amigos for ten years. Every day we go for a morning walk together to keep ourselves physically and mentally fit.

Why would you like to work with him?

He has a boatload of qualities that inspire me to work with him. Firstly, he is a new-age entrepreneur who knows the meat and potatoes of burgeoning fields like digital marketing, artificial intelligence, blockchain, genome sequencing, etcetera. Slowly the world is changing, and a paradigm shift is taking place due to which many jobs will cease to exist in the future.

In such a scenario keeping yourself updated with the trends is of utmost importance. Because not changing ourselves according to the demands of the modern era is detrimental to our careers. I will move in synchronisation with the contemporary period by working with Philip. Furthermore, it will help me to start my career on a positive note.

He has also said yes to providing funds for my project. Although I have a lot of ideas to make my business a roaring success, I need more money to run the show. I will pursue my dreams through his unabated support in the form of cash and efforts.

What work will you do?

I have many projects to do with him. However, I plan to build a mobile phone application to improve my communication skills. I have the content ready with me, and with the technical support of Philip, I will start my new project with a bang.

Follow-ups

Here are some examples of follow-up questions that the examiner might ask during your speaking part 3 related to the cue card “Describe a person you would like to study or work with”.

1. What kind of people do you like to study or work with?

I like to study or work with those who do their respective tasks with determination, dedication, and discipline. Moreover, they should refrain from playing chin music.

2. Do you think managers can be friends with their subordinates?

Yes, managers can be friends with their subordinates, but they should not mix their emotions with their profession. While working, they must behave like a senior; on the contrary, they can be casual with their subordinates outside the workplace.

3. Which is more critical for you at work, the development of job-related skills or the recognition from your supervisor?

Both skill development and recognition are vital to have a satisfying job. If you have good credit but need to learn new things, that is detrimental to your career. On the other hand, you are honing your skill set, but your seniors need to pay more attention to you, which is also an imprudent approach.

4. Should children be allowed to choose whom they want to sit with, or should it be decided by the teacher?

In the budding years, it is the teacher’s bounden duty to discipline the children. Due to this reason, the seating arrangements in the class should be according to the educator. However, in senior ranks, the children can decide with whom they want to sit in the classroom.

5. Should children be involved in the management activities of the school?

I am not in solidarity with the view of involving children in management activities of the school because, in this contemporary epoch, fierce competition has become an integral part of our lives. Due to this reason, the central focus of the children should be on learning and development. Moreover, these days, children have less time to indulge in pursuits apart from studies. Hence, their involvement in the management activities of the school is an imprudent approach.

6. How should one behave in the office to get along well with others?

In the office, we should work in tandem with other team members and provide unabated support to the company we work with so that it could lead toward an impressive growth trajectory.

7. Is it essential for children in school to get along well with others?

Yes, children need to get along with others because it prevents them from satay away from unnecessary fights and altercations. Moreover, it puts their attention on their study and empowers them to handle all the conflicts adroitly.

8. In what situations is it recommended to study alone?

Studying alone when the exams are nearby is highly recommended because, during that time, we need to focus on what we know rather than gaining more knowledge.

When we study with others during exams, we confuse ourselves because clearing doubts at the fang end puts us in a state of dilemma. Moreover, if the person we discuss has a counter opinion, we tend to doubt our capabilities and intellect. Hence studying alone during exam days is a prudent approach.

Vocab

To our dismay

Meaning: A shocking moment

Sentence: Although I did my best to make my start-up a colossal success, to my dismay, there were many stumbling blocks for which I could have done better.

2. At our disposal

Meaning: Available for you to use at any time

Sentence: Due to the overuse of social media, most students have less time at their disposal to spend with their near and dear ones. It provides instant gratification to them, and they run after it.

3. Plays chin music

Meaning: Gossip

Sentence: During my college days I had an uncanny knack for playing chin music with my roommates. I used to do it over a cup of joe.

4. Cup of joe

Meaning: Coffee

Sentence: The greatest thing since sliced bread is a cup of joe because it gives me a boatload of energy during challenging times.

5. Happy as a clam

Meaning: Happy One

Sentence: During college, I was happy as a clam because I would have a gala with my friends every day. Due to this reason, whenever I cross my college, I go nostalgic.

6. Full of beans

Meaning: Happy One

Sentence: We need not waste our energy on menial tasks to preserve willpower and remain full of beans throughout the day.

7. Everything from soups to nuts

Meaning: A variety of things.

Sentence: During my budding years as a startup owner, I did everything from soups to nuts to make my venture successful.