The cue card
Describe a friend you have known for a long time.
You should say:
- who this friend is
- how and where you first met
- what you usually do together
and explain why your friendship has lasted so long.
You have one minute to make notes, then speak for one to two minutes.
Band 8–9 sample answer
Written by Abroadway as a model of natural, high-band speaking (not an official IELTS sample).
The friend I want to describe is Tanvir, who I've known since we were both about seven. He's now studying architecture at a university in Khulna, while I'm in Dhaka, so we don't see each other nearly as often as we used to, but he's still the first person I message when something big happens. We met in a rather unglamorous way, actually. His family had just moved into the flat below ours in Rajshahi, and on his very first day there, our cricket ball smashed one of his mother's flowerpots.
I was the one who had hit it, but Tanvir took the blame, and his mother, who was furious, ended up giving us both a lecture followed by a plate of pithas. From then on we were inseparable. We went to the same school, shared the same bench for years and, rather embarrassingly, even failed the same Bangla grammar test in class six. These days, what we do together depends on whether we're in the same city.
During the holidays, when we're both back in Rajshahi, we usually go for long evening walks along the bank of the Padma, eat far too much street food and talk about everything from exams to our families' expectations. When we're apart, we keep in touch through voice notes, some of which go on for ten minutes, which our other friends find hilarious. So why has it lasted? I think it's partly because we've never tried to change each other.
He's calm and methodical, whereas I tend to be quite impulsive, so we balance each other out. More importantly, though, we've stood by each other through some genuinely difficult times, like when his father was seriously ill a few years ago. Once you've been through something like that together, you don't just drift apart because of distance.
Useful phrases from this answer
- took the blame
- said that something was his fault, even though it was not
- we were inseparable
- we were always together
- keep in touch
- stay in contact with someone
- balance each other out
- our different personalities make a good combination
- stood by each other
- supported each other during difficult times
- drift apart
- slowly become less close over time
- first impressions
- the opinion you form when you meet someone for the first time
- more guarded
- more careful about trusting people or showing feelings
Part 3 follow-up questions and answers
How do people usually make new friends in your country?
For most people in Bangladesh, friendships grow out of shared spaces, especially school, college and university. Students spend long hours together, not only in class but also at coaching centres and tea stalls afterwards, so close bonds form quite naturally. Neighbourhoods matter too; in many areas children still play cricket or football in the lane, and their parents often become friends as a result. For adults, the workplace is the main source of new friends, although people also connect through religious gatherings, community events and, increasingly, online groups based on hobbies. I'd say, though, that adults in big cities find it noticeably harder, because everyone is so busy.
Is it easier for children or adults to make friends? Why?
Generally speaking, it's much easier for children. Young children aren't very self-conscious, so they'll happily start playing with someone they met five minutes earlier, without worrying about status or first impressions. They're also surrounded by potential friends every day at school. Adults, by contrast, tend to have less free time and more fixed routines, and many of them are juggling work and family responsibilities, which leaves little room for new relationships. Adults can also be more guarded, because they've learnt that trust can be broken. That said, adults sometimes form deeper friendships when they do make them, because they're more selective about who they open up to.
How has technology changed the way people keep in touch with friends?
It has made staying in touch almost effortless, which is mostly a good thing. A generation ago, if a friend moved to another city, you might have relied on occasional phone calls or letters, and many friendships simply faded away. Now people can share photos, voice notes and video calls instantly, even across continents, which matters a lot in a country like Bangladesh, where so many families have relatives working abroad. On the downside, I think the quality of contact has sometimes suffered. Reacting to someone's post with an emoji can create an illusion of closeness without much real conversation, so people may feel connected while actually knowing less about each other's lives.
Can online friendships be as strong as face-to-face ones?
To some extent, yes, although I'd say they're usually different rather than equal. People who share a niche interest, such as a particular game or a rare illness, can find real understanding online that they might never find in their local area, and those bonds can be surprisingly deep. However, online friendships lack many of the things that build trust, like body language, shared experiences and simply being there physically when someone is going through a hard time. There's also a risk that people present an edited version of themselves online. So I think online friendships can be strong, but they only become truly solid when they move into real life at some point.
Why do some friendships come to an end as people grow older?
Mostly because people's lives head in different directions. At school, friends share the same timetable, the same worries and often the same neighbourhood, but once they leave, they go to different universities, take jobs in different cities and later start families, so the everyday glue that held the friendship together disappears. Values can change as well; two people who were close at fifteen might have very different priorities at thirty. I don't think this is necessarily sad, though. Some friendships belong to a particular stage of life, and it's natural for them to fade, while the ones that survive these changes tend to become even more valuable.
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