Describe an old person you admire

IELTS Cue Card Question 5: 

Describe an old person you admire. 

You should say:

· who this person is

· where did you meet with him/her

· what characteristics you most like on him/her

and explain why you admire this person.

[You will have to talk about the topic for 1 to 2 minutes. You have one minute to think about what you're going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish.]

Model Answer 1:

I have a senior friend. He is much older than I am and even he is senior to my parents. He is almost in his 60s and passing the retirement days. He is Mr. Rodrick – a neighbor living our next door apartment. He is a former police officer and now living his retired life with his family.

I first met with Mr. Rodrick at the elevator when we newly bought the apartment many years ago. I was in a rush to attend a social programme and thus was running to catch the elevator but unfortunately, the elevator was going to be closed. Suddenly I noticed an older man smiling inside the elevator while he was pressing the waiting button, for me. We got down together and talked a little. He did not forget to invite me to his apartment.

Mr. Rodrcik is the man of natural intelligence. He has very good observation quality. He has developed the observation power when he was in the police force and that has helped him greatly to succeed in the profession. His sharp intelligence is still helping him to enjoy his retirement days.

I mostly admire him for his friendly behavior which is currently unavailable to the senior citizens like him. He has the ability to make friends within a few minutes. I have learned many important aspects from him and he shared his knowledge with me whenever I wanted to know from him. He never turned irritated and the most important thing for my admiration on him is his pleasant behavior to all.

Cue Card Answer 2:

My grandmother is about 65 and I admire her a lot for the amiable and benevolent nature she possesses.  Her name is Samantha and she is a well-educated and wise woman. I have a daughter of 6 years old and I wish her to become a great person as my grandmother is.

I know my grandmother from the day I came to this world. In fact, she was there when I was born. I grew up and passed my adolescent and young age with the love and affection of my grandmother. In fact, after my grandfather died, she started living in our house.

My grandmother is a highly talented person and a great mentor. Her affable characteristics and helpful mentality are most attractive. Even a stranger can feel her great heart in few minutes. I can recall several occasions when she took great risks to help others. She was a school teacher until she retired and there are still so many students who write to her to show their respects and affections.

Personally, I like her firm belief in humanity and an unquenchable thrust for learning and reading. My father became a voracious reader only because of her. She is caring and emotionally open. Above all, she is an ideal and successful mother. The other qualities she possesses are also exemplary. These other qualities include truthfulness, confidence, and fairness. I was quite amazed in my early teens when I found her taking the side of a neighbor against his own son in a dispute. I have not met so many incorruptible, straight and morally upright humans.

I admire her from the deep down of my heart. I love to spend time with her because she is intelligent and can give proper guidance. She is a reliable critic who often inspired me to work harder. Her affection and caring is probably the main reason I admire and love her so much.

Part 3 : Details Discussion

Q. What average age is normal for retirement in your opinion?

A. I think the normal retirement age should be 65 years because the average life cycle in my country is over 70 years and the people who got retired by their 60s may be able to contribute for five years more if the age is increased. When they got retired, they have nothing much to instead of remembering the past. But their hard-earned expertise and experience might be used for the further development of the society.

Q. What are the good things about being retired? 

A. When someone is retired, there are few good things. Firstly, they have enough time to think over an issue to bring a positive change as most of the employed people are routine-bound and rarely have time to ponder. Secondly, they are the pool of experience and they could use them to meet their individual needs. Thirdly, the retired people have plenty of time and thus they could use them in different productive activities.

Q. How does the government in your country treat the retired people? 

A. The government of my state provides the retired people with different incentives. They have health and medical allowance and special facilities in hospitals, they are awarded different other incentives like senior citizens allowance, priority and assistance in every task;  for instance, they get assistance even if they are in a queue of tickets for a bus ride and more other similar issues.

Q. Can young specialist substitute the old ones who are in retirement in the workplace? 

A. I do not think that the young specialist can substitute the skilled retired workforce. The young are still in a learning process and lacks the maturity and expertise to execute a task smoothly. On the other side, the retired people have performed that tasks probably hundred thousand times and thus they have achieved excellence at their respective workplaces. So, it needs more time for the young specialists to substitute the retired hands and in fact, it is not possible for the young to beat the old in terms of executing respective tasks.

Q. What do you think is it necessary to give retirement to people? Why/ Why not?

A. In my individual opinion, it appears that the senior people need retirement after a certain age. As a human being, we have many limitations and thus we need to take rest. It is applicable for the retired people too. They may make accidental mistakes in their workplace if they are not retired after a specific period. With the advancement of age, people start losing their working ability and when they reach the limit, there are mistakes and accidents. So they need to go for retirement but that should be done after a certain age.

Q. What are the pros and cons of being retired? 

A. The most important benefit of retirement is that you will have plenty of time and no tension to pass the remaining life, but people who are habituated to work cannot sit idle. There are some people who do not work for earning their living only rather they need to work to remain alive. They need to work for their mental stability and when they get retired, they suffer from mental stress.