Describe a Family Member You Admire: IELTS Cue Card with Band 8 Sample Answer

The family member I admire most is my father. He’s fifty-eight now and, for most of his life, he worked as an accountant for a large construction company.

What he does now is quite different, which is actually part of the reason I admire him. A few years ago he became seriously ill and spent several weeks in hospital. It was a frightening time for all of us. During his recovery, he decided that he didn’t want to spend the rest of his working life in an office doing something that made him stressed. So, at fifty-five, he left his job and opened a small bicycle repair workshop, which had been a hobby of his since he was a teenager.

As for what kind of person he is, he’s very quiet and patient. He’s not someone who gives long speeches or tells you what to do. Instead, he listens, asks a couple of questions and lets you work things out for yourself. He also never complains. Even when he was ill, he was the one making jokes to keep everyone else calm.

I admire him for two main reasons. Firstly, it takes real courage to walk away from a secure, well-paid job at that age, especially with a family to support. A lot of people talk about changing their lives, but very few actually do it. Secondly, he taught me, mostly by example, that health and happiness matter more than money or status. He earns less now, but he’s clearly much happier, and the workshop has become a kind of meeting place for people in the neighbourhood. I really hope I’ll have the same courage if I ever need to make a big change.

Useful language:a frightening timeduring his recoverywalk away from a secure joblets you work things out for yourselfmostly by examplea kind of meeting placeit takes real courage

Traditionally, older relatives have had a very important role. Grandparents often help to raise children while parents work, and they pass on family traditions, recipes and stories. That said, as more families move to cities and live in smaller flats, grandparents are less involved in daily life than they used to be, which I think is a real loss.

Useful language:raise childrenpass ona real loss

They learn different things from each. School teaches academic knowledge and how to get on with people of their own age, but parents shape values, habits and attitudes, like how to handle money or deal with problems. I’d argue that what children learn at home has the more lasting effect, because they see it every day.

Useful language:shape valuesa more lasting effect

Families have generally become smaller, as people have fewer children and have them later. There are also more single-parent families and more people living alone. Roles within families have changed too: in many households both parents work and share childcare and housework, which was much less common a generation ago.

Useful language:single-parent familiesshare childcare

It certainly helps, especially when there are young children or elderly relatives who need care. However, I don’t think distance has to weaken family relationships. With video calls and cheaper travel, many families stay very close emotionally even when they live in different countries. What matters most is making the effort to stay in touch.

Useful language:weaken family relationshipsmake the effort to stay in touch