Describe a Friend You Have Known for a Long Time (Best Friend): IELTS Cue Card

I’d like to talk about my best friend, Daniel, who I’ve known for almost twenty years now. He’s an engineer and lives in another city these days, but he’s still the person I call first when something important happens.

We met when we were about seven. His family moved into a house on our street, and, funnily enough, our first conversation was an argument over a football that had gone over his fence. Within a week, though, we were inseparable. We went to the same primary and secondary school and spent pretty much every afternoon together.

As for what we do together, when we were younger it was mostly football and video games. Now that we’re adults, it’s a bit different. When he comes back to visit, we usually cook a big meal together and go for long walks, and we talk for hours about everything from work to family. Since he moved away, we also have a video call every couple of weeks, which we’ve managed to keep up for about four years.

I think our friendship has lasted for two reasons. Firstly, we’re completely honest with each other, even when it’s uncomfortable. He was the one who told me I was in the wrong degree, and he was right. Secondly, he was there for me when it really mattered: when my father was seriously ill, he drove four hours just to sit with me at the hospital. Since then, I’ve known he’s a friend for life. And the nice thing is that we don’t need to talk every day; whenever we meet, it feels as if no time has passed.

Useful language:inseparablepretty much every afternoonas forkeep upthere for me when it really mattereda friend for lifeas if no time has passed

Definitely as a child. Children spend hours together every day at school, they’re less self-conscious, and they don’t have many responsibilities. As adults, we’re busy with work and family, and we tend to be more cautious about trusting people. Most adult friendships come from work or shared hobbies, and they take much longer to develop.

Useful language:less self-consciousmore cautioustake much longer to develop

It can help people stay in touch, especially with friends who live abroad, because it’s quick and free. But I think it creates a slightly false sense of closeness. Seeing someone’s photos isn’t the same as having a real conversation, so social media is useful for maintaining friendships, but not really for deepening them.

Useful language:stay in toucha false sense of closenessdeepening

That’s a tough one, but I’d probably say honesty, because a friend who only tells you what you want to hear can’t really help you grow. Having said that, the two are closely connected. A loyal friend is honest with you in private and defends you in public, and that combination is what makes a friendship last.

Useful language:what you want to hearclosely connected

Often it’s not because of a big argument but simply because people drift apart. They move to different cities, change jobs or start families, and they stop making the effort to meet. Sometimes friends also develop different values as they grow up. I think friendships need maintenance, just like any other relationship.

Useful language:drift apartmake the effortneed maintenance