A Person You Admire Topic
Part 1 Questions
Short, personal questions. Answer directly, then add one extra sentence to extend your answer naturally.
1. Do you have a role model?
"Yes, I do, though it is someone I know personally rather than a public figure."
2. Who do you admire most?
"Probably a former manager of mine, who taught me a great deal about staying calm and professional under pressure."
3. Is it important to have someone to look up to?
"I think so, yes. Having a role model gives you something concrete to aspire towards, rather than a vague idea of self-improvement."
4. Do you admire people you know personally, or public figures?
"Mostly people I know personally, since I find it easier to relate to someone whose actual daily choices and struggles I have witnessed."
5. What qualities do you admire in a person?
"Honesty and resilience, mainly. I have a lot of respect for people who stay genuine and calm even during difficult situations."
6. Has the person you admire changed over the years?
"Yes, definitely. As a child I admired athletes, whereas now I am drawn more to people with strong character and integrity."
Part 2 Cue Card
You get 1 minute to prepare, then speak for up to 2 minutes.
Describe a person you admire
You should say:
- Who this person is
- How you know them
- What qualities they have
- And explain why you admire them
Full model answer
I'd like to talk about a former manager of mine, someone I worked closely with for around three years earlier in my career.
I got to know her when I joined my first proper job after finishing my studies, and she was the one who directly supervised my work during that period. She has since moved on to a different company, but we still occasionally keep in touch, and I genuinely consider her one of the most influential people in my professional life so far.
What stood out about her, even from my very first week, was how calm and composed she remained, even during genuinely stressful situations, like tight deadlines or difficult clients. She never raised her voice or panicked visibly, and instead approached every problem methodically, which honestly rubbed off on the whole team over time. She was also remarkably fair and consistent, and she always made time to properly explain her reasoning rather than simply giving orders, which I really appreciated as someone new to the working world.
I admire her mainly because of how she balanced being genuinely kind and approachable with being firm and professional when it mattered. It would have been easy to lean too far in either direction, but she managed to maintain both, which I have realised over the years is actually quite rare.
Whenever I find myself in a stressful situation now, I still occasionally think about how she would have handled it, and I try to bring that same sense of calm, methodical thinking to my own work. In many ways, she shaped how I try to approach both my career and how I treat the people I now work with myself.
Part 3 Discussion
Deeper, more abstract questions. Give your opinion and explain your reasoning with an example.
1. What qualities make someone a good role model?
Integrity and consistency are probably the most important, since a good role model behaves the same way whether or not people are watching. Empathy, resilience, and the ability to inspire others through their actions rather than just their words also matter a great deal.
2. Do you think celebrities have a responsibility to be good role models?
To some extent, yes, particularly given how much influence they have over young people, who often look up to them closely. That said, I think it is also unrealistic to expect celebrities to be perfect, since they are still ordinary people navigating their own lives under intense public scrutiny.
3. How do role models influence young people's behaviour?
Young people often unconsciously imitate the attitudes, values, and even communication styles of the people they admire, whether that is a parent, teacher, or public figure. This makes positive role models especially valuable during formative years, when identity and values are still developing.
4. Is it better to have a role model who is a public figure or someone you know personally?
I would lean towards someone you know personally, since you can observe their genuine character and daily choices rather than just a curated public image. That said, public figures can still offer valuable inspiration, particularly around specific achievements or skills that are harder to find close to home.
5. Do you think the internet has changed who young people look up to?
Definitely, yes. Traditional role models like teachers or historical figures now compete with online influencers and content creators, who often feel more relatable and accessible, even though the relationship is essentially one-directional and based on a carefully constructed image.
6. Can a person be a role model without realising it?
Absolutely, I think this happens quite often. Many people influence others simply through their everyday actions and attitudes, without ever intending to be seen as an example, which in some ways makes that influence even more genuine and powerful.
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