Describe a colleague you enjoy working with.
A strong long turn names the subject in the first sentence, spends most of the two minutes on the last bullet — the why — and arrives at a prepared final line rather than trailing off.
The question, as the examiner gives it
Describe a colleague you enjoy working with.
You should say
- who the person is
- what you work on together
- what they are like to work with
- and explain why you enjoy it
60 seconds to prepare, up to 2 minutes to speak
A band 7 to 8 answer
About 202 words at a natural pace — roughly what 120 seconds holds.
Answer it yourself first
Record your own answer first. A model you have read three times comes out with a flattened rhythm, and examiners are trained to hear exactly that. Read it afterwards for the vocabulary and the shape, not to memorise the sentences.The colleague I would pick is a designer called Meera, who I have worked with on and off for about four years. We do not sit in the same team, which is probably part of why it works, but every large project ends up with the two of us in a room arguing about something. What she is like to work with is direct to the point of being uncomfortable at first. She will look at something you have spent a week on and say that the middle section is doing nothing, and she will be right. There is no cushioning at all. Once you realise it is never personal, it becomes the fastest way to work I have found. She also changes her mind when you give her a good reason, which is far rarer than being direct. I enjoy it because I come out of those conversations with a better version of the thing and no residue. With most people a disagreement leaves something behind. With her, it genuinely ends when the meeting does. I have tried to copy the way she disagrees and I am not very good at it yet, because the hard part is meaning it kindly.
The words that earn marks
Each one links to how it is pronounced.
- designer
the exact job noun, stressed on the second syllable
- direct
the key adjective, with the stress on the second syllable
- cushioning
a vivid metaphor for softening criticism
- personal
used in its social sense, precisely
- disagreement
four syllables with the stress on the third
- residue
an unusual noun that lands the closing idea
- version
the right noun for a draft or an attempt
How a strong answer is built
- 1Name the person and the working relationship.
- 2Describe their manner honestly, including the discomfort.
- 3Add the quality that makes the manner work.
- 4Say why you enjoy it, with a comparison.
Sounds to watch
The ones this answer leans on most.
Straight answers
How long should my answer to “Describe a colleague you enjoy working with.” be?
You get 60 seconds to make notes and then speak for up to two minutes without interruption. Aim to still be talking at ninety seconds: finishing at forty is the commonest way to lose marks on this part.
Should I memorise the model answer?
No. Record your own version first, then read the model for the shape and the vocabulary. A memorised answer changes rhythm and pace noticeably, and examiners are trained to hear it — it usually costs more than the better wording gains.
Does sayit score this answer?
It scores what a microphone can observe: an estimate from fluency and pronunciation only — not an official band, and not a mark for vocabulary or grammar.
What the band on your result means
An estimate from fluency and pronunciation only — not an official band, and not a mark for vocabulary or grammar.One question a day until your test
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