Describe a friend you have known for a long time.
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 friend you have known for a long time.
You should say
- who this friend is
- how you met
- what you do together
- and explain why the friendship has lasted
60 seconds to prepare, up to 2 minutes to speak
A band 7 to 8 answer
About 191 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.My oldest friend is Arun, who I met in a chemistry class at fourteen when we were put next to each other alphabetically. Neither of us was any good at chemistry, and I think the friendship was built almost entirely on that shared incompetence. He lives in Singapore now, so we have spent more years apart than together, which makes the whole thing slightly strange to describe. What we do together these days is mostly talk. He calls on a Sunday, usually while he is walking somewhere, and we cover everything from his job to an argument we had in 2011 that neither of us will concede. When he visits we do exactly what we did at seventeen, which is eat too much and stay up far too late. As for why it has lasted, I think it is because neither of us has ever had to perform. There is no version of myself I have to maintain with him. He knew me when I was unbearable at sixteen, so there is nothing to protect. That is rarer than it sounds, and it is why I would still call him first.
The words that earn marks
Each one links to how it is pronounced.
- alphabetically
a six-syllable adverb used naturally
- incompetence
abstract noun used with self-deprecation
- concede
the precise verb for admitting defeat in an argument
- maintain
used figuratively about a version of yourself
- unbearable
four syllables with the stress on the second
- perform
used in its social sense, which lifts the register
- rarer
comparative of an irregular-looking adjective
How a strong answer is built
- 1Name the friend and the origin in one sentence.
- 2Say what the friendship was built on.
- 3Describe what you actually do now, concretely.
- 4Answer the why with one real insight.
Sounds to watch
The ones this answer leans on most.
Straight answers
How long should my answer to “Describe a friend you have known for a long time.” 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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