8. IELTS Speaking Part 2 Cue Card: Describe a Teacher Who Inspired You (Sample Answers, Vocabulary & Quiz)

Example: If the cue card asks you to “Describe a teacher who inspired you,” underline who the teacher is, what subject they taught, how they influenced you, and why they are memorable.

Example notes: Ms. Carter → English Literature → encouraged creativity → gave feedback on essays → motivated me to love books.

Example introduction: “I’d like to talk about a teacher who made a lasting impact on my education, and that was my high school literature teacher, Ms. Carter.”

Example conclusion: “Overall, she inspired me to think creatively and express myself with confidence, which has helped me far beyond the classroom.”

1. I would like to talk about ___(topic)___.

2. This happened/This person was important to me because ___(reason)___.

3. At first, ___(background information)___.

4. One important detail is that ___(specific point)___.

5. Moreover, I remember ___(extra example or story)___.

6. Another significant aspect was ___(additional detail + explanation)___.

7. Finally, what struck me most was ___(reflection/impact)___.

8. Overall, I believe ___(personal conclusion)___.

Cue Card

Describe a teacher who inspired you.

You should say:

• who the teacher is/was,
• what subject they taught and where you met them,
• what they did that inspired you,
• and explain how this has influenced you.

Timers (Customisable)

Default settings: Preparation 60s • Speaking 120s

Preparation — Countdown

Use this time to plan your talk.

Speaking — Timer & Recorder

Submission

Written Sample Answer

I’d like to talk about a teacher who truly inspired me during my school years, and that was my high school English Literature teacher, Ms. Carter. I first met her when I was around fifteen, and she taught us for almost three years.

At first, what struck me was her passion for books and the way she made stories come alive in the classroom. She didn’t just explain the themes of a novel; she connected them to our own lives, which made the subject feel much more relevant and exciting.

One important thing she did was encourage me to write creatively. Instead of focusing only on grammar, she pushed us to express our emotions and ideas through essays, poems, and even short plays. I remember how she used to give very detailed feedback, always highlighting what was strong before suggesting improvements.

Another significant aspect was her personal attitude. She always believed in her students, even if they struggled. I was quite shy at that age, but she gave me the confidence to speak in front of the class and share my thoughts. That encouragement gradually built my self-esteem.

Finally, I would say that Ms. Carter’s influence went beyond academics. Because of her, I developed a real love for literature, which later motivated me to choose English as part of my higher education. Overall, she inspired me not only as a student but also as a person, teaching me that passion and kindness can change someone’s life.

Sample Answer — Audio

Listen to the sample to notice pacing, intonation, and natural linking words.

1) Fluency & Coherence

1. The answer starts confidently with “I’d like to talk about…” showing no hesitation.

2. The talk follows a clear sequence: introduction → background → details → reflection → conclusion.

3. Linking phrases such as “at first,” “one important thing,” “another significant aspect,” and “finally” help the listener follow the structure easily.

4. Small stories (creative writing tasks, detailed feedback) make the answer cohesive and engaging.

5. The conclusion (“Overall, she inspired me…”) closes the talk neatly in case the examiner interrupts.

2) Task Fulfilment & Development

6. All bullet points are fully covered: who the teacher was, what subject she taught, what she did, and how she influenced the speaker.

7. Each point is expanded with examples, not just mentioned briefly.

8. Personal emotions and growth (confidence, love for literature) show depth and reflection, not only description.

9. The candidate avoids going off-topic and stays focused on the teacher’s impact.

3) Lexical Resource

10. Vocabulary is rich and topic-related: “made stories come alive,” “detailed feedback,” “developed a real love for literature.”

11. Idiomatic expressions like “struck me” and “built my self-esteem” show natural use of English.

12. The speaker avoids repeating “teacher” constantly by using pronouns and paraphrasing (she, her influence, her encouragement).

13. Collocations such as “gain confidence,” “share my thoughts,” and “choose English as part of my higher education” sound natural and fluent.

4) Grammatical Range & Accuracy

14. Past tense is used consistently to describe events in school (“she taught us,” “she encouraged me”).

15. Present tense is used appropriately for ongoing influence (“she inspires me as a person”).

16. Complex sentences are built with clauses: “Instead of focusing only on grammar, she pushed us to express our emotions.”

17. No noticeable grammar errors, which is essential for Band 7 and above.

18. Conditional forms could also be added (“If I hadn’t had her, I might not have loved literature”) for extra sophistication.

5) Pronunciation & Delivery (for your recording)

19. Sentence stress falls naturally on key words such as “inspired,” “confidence,” and “love for literature.”

20. Rising intonation is used in examples, while falling intonation ends the main ideas.

21. Pauses after linking words (“at first,” “finally”) give clarity and rhythm.

22. Natural connected speech (“kind of,” “made stories come alive”) improves fluency and avoids robotic delivery.

23. Clear articulation of past tense endings (“taught,” “encouraged”) shows accuracy in pronunciation.

teacher /ˈtiː.tʃər/ (BrE) · /ˈtiː.tʃɚ/ (AmE)

Part of Speech: noun (countable)

Word Pattern: teacher + of/for + subject (teacher of English, teacher for maths)

Definition: a person whose job is to help others learn knowledge or skills in a school, college, or elsewhere.

Example: “My English teacher encouraged me to enjoy reading.” → (means the teacher motivated the student to like reading).

Synonyms: instructor, educator

Common Mistakes: Learners sometimes confuse “professor” (university level only) with “teacher” (any level). Use “teacher” for school contexts.

inspire /ɪnˈspaɪə(r)/ (BrE) · /ɪnˈspaɪɚ/ (AmE)

Part of Speech: verb

Word Pattern: inspire + someone + to do something | be inspired by + noun

Definition: to make someone feel that they want to do something and can do it successfully.

Example: “She inspired me to write poetry.” → (means she motivated me strongly to start writing).

Synonyms: motivate, encourage

Common Mistakes: Don’t confuse “inspire” with “aspire.” “Aspire” means to hope to achieve something; “inspire” means to encourage others.

feedback /ˈfiːd.bæk/ (BrE) · /ˈfiːd.bæk/ (AmE)

Part of Speech: noun (uncountable)

Word Pattern: give/receive feedback | feedback on + noun

Definition: comments or information about how someone is doing something, intended to help them improve.

Example: “She gave me detailed feedback on my essay.” → (means she provided comments to help improve my essay).

Synonyms: response, evaluation

Common Mistakes: Learners often say “a feedback” ✘. It is uncountable; say “some feedback” or just “feedback.”

confidence /ˈkɒn.fɪ.dəns/ (BrE) · /ˈkɑːn.fɪ.dəns/ (AmE)

Part of Speech: noun (uncountable)

Word Pattern: confidence in + noun | build/gain/boost confidence

Definition: a belief in one’s own abilities or qualities.

Example: “The teacher helped me gain confidence in speaking.” → (means the student felt more self-assured).

Synonyms: self-assurance, certainty

Common Mistakes: Learners sometimes say “a confidence” ✘ when referring to self-belief. Use “confidence” without “a.”

creativity /ˌkriː.eɪˈtɪv.ɪ.ti/ (BrE) · /ˌkriː.eɪˈtɪv.ə.t̬i/ (AmE)

Part of Speech: noun (uncountable)

Word Pattern: show/display creativity | encourage/foster creativity

Definition: the ability to use imagination and original ideas to create something new.

Example: “Her classes encouraged creativity in our writing.” → (means her lessons made us more imaginative in writing).

Synonyms: imagination, originality

Common Mistakes: Learners sometimes confuse “creative” (adjective) with “creativity” (noun). Correct: “She has a lot of creativity,” not “She has a lot of creative.”

make a lasting impression /meɪk ə ˈlɑː.stɪŋ ɪmˈpreʃ.ən/ (BrE) · /meɪk ə ˈlæstɪŋ ɪmˈpreʃ.ən/ (AmE)

Part of Speech: collocation (verb phrase)

Word Pattern: make a lasting impression + on + person

Definition: to have a strong effect that someone remembers for a long time.

Example: “Her encouragement made a lasting impression on me.” → (means her influence stayed in my memory for years).

Synonyms: leave a mark, strongly influence

Common Mistakes: Learners sometimes say “do a lasting impression” ✘. Correct collocation is “make a lasting impression.”

bring a subject to life /brɪŋ ə ˈsʌb.dʒɪkt tə laɪf/ (BrE) · /brɪŋ ə ˈsʌb.dʒɪkt tə laɪf/ (AmE)

Part of Speech: idiom (verb phrase)

Word Pattern: bring + subject/topic + to life

Definition: to make a subject or idea more interesting, exciting, and relatable.

Example: “She used stories to bring literature to life.” → (means she made the lessons engaging and realistic).

Synonyms: enliven, animate, make interesting

Common Mistakes: Learners may say “make a subject alive” ✘. Correct idiom is “bring a subject to life.”

boost confidence /buːst ˈkɒn.fɪ.dəns/ (BrE) · /buːst ˈkɑːn.fɪ.dəns/ (AmE)

Part of Speech: collocation (verb phrase)

Word Pattern: boost + confidence in + noun/verb-ing

Definition: to increase someone’s belief in their own abilities.

Example: “Speaking in front of the class really boosted my confidence.” → (means it helped me feel more self-assured).

Synonyms: build confidence, strengthen confidence

Common Mistakes: Learners sometimes use “grow confidence” ✘. The natural collocation is “boost confidence” or “build confidence.”

nurture talent /ˈnɜː.tʃə ˈtæl.ənt/ (BrE) · /ˈnɝː.tʃɚ ˈtæl.ənt/ (AmE)

Part of Speech: collocation (verb phrase)

Word Pattern: nurture + talent/ability/skill

Definition: to help someone’s natural ability develop through care, training, or encouragement.

Example: “The teacher helped nurture my talent for writing.” → (means she developed and supported my ability in writing).

Synonyms: develop talent, cultivate skill

Common Mistakes: Learners confuse “nurture” with “nature.” “Nature” refers to the natural world; “nurture” means to help something grow.

ignite passion /ɪɡˈnaɪt ˈpæʃ.ən/ (BrE) · /ɪɡˈnaɪt ˈpæʃ.ən/ (AmE)

Part of Speech: collocation (verb phrase)

Word Pattern: ignite + passion/interest/curiosity

Definition: to strongly inspire enthusiasm or love for something.

Example: “Her lessons ignited my passion for literature.” → (means she made me feel deeply interested in literature).

Synonyms: spark passion, fuel enthusiasm

Common Mistakes: Learners sometimes say “fire passion” ✘. Correct collocation is “ignite passion.”