IELTS Speaking 2025 Part 2&3: Describe a person who always has strong opinions

Describe a person who always has strong opinions

Suggested ideas for each part

• Who this person is:

  • 🏫 A strict teacher
  • 📺 A famous public figure (e.g., a politician, a journalist)
  • 👨‍👩‍👦 A family member (e.g., father, aunt, older sibling)

• How you knew him/her:

  • 🏫 Met in school as a student
  • 🎤 Watched on TV or social media
  • 🏡 Grew up listening to their views

• Why you think he/she is an opinionated person:

  • 🗣️ Always stands by their beliefs, even in debates
  • 📢 Likes to share strong opinions on politics, culture, or education
  • 📚 Uses logic and facts to back up their views

• How you feel about him/her:

  • 🤔 Inspired by their confidence and knowledge
  • 😤 Sometimes frustrated because they don’t change their views
  • 🤝 Respect their opinions, even if I don’t always agree

Useful grammar structures

1. Past simple: I first met him when I was in high school.
2. Present perfect: He has always been a person with strong opinions.
3. Comparisons: He is far more outspoken than anyone I know.
4. Conditional sentence (Type 2): If he were more open-minded, he would be easier to talk to.
5. Relative clause: She is the kind of person who never backs down in a debate.

Collocations

1. Strong-willed individual 💪 (người có ý chí mạnh mẽ)
2. Outspoken personality 🗣️ (tính cách thẳng thắn)
3. Unwavering beliefs 📢 (niềm tin không thay đổi)
4. Engage in heated debates 🔥 (tham gia vào các cuộc tranh luận sôi nổi)
5. Hold firm opinions on 📌 (giữ vững quan điểm về)
6. Challenge conventional wisdom 🤯 (thách thức quan điểm truyền thống)
7. Respect different perspectives 🤝 (tôn trọng các góc nhìn khác nhau)

Full spoken sample (about 2 minutes)

One person who always has strong opinions 🗣️ is my uncle. He is a retired university professor, and he has an outspoken personality 💪. He loves discussing topics like politics, education, and culture, and he never hesitates to share his views, even when others disagree.

I have known him since I was a child because we are family, but I started to realize how opinionated he was when I became a teenager. During family gatherings, he would often engage in heated debates 🔥 with my parents about government policies and social issues. Unlike many people who avoid controversial topics, my uncle actually enjoys debating because he believes it is important to challenge conventional wisdom 🤯.

One thing that makes him stand out is that he always has unwavering beliefs 📢. For example, he strongly believes that students should focus on developing critical thinking rather than memorizing facts. Even when some relatives argue that traditional education methods are effective, he refuses to change his stance. He also holds firm opinions on 📌 environmental issues, always encouraging people to reduce waste and adopt sustainable habits.

Personally, I have mixed feelings about him. On the one hand, I admire his confidence and intelligence because he always backs up his opinions with facts and logical arguments. His way of thinking has helped me learn how to express my ideas clearly and respect different perspectives 🤝. On the other hand, I sometimes find it frustrating when he refuses to consider other viewpoints. If he were more open-minded, he would be an even more effective communicator. However, I still respect him a lot because he always speaks his mind and stands by his beliefs.

Part 3: Discussion Questions

1. What aspects do young people have strong opinions about?

Ideas

• 🌍 Social issues (equality, climate change, mental health)
• 🎵 Pop culture (music, movies, celebrities)
• 💻 Technology (AI, social media, digital privacy)

Collocations

1. Advocate for social change ✊ (vận động cho sự thay đổi xã hội)
2. Express strong preferences 💬 (bày tỏ sở thích mạnh mẽ)
3. Embrace progressive ideas 🌱 (chấp nhận ý tưởng tiến bộ)

Sample answer

Young people today have strong opinions on many topics, especially social issues like gender equality and environmental protection. Many of them advocate for social change ✊ and use social media to raise awareness about important causes. They also tend to embrace progressive ideas 🌱 and challenge traditional norms. Apart from that, they are passionate about pop culture and technology, often expressing strong preferences 💬 for certain music, movies, or social media platforms.

2. What aspects do old people have strong opinions about?

Ideas

• 🏫 Education and career choices
• 👪 Family values and traditions
• 🏛️ Politics and government policies

Collocations

1. Uphold traditional values 🏡 (giữ vững giá trị truyền thống)
2. Resist societal changes 🚧 (chống lại sự thay đổi xã hội)
3. Pass down life lessons 📖 (truyền lại bài học cuộc sống)

Sample answer

Older generations tend to uphold traditional values 🏡 and have strong opinions about family, education, and work. Many of them resist societal changes 🚧 because they believe that younger generations are losing important traditions. They also often pass down life lessons 📖 to their children and grandchildren, emphasizing hard work, discipline, and respect for elders.

3. Do you think parents should educate their children to have strong opinions?

Ideas

• ✅ Yes: Helps children become confident and independent thinkers
• ❌ No: Can lead to stubbornness and conflicts
• ⚖️ Balance: Teach children to have strong opinions but also respect others

Collocations

1. Encourage independent thinking 🧠 (khuyến khích tư duy độc lập)
2. Develop confidence in expressing ideas 🎤 (phát triển sự tự tin khi bày tỏ ý kiến)
3. Foster open-mindedness 🌍 (nuôi dưỡng tư duy cởi mở)

Sample answer

I think parents should encourage independent thinking 🧠 in their children so that they can express their ideas confidently. When kids are taught to have opinions, they become better at decision-making and problem-solving. However, it’s equally important to foster open-mindedness 🌍 so that children learn to listen to different perspectives. If children are too stubborn, they might struggle to get along with others. So, parents should help them find a balance between standing by their beliefs and respecting others.