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Part 2 cue card · People · Retained in September–December 2026

Describe a person you know who has a successful business.

Describe a person you know who has a successful business.

You should say:

  • ·who this person is
  • ·what kind of business he or she runs
  • ·how he or she started it
  • ·what makes the business successful

and explain how you feel about this person.

One minute to prepare, up to two minutes to talk. Then Part 3 asks the questions below.

Sample answers

Two answers to the same card

Same story, two levels. Both were written by Ashore, then checked against the public band descriptors in a separate pass. The bands are practice estimates, not official IELTS results.

A simpler answer

Checked at band 6.5 · 182 words

I'd like to talk about my aunt, who lives in the same city as me. Her name is Mei, and she runs a small bakery near a metro station. She sells bread, cakes, and coffee, and most of her customers are people who live or work nearby.

She started the business about six years ago. Before that, she worked in a bakery and learned how to make bread there. She had always wanted to have her own shop, so she saved money for a few years and then rented a small place. At the beginning, she did most of the work herself, including baking and serving customers.

I think the business is successful because the food is fresh and the prices are reasonable. She also remembers what regular customers like, so they often come back. The shop is usually busy in the morning, but it is not a large or fancy business. I feel proud of her because she worked hard and took a risk. She is also friendly and patient, and I can see that she really enjoys what she does.

  • Giving the start date · “She started the business about six years ago”
  • Explaining the reason · “the food is fresh and the prices are reasonable”

A stronger answer

Checked at band 7.5 · 290 words

Honestly, I'd like to talk about my aunt Mei, who lives in my city and has run a small neighbourhood bakery for about six years. It's close to a metro station, so she gets a mix of office workers in the morning and local families later in the day. She sells bread, simple cakes and coffee; it's not a fancy café, but it's a friendly place where people can pick up something fresh on the way to work.

Before opening it, Mei worked in another bakery for several years. She learned the practical side of the job there, especially how to prepare dough and manage the early-morning schedule. She'd wanted a shop of her own for a long time, so she saved part of her salary and eventually rented a modest unit. At first, she did nearly everything herself, from baking to serving customers, which must have been exhausting.

I'd say its success comes from consistency rather than a clever marketing plan. The bread is baked fresh each morning, and the prices are reasonable for the area. More importantly, she remembers her regulars: if someone usually buys a particular roll, she'll often have it ready when they arrive. That personal touch gives people a reason to come back. The shop is busiest before work, and she now has a couple of staff members to help, although it's still a small business. If she expanded too quickly, she might lose that welcoming feel.

I really admire her. Starting a business involves a lot of uncertainty, but she built it gradually and stayed patient when things were slow. I feel proud of her, and I like that her success has come from doing a simple thing well and treating people with care.

  • Adding specific detail · “learned the practical side of the job”
  • Adding a start-up detail · “saved part of her salary”
  • Explaining customer loyalty · “That personal touch gives people a reason to come back”
  • Using a conditional · “If she expanded too quickly”
  • Expressing a personal view · “I really admire her”
Angles

3 ways to answer it

  1. 1Your aunt: growing a street stall into three bubble tea shops
  2. 2An older university friend: selling tea from his hometown online through live-stream shopping
  3. 3The barber in your neighbourhood: remembering every regular's haircut and never pushing membership cards
Expressions

5 expressions that fit this card

start from scratch
begin with nothing
loyal customers
people who keep coming back
word of mouth
people telling others about it
take a risk
do something that might fail
run a business
manage a company or shop
Part 3

The questions that follow

After the long turn, Part 3 asks bigger questions on the same theme. Each one comes with two points you can build an answer from.

  1. 1

    Why do many young people want to start their own business?

    • ·They want to be their own boss
    • ·Online shops and live-streaming make starting cheap
  2. 2

    What qualities does a successful businessperson need?

    • ·Willingness to take risks and handle failure
    • ·Listening carefully to what customers want
  3. 3

    Is it better to work for a big company or a small one?

    • ·Big firms offer stability and proper training
    • ·Small firms let you learn many roles quickly
  4. 4

    Should the government help small businesses? How?

    • ·Lower taxes or rents for the first few years
    • ·Offer cheap loans and start-up training
Stories

One story, many cards

This card fits this story. Prepare the story once and you can bend it to every card listed with it on the season page.

  • A driven classmate or colleague

    Someone with a clear goal: what they want to become, how they study or work, a problem they solved.

Say it out loud and get a band score