IELTS Cue Cards & Answers | Can you describe a neighbor you know well?

This IELTS cue card was asked recently in an IELTS speaking test.

Describe one of your neighbors that you know well.

You should say:
  • who he/she is
  • how you met him/her
  • how often you see each other
and say if you like this neighbor, and why/why not.




IELTS CUE CARD ANSWER

The only neighbor I know really well is the old guy who lives in the next apartment. I guess he must be in his 70s but he’s really nice, and when I first moved into the building where I live he was very helpful, telling me all about the neighborhood and useful things about which days the garbage is collected, you know, little things that you don’t know about when you first move to a new place.

Anyway, I met him on the second day, I think it was, and he was very chatty, which was nice because I didn’t know anyone there. We talked for about 20 minutes that day and I thought he was an interesting character.

He lives alone now because apparently his wife died some years ago, but he has a dog and I usually see him outside a couple of times a day walking his dog around the park opposite the apartment building.

I don’t think we have much in common, but he has some really amazing stories about when he was in the navy and used to travel all over the world, and I like traveling so it’s interesting to listen to what he has to say because he’ traveled all over the world when he was younger.

I wouldn’t say we are friends or anything like that, but we did become closer after I helped him out one day. He was having a problem with his computer and as I work in computing I offered to help him out. He was extremely thankful and since we seem to always meet each other coming in or going out of the building and sometimes he invite me into his apartment for a drink, which is nice because it’s different.

Like I said, he’s a fascinating guy and I like him a lot, even though he’s a lot older – he has a very different perspective on life from my own, and he really makes me think hard sometime about some of the decisions I make in my own life. So, yeah, he’s a cool guy and really the only neighbor I spend any time with.

How would you answer this IELTS cue card question about a neighbor you know well?