# Describe a famous person in your country: IELTS Speaking sample answers

Speaking Part 2 - People

Describe a famous person in your country.

You should say:
- who this person is
- what this person is famous for
- how you know about this person
- and explain what you think of this person

Source: Sample answers and examiner notes are written by Testmigo.

## Band 7 sample

I'd like to talk about A. R. Rahman, who is one of the most famous music composers in India. Some people call him the Mozart of Madras, because he comes from Chennai, which used to be called Madras.

He's famous for writing music for films, both in Tamil and in Hindi. His first big film score was for a movie called Roja in the early nineties, and after that he became very popular very quickly. He is also well known outside India, because he won two Oscars for the music of Slumdog Millionaire, including the song Jai Ho, which became a hit all over the world. I remember that when he won, it was big news in my country and everyone was really proud.

I know about him mainly because my parents are big fans of his music. When I was a child, they always played his songs in the car on long journeys, so I knew many of the songs before I even watched the films. Later, when I was at college, I watched some interviews with him and I learned more about his life. For example, his father, who was also a musician, died when he was very young, and he started working in music as a boy to support his family.

I have a lot of respect to him. I think his music is very creative, because he mixes Indian classical music with electronic sounds and Western styles, and that was quite new at the time. Also, he seems like a very humble person. Even he's so successful, he speaks quietly and he always thanks the people he works with.

**Examiner notes.** This Band 7 answer gives accurate, relevant information about a public figure and connects it to the speaker's own life. Vocabulary is good ("film score", "became a hit", "big fans", "humble"), though "very" and "also" recur and the evaluation is fairly brief. Grammar is mostly accurate with good relative clauses, but there are typical slips: "a lot of respect to him" (rather than "respect for him") and "Even he's so successful" (rather than "Even though he's so successful"). Band 8 would add more precise and idiomatic language, a more developed and nuanced opinion, and more varied linking.

The Band 8 sample is free with an account on the [topic page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/speaking/topics/describe-a-famous-person-in-your-country).

## Common questions

### How long should an IELTS Speaking Part 2 answer be?

You get one minute to prepare and then speak for up to two minutes; the examiner stops you at two. Aim to keep talking for the full time, which is usually 220 to 300 words.

### Can I use these sample answers in my test?

No. Examiners are trained to spot memorised answers, and a learned script is marked down. Use the samples to see what each band does, then answer in your own words.