# Describe a person who enjoys cooking for others: IELTS Speaking sample answers

Speaking Part 2 - People

Describe a person who enjoys cooking for other people.

You should say:
- who this person is
- what this person usually cooks
- who they cook for
- and explain why you think they enjoy cooking for others

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

## Band 7 sample

I'd like to talk about my uncle, who is my father's younger brother. He's an engineer by profession, but honestly, I think his real passion is cooking.

Almost every Sunday he invites the whole family to his house for lunch, and usually there are around fifteen people, sometimes more if cousins bring their friends. He normally cooks a huge pot of chicken curry, rice, lentils and three or four vegetable dishes, and he always makes a sweet rice pudding at the end. He starts preparing on Saturday night, because some of the meat has to marinate overnight, and on Sunday morning he's in the kitchen from about eight o'clock. He doesn't like anyone to help him, which is a bit funny, so we just sit and chat while delicious smells come out from the kitchen.

Apart from the family, he also cooks for his neighbours when there is some festival, and once he even cooked for about fifty peoples at a local school event. He didn't ask for any money, he just did it because he wanted to.

I think he enjoys cooking for others because it's his way of showing that he cares. He's quite a quiet person and he doesn't say a lot about his feelings, but when he watches people going back for second helpings, his face really lights up. Also, he told me once that cooking helps him to relax after a stressful week at work. And I think he likes keeping the family together, because without his lunches we will probably see each other much less often.

**Examiner notes.** This Band 7 answer is coherent and detailed, with a strong sense of the uncle's personality. It uses some less common, natural vocabulary ("marinate overnight", "second helpings", "his face really lights up"), though linking relies on "and" and "also". There are typical slips: "fifty peoples" (rather than "fifty people"), "when there is some festival" (rather than "when there's a festival") and "we will probably see" in a hypothetical idea (rather than "we would probably see"). Band 8 would add more precise, idiomatic language, more varied sentence openings and a more fully developed explanation of motive.

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

## 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.