# Describe a teacher who influenced you: IELTS Speaking sample answers Speaking Part 2 - People Describe a teacher who influenced you. You should say: - who this teacher was - what subject they taught - what they were like - and explain how they influenced you Source: Sample answers and examiner notes are written by Testmigo. ## Band 6 sample I would like to talk about my English teacher in secondary school, her name was Mrs. Sharma. She taught us English in grade nine and ten, so I was with her for about two years. She was quite strict teacher, but she was also very kind. Actually, at first many students were afraid of her because she always gave a lot of homework and she checked every notebook carefully. But after some time we understood that she really cared about us. She always explained the grammar very clearly, and if somebody didn't understand, she explained again and again without getting angry. Also she used to tell us stories from her own life, so the class was never boring. The way she influenced me is mainly about reading. One day she gave me a small storybook and told me to read it in the holiday. I was not interested in reading before, but I finished that book in two days and I really liked it. After that I started to read more books, first in my own language and then in English. Because of this habit my vocabulary became better and also my writing improved a lot. Another thing is she taught me to be confident. In our school there was a speech competition and she encouraged me to take part. I was very nervous, but she practise with me after the class for one week. I didn't win the first prize, but I got third position, and I felt very proud. So I think she was the most important teacher in my life, and I still remember her advice. **Examiner notes.** This answer covers every cue-card point and keeps going without long pauses, which is typical of Band 6. Linking is simple and repetitive ("Also", "and also", "Another thing is"), vocabulary is mostly everyday ("very kind", "really liked it"), and there are noticeable slips: "quite strict teacher" drops an article, "in the holiday" should be "during the holidays", and "she practise" breaks the past tense. To reach Band 7, the speaker would vary linking, add a few precise phrases such as "took a genuine interest in us", and keep tenses accurate across longer sentences. ## Band 7 sample I'd like to talk about Mr. Fernandes, who taught me physics in my last two years of high school. He's probably the reason I ended up studying engineering, so he's had quite a big impact on my life. He was in his fifties when he taught us, a fairly quiet man who never raised his voice, but the whole class paid attention whenever he spoke. What made him different from other teachers was that he hardly ever just followed the textbook. Instead, he'd bring in everyday objects, like a bicycle wheel or a pressure cooker, and ask us to work out the physics behind them. At first some students found this a bit frustrating, because they just wanted the answers for the exam, but over time most of us came round to his way of teaching. As for how he influenced me, I'd say there were two main things. The first is that he changed the way I approached problems. Before I was in his class, I used to memorise formulas without really understanding them, and as a result I panicked whenever a question looked unfamiliar. He kept telling us to break a problem down into smaller steps, and that's a habit I still rely on, not just in my studies but in everyday life too. The second thing is that he believed in me at a time when my marks were quite average. He once wrote on my report that I had 'a genuinely curious mind', and that comment made me take myself more seriously as a student. So, all in all, he was a teacher who left a lasting impression on me. **Examiner notes.** This is a flexible, well-organized Band 7 answer. The speaker signposts clearly ("As for how he influenced me", "The first is", "The second thing is"), uses natural collocations such as "raised his voice" and "left a lasting impression", and handles complex structures like "What made him different... was that" without errors. Ideas are supported with concrete examples like the pressure cooker. For Band 8, the answer would need more precise, less predictable word choice, such as idiomatic phrasing used with full control, and slightly more reflective development of the influence instead of a two-point list. The Band 8 sample is free with an account on the [topic page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/speaking/topics/describe-a-teacher-who-influenced-you). ## Part 3 follow-up questions 1. What qualities do you think make a good teacher? 2. Are teachers as respected today as they were in the past? 3. Should teachers be strict with students, or is a friendlier approach more effective? 4. How might technology change the role of teachers in the future? 5. Is it more important for a teacher to know their subject well or to be good at explaining it? ## 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.