Discuss your closest friend – Sample Essay and IELTS Speaking

Today, Mytour shares some vocabulary and sentence structures to smoothly and fluently talk about the topic of Talk about your best friend. Let's explore together!

1. Structure of the Talk about your best friend essay – IELTS Speaking

1.1. Introduction Section

The introduction section should consist of 1 – 2 simple sentences, following a template. It's advisable to memorize some sample sentences to apply to most topics.

Some commonly used opening sentences in IELTS Speaking Part 2:

Direct Sample

• I’d like to talk about…
• Let me tell you about…
• Today I want to talk about/tell you about…
• I am going to tell you about…

Indirect Example

• My favourite/ closest friend/ etc. was…
• The one I’d like to tell you about is…
• The one who/ that stands out is… 
• When it comes to …, there is only one off the top of my head.

For instance, in a topic like 'Talk about your best friend' – describing your closest friend, we can approach the essay in 2 ways as follows:

• Trực tiếp: So let me tell you about my best friend Jason, whom I have known for roughly 15 years. 
• Gián tiếp: Well, when it comes to my closest friend, there is only one off the top of my head. His name is Jason and that guy sure has helped me a lot in my difficult times. 

1.2. Basic Information

In this part of the Talk about your best friend topic, you will summarize information about the name, age, place of residence, and possibly the occupation of your friend.

1.3. Main Part & Reflection

In this main section, you will speak based on the bullet points provided by the prompt. In the topic Talk about your best friend, typically you will first briefly recount how you both met and became friends, then describe the appearance/personality of your friend, activities you both do together, and finally your thoughts and feelings about them.

Note that you should only provide information as requested by the prompt, accompanied by appropriate vocabulary and grammatical structures to score well. Since the speaking test only lasts 2 minutes, it's advisable not to elaborate excessively.

1.4. Conclusion

Similar to the introduction, when concluding your speech, you can use template sentences to wrap up more succinctly. Here are a few useful examples that you should learn and adapt slightly to fit the given prompt:

• So, basically, that’s it.
• So, that’s it.
• That’s all I have to say.
• That’s everything.

For example, to conclude 'Talk about your best friend', you could say:

• So, basically, that’s all about my best friend Jason.
• So if I had to talk about my closest friend, it would have to be Jason. That’s all I have to say.

2. Some Vocabulary for the Talk about your best friend Topic

2.1. Vocabulary for Describing Age

• Young: trẻ
• Old: già
• Middle-ages: trung niên
• In her/ his twenties: trong độ tuổi hai mươi
• Over the hill: người cao tuổi, không còn giỏi/ minh mẫn như trước nữa

2.2. Vocabulary for Describing Appearance

• Slender: mảnh khảnh
• Well-built: hình thể đẹp
• Muscular: nhiều cơ bắp
• Fat: béo
• Overweight: quá cân
• Obese: béo phì
• Stocky: chắc nịch
• Stout: hơi béo
• Thin: gầy
• Slim: gầy, mảnh khảnh
• Skinny: ốm, gầy
• Of medium/ average built: hình thể trung bình
• Fit: vừa vặn
• Well-proportioned figure: cân đối
• Frail: yếu đuối, mỏng manh
• Plump: tròn trĩnh
• Tall: cao
• Tallish: cao dong dỏng
• Short: thấp, lùn
• Shortish: hơi lùn

2.3. Vocabulary for Describing Other Parts of the Body

Describing Hair

• Untidy: không chải chuốt, rối xù
• Neat: tóc chải chuốt cẩn thận
• A short-haired person: người có mái tóc ngắn
• With plaits: tóc được tết, bện
• A fringe: tóc cắt ngang trán
• Pony-tail: cột tóc đuôi ngựa
• Blonde: tóc vàng
• Dyed: tóc nhuộm
• Ginger: đỏ hoe
• Mousy: màu xám lông chuột
• Straight: tóc thẳng
• Wavy: tóc lượn sóng
• Curly: tóc xoăn
• Lank: tóc thẳng và rủ xuống
• Frizzy: tóc uốn thành búp

Describing Face

• Oval face: khuôn mặt hình trái xoan
• Chubby: phúng phính
• Fresh: khuôn mặt tươi tắn
• High cheekbones: gò má cao
• High forehead: trán cao
• Thin: khuôn mặt gầy
• Long: khuôn mặt dài
• Round: khuôn mặt tròn
• Angular: mặt xương xương
• Square: mặt vuông
• With dimples: lúm đồng tiền

Describing Eyes

• Sparkling/twinkling: mắt lấp lánh
• Flashing/ brilliant/bright: mắt sáng
• Inquisitive: ánh mắt tò mò
• Dreamy eyes: đôi mắt mộng mơ

Describing Nose

• Straight: mũi thẳng
• Turned up: mũi cao
• Flat: mũi tẹt

Describing Voice

• Stutter: nói lắp
• Stammer: nói lắp bắp
• Deep voice: giọng sâu
• Squeaky voice: giọng the thé
• Honeyed: (giọng) ngọt
• Warm voice: giọng ấm

2.4. Vocabulary for Describing Personality

Positive

• Brave: can đảm
• Careful: cẩn thận
• Cheerful: vui vẻ
• Easy-going: dễ tính
• Exciting: thú vị
• Friendly: thân thiện
• Funny: vui vẻ
• Generous: hào phóng
• Hard-working: chăm chỉ
• Kind: tốt bụng
• Outgoing: cởi mở
• Polite: lịch sự
• Quiet: ít nói
• Smart = intelligent: thông minh
• Sociable: hòa đồng
• Soft: dịu dàng
• Talented: tài năng, có tài.
• Ambitious: có nhiều tham vọng
• Cautious: thận trọng.
• Competitive: cạnh tranh, đua tranh
• Confident: tự tin
• Serious: nghiêm túc
• Creative: sáng tạo
• Dependable: đáng tin cậy
• Enthusiastic: hăng hái, nhiệt tình
• Extroverted: hướng ngoại
• Introverted: hướng nội
• Imaginative: giàu trí tưởng tượng
• Observant: tinh ý
• Optimistic: lạc quan
• Rational: có chừng mực, có lý trí
• Sincere: thành thật
• Understanding: hiểu biết, tinh ý, thấu hiểu
• Wise: thông thái uyên bác
• Clever: khéo léo
• Tactful: lịch thiệp
• Faithful: chung thủy
• Gentle: nhẹ nhàng
• Humorous: hài hước
• Honest: trung thực
• Loyal: trung thành
• Patient: kiên nhẫn
• Open-minded: khoáng đạt, cởi mở
• Talkative: nói nhiều

Negative

• Bad-tempered: nóng tính
• Boring: buồn chán, nhàm chán
• Careless: bất cẩn, cẩu thả
• Crazy: điên khùng
• Impolite: bất lịch sự.
• Lazy: lười biếng
• Mean: keo kiệt.
• Shy: nhút nhát
• Stupid: ngu ngốc
• Aggressive: hung hăng, hiếu thắng
• Pessimistic: bi quan
• Reckless: liều lĩnh
• Strict: nghiêm khắc
• Stubborn: bướng bỉnh (as stubborn as a mule: bướng bỉnh như con la)
• Selfish: ích kỷ
• Hot-tempered: nóng tính
• Cold: lạnh lùng
• Mad: điên, khùng
• Unkind: xấu bụng, không tốt
• Unpleasant: khó chịu
• Cruel: độc ác
• Gruff: thô lỗ, cục cằn
• Insolent: láo xược
• Haughty: kiêu căng
• Boastful: khoe khoang

2.5. Some Useful Words/ Phrases/ Idioms

• True friendship: tình bạn đúng nghĩa
• Down-to-earth: thực tế, thẳng thắng, thân thiện
• Gorgeous: thu hút, hấp dẫn
• Charming: duyên dáng, yêu kiều
• Snazzy: mốt, sành điệu, thu hút
• Since forever – for a long time: rất lâu, trong khoảng thời gian dài
• Deep impression: ấn tượng sâu sắc
• Saviour: người cứu vớt
• Coincidentally: trùng khớp ngẫu nhiên
• Desk-mates: bạn ngồi chung bàn
• Bestie: bạn thân
• Hit it off: trở nên thân thiết
• See eye to eye: đồng ý với…, có quan điểm giống nhau
• Love lives: tình ái, mối quan hệ lãng mạn
• Shortcomings: điểm yếu
• Absent-minded: đãng trí
• Inconsiderate: thiếu ân cần, thiếu suy nghĩ, thiếu thận trọng
• One in a million: đặc biệt, duy nhất
• Exchange confidences = confide with other: tâm sự với nhau
• Feel relief: cảm thấy nhẹ nhõm
• Share weal and woe in life: chia sẻ niềm vui và nỗi buồn
• Be a good example to someone: là tấm gương cho (ai) noi theo
• Be in bad mood: buồn phiền
• Moral support: chỗ dựa tinh thần
• Have trouble in something: gặp khó khăn trong việc …
• Lasting forever: vĩnh viễn, trường tồn
• Play important part/role: đóng vai trò quan trọng
• Confide in somebody = open one’s heart to somebody = bare one’s heart to somebody = unbosom/unburden oneself to somebody: tâm sự với (ai)
• Picks you up: kéo bạn dậy khi bạn vấp ngã
• Raises your spirits: giúp bạn phấn chấn hơn
• Quiets your tears: làm dịu đi những giọt lệ của bạn
• Makes a difference in your life: tạo ra khác biệt trong đời bạn
• Make friends (with someone): làm bạn với ai
• No love lost: bất đồng quan điểm với ai
• A shoulder to cry on: người luôn lắng nghe tâm sự của bạn
• Bury the hatchet: dừng cãi vã và mâu thuẫn

3. Sample and Vocabulary for Talking about Your Best Friend in IELTS Speaking part 1, 2, 3

3.1. Discussing Your Best Friend – IELTS Speaking part 1

How many friends do you have?

I don’t have many because it would take a lot of time to keep in touch with everyone. I only have one best friend and moreover, I prefer spending my time maintaining a good friendship than having a lot of acquaintances.

• To keep in touch (v): Giữ liên lạc
• To maintain (v): Gìn giữ
• Acquaintance (n): Xã giao

Do you maintain contact with friends from your early years?

I don’t think so. It’s not because of any animosity. We simply drifted apart and lost touch. You know, as we grew older, we moved to different cities and countries, and we no longer share the same experiences or feelings.

• Animosity (n): Sự bất hòa, thù địch
• To drift apart (v): Tách xa nhau
• To lost touch (v): Mất liên lạc

How frequently do you socialize with your friend(s)?

Since we are quite busy working people, we only go out once a week. My best friend and I talk together about the place we should go on weekends and we usually end up at a nearby coffee shop, where we can sit and gossip about everything that happened to us the whole week.

• Working people (n): Những người đi làm
• To end up (v): Kết thúc, rốt cuộc
• Nearby (adj): Gần đó

3.2. Discuss your closest friend – IELTS Speaking part 2

You ought to state:

• Who is he/she?
• When did you both meet for the first time?
• What do you usually do together?

And justify why you regard him/her as your closest friend.

Mời các bạn nghe Podcast mẫu Phần 2 từ Mytour nhé:

Allow me to introduce my longtime friend Jason, whom I've known for approximately 15 years.

Currently, Jason is an IT technician at a company in Ho Chi Minh City. It was in 2008, I first met him in grade 3 when he had just transferred from another school. It just so happened that on his first day, Jason couldn’t find an empty seat, while I was sitting alone thus I asked him to join me. We became friends since then, and our friendship has lasted till today.

Jason and I have been doing many things together. We have lots of mutual friends because we went to the same schools. On weekends, we usually throw parties or go on picnics. Today when we are both working people, whenever we have some free time, I would meet him at our favourite local coffee shop and sit for hours, gossiping about our daily lives.

Jason got married last year and now has a child. He’s changed a lot since we were students, but his personality still remained the same – always patient, open-minded, and easy to get along with. That’s the reason why I like him and consider him my best friend, despite the fact that we pursue different plans and goals.

So, essentially, that’s the story of my dear friend Jason.

• To transfer from another school (v): chuyển trường
• To last (v): kéo dài
• Mutual (adj): chung
• To gossip (v): nói chuyện phiếm
• To remain the same (v): y như cũ, giữ nguyên
• Open-minded (adj): cởi mở
• To get along with (v): hòa đồng với

3.3. Discuss your closest friend – IELTS Speaking part 3

What qualities do you consider important in a good friend?

I think it would base on each person’s definition of “what is a good friend”. For me, a good friend should always be a trustworthy and honest person. If you cannot trust someone, they are not a true friend and might stab you in the back one day, based on my experience.

• Trustworthy (adj): đáng tin cậy
• Honest (adj): thành thật
• To stab someone in the back (v): đâm sau lưng, chơi xấu ai đó
• Based on my experience: dựa vào kinh nghiệm của tôi

Do adults and children approach making friends differently?

I don’t think so. Usually, children make friends easier than grown-ups, when they see another person smiling and exchanging items, they will become friends. Adults, on the other hand, take their time making new friends since they have to discover common interests, build trust, and then will decide if they should build a long relationship with that person or not.

• Grown-up (n): người lớn
• To discover (v): khám phá
• Common (adj): giống nhau
• To build trust (v): xây dựng lòng tin

Do you believe it's possible to develop genuine friendships with people you meet online?

Yes. In a friendship, you need honesty, dependability, empathy, respect, and loyalty. If you get all of that from your online friends, you can consider them true friends. I have to say that I have more opportunities to make friends online than in real life.

• Honesty (n): sự thành thật
• Dependability (n): sự đáng tin cậy
• Empathy (n): sự đồng cảm
• Respect (n): sự tôn trọng
• Loyalty (n): sự trung thành

In your opinion, what are the reasons behind the end of friendships?

• Lack of …: thiếu đi thứ gì đó
• Hypocrisy (n): đạo đức giả
• Selfishness (n): ích kỷ
• Arrogance (n): kiêu ngạo
• Breach of trust (n): mất lòng tin
• Argument (n): cãi nhau, tranh luận
• To lead someone to nowhere: không dẫn đến đâu cả