Lily asks
Describe someone you admire. What is it about them?
How to build your answer
Describe: four moves, about a minute.
- 1Say who or whatOne line to introduce it.
- 2Two detailsWhat they're like, or what it looks like.
- 3Why it mattersWhat it means to you.
- 4A small momentOne example that brings it to life.
Lily's answer, three ways
The same story, from easy to advanced. Tap a highlighted phrase to learn it.
Easy
Lily's voice note
My nan, definitely. She's eighty, and she still walks to the market every single morning. What I love is she's so patient with everyone, even when people are rude to her in the queue. And she'll never just tell me what I want to hear. She's very honest. When I had a really bad week at work last year, I rang her and she just listened for ages. Then she said, 'It'll pass, love.' And it did. I'd love to be more like her when I'm older.
Phrases to borrow
tell someone what they want to hear
/tel ˈsʌmwʌn wɒt ðeɪ ˈwɒnt tə ˈhɪə/
say nice things to make someone happy, not what's really true
A good friend won't just tell you what you want to hear.
for ages
/fə ˈeɪdʒɪz/
for a very long time
I waited for the bus for ages this morning.
be more like someone
/biː mɔː laɪk ˈsʌmwʌn/
have the same good qualities as someone you admire
I wish I could be more like my dad when things go wrong.
Natural
Lily's voice note
Hmm, probably my nan. She's eighty, and she still walks to the market every morning. What I really admire is how patient she is with everyone, even when people are rude to her in the queue. She's very honest, too. She won't just say nice things to make me feel better. Last year I had a really bad week at work, so I rang her, and she listened for ages. Then she said, 'It'll pass, love.' She always puts things in perspective. She never makes a fuss about her own problems, and she really believes in me.
Phrases to borrow
put things in perspective
/pʊt ˈθɪŋz ɪn pəˈspektɪv/
help you see how important or unimportant something really is
Talking to my nan always puts things in perspective.
/meɪk ə ˈfʌs/
complain or get upset about something, usually more than needed
My grandad never makes a fuss, even when he's ill.
believe in someone
/bɪˈliːv ɪn ˈsʌmwʌn/
feel sure that someone can do well
My coach really believed in me, even when I lost.
Advanced
Lily's voice note
My nan, easily. She's eighty and still marches down to the market every morning. What I admire most is her patience. People can be rude to her in the queue, and she takes it all in her stride. She's honest, too. She'll never tell you what you want to hear. Last year I had an awful week at work and rang her in a state. She was a shoulder to cry on, listened for ages, and then said, 'It'll pass, love.' And it did. She's got this way of cutting through the noise. I'd love to be like her at eighty, sharp as a tack and twice as kind.
Phrases to borrow
take something in your stride
/teɪk ˈsʌmθɪŋ ɪn jɔː ˈstraɪd/
deal with a problem calmly, without getting upset
The flight was cancelled, but she took it in her stride.
a shoulder to cry on
/ə ˈʃəʊldə tə ˈkraɪ ɒn/
someone who listens and comforts you when you're sad
When I broke up with my boyfriend, my best mate was a shoulder to cry on.
cut through the noise
/kʌt ˈθruː ðə ˈnɔɪz/
ignore unimportant things and focus on what really matters
She's great at cutting through the noise in meetings.
sharp as a tack
/ʃɑːp əz ə ˈtæk/
very clever and quick-thinking
My grandad's ninety, but he's still sharp as a tack.
Your turn: answer Lily
Describe someone you admire. What is it about them?
Answer out loud, in your own words. Try one phrase you just borrowed.
People & relationships
make a fuss
complain or get upset about something, usually more than needed
“My grandad never makes a fuss, even when he's ill.”
heytardy