Describe a person who you Admire
You should say:
-Who they are
-How you know them
-What they are like
And explain why they are important to you or why you admire them.
Ideas:
This is not an official answer to this question. Instead, 5 different people are described.
Person 1: Mum
“So one of the people I most admire is my mum. She’s somebody who’s very independent, capable and hard working. I think definitely she got her work ethic from growing up on a farm, and you know she had four brothers and was the only girl so I imagine she had to toughen up quite early in life! And they weren’t an affluent family either. Her and her brothers shared beds and meat with dinner was a special treat, usually on a Sunday. I think the most admirable thing about her is her mindset. She’s very focused, takes great pride in her work and just gets things done! She definitely takes after my grandmother because she will literally keep on working until exhaustion or until the work is done. She always overdoes it, we all think she’s mental sometimes! Apart from that, she’s very family-oriented and really puts the effort in to make sure the family gets together often enough, which has really rubbed off on me and my siblings. Other people actually see her as intimidating because of the way she talks and carries herself but honestly she’s actually a big softy! That’s her, that’s my mum!!“
Person 2: Dad
So one of the people I admire the most is my dad. He’s the one that lightens the mood with his goofiness and spontaneity. He’s one of those people who puts others first and sacrifices his time so that other people are happy. I think he’s a great role model because he has strong values, you know, he leads by example and shows you what the right thing to do is. He worked very hard to give his family a good life, even in a demanding job that’s quite stressful. You know he was always under tons of pressure but he never complained about it. I’ve got piles of good memories with him, usually doing different jobs, be it building a shed or moving furniture. He also taught me to enjoy the little things in life, like having an ice cream on a hot day! And just having work-life balance. And you know, the older I get, the more I become like him. I definitely take after him with my appearance but also some of my mannerisms and silliness. And nobody has a bad word to say about him, he’s really well-regarded by everybody, which is a real testament to him!
Person 3: Granny
So one of the people that I admire the most is my granny. She died when I was at uni so I was around 18 or 19. But yeah, she was such a big part of my upbringing. She looked after us after school Monday to Thursday and most weekends as well actually! Honestly for me she was the most unbelievable person. She was incredibly kind to everyone and so down-to-earth. Everyone loved her. Even though she had the money, she never spent it. She was so frugal! She never threw anything away and actually took great pride in up-cycling things. She was always working in the garden, cooking or baking bread and buns for people. And she was hilarious too. She loved telling stories and jokes, even if they were a bit long! One of the big things about her is that she would go out of her way to help others and really instilled that in us as well. On top of that, she’s one of the people who really developed my work ethic by giving me jobs around the house like sweeping the leaves, cutting the grass, chopping the firewood, things like that. And you know she really brought everybody together. All my uncles, aunts and cousins would go to her house and we’d spend the holidays there together. So yeah, she was a pretty special lady!
Person 4: Uncle
So a person who I really admire is my uncle. He’s just one of these people who is always helping others. I can’t count the number of times he’s helped our family with something. He’s a farmer so he’s very practical and very good at fixing things. Honestly, I don’t know where he finds the time because he has a full-time job and looks after a farm, but he still manages to help others. Also he’s quite funny and always up for a laugh. He’s got a dry sense of humour. Sometimes he shows me funny videos, for example, a guy falling over or something simple like that. And he’s really generous you know, sometimes he hosts parties at his house and he constantly offers you beer and food. He just likes looking after everyone. I think he’s someone to be admired for his work ethic, his charitable nature and his dedication to his family and friends.
Person 5: High School Teacher
So a person who I really admire is my old High School physical education teacher. He actually started working there the same year that I started. Anyway, he’s definitely someone who played a massive role in my childhood because I was so involved in sports. So we obviously spent a lot of time together in class, at training and on game days. The thing that stands out about him is his passion. It really rubs off on you. It’s so infectious. And I think he was a massive role model for all of us because he found a balance of letting us have fun but making sure that we were respectful. Some teachers are really passive and you can tell that they don’t really care, but he was so into everything that we were doing, whether it was learning about anatomy or competing in a game. And he went above and beyond for me in particular. I remember that he often left me home from school when I couldn’t get a lift. And he even took our class to an examiner’s presentation so that we would have an edge for our exams. He really is someone that especially young boys look up to and for me it was no different!
Vocabulary:
- Independent – Self-reliant, not needing help. She usually travels alone. She’s so independent.
- Capable – Able to do something well. He is a very capable employee.
- Hard-working – Diligent, effort-driven. She’s a hard-working student.
- Work ethic – Commitment to quality work. His work ethic impresses bosses.
- Toughen up – Become stronger emotionally. He told me to toughen up.
- Affluent – Wealthy, financially comfortable. They live in an affluent area.
- Admirable – Worthy of respect. Her kindness is admirable.
- Mental – Crazy. He’s mental!
- Family-oriented – Prioritising family values. She’s very family-oriented.
- Put the effort in – Work hard intentionally. He put the effort in to win.
- Rub off – Influence through exposure. Her positivity rubs off on me.
- Intimidating – Causing fear or awe. His stern voice is intimidating.
- Softy – Kind-hearted, emotionally gentle. He’s a softy with kids.
- Lightens the mood – Makes situations less tense. Her jokes lighten the mood.
- Goofiness – Silly, playful behaviour. His goofiness cheers everyone up.
- Spontaneity – Acting on impulse. Her spontaneity led to adventures.
- Put others first – Prioritise others’ needs. She puts others first always.
- Lead by example – Demonstrate through actions. He leads by example at work.
- Demanding job – Work requiring much effort. Her demanding job exhausts her.
- Under tons of pressure – Facing intense stress. He’s under tons of pressure at work.
- Piles of – Large amounts of something. She has piles of homework.
- Take after – Resemble someone in traits. She takes after her mom’s kindness.
- Mannerisms – Distinctive behavioural habits. His mannerisms mimic his dad’s.
- Silliness – Playful, foolish behaviour. Her silliness makes kids laugh.
- Well-regarded by everybody – Widely respected. She’s well-regarded by everybody at school.
- A real testament – Strong evidence of something. Her success is a real testament to effort.
- Upbringing – Childhood environment, values. His upbringing shaped his morals.
- Look after – Care for someone/something. She looks after her siblings.
- Unbelievable – Hard to believe, extraordinary. Her talent is unbelievable.
- Down-to-earth – Humble, practical. He’s down-to-earth despite fame.
- Frugal – Careful with money. She’s frugal, always saving.
- Take pride in – Feel proud about something. He takes pride in his work.
- Up-cycling – Reusing items creatively. She up-cycles old furniture beautifully.
- Hilarious – Extremely funny. His stories are hilarious.
- Go out of her way to help others – Extra effort to assist. She goes out of her way to help friends.
- To instil sth in smb – Teach or implant a value. She instils confidence in her kids.
- Bring everybody together – Unite people. She brings everybody together at events.
- Practical – Good at solving problems and fixing things effectively. He can fix anything. He’s really practical.
- Up for a laugh – Enjoying humour, fun. She’s always up for a laugh.
- A dry sense of humour – Subtle, witty humour. His dry sense of humour surprises people.
- Generous – Giving freely. She’s generous with her time.
- Charitable nature – Inclination to help others. Her charitable nature inspires donations.
- Dedication – Strong commitment. His dedication to work shines.
- Played a massive role – Had a significant impact. She played a massive role in my success.
- Stands out – Noticeably different or impressive. Her talent stands out in class.
- Passion – Intense enthusiasm. Her passion for art is evident.
- Infectious – Spreading easily to others. Her laughter is infectious.
- Go above and beyond for smb – Do more than expected. She goes above and beyond for her team.
- Look up to – Admire, respect someone. I look up to my teacher.
Matching Exercise
Match the words (1-10) with their correct definitions (a-j):
- Mental
- Rub off on smb
- A softy
- Take after
- Mannerisms
- Down-to-earth
- Take pride in
- Go out of one’s way
- Up for a laugh
- Look up to
A. Distinctive behavioural habits or gestures
B. Humble, practical, and approachable
C. Related to the mind or mental state
D. Feel proud about something
E. Resemble someone in traits or behaviour
F. Admire or respect someone
G. Influence someone through exposure
H. Kind-hearted and emotionally gentle
I. Make an extra effort to help or do something
J. Enjoying humour and fun
Answers
- Mental – C
- Rub off on smb – G
- A softy – H
- Take after – E
- Mannerisms – A
- Down-to-earth – B
- Take pride in – D
- Go out of one’s way – I
- Up for a laugh – J
- Look up to – F
Fill in the 15 gaps using the following vocabulary:
Independent, Work ethic, Family-oriented, Rub off, Take after, A real testament, Down-to-earth, Hilarious, Go out of her way to help others, Up for a laugh, Generous, Stands out, Infectious, Go above and beyond for smb, Look up to
Paula: So, Daniel, who’s someone you really (1) ________?
Daniel: Definitely my older sister, Mia. She’s so (2) ________, you know? She built her own business from scratch without relying on anyone.
Paula: Wow, that’s (3) ________ to her determination! What else do you like about her?
Daniel: Her (4) ________ is unreal. She works long hours but manages to stay (5) ________, always organising family dinners. Plus, she’s (6) ________—her jokes crack everyone up!
Paula: Sounds like she’s got an (7) ________ personality. Does she influence you at all?
Daniel: Oh, totally. Her positivity tends to (8) ________ on me. I definitely (9) ________ her in when it comes to staying calm under pressure.
Paula: That’s sweet! For me, I admire my high school teacher, Ms. Carter. She always used to (10) ________ for her students, like staying late to help us with projects.
Daniel: That’s amazing. What makes her special?
Paula: She’s so (11) ________, never acting superior despite her knowledge. And she’s (12) ________, always sharing her time and resources with everyone.
Daniel: I bet she’s (13) ________ in the classroom, right?
Paula: Definitely! She’s always (14) ________, making lessons fun. Her passion for teaching really (15) ________ because she makes everyone love learning.
Answers
- Look up to
- Independent
- A real testament
- Work ethic
- Family-oriented
- Hilarious
- Infectious
- Rub off
- Take after
- Go above and beyond for smb
- Down-to-earth
- Generous
- Up for a laugh
- Stands out
- Infectious
