Describe a person you know who is very competitive.
You should say:
I'd like to talk about a friend of mine who is one of the most competitive people I've ever met.
His name is Alex, and he's a close friend from university. He's competitive in everything, really, but
most obviously in sport — he plays a lot of football and tennis, and he genuinely hates to lose. It's
not just sport, though. He's also competitive about work, about grades, even about little things like
who finishes a book first or who can solve a puzzle quicker. I've never seen anyone who turns a casual
game into a real contest the way he does.
He's actually quite successful because of it. He's a top performer at his job, he's won a few
amateur sports trophies, and he's clearly driven to be the best at whatever he takes on. His drive
gets results, and I think that's something I genuinely admire about him, even if it can be a lot at
times.
As for why he's so competitive, I think it comes from a combination of things. He has high
expectations of himself, which probably started when he was young — he was always pushed to be at the
top, so he learned to measure himself against others. There's also a bit of insecurity underneath it,
I think; he's not just trying to win, he's trying to prove something to himself. And honestly, I think
he just loves the feeling of winning, the thrill of beating someone else at something. So it's a mix
of high standards and a bit of a personal drive to always be better.
The answer flows as a natural portrait: who the person is, what they're competitive about, how
successful they are, and the reasons behind it. It reads as a genuine description rather than a list.
Takeaway: For Part 2, build a character portrait — cover the cue card points but weave them into
a coherent picture of the person.
Good descriptive and character vocabulary: "turns a casual game into a real contest", "driven to be
the best", "high expectations", "a bit of insecurity", "measure himself against others". Vivid and
natural.
Takeaway: Use character adjectives (driven, ambitious, insecure, determined) and a phrasal verb
or idiom to make the person believable.
Complex and accurate: "I've never seen anyone who...", past for background ("he was always pushed"),
and a clear "as for why" structure. Tense control is clean.
Takeaway: Use "as for why I think..." and "it comes from a combination of..." to structure a
reflective close.
Measured, engaging pace with emphasis on the most striking traits. The reflective ending is slightly
slower and warmer.
Takeaway: Slow down for the "why" section — it holds the insight of your answer.