IELTS Speaking Part 2 – Topic: Describe a good part of your personality or character

Well, I’m going to talk about a good aspect of my character. I’m kind of an ambitious person, even though I’m not sure if this personal trait is really beneficial for me in every situation. I think it helps me pretty well, not only in my studies but also in my own life, though.

Personally, I suppose it is quite good for young people to have this kind of personal trait, because it allows them to live and work more positively. I normally tend to set high goals and show strong determination to achieve them by all means, no matter what difficult situations I’m in. I mean, I do not like playing it safe. Instead, I like being challenged in general.

However, when you have too high expectations of something and you are not able to live up to them, you may feel under pressure and lose confidence in yourself. So you should be careful and be sure that your goals are realistic for you to pursue.

Up to now, I have found that my ambition has had more of a positive influence on me than a negative one. Because of my ambitious nature, I force myself to set clear targets, to be committed and to try my best to attain my goals, and all these things motivate me a lot to follow my plans with drive and energy. It’s an amazing feeling of achievement on those occasions when my efforts are successful.

– aspect: [noun] a particular part or feature of something.
Example: Her impatience is one aspect of her character that I don’t like.

– trait: [noun] a particular quality in your personality.
Example: The most notable trait of British people is their politeness.

– beneficial: [adjective] having a helpful or useful effect or result.
Example: A good diet and regular exercise are beneficial for your health.

– playing it safe: [expression] being careful and avoiding risks.
Example: When meeting strangers, I advise playing it safe – do not tell them too many details about your life.

– challenge: [verb] test someone’s ability or skill, especially in an interesting way.
Example: In the IELTS exam, students are being challenged to show their English language skills.

– expectations: [noun] hopes that something good will happen.
Example: She went to college with great expectations.

– live up to: [phrasal verb] to do as well as you expect or hope.
Example: I did not enjoy the film – it did not live up to all the great reviews that I had read.

– under pressure: [expression] anxious about something which you have to do.
Example: The team is under pressure to win an important match tomorrow.

– pursue: [verb] do something or try to achieve something over a period of time.
Example: My brother wants to pursue his ambition to become an actor.

– attain: [verb] succeed in getting something, usually after a lot of effort.
Example: After many hours of climbing, they attained their goal of reaching the top of the mountain.

– motivate: [verb] make somebody want to do something, usually something which requires a lot of hard work or effort.
Example: The teacher motivates all her students to work hard and pass their exams.

– drive: [noun] energy and determination to achieve things.
Example: No sportsperson will succeed without a strong drive to be the best.