Describe a person you didn’t like at first but became friends with

Key takeaways

Part 2

Nam, met in grade 10
First impression: arrogant, competitive
Became friends via group project
Shared humor, music taste, study stress

Part 3

Young people: online & hobby clubs
College: shared context builds bonds
Adults: work, volunteering, routines
Similar interests = strong friendships
Opposites can complement & balance each other

Trong phần thi IELTS Speaking Part 2, một đề bài thú vị nhưng cũng dễ gây bối rối là: Describe a person you didn’t like at first but became friends with. Chủ đề này đòi hỏi người học vận dụng linh hoạt khả năng kể chuyện, mô tả cảm xúc và sử dụng đa dạng thì quá khứ. Bài viết dưới đây sẽ cung cấp bài mẫu chất lượng, kèm theo từ vựng và cấu trúc hữu ích để hỗ trợ giáo viên và học viên trong quá trình luyện thi.

Bài mẫu chủ đề Describe a person you didn’t like at first but became friends with

You should say:

Who this person is
When and where you met them
Why you didn’t like them at first

And explain how you eventually became friends.

1. Analyze (Phân tích đề bài)

Mục tiêu:

Nắm bắt chính xác yêu cầu của đề bài.
Xác định nội dung cần đề cập và tránh lạc đề.

Đề bài: Describe a person you didn’t like at first but became friends with

bài mẫu Describe a person you didn’t like at first but became friends with

📌 Từ khóa quan trọng (từ trong đề):

Didn’t like at first – Không thích lúc đầu
Became friends – Trở thành bạn bè
When and where – Khi nào và ở đâu
Why not like – Lý do không thích
How became friends – Làm sao trở nên thân thiết

2. Craft (Lên ý tưởng & từ vựng)

Mục tiêu:

Nắm bắt chính xác yêu cầu của đề bài.
Xác định nội dung cần đề cập và tránh lạc đề.

ý tưởng Describe a person you didn’t like at first but became friends with

3. Execute (Bài nói mẫu)

"Well, to be honest, this is actually a pretty funny story. There’s this guy named Nam, who’s now one of my closest friends, but let’s just say—things didn’t start out great between us."

"We first met during the orientation week of grade 10. At the time, he came off as a bit… I don’t know… too confident, maybe even slightly arrogant. He talked a lot in class and always tried to outshine others, which really rubbed me the wrong way."

"But then, as luck would have it, we were put in the same group for a history project. And I have to say—that completely changed my opinion of him. He turned out to be incredibly reliable and full of clever ideas. Plus, he had this dry sense of humor that I hadn’t noticed before."

"Over the course of working together, we discovered that we both loved the same indie bands and were equally stressed about the upcoming exams. We’d stay after school revising together, and gradually, we just clicked."

"Looking back, I think it taught me not to judge people too quickly. First impressions can be misleading, and sometimes, people just take a little time to open up. Now, I can’t imagine going through high school without him."

4. Analyze Useful Vocab – Từ vựng theo chủ đề

1. Gặp lần đầu & Ấn tượng ban đầu

Từ/Cụm từ	Nghĩa	Ví dụ ngữ cảnh mới
Orientation week	Tuần định hướng (đầu năm học)	"I met most of my new classmates during orientation week."
Come off as...	Tạo ấn tượng là...	"She came off as unfriendly, but she was just shy."
Arrogant	Kiêu ngạo	"At first, I thought he was arrogant because he always boasted about his grades."

2. Thay đổi suy nghĩ & hình thành tình bạn

Từ/Cụm từ	Nghĩa	Ví dụ ngữ cảnh mới
Rub someone the wrong way	Gây khó chịu / không vừa mắt ai	"His sarcastic jokes rubbed me the wrong way at first."
Click (with someone)	Hợp nhau / thân nhau nhanh chóng	"We just clicked the moment we started talking about our favorite anime."
Dry sense of humor	Kiểu hài hước lạnh lùng, tế nhị	"He doesn’t laugh much but has a dry sense of humor that always cracks me up."

3. Bài học & cảm xúc

Từ/Cụm từ	Nghĩa	Ví dụ ngữ cảnh mới
First impressions	Ấn tượng ban đầu	"First impressions aren’t always accurate, especially in stressful situations."
Judge someone too quickly	Đánh giá ai quá vội vàng	"I regret judging her too quickly—she turned out to be the nicest person in class."
Can’t imagine without	Không thể tưởng tượng nếu thiếu	"I can’t imagine my university life without my best friend."

Xem thêm:

IELTS Speaking Part 3: Discussion Questions

1. Where do young people usually meet new friends nowadays?

📌 Point: These days, most young people meet new friends both online and offline.

📌 Explain: Thanks to social media, gaming platforms, and online communities, it’s become super easy to connect with people beyond your local area. At the same time, many still make friends at school, cafés, or shared hobby clubs.

📌 Example: For instance, my cousin met one of her closest friends through an online art forum, and they even started a small business together.

📌 Link: So, overall, while traditional places still matter, digital spaces are playing a bigger and bigger role in how friendships start nowadays.

Từ vựng:

online communities

Phát âm: /ˈɒn.laɪn kəˈmjuː.nə.tiz/
Dịch: cộng đồng trực tuyến
Ví dụ: "Online communities provide a space for like-minded people to interact and build friendships."

shared hobby clubs

Phát âm: /ʃeəd ˈhɒb.i klʌbz/
Dịch: câu lạc bộ sở thích chung
Ví dụ: "Shared hobby clubs, like book or dance clubs, are ideal places to meet people with similar interests."

2. Do you think a university or college campus is a good place to make friends? Why or why not?

📌 Point: Absolutely, I believe a campus environment is one of the best places to form friendships.

📌 Explain: Students usually go through similar experiences – classes, assignments, group projects – which makes it easier to bond.

📌 Example: I made some of my best friends during orientation week just because we were all nervous and trying to find our way around.

📌 Link: In short, college creates a shared context that naturally encourages new connections.

Từ vựng:

orientation week

Phát âm: /ˌɔː.ri.enˈteɪ.ʃən wiːk/
Dịch: tuần lễ định hướng (đầu khóa)
Ví dụ: "Orientation week is often when first-year students meet their first university friends."

shared context

Phát âm: /ʃeəd ˈkɒn.tekst/
Dịch: bối cảnh chung
Ví dụ: "A shared context like living in the same dorm helps people connect more quickly."

3. Where do adults or middle-aged people usually make new friends?

📌 Point: Well, I think adults tend to make new friends through work, social events, or their children’s activities.

📌 Explain: I mean, as people get older, their lives revolve more around jobs and families, so their chances to meet new people are often tied to those settings.

📌 Example: My aunt, for instance, made most of her current friends from her yoga class and volunteering events at my cousin’s school.

📌 Link: So for adults, it’s often about proximity and shared routines rather than spontaneous socializing.

Từ vựng:

volunteering events

Phát âm: /ˌvɒl.ənˈtɪə.rɪŋ ɪˈvents/
Dịch: các sự kiện tình nguyện
Ví dụ: "Volunteering events are great chances for adults to build social connections."

shared routines

Phát âm: /ʃeəd ruːˈtiːnz/
Dịch: thói quen chung
Ví dụ: "Parents often bond over shared routines like school drop-offs or weekend soccer games."

4. Is it important to make friends with people who have things in common with you? Why?

📌 Point: Yes, having things in common really helps when building meaningful friendships. 📌 Explain: This is because it gives you more to talk about and makes spending time together feel more natural and enjoyable.📌 Example: For example, two people who love hiking can plan weekend trips and keep their friendship active through shared experiences.📌 Link: All in all, similarities often lay the foundation for long-lasting and stable relationships.

Từ vựng:

meaningful friendships

Phát âm: /ˈmiː.nɪŋ.fəl ˈfrend.ʃɪps/
Dịch: tình bạn có ý nghĩa
Ví dụ: "Having meaningful friendships can boost emotional well-being and reduce loneliness."

lay the foundation

Phát âm: /leɪ ðə faʊnˈdeɪ.ʃən/
Dịch: đặt nền móng
Ví dụ: "Common interests lay the foundation for deeper conversations and trust."

5. Can two people with opposite personalities become close friends? Why or why not?

📌 Point: Yes, I believe opposites can attract and even become close friends.

📌 Explain: I mean, different personalities can actually complement each other – one person may bring energy while the other brings calm.

📌 Example: My best friend is super spontaneous and fun-loving, while I’m more of a planner. But that’s exactly why we balance each other out.

📌 Link: So although it might take more effort, friendships between opposites can be really enriching.

Từ vựng:

complement each other

Phát âm: /ˈkɒm.plɪ.ment iːʧ ˈʌð.ər/
Dịch: bổ sung cho nhau
Ví dụ: "Friends with different strengths often complement each other perfectly."

balance each other out

Phát âm: /ˈbæl.əns iːʧ ˈʌð.ər aʊt/
Dịch: cân bằng tính cách lẫn nhau
Ví dụ: "Introverts and extroverts can balance each other out in a friendship."

Chủ đề Describe a person you didn’t like at first but became friends with không chỉ kiểm tra khả năng kể chuyện mà còn yêu cầu thí sinh thể hiện cảm xúc và phản ánh sự thay đổi trong mối quan hệ một cách tự nhiên. Hy vọng bài mẫu cùng từ vựng gợi ý trong bài viết đã giúp bạn hình dung rõ cách triển khai câu trả lời mạch lạc, giàu ngôn ngữ và đạt tiêu chí chấm điểm IELTS. Hãy luyện tập thường xuyên để làm chủ các đề bài tương tự và nâng cao sự tự tin khi bước vào phòng thi.

Để chuẩn bị tốt cho kỳ thi IELTS, người học nên tham gia thi thử để làm quen áp lực, xác định điểm yếu và cải thiện chiến lược làm bài. Đừng bỏ lỡ kỳ thi thử IELTS tại ZIM để tự tin chinh phục mục tiêu!