PART 2
A TIME WHEN YOU DIDN’T
TELL THE TRUTH
TO A FRIEND
Describe a time when you did not tell the truth to a friend
You should say:
- When it was
- Where it happened
- Why you did not tell the truth
And explain how you felt about it
A N S W E R
First of all, I would like to be straightforward with you, I’m not really used to lying, it’s not in my blood to utter lies since my parents raised me to be a good person. They taught me about the importance of living with integrity. However, I’m not perfect, and certainly, no one is – there was a time in the past when I was left with no choice but to make up a story just to make my friend, who is an insurance agent, stop persuading me to buy an insurance policy from his company.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Straightforward [adj.] – frank; honest
In my blood [idiom] – innate; seems natural to you
Utter [verb] – say; express
Integrity [noun] – the quality of being honest
Leave someone (with) no choice [phrase] – to make someone feel that they must do something
Make up (something) [phrasal verb] – to invent a story or an excuse in order to deceive someone
TIP
i.) FIRST PARAGRAPH: In this part, the speaker started his introduction by explaining his attitude about telling lies to the examiner. He first talked about the importance of living with integrity. This kind of introduction is considered creative and advanced. This is way better than the conventional introduction (“I would like to talk about…”), this would surely help him get a higher band. If you aim for a higher band, showcase your language skills in the introduction.
That took place two years ago if my memory serves me right. He was actually an insurance agent in one of the most renowned insurance companies in the country. What happened was, that I had just started my career at that time, and I wanted to know what kinds of insurance should I get to secure my future. Ï didn’t have any knowledge about the different types of insurance except HMO or health insurance.
While I was scrolling through my Facebook feeds, I came across his post about Whole Life Insurance and it got me curious. So out of curiosity, I sent him private messages asking him some details about it. Instead of replying directly to my queries, he invited me to have tea that weekend so he could explain better, so I just agreed. On the day of our meet-up, I was taken aback because he had already prepared some forms for membership. I actually asked him what those forms were and he just said that he’s getting ready for my membership. I was at a loss for words.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
If my memory serves me right [phase/expression] – used to say that you think you have remembered something correctly
Renowned [adj.] – famous
Out of (one’s) curiosity [phrase/expression] – used to express that you are interested in knowing something
Query [noun] – question
Meet-up [noun] – informal meeting
To be taken aback [phrase] – to be surprised or shocked that you cannot respond at once
At a loss for words [phase] – not knowing what to say because you are very surprised
TIPS
i.) SECOND PARAGRAPH: The speaker started recalling his experience however, he did not tell the examiner yet why he lied, instead, he established his story first by giving some background information about his friend. That is important in any kind of story in order for the listener to understand the root cause of the story or the event. Don’t forget to add this to your answer.
ii.) THIRD PARAGRAPH: In this part, the speaker provided more specific details of the root cause of why he ended up telling a lie. Those were important details to develop an organized story. As an examinee, you need to bear in mind the organization of your ideas.
To cut a long story short, after that conversation of ours, he kept sending me messages for almost a month asking me to buy that Whole Life Insurance policy. To my annoyance, I made up a story that my dad had already bought a term insurance policy for me, without my knowledge, from his friend and that he couldn’t refuse it. I apologized to him about it however, I didn’t get any response from him after I sent that message. I guess he was upset and I felt a little bit guilty for telling that lie, but I think that was the best thing I could do.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
To cut a long story short [phrase] – is used to say that you will tell the main points of the story without giving all the details
To (one’s) annoyance [phrase/idiom] – in a way that is annoying to someone
Term insurance [noun] – life insurance coverage for a specific amount of time
Without (one’s) knowledge [phrase/idiom] – used to say that something was done and the person did not know about it
Upset [used as an adjective in the answer] – unhappy
Guilty [adj.] – responsible for wrongdoing; to blame
PART 3
Is traditional news more reliable than online news?
In my opinion, there is no such thing as 100% reliable between the conventional news media such as newspapers, radio, and television and the digital news nowadays. This is because the prevalence of partiality among media outlets is crystal clear. They are being manipulated by capitalists and propagandists to spread fake news and attack some government officials whose political views or interests are not aligned with theirs.
The rules of impartiality have never been practiced by most journalists or news reporters in this generation, and that is a disheartening truth. Although there are still a handful of reporters who are not blinded by the money from those capitalists or manipulators, still, I believe that traditional news is not more reliable than online news and vice versa.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Conventional [adj.] – traditional; normal; standard
Digital news [noun] – online news
Prevalence [noun] – the fact of being widespread or common
Partiality [noun] – bias; prejudice
Crystal clear [adj.] – very clear; very easy to understand
Capitalist [noun] – a person who uses his wealth to invest in an industry in accordance with the principles of capitalism
Propagandist [noun] – a person or an organization that spreads false information
Align (with) [verb] – to give support to
Impartiality [noun] – fairness
Get blinded by money [expression] – If a person gets blinded by money, he takes his moral obligation for granted for the sake of getting a lot of money
Disheartening [adj.] – causing a person to lose hope and confidence; discouraging
Vice versa [phrase] – to indicate that the reverse of what you said is true
TIP
i.) The speaker sounded very knowledgeable by the way he expressed his opinion. It goes to show that he’s fully aware of the game played by most news organizations in this generation. How did he do it? For sure, he reads a lot! He opened his answer by stating that there’s no such thing as being absolutely reliable among news outlets, then, he provided his explanation thoroughly. Actually, the speaker answered the truth! It’s a great answer because it is realistic. Also, observe some topic vocabulary words that he used that helped him sound knowledgeable.
Do you think people need to tell the truth all the time?
Definitely not! There are some truths that are better kept in order not to upset someone’s feelings or to avoid conflicts with the person who will be affected if the truth is laid open. Sometimes, telling a white lie is necessary for a situation where you think the truth could create chaos. Anyway, there is no one in this world who is perfect – we all tell lies, may it be intentional or not. I believe that is human nature. However, as much as possible and in all conscience, we should never utter malicious falsehood or tell a lie with malicious intent to our loved ones, friends, or anyone.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Upset [verb] – to make someone feel disappointed or worried
Lay open [phrase] – to expose
White lie [noun] – harmless lie told in order not to hurt the feelings of others
Chaos [noun] – trouble; disorder; confusion
Human nature [noun] – the general psychological characteristics, feelings, or behavioral traits shared by all humans
In all conscience [phrase] – used when talking about what you believe is right or fair
Malicious falsehood [noun] – a lie that is told by a person who he knows that a lie can harm the person
TIP
i.) The speaker gave a straight negative answer and explained that there were times when people needed not to tell the truth. Then, the speaker talked about white lies expressing why it’s sometimes needed to tell that kind of lie. He ended his answer by stating that as much as possible, people should not tell a lie that could inflict harm on other people. Observe the topic vocabulary words used by the speaker, he’s able to express clearly because of those words and expressions. Make sure you use any of those when talking about this topic.
What should parents do if their children tell lies?
Well, the best thing parents can do if their children tell lies is to educate or discipline them. There is no better time to teach them a lesson than the moment when they are caught telling lies. As much as possible, parents should make sure that their children understand that telling lies can inflict harm on others or even themselves.
As a parent myself and living in a conservative country, it is common for us to use corporal punishment when our children tell lies, especially if it is a serious one like stealing something from someone and denying it. Through that kind of punishment, we are able to inculcate one of the important values in their young minds – a serious consequence takes place when they do something that is morally wrong.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Discipline [verb as used in the answer] – to train someone to follow or obey rules
Inflict [verb] – to cause something unpleasant or painful to be suffered by someone
Conservative [adj.] – traditional; conventional
Corporal punishment [noun] – physical punishment
Deny [verb] – refuse to admit
Inculcate [verb] – instill an idea or attitude by persistent instruction
Consequence [noun] – result
Take place [phrase] – happen; occur
Morally wrong [adj.] – unethical
TIP
i.) The speaker expressed his ideas about education or discipline, and then he stated a common example of how parents should discipline their children when they tell lies. Then, he transitioned to talking about himself as a parent and the common practice in his country in terms of educating or disciplining the children in his country when they do something wrong such as telling lies. He’s able to discuss his answer by providing an example and a clear explanation of his argument. Make sure you present some examples when answering questions so that your examiner will be able to understand your point clearly.
Why is it easier for people to tell the truth to strangers than to family or friends?
It is always easy to be straightforward or pour our hearts out to strangers simply because we know that we would not be judged or criticized by them, unlike our loved ones or friends. More often than not, strangers listen to us willingly, sympathize, and empathize with us in some way.
Actually, this reminds me of the movie, Forrest Gump, starring Tom Hanks, in which he talked about his love story and his life in general to some strangers, who were sitting on the bench next to him while waiting for the bus to arrive, and every one of them eagerly listened to his narration. Well, sometimes strangers are more comforting than those people whom we know as friends or family, and that I believe is the main reason why it is much easier, to tell the truth to strangers.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Straightforward [adj.] – honest; frank
Pour one’s heart out [idiom] – to tell someone your secret feelings and things that worry you
Criticize [verb] – to find fault
Sympathize [verb] – feel or express pity
Empathize [verb] – to understand and share the feelings of another person
Star [used a verb in the answer] – to have someone as the main actor
Narration [noun] – story
Comforting [adj.] – bring comfort; serving to alleviate the person’s feeling of sadness
TIP
i.) The speaker started his answer by paraphrasing the idea of the question and gave his main answer to the question. He explained his answer thoroughly stating that strangers had the ability to sympathize and empathize instead of criticizing. Then, he injected his recollection of a certain movie that would help him explain his reason best. Right after that, he just ended his answer with a simple conclusive statement.
Learn how to answer the recent
IELTS Speaking PART 1 Topic
about WEATHER.
GET THE LATEST
REVIEWERS FOR PART 2 &
PART 3 Here!
Meaning of Words and Phrases Sources: Collins, Macmillan, Cambridge, Oxford
If you want to support my work, you can buy me A CUP OF COFFEE here:
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/ieltsdragon
Thank you so much!
