Describe someone you admire who is much older than you

 Band 8 Sample

Well, the first person who came to my mind is my grandmother. She is almost in her 80’s and she has always been a major influence on me.

I guess I could say that I’ve known my grandmother my whole life because she was actually there the day I was born, and after the death of my grandfather she started to live in our house, so I was lucky enough to grow up and pass my adolescent years with her love and affection.

Since my childhood, she has always cared and loved me with all of her heart, and she is a really kind and wise woman which is why I always turn to her for advice. I think she’s a compassionate person with a big heart, and always tries to help others whenever she can, and I can recall many occasions when she took great risks to help other people out.

She’s also a successful mother of four children, one of whom is my father. She has devoted her entire life for the betterment of her kids, educating and guiding them to become good people. She possesses a very charming personality and always pleases everyone around her. Even a stranger can feel the warmth of her heart within only a short time.

I could really talk about her all day long because I love and admire her for many reasons. But I must say, the most important reason is her unconditional love for me. She is a great mentor who always shows me the positive side of things and guides me through my hardest times. Talking to her is a soothing experience and the stories she tells are always informative and full of important lessons and morals. I think she has had a great influence on my attitude in life and on my personality, and for all these reasons there’s a strong bond between us, and I admire her very much.

Vocabulary highlights:

1. adolescent – between the ages of a child and an adult eg. approximately 15 – 18 years old
2. wise – being able to make good decisions and/or judgements
3. turn to her for advice – to ask for advice
4. compassionate – to understand and care about someone
5. devoted – to give a lot of time and effort towards something
6. betterment – to make something better
7. charming – very nice or pleasant
8. unconditional love – complete love, without any exceptions
9. soothing – making you feel calm
10. morals – ideas of what is good or bad behaviour