Describe a situation when you helped someone : IELTS exam Cue Card

Bhargavee Sisodia

24 Jun 2024

Describe a situation when you helped someone : IELTS exam Cue Card

The speaking portion of the IELTS test, which assesses your fluency and communication skills, is one of the most important parts. The general interview, cue card phase, and the follow-up questions round comprise the three main parts of the IELTS speaking test.

You will be asked general questions about yourself, your background, and your studies during the generic interview round. The purpose of this section is to acquaint you with the IELTS speaking exam environment.

The cue card portion of the speaking test will come next. Here, you'll be given a topic and two minutes to formulate a response and deliver a monologue. You will be given a pencil and paper by the examiner, and you will have one minute to plan out and organize the structure of your response. 

Make the most of your one minute and mentally prepare the response. It is preferable to break up your response into manageable chunks and outline the main ideas you intend to discuss during the speaking test. During the one minute you have, you can jot down the various portions of the answer and list the keywords in each section to help you formulate your response.

A series of follow-up questions based on your response from the cue card part will make up the third section of the speaking test. The examiner will give you a series of follow-up questions in this section to assess your reaction time and level of communication. It is required of you to communicate clearly, concisely, and effectively.

During your IELTS exam preparation, it is crucial to concentrate on the speaking portion of the test. In order to properly frame your response for the cue card round, you must have a plan. Your confidence will grow as you practice answering IELTS speaking questions and solving IELTS practice test questions.

It is advisable that you practice speaking on multiple IELTS speaking topics to ensure that your responses are confident and fluid. More experience speaking on a variety of IELTS speaking topics will undoubtedly increase your score.

Here is a thorough example of a topic for the cue card round of your IELTS speaking test, along with the follow-up questions, to help you prepare for the exam even more.  

The IELTS sample test example: Describe a situation when you helped someone

We have given sample answers to the topic and reading these will help you with your IELTS preparation. This IELTS exam sample answer will make you comprehend how to divide the answers into smaller sections. 

IELTS speaking sample answer 1 : Describe a situation when you helped someone

Introduction:

I helped my friend Unnati with her IELTS speaking test preparation. This not only helped her with her IELTS preparation, but it benefitted me as well as I could revise at the same time.

How did you know that the person needed help?

I have known her for quite some time now and I am aware of her fear of public speaking. She casually informed me that she was nervous about the IELTS speaking test and wanted to know how my IELTS preparation was going. Understanding her nervousness I decided to help her out.

When did you help the person?

I started helping her with the IELTS exam preparation three months ago. I knew that she had a good command of English and the only area she needed help was with the confidence in speaking without fear.

How did you help the person?

We decided that we would give random IELTS speaking topics to one another and start our IELTS preparation. Since I am a little more confident than her in public speaking, I answered a few questions that she recorded and heard in her free time. I sat in front of her and asked her to answer the questions. Although she was nervous in the beginning, with a few days of practice, she overcame her fear of speaking in front of a person. I also ensured to remind her that she had nothing to fear as her creativity and fluency were on point so it would be an easy exam for her.

Conclusion:

As I helped her with her speaking test preparation, my skills were also sharpened. I am glad we could both ace our individual IELTS preparation and I know if I ever need any help from her, she will be equally there to support me.

IELTS speaking sample answer 2 : Describe a situation when you helped someone

Introduction:

Recently, a former colleague of mine quit his job because of certain family circumstances and while he was searching for another job after everything in his family was sorted, he was struggling. This was when I helped him out with his job search.

How did you know that the person needed help?

My colleague called me one evening and was extremely upset as he was not getting any job according to his preference. I was taken aback to hear him sound so helpless. He was always known for his positivity and helpful nature. That moment I knew that I had to help him out.

When did you help the person?

I started helping him a couple of months back and fortunately last week he successfully cracked an interview and got his offer letter.

How did you help the person?

Every day after my work was over, we connected via Zoom meeting and searched for jobs online. I am good at writing so we evaluated every job description and I made a customized resume for him for every job. Before the day of each interview, I took mock interview sessions for him so that he became confident, and helped him improve his answers with my input.

Conclusion:

In the end, it was all worth it as he successfully got the job in one of the leading global MNCs and I also realized that there is no greater joy than helping a friend or family.

IELTS speaking sample answer 3 : Describe a situation when you helped someone

Introduction:

Last week I helped my niece prepare a cake for the baking competition at her school. She was selected as a participant by her class teacher and all the participants were asked to bring a cake or pastry prepared by them from home. It was a fun and engaging activity for the kids and the parents were also informed so that the baking was done under supervision.

How did you know that the person needed help?

I got a call from my sister last Monday and she informed me about the competition. I am fairly good at baking and thus, my sister requested me to help my niece out and I gladly agreed.

When did you help the person?

The competition was supposed to be held last Friday, so I went to my sister's house on Thursday evening to help her bake the cake.

How did you help the person?

I realized that more than winning, she had to learn how to bake so I decided to help her but not bake the cake by myself. I instructed her on all the measurements and gave her the ingredients list. I ensured to stay by her side in the kitchen through the time of the baking and at the end, I was happy that she could bake a beautiful and tasty cake.

Conclusion:

My niece was extremely happy to learn the process of baking from me and enjoyed the activity thoroughly. I also felt a sense of satisfaction by helping someone who is so dear to me.

IELTS test next step: Follow up questions

The third section of the IELTS speaking exam will consist of a follow-up question period lasting four to five minutes. There are multiple questions attached to the "Describe a situation when you helped someone" topic. It will assist you in getting better IELTS exam results. This will judge your communication skills and your ability to think and answer quickly. Once you go through the follow-up questions of various IELTS speaking topics, you will get an idea of what to expect there. 

IELTS speaking - Follow up question

Question 1: Do you think with the fast-paced life that we lead, we often forget to look around ourselves and see if anyone needs help?

Answer: Yes, that is true. People nowadays are busy with their own life and a lot of the time it is not that someone is intentionally not helping another person but they might be completely unaware of whether they need help or not. Mostly we fail to hear unsaid cries for help and only when someone actively seeks our assistance is when we notice their problem.

Question 2: Does helping others give you a sense of satisfaction?

Answer: Absolutely. Helping others in their difficult times or pushing them toward their goals will also bring happiness and positivity to my own life. I am a firm believer that energy is infectious and thus, if we can help someone and make them happy, in return the same energy will be radiated in my life and thus, I am bound to feel content.

Question 3: Do you ever hesitate to seek help from your friends and family?

Answer: No. My parents taught me that it is okay to accept that we cannot live and do everything by ourselves and it is normal to ask for help. However, I do consider a person's schedule before asking them for help or favor. If I know they are particularly busy and my task can wait, I will wait and ask for help whenever it is a little feasible for them.

Conclusion

D-VIVID's team of professionals is available to supervise, guide, and assist you during every stage of your IELTS preparation. In addition to a wealth of information about IELTS speaking topics and IELTS sample test questions, we provide a thorough library of IELTS speaking questions and answers and readily available follow-up questions. With the aid of our customized IELTS practice test, you will be able to pinpoint your areas of improvement and develop a realistic plan to strengthen them. There is no doubt that you will get a fantastic score on your IELTS speaking test if you use the resources we give for our practice exam. Our curriculum is up-to-date and our instructors will guide you with your fluency, grammar, vocabulary, and communication. Don't hesitate to get in touch with us now for a modern, hassle-free IELTS exam preparation experience.