Speaking Part 2 · ExperiencesIn the May–Aug 2026 forecast
Describe a Time You Helped Someone
In short
“Describe a Time You Helped Someone” is a common IELTS Speaking Part 2 cue card. You get 1 minute to prepare and should speak for 1–2 minutes, covering all four points below. This page gives you a Band 9 model answer, an idea map so you can make it your own, the Part 3 follow-up questions with answers, and the vocabulary examiners reward.
The task card
Describe a Time You Helped Someone. You should say:
- •Who you helped
- •When it was
- •How you helped them
- •And explain how you felt about it
Band 9 model answer
The time I'd like to describe is when I helped an elderly neighbour of mine, Mr Costa, who lives alone a few doors down from me.
It was during a long spell last winter when he'd had a fall and couldn't get out easily. I only found out by chance — I noticed his curtains hadn't opened for a couple of days and went to check. When I realised he was struggling, I started dropping in every day.
Practically, it wasn't dramatic — I did his shopping, picked up his prescriptions, and mostly just sat and chatted with him for half an hour, because what he was really short of was company. I also helped him sort out a doctor's appointment he'd been putting off because he couldn't manage the phone menus, which turned out to matter a great deal.
As for how I felt, it was genuinely one of the most rewarding things I've done, precisely because it cost me so little and meant so much to him. It made me realise how many people are quietly isolated, especially the elderly, and how a tiny bit of attention can make a real difference. It's also changed how I behave — I now make a point of looking out for the people around me rather than assuming someone else will, which I think is a small but lasting change for the better.
Make it your own: three angles
Helping a neighbour or elderly person
Warm and specific — easy to answer "how you felt" and to draw a wider point about community.
Helping a stranger
A lost tourist, someone who dropped something — good for a quick, vivid story.
Helping a friend or classmate
Works well if you can describe a real problem you solved together.
What the examiner is listening for
Tell it as a story with a clear shape: who, the situation, what you did, how you felt. Narrative past tenses carry the account, and the ending — how it changed you or what you realised — is where the higher-band evaluative language lives. Keep it genuine; modesty reads better than boasting.
Part 1 warm-up questions
- Do you often help other people?
- Do you think people help each other less than before?
- Is it important to teach children to help others?
- Have you ever done any volunteer work?
Part 3 follow-up questions & answers
Why do some people hesitate to help strangers?
A mix of reasons — fear of being misunderstood, not wanting to interfere, or simply assuming someone else will step in, which psychologists call the bystander effect. In busy cities people are also more guarded. Often the will to help is there; it's the uncertainty about how that holds people back.
Should schools require students to do volunteer work?
There's a strong case for it — it builds empathy, exposes young people to lives unlike their own, and can start a lifelong habit. My only caution is that forcing it can feel like a box-ticking exercise, so it works best when students have real choice about how and where they contribute.
Do you think people are more selfish today than in the past?
I'm not convinced they're more selfish by nature, but modern life — long hours, screens, anonymous cities — gives fewer natural chances to help. Interestingly, the same technology also lets people organise huge charitable responses quickly, so I'd say kindness has changed form rather than declined.
How can governments encourage people to help others?
They can make it easy and recognised — funding community centres, supporting volunteer organisations, and perhaps offering small incentives or recognition. But the deeper lever is culture and education: societies that celebrate contribution from a young age tend to produce more of it than those relying on rules alone.
What are the benefits of helping others?
They flow both ways. The person helped obviously gains, but the helper often benefits just as much — studies consistently link helping to greater happiness and a stronger sense of purpose. At a community level, mutual help builds the trust that makes everyday life smoother and safer for everyone.
Is it better to help people directly or to donate money?
Both have their place. Donating money is efficient and scales — it funds expertise and reaches people you'll never meet. Direct help is more personal and immediate, and it builds relationships. Ideally people do both: give where money is needed and show up where presence is what matters.
Useful vocabulary
| Word / phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| to give someone a hand | to help someone |
| to go out of my way | to make a special effort to help |
| in need | lacking help or essentials |
| rewarding | giving a satisfying sense of worth |
| to look out for one another | to take care of each other |
| to make a difference | to have a noticeable positive effect |
| to come to someone's aid | to help someone in difficulty |
| selfless | putting others before yourself |
| to pay it forward | to help others because you were helped |
| without a second thought | without hesitating |
More cue cards
Describe a Person You Admire
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