Speaking Part 2 · Activities & habitsIn the May–Aug 2026 forecast
Describe Some Volunteer Work You Did
In short
“Describe Some Volunteer Work You Did” 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 Some Volunteer Work You Did. You should say:
- •What the volunteer work was
- •When and where you did it
- •What you actually had to do
- •And explain how you felt about it
Band 9 model answer
The volunteer work I'd like to describe is something I did for about six months at a community centre near my home, where I helped teach older people how to use smartphones and computers. It wasn't a huge, dramatic project or anything — just a couple of hours every Saturday morning — but it ended up being one of the more meaningful things I've ever done.
The way it worked was pretty informal. Local pensioners would come in, and a handful of us younger volunteers would sit with them one-to-one and walk them through whatever they were stuck on — sending an email, setting up online banking, or video-calling their grandchildren, that kind of thing. A lot of them felt genuinely left behind by technology, and to be honest a big part of the job was simply being patient and reassuring, constantly telling them that they couldn't possibly break anything just by pressing the wrong button.
There was one woman in particular I'll never forget — she must have been in her eighties, and she desperately wanted to learn to video-call her son, who'd emigrated to Australia. She hadn't seen his face properly in nearly three years. It took us a few weeks of practising, and when the call finally connected and she saw him on the screen, she just burst into tears. I'm not ashamed to say I got a bit emotional myself. That single moment made every early Saturday morning completely worth it.
And that's really why the whole experience meant so much to me. Going in, I'd assumed I was the one doing all the giving, but the truth is I got far more out of it than I put in. It gave me a real sense of purpose at a time when I was feeling a bit aimless, and it completely changed the way I see older people — they had the most incredible stories to tell once you actually took the time to listen. It also taught me patience, which is honestly not something that comes naturally to me. More than anything, it showed me how much of a difference a tiny bit of your time can make to somebody's life.
So looking back, it was only a small commitment on paper, but the impact really went both ways. It's exactly the kind of thing I'd encourage absolutely anyone to try, because you end up giving something back to your community and, almost by accident, gaining even more in return.
Make it your own: three angles
Helping a vulnerable group directly
A one-to-one story like teaching the elderly gives you a powerful anecdote for the final bullet on how you felt.
An environmental project like a clean-up
Good for describing physical tasks and teamwork, and links neatly to Part 3 questions on community and the environment.
Fundraising or charity event work
Lets you talk about a goal and a result, but remember to include how the experience changed you, not just what you organised.
What the examiner is listening for
Pick one concrete moment — a single person you helped — and build the whole talk around it rather than describing the scheme in general terms; specificity is what pushes you past Band 7. Save your strongest evaluative language for the final bullet, and use the shift from 'I thought I was giving' to 'I gained more' to show reflection, which examiners reward highly.
Part 1 warm-up questions
- Have you ever done any volunteer work?
- Do people in your country often volunteer?
- Would you like to volunteer in the future?
- Do you think it is important to help others?
Part 3 follow-up questions & answers
Why do you think people volunteer?
I think the motivations are mixed, and that's fine. Some people genuinely want to give something back, especially if they've been helped themselves in the past. Others do it for more practical reasons — to gain experience, meet people or feel less isolated — but in my view the reason matters far less than the fact that the work gets done.
Should volunteering be compulsory for students?
That's a tricky one. I can see the argument, because it exposes young people to problems they'd otherwise never encounter and looks good on a CV. That said, forcing people to 'volunteer' is a bit of a contradiction, and I suspect resentful students wouldn't do it wholeheartedly. I'd rather see schools inspire it through good examples than make it a box-ticking requirement.
What kinds of volunteer work are most needed in your country?
Right now I'd say anything supporting the elderly and the isolated, because our population is ageing and a lot of older people are genuinely lonely. Beyond that, food banks and support for the homeless are stretched very thin. These are the areas where a few volunteer hours translate almost directly into someone's basic wellbeing, so that's where the need feels most urgent.
Do you think companies should encourage their employees to volunteer?
Yes, and quite a few already do by offering paid days off for it, which I think is brilliant. It benefits the community, obviously, but it also boosts morale and gives staff a sense of pride in where they work. As long as it's genuine and not just a PR exercise, I can't really see a downside to it.
Is it better for the government or for charities to help those in need?
Ideally it should be a partnership rather than one or the other. Governments have the funding and the reach to tackle problems on a large scale, but charities are often closer to the ground and more flexible in how they respond. In practice, charities tend to fill the gaps that government support leaves behind, so we really need both working together.
Are younger people less willing to volunteer than older generations?
I don't think they're less willing, but they volunteer differently. Older people often commit to something regular and local, whereas younger people are typically strapped for time and gravitate towards one-off events or online activism. So the appetite is definitely there — it just shows up in newer, more flexible forms.
How can communities encourage more people to get involved?
The key is to lower the barriers, I think. A lot of people would happily help but assume it requires a massive commitment they can't afford. If organisations advertise small, flexible roles and make it genuinely easy to sign up, far more people would give it a go. Word of mouth helps too — nothing recruits a volunteer faster than a friend saying how rewarding it was.
Useful vocabulary
| Word / phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| to give something back to the community | to help others in return for the good fortune or support you have received |
| to lend a hand | to help someone with a task |
| rewarding | giving a sense of satisfaction and worth, even without financial reward |
| a good cause | an organisation or aim that helps people or society |
| to make a difference | to have a noticeable positive effect on a situation or person |
| a sense of purpose | the feeling that your actions and life are meaningful |
| to get involved | to take part in an activity or organisation |
| selfless | putting the needs of others before your own |
| to be strapped for time | to have very little free time available |
| to feel left behind | to feel that you are being excluded from progress that others are making |
More cue cards
Describe an Achievement You Are Proud Of
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