IELTS Speaking Part 2 · Experiences
Describe a time when you helped someone
Describe a time when you helped someone
You should say:
- who you helped
- where and when it happened
- how you helped them
and explain how you felt after helping this person.
How to plan your answer
Use your 1 minute to jot down key words for each point, not full sentences.
- 1
who you helped
Who: An elderly neighbour named Mrs. Gable who lives alone next door.
- 2
where and when it happened
Where/When: Last winter during a heavy snowstorm in our residential neighbourhood.
- 3
how you helped them
How: Cleared snow from her driveway and brought essential groceries from town.
- 4
and explain how you felt after helping this person.
Closing: Felt deeply fulfilled, realising small actions make a massive difference.
Sample answer
about 242 words · 2 minutesI'd like to talk about a time when I helped an elderly neighbour of mine named Mrs. Gable, who lives right next door to my family. This happened last winter, around December, when our town was hit by an unusually heavy snowstorm. The weather was severe, and the roads were completely covered in ice and thick snow, making it dangerous for anyone to venture outside, especially senior citizens who live alone. Realising that she wouldn't be able to leave her home, I decided to step in and offer a helping hand. First, I grabbed a shovel and cleared the thick blanket of snow from her driveway and front pathway so she could move around safely. After that, I walked to the local grocery shop down the road to pick up some essential provisions for her, such as milk, bread, canned soup, and medicine. When I brought the supplies to her door, she was overwhelmed with gratitude and invited me in for a warm cup of tea. We ended up chatting for nearly an hour about her youth, which was a lovely bonus. Honestly, after helping her out, I felt an immense sense of warmth and satisfaction. It made me realise how a relatively small effort on my part could make a huge difference in someone else's day. In the end, it really strengthened our bond as neighbours and reminded me of the importance of looking out for vulnerable people in our community.
A teaching example, not a script to memorise. Say it in your own words.
Useful phrases
offer a helping hand
Whenever my neighbors need assistance with heavy gardening work, I am always happy to offer a helping hand.
venture outside
During the severe thunderstorm, it was simply too dangerous to venture outside.
essential provisions
Before embarking on the mountain hike, we made sure to stock up on essential provisions.
overwhelmed with gratitude
The family was overwhelmed with gratitude after receiving support from local community volunteers.
immense sense of warmth
Completing the charity fundraising event gave all of us an immense sense of warmth and fulfillment.
Common mistakes
I helped to her yesterday.
I helped her yesterday.
The verb help is transitive here and does not take the preposition to.
I felt happy because I make a good action.
I felt happy because I did a good deed.
In English, we say do a good deed rather than make a good action.
She was very appreciated about my assistance.
She was very appreciative of my assistance.
Appreciative of is the correct adjective structure to describe someone showing gratitude.
Tips for a higher band
- Use natural discourse markers such as 'Honestly' or 'In the end' to maintain a smooth narrative flow.
- Incorporate specific topic vocabulary like 'essential provisions' and 'vulnerable' to enhance your lexical score.
- Mix simple and complex sentence structures using relative clauses to showcase grammatical range effortlessly.
Part 3 follow-up questions
After Part 2 the examiner may ask deeper questions on the same theme.
- Do you think people nowadays are less willing to help strangers compared to the past?
- What are the main benefits of volunteering for young people in society?
- How can schools encourage children to develop a strong habit of helping others?
Now try this cue card
1 minute to prepare, up to 2 minutes to speak, then a band estimate and tips for each criterion.
Practice estimate, not an official IELTS score.