IELTS Speaking Part 2 · People
Describe a person who helped you solve a problem
Describe a person who helped you solve a problem
You should say:
- who the person was
- what the problem was
- how this person helped you
and explain how you felt after receiving help from this person
How to plan your answer
Use your 1 minute to jot down key words for each point, not full sentences.
- 1
who the person was
My university tutor, Dr. Miller, an approachable statistics expert who supported students.
- 2
what the problem was
Struggling with complex statistical data analysis right before my final thesis deadline.
- 3
how this person helped you
He spent two hours walking me through coding steps and fixing errors.
- 4
and explain how you felt after receiving help from this person
Felt immensely relieved and grateful, inspired by his selfless dedication to helping.
Sample answer
about 241 words · 2 minutesI'd like to talk about my university tutor, Dr. Miller, who stepped in when I was in a real bind during my final year of studies. At the time, I was working on my dissertation, which involved analyzing a massive set of statistical data. I had spent days trying to process it using a specific software package, but I kept running into errors that I just couldn't figure out. With the submission deadline looming, I was feeling extremely overwhelmed and stressed. Fortunately, I decided to reach out to Dr. Miller during his office hours. Even though he was quite busy with his own research, he saw how panicked I was and immediately offered to assist me. Instead of just giving me the answers or fixing the code for me, he took a very patient approach. He sat down with me for over two hours and carefully walked me through the logical steps, pointing out where my methodology had gone wrong. He showed me a much simpler technique to organize the data, which saved me a huge amount of effort. Thanks to his guidance, I managed to complete the analysis and hand in my thesis right on time. Afterwards, I felt an overwhelming sense of relief, as if a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. More than that, I felt genuinely inspired by his willingness to help a struggling student without any hesitation, which is something I will always remember.
A teaching example, not a script to memorise. Say it in your own words.
Useful phrases
in a real bind
I found myself in a real bind when my car broke down on the way to the interview.
submission deadline looming
With the submission deadline looming, the entire team worked through the weekend.
walked me through
My supervisor walked me through the complex procedures during my first week.
a weight had been lifted off my shoulders
After passing the final exam, I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.
reach out to
If you have any doubts about the assignment, feel free to reach out to your instructor.
Common mistakes
He suggested me to read the textbook again.
He suggested that I read the textbook again.
The verb 'suggest' cannot be followed directly by an object pronoun and an infinitive.
I was very stress about my problem.
I was very stressed about my problem.
Use the past participle 'stressed' to describe human feelings, not the noun 'stress'.
He gave me many advices.
He gave me a lot of advice.
The word 'advice' is uncountable in English and cannot be made plural.
Tips for a higher band
- Use varied transition words like 'fortunately', 'instead of', and 'thanks to' to connect your ideas smoothly.
- Show range by using precise idiomatic language to express emotion, such as 'a weight lifted off my shoulders'.
- Keep your narration in the correct past tenses, shifting to past perfect when describing background events.
Part 3 follow-up questions
After Part 2 the examiner may ask deeper questions on the same theme.
- Do you think people nowadays are more or less willing to help strangers compared to the past?
- What qualities make someone an effective problem solver in the workplace?
- How can modern technology help people solve their daily practical problems?
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.