IELTS Speaking part 2: Talk about someone that helped you

Topic cue card:

Talk about someone that helped you by providing something that you required the most.

• what it was

• who gave it to you

• why it was important for you

• How did you feel after getting it?

Answer:

I am going to talk about the time I received help from a neighbor.

Because my husband works overseas, most of the time I have to look after our one-year-old boy by myself. I also have a full time job and it is quite difficult to balance between job and baby. When I go to work, I send the baby to daycare and I take him back after work. Doing all of the housework and taking care of him is really tiring, I do not have time for myself. I even have to cook one pan meals for weeks.

One day about a month ago, my baby suddenly had a high fever at midnight. He cried non-stop and threw up every thing in his stomach. As he was my first child, I was so inexperienced that I panicked and did not know what to do. I tried to calm him down but failed, and after the longest one hour in my life I got so desperate that I burst into tears.

Suddenly I heard a knock on the door. I did not know who came over at this late night but still went over to open it. Then I found the old lady next door standing there with a worried look on her face. She told me she heard the baby crying out loud for hours and wanted to see what happened. When she saw me looking exhausted and messy, she offered to lend me a hand. She helped to sooth the baby while I cleaned up myself and the floor, and then she taught me some experience about what to do when a baby was sick. Fortunately, my boy recovered quickly and did not have to go to the hospital.

After that day she often comes over to help me look after my boy while I do housework or cook for him. Sometimes she even cooks extra serving and brings over to me. We become good friends despite our age difference. My son also grows attached to her and is always happy to see her.

I am really grateful of that lady next door. She gave me a hand when I needed it the most and really saved me from breaking down.

Comment:

This answer can be adjusted to a similar topics, for example:

Describe a time when you helped of someone.

• When you helped

• How you helped

• How you felt after giving help

or

Describe an event that made you happy recently.

• When this event was

• Where it happened

• Who you were with

• Explain why it made you happy.

(You can talk about the time you helped someone and then describe your happy feeling when the one you helped expressed their gratitude to you.)

or

Describe a story you have been told.

• Who told you the story
• What the story is about
• How it affects you.

(Talking about the story of helping and receiving help and add details about how you feel about giving help to others)