Describe a situation when you helped someone

'Describe a situation when you helped someone' is a cue card topic on the IELTS speaking test. For this, you’ll have 1 minute of preparation time and 2 minutes to talk.

The IELTS cue card topic would usually be related to your personal experiences and opinions. Before discussing the ‘Describe a situation when you helped someone’ IELTS cue card, let’s quickly look at the IELTS speaking test.

The speaking test is one of the sections in IELTS that evaluates your English fluency, grammar, and pronunciation.

There are three parts to the IELTS speaking test. The whole speaking test takes about 11-15 minutes to complete. You’ll be given the cue card during part 2.

For more information, sample questions, and answers, refer to our guide on IELTS speaking cue card topics. Read more for tips and examples to describe a situation when you helped someone.

Also read: IELTS Exam pattern 2024

Describe a situation when you helped someone: How to answer?

Here’s an easy way. Divide your answer into small sections. First, give a small introduction, explain the key points and cover all the questions in the cue card. Finally, wrap it up with a conclusion.

Let’s have a glimpse of how to do this.

1. Start with an overview of the situation and the person you helped.
2. You could discuss the challenges they were facing.
3. You can also explain how you learned they needed help.
4. Explain what you did to support that person.
5. Moreover, you can brief on any challenges you encountered and how you dealt with them.
6. Conclude by saying what the outcome of your help was, and how your support has helped the person.

Also read: Your quick guide to IELTS scores

Sample 1:

Describe a situation when you helped someone.

You should say

• What was the situation?
• Who did you help?
• How did you come to know about the need for help?
• What did you do to help?

Last year, there was a time when such a situation happened to me. It was when Mr. Dan, our building's maintenance staff, needed help. I came across Mr. Dan, who was bringing in a few heavy cleaning equipment like vacuum cleaners and sack bags for cleaning and maintenance.

I noticed that those were too heavy for him to carry and he might fall. So I quickly approached him and volunteered to carry some load. He looked happy and graciously accepted my help.

On the way, he informed me that he could not find one of the vacuum cleaners and there was no one to help him. So, I accompanied him around the building, after placing the other equipment aside, and helped him search for the other vacuum cleaner. After almost half an hour, we found it.

Mr. Dan explained that there are times he gets overwhelmed by the need to take care of everything. That is when I volunteered to call him from time to time and offer my support if I was around. This gesture was hardly taking any of my time or energy but it had made a positive impact on him.

He was very grateful, and I was proud of myself knowing that I had helped someone in distress. It also made me realise that people do need others to take care of them, especially the ones who are likely to require the most help.

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Sample 2:

Describe a situation when you helped someone.

You should say

• Who did you help?
• How did you help?
• Explain how this person reacted to your help.
• Explain how you feel after helping this person.

One such situation I remember is a site-cleaning held in my neighbourhood, last year. Our neighbourhood's park was over-polluted after a number of events had taken place there, and the people of our living community felt that it definitely needed some cleanup. So I volunteered to help clean the park, along with my neighbours and other people from our location.

One of the volunteers, a fourteen-year-old boy named Jack, was new to the neighbourhood. He was exhausted by the amount of work at hand. Since he was new to the place, he did not find anyone who could help him finish the work.

It was obvious that he was not so comfortable, hence I decided to lend him a hand. He was happy and ready to work with me for the day. We shared our tasks - collected garbage, and sorted plastics and glass from paper. While doing so, I motivated Jack that he could also do it quickly, while having some casual conversations to prevent boredom. 

By the end of the day, the park’s appearance had drastically improved, and so did Jack. He looked much more confident and less anxious. He was also grateful to me for helping him out, and I noticed that doing the whole activity in such a big group of nearly 100 people was rewarding for him.

I'm glad I was able to make him smile during the cleaning. It was also helpful as it created a bond between us and we became good friends.

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Sample 3:

Describe a situation when you helped someone.

You should say

• What the situation was.
• Who the person was.
• How did you help?
• Explain how you felt after helping them.

One such instance is when I helped out in a local food bank, during the heavy floods in my city last year. One such weekend, the food bank was understaffed and they needed some extra people to hand out food to families in need.

I chose to spend a day there because I know how important their work is. While I worked there, during one shift, I saw a young woman. She was a mother of two, with no clue about the food collection. Her children were small and it looked like she was there for the very first time.

So, I went over to her and asked whether she needed any help. She said that she and her children were in need of food. She was hesitant to ask anyone because she felt shy and awkward. I told her that was why the food bank was there, for her, and showed her how she could source food for her family.

When I saw her, I felt the need to help her children. So, I helped her carry the food to the exit. She was appreciative and expressed her gratitude to me for helping her feel less stressed.

This event also made me reinforce my conviction to assist to the best of my abilities those who are in distress. It was an eye-opener that people should not feel bad for whatever concern if they need help.

Describe a situation when you helped someone: Follow-up questions

Once you’re done with part 2 of the speaking test, the interviewer will ask you questions based on the cue card topic, ‘Describe a situation when you helped someone’.

Here are a few sample questions.

1. Do you think it’s important to help people?

Yes, I believe it’s very important to help people. Yes, I agree that there are people who need help and it is our responsibility to provide help. Those are my thoughts about helping people. It is a form of compassion. In addition, helping others can make us feel good about ourselves.

2. Do people hesitate to seek help?

Yes, there are some scenarios where people do not ask for help. This may happen because of fear, getting embarrassed, or not wanting to seem lonely. Some even think that asking for help is a weak thing to do or makes them seem like they depend on others for help.

3. How did people usually respond when you offered assistance?

In such cases, whenever I’ve gone out of my way to help others, they normally express an overwhelmingly positive response and respond with a smile. People in most cases were very thankful and appreciative, particularly in situations where they were finding it hard to cope. In some cases, I state that there are no expectations at all. People are generally very receptive to help once given a chance.

4. Have you ever sought help from others?

Sure, there were instances when I asked for help from others. For example, once I remember seeking help from people because there was a work project I was finding too difficult to do alone. I approached a colleague who had more experience in that field, and he willingly assisted me. Here, I learned that help is always available and there's no shame in asking for it as we all have our limitations.

Also read: IELTS Academic

In the IELTS speaking test, interviewers will check your English and how fluent you are in answering all the questions spontaneously. If you continuously practise IELTS cue card topics and sample IELTS questions, you can get a good score. 

You can learn how to prepare for the IELTS exam, and start your study abroad journey with Edvoy. Register now to achieve a score of 6 or higher with our free IELTS Masterclass!

Also read: IELTS introduction questions with answers

Frequently asked questions

How can I start speaking on the IELTS cue card?

You can refer to your cue card as instructions. Start speaking by explaining the main points of the topic, and narrate the summary. Finally, conclude with a general statement.

How do I talk for 2 minutes in IELTS?

Try to include specific details in your answers, making them sound more natural and engaging. Before the test, practise the speech by recording, listening, correcting mistakes, and repeating the process with sample test questions, until you speak fluently. If you practise consistently, you can talk for 2 minutes continuously.

How to prepare for a cue card in 1 minute?

1. Refer to your cue card for the instructions.
2. Jot down your points using the pencil and paper provided.
3. Use simple words to note your ideas and points.
4. You can elaborate on the points further, as you speak.