IELTS cue card: describe a person you admire
An answer plan for the IELTS Speaking Part 2 task about a person you admire, with prompts for who they are, what they did, and why they matter to you, plus follow-up practice.
Speech9 cardsAbout 2 min to speakIntermediateAnyone
IELTS cue card: describe a time you helped someone
A Part 2 answer plan for describing a time you helped someone: who they were, what the problem was, what you did and how you felt afterwards, with storytelling phrases.
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The cards
- 1
The task
Describe a time when you helped someone.
You should say:
- who you helped
- what the situation was
- how you helped them
- and explain how you felt about it.
Original practice topic in the Part 2 style.
- 2
Find your story
Small, real moments work best:
- showing a lost tourist the way
- helping a classmate prepare for a test
- looking after a neighbour's pet or child
- helping a relative use a new phone
- volunteering at a local event
My story: [___]
- 3
Opening
"I'd like to tell you about a time I helped [an elderly man at the train station / my younger brother], which happened [about a year ago]."
- 4
Set the scene
- When and where: "[It was a rainy Friday evening and the station was packed.]"
- What you were doing: "[I was rushing to catch my train home.]"
- What you noticed: "[I saw a man looking confused at the ticket machine.]"
Past continuous for background, past simple for what happened.
- 5
The problem
"It turned out that [he didn't understand the new machines and his phone battery had died]."
"He was [worried because his daughter was waiting for him in another city]."
Past perfect (had died) shows an earlier event. A nice range point.
- 6
What you did
- "First, I [asked if he needed help]."
- "Then I [bought the ticket with him step by step]."
- "After that, I [let him call his daughter on my phone]."
- "Finally, I [walked him to the right platform]."
Sequencing words keep your story clear.
- 7
How you felt
- During: "[I was a bit anxious about missing my own train.]"
- After: "[I felt really good, even though I got home late.]"
- Lesson: "[It reminded me that a few minutes of your time can make a big difference.]"
- 8
Useful language
- give someone a hand
- go out of my way to
- it turned out that...
- he was so grateful
- it made my day
- I didn't think twice
- 9
Part 3 practice questions
- Are people less willing to help strangers than in the past?
- Should schools require students to do volunteer work?
- Why do some people find it hard to ask for help?
- Who should help elderly people: families or the government?
How to use this template
Experience topics such as helping someone, solving a problem or doing something kind are a staple of IELTS Speaking Part 2. They reward clear storytelling: setting the scene, explaining the problem, describing your actions in order and reflecting on how you felt. That is exactly how these cards are arranged. After one minute of preparation, you speak for one to two minutes, so the cards keep each part short enough to finish on time. Model sentences show the past continuous for background, past perfect for earlier events and sequencing words for actions, three things that help an answer sound organised. Vocabulary and Part 3 questions about community and volunteering complete the set. This is an original practice topic.
Tips
- Pick a small, specific event. 'I helped my friend once' is too vague; 'I helped my friend move flat on a hot Sunday' gives you details.
- Use first, then, after that and finally on the action card, but vary them with 'as soon as' or 'once'.
- Mention a small difficulty for you, such as being late or tired. It makes the story more believable and gives you more to say.
- Keep the feelings card honest. Mixed feelings sound more natural than 'I was very happy'.
- Practise the scene-setting sentence until you can say it smoothly; a confident start helps your whole answer.
Make it fit
- For 'describe a time someone helped you', swap the roles and focus the feelings card on gratitude.
- For 'describe a time you solved a problem', keep the problem and action cards and add what you would do differently.
- For 'describe a volunteer activity', explain how often you do it and who organises it.
- For 'describe a good decision you made', the deciding moment replaces the helping actions.
Updated October 28, 2026