Sample IELTS Speaking
Question
Describe a time when you helped someone.
You should say:
- who you helped and why
- how you helped this person
- what the result was
And explain how you felt about helping this person.
Sample Response (level 1)
One memorable time when I helped someone occurred during my final year at university. I assisted a freshman who was struggling with the transition to university life, both academically and socially. Her name was Ayesha, and she was a distant cousin who had moved to the city to attend the same university as me.
When I noticed Ayesha having difficulty adapting, I reached out to her to offer my help. I started by tutoring her in several subjects where she was facing challenges, particularly in mathematics and science, which were my strengths. I also introduced her to my circle of friends and encouraged her to join a few student societies that aligned with her interests, which was a great way for her to make new friends and feel more integrated into the university community.
The results were quite positive. Ayesha’s grades improved significantly by the end of the semester, and she became much more confident and outgoing. She was grateful for the assistance and felt more at home at the university. By the end of the year, she had even taken on a leadership role in one of the student organizations.
Helping Ayesha was incredibly rewarding for me. It was not only a chance to give back and help someone adjust to university life, but it also strengthened our family bonds. I felt a deep sense of satisfaction knowing that I could make a significant impact on someone’s life. This experience reaffirmed my belief in the importance of community and support in achieving success.
Criteria in Action: Learning from the Model Response (click to read)
Coherence
- Effective Transitional Phrases: “I started by,” “As a result,” and “By the end of the year.”
- Logical Progression: The response flows from introducing the problem, describing the actions taken, to discussing the outcomes.
Lexical Resource
- Variety of Vocabulary: Uses a range of vocabulary such as “transition,” “academically,” “integrated,” and “leadership role.”
- Use of Collocations: Phrases like “significantly improved,” “more confident,” and “deep sense of satisfaction.”
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
- Compound Sentences: “I also introduced her to my circle of friends and encouraged her to join a few student societies…”
- Complex Sentences: “When I noticed Ayesha having difficulty adapting, I reached out to her to offer my help.”
Pronunciation Implications
- Pronunciation Challenges: Words like “university,” “transition,” “academically,” and “organizations” challenge the speaker to maintain clear pronunciation.
- Intonation Opportunities: Natural flow and emphasis in phrases like “deep sense of satisfaction” and “felt more at home at the university.”
Sample Response (level 2)
One memorable time when I helped someone occurred during my final year at university. I assisted a freshman who was struggling with the transition to university life, both academically and socially. Her name was Ayesha, and she was a distant cousin who had moved to the city to attend the same university as me.
When I noticed Ayesha having difficulty adapting, I reached out to her to offer my help. I started by tutoring her in several subjects where she was facing challenges, particularly in mathematics and science, which were my strengths. I also introduced her to my circle of friends and encouraged her to join a few student societies that aligned with her interests, which was a great way for her to make new friends and feel more integrated into the university community.
The results were quite positive. Ayesha’s grades improved significantly by the end of the semester, and she became much more confident and outgoing. She was grateful for the assistance and felt more at home at the university. By the end of the year, she had even taken on a leadership role in one of the student organizations.
Helping Ayesha was incredibly rewarding for me. It was not only a chance to give back and help someone adjust to university life, but it also strengthened our family bonds. I felt a deep sense of satisfaction knowing that I could make a significant impact on someone’s life. This experience reaffirmed my belief in the importance of community and support in achieving success.
Criteria in Action: Learning from the Model Response (click to read)
Coherence
- Effective Transitional Phrases: “I started by,” “As a result,” and “By the end of the year.”
- Logical Progression: The response flows from introducing the problem, describing the actions taken, to discussing the outcomes.
Lexical Resource
- Variety of Vocabulary: Uses a range of vocabulary such as “transition,” “academically,” “integrated,” and “leadership role.”
- Use of Collocations: Phrases like “significantly improved,” “more confident,” and “deep sense of satisfaction.”
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
- Compound Sentences: “I also introduced her to my circle of friends and encouraged her to join a few student societies…”
- Complex Sentences: “When I noticed Ayesha having difficulty adapting, I reached out to her to offer my help.”
Pronunciation Implications
- Pronunciation Challenges: Words like “university,” “transition,” “academically,” and “organizations” challenge the speaker to maintain clear pronunciation.
- Intonation Opportunities: Natural flow and emphasis in phrases like “deep sense of satisfaction” and “felt more at home at the university.”
Sample Response (level 3)
One memorable time when I helped someone occurred during my final year at university. I assisted a freshman who was struggling with the transition to university life, both academically and socially. Her name was Ayesha, and she was a distant cousin who had moved to the city to attend the same university as me.
When I noticed Ayesha having difficulty adapting, I reached out to her to offer my help. I started by tutoring her in several subjects where she was facing challenges, particularly in mathematics and science, which were my strengths. I also introduced her to my circle of friends and encouraged her to join a few student societies that aligned with her interests, which was a great way for her to make new friends and feel more integrated into the university community.
The results were quite positive. Ayesha’s grades improved significantly by the end of the semester, and she became much more confident and outgoing. She was grateful for the assistance and felt more at home at the university. By the end of the year, she had even taken on a leadership role in one of the student organizations.
Helping Ayesha was incredibly rewarding for me. It was not only a chance to give back and help someone adjust to university life, but it also strengthened our family bonds. I felt a deep sense of satisfaction knowing that I could make a significant impact on someone’s life. This experience reaffirmed my belief in the importance of community and support in achieving success.
Criteria in Action: Learning from the Model Response (click to read)
Coherence
- Effective Transitional Phrases: “I started by,” “As a result,” and “By the end of the year.”
- Logical Progression: The response flows from introducing the problem, describing the actions taken, to discussing the outcomes.
Lexical Resource
- Variety of Vocabulary: Uses a range of vocabulary such as “transition,” “academically,” “integrated,” and “leadership role.”
- Use of Collocations: Phrases like “significantly improved,” “more confident,” and “deep sense of satisfaction.”
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
- Compound Sentences: “I also introduced her to my circle of friends and encouraged her to join a few student societies…”
- Complex Sentences: “When I noticed Ayesha having difficulty adapting, I reached out to her to offer my help.”
Pronunciation Implications
- Pronunciation Challenges: Words like “university,” “transition,” “academically,” and “organizations” challenge the speaker to maintain clear pronunciation.
- Intonation Opportunities: Natural flow and emphasis in phrases like “deep sense of satisfaction” and “felt more at home at the university.”