Talk about a time when you helped a friend.: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

When did it happen?
How & why did you help?
How did you feel about it?

25 unique answers with expert feedback

Why do you think therapy is viewed negatively in some societies?

Many people associate therapy with weakness or failure, believing that one should handle their problems alone. Cultural stigma often prevents individuals from seeking help, as they fear judgment or being seen as 'crazy'. Education and awareness can help change these perceptions.

How can friends support each other in difficult times?

Friends can provide emotional support by listening and validating each other's feelings. They can encourage open communication, offer practical help, and suggest professional resources when needed. Being present and showing empathy can make a significant difference in someone's life.

What are some signs that someone might need professional help?

Signs include persistent sadness, withdrawal from social activities, changes in appetite or sleep patterns, and difficulty concentrating. If a friend expresses feelings of hopelessness or talks about self-harm, it's crucial to encourage them to seek professional help.

Band 6-7

00:00

It happened around last week when my friend's sister is about to be married this month. So she needed my help with wedding chores. As you know a wedding house is just full of chaos and relatives. So my friend wanted to buy a few jewelry and she had no one to do it with. So she asked me for a shopping help to pick out her jewelry, to know what goes well on a dress, just somebody to help her give my opinion on. I felt great about it because it feels good to be included in the wedding as such. Also there's a saying in our language you should help people in the wedding. It's a good blessing and I get to experience the whole wedding atmosphere and we had fun going to the market to pick jewelry and to help with the sweets. So yeah in total I really love helping her.

Follow up questions

What other ways can friends support each other during significant events?

Friends can support each other by helping with planning, organizing events, or providing emotional support. They can assist with tasks like sending invitations, coordinating with vendors, or even just being there to listen and offer advice. Each contribution can make a big difference.

How do you feel when you help someone in need?

I feel a sense of fulfillment and happiness when I help someone in need. It strengthens our bond and creates a sense of community. Knowing that my assistance can ease their burden or enhance their experience is incredibly rewarding and motivates me to continue helping others.

Have you ever received help from friends during your own important events?

Yes, I have received help from friends during my own important events, like my birthday or graduation. Their support made those occasions more enjoyable and less stressful. It’s always nice to have friends who are willing to lend a hand and share in the joy of special moments.

IELTS Cue Cards asked last week

Reported by Leap students who gave IELTS

Describe your favourite food at a traditional festival or a special event in your country

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 7.5

Pitampura Test Centre, New Delhi

Answer

I like to taste different types of cuisine. Here I would like to talk about my favorite dish at my traditional festival of Onam which is Sadya. Sadya is popular in my city. We are experimenting these cuisines on Onam festival day. Onam is a famous festival in my city. All family members get together in my home and we make a delicious Sadya. There are many ingredients includes that Sadya. Moreover, we make a big feast that day as well as we create a lot of memories together and we wear that day the traditional dress called Sari and men wear the Dhotis. That festival is really important to us because the whole day we are conducting different kinds of games at our homes and all the family members came together. It's a memorable day in my life. This is the festival. We are making the Sambar and Aviyal. These all the kinds of foods are making with the vegetables.

Talk about a toy you liked in your childhood

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 8

Sector 34 Test Centre, Chandigarh

Answer

The toy which I liked in my childhood was a panda doll, which makes me pleasant and makes me more blush. The pandas are the most beautiful creatures of the world, which looks gigantic and has pooshy cheeks and they are like stars in the clouds and they dream in me. Furthermore, these have been given by my father. My father is a very very beautiful artistic person, who makes me think of that. Every day you will face every difficulties and make you suffer and move forward. Pandas are always seen in Japanese countries. It is my lifelong dream to visit a Japanese country and click a photo with the original pandas, which makes sounds better.

Describe a time you were in a place where you didn't know the local language

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 6.5

Whitefield Test Center, Bengaluru

Answer

As India is a very large country full of diversity, so there are many places which have their own language and speak their native language. The place which I visited and I didn't know about their language was Leladakh, which is about 300 km away from my hometown and it is a very good place as it consists of different kind of trees, animals and have many scenic views and I visited over there last year in summers as it was the best time to visit because it has many, it was cold over there and we had summers in our area so it was the best time to visit over there and I went over there with my whole family.

Describe a time when your friend damaged something you owned

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 7

Begumpet Test Centre, Hyderabad

Answer

When I was a kid, I had a little pencil box which had these four buttons which gave the pencil box an operative use. When you press the button, the box would open up. When you press the second button, a little part of it would slide out. Basically it was just a little electronical and a fun thing to have and I owned it when I was in 6th. One day after break, I was standing and talking there with one of my friends and another friend of mine was running through the hallway and accidentally she pushed my shoulder and my pencil box hit the ground and it broke into multiple pieces to the point that it was not functional anymore.

Describe a book you recently read

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 7.5

CBD Belapur Test Centre, Navi Mumbai

Answer

It Ends With Us is a book I read recently. It's by the author Colleen Hoare. It's mainly a story about two teenagers, Atlas and Lily, and how they just handle their life going through high school, adolescence, and just domestic violence at home. Both of them come from very, very different families. However, they have one common determining factor between them, which is domestic violence. The abuse that they've seen their moms go through is just insane, and they connect through that on a different level. They're actually in the same high school, but they never speak to each other until Atlas actually crashes into an empty house next to Lily's villa. When Atlas is homeless and he doesn't have anywhere to go, he just comes and breaks into the house next to Lily's, and Lily helps him with all the daily necessities like clothes and food, medicines and stuff. Furthermore, their friendship blossoms into love, but it doesn't really fructify as Atlas has to leave. This book really gave me a lot of knowledge about domestic abuse and how to deal with it.

Band 6-7

00:00

To think of a time where I helped my friend is last year when our college conducted Lakshya 2K24. It's an annual event for our college and for every year specifically, one department takes the responsibility and conducts the event and for the whole event, my best friend is the department coordinator. So he was really stressed and worried about how to organize things and he asked me help to become a coordinator for the quiz event. Although I am not interested, he warned me and he requested me so many times. So I was convinced by his approach and I tried to help him out. And by saying yes and by participating as a coordinator for MEDA event, it's basically a quiz event where MCQs and fill in the blanks are given. So he not only requested me but he requested some of our seniors and juniors friends and some of my seniors and juniors and me teamed up as a coordinator for MEDA event and roamed for first year and second year B.Tech classes and convinced them to register to our event. And it's a successful event because every other events like project presentation and poster presentation event barely got 60 registrations but we got more than 200 registrations. And he was thankful to me and my sir praised us for our hard work because we got the highest registrations and we organized the happy event successfully.

Follow up questions

What skills did you develop while helping your friend with the event?

While helping my friend, I developed skills in teamwork, communication, and event organization. Coordinating with different groups taught me how to effectively convey ideas and motivate others to participate, which are valuable skills in any collaborative effort.

How did you feel after successfully organizing the event?

I felt a great sense of accomplishment and pride after the event. Seeing so many participants and receiving praise from my friend and our teacher made all the effort worthwhile. It reinforced the importance of teamwork and supporting friends in their endeavors.

Would you help a friend again in a similar situation?

Absolutely! Helping a friend in need is rewarding, and I learned a lot from the experience. If a similar opportunity arises, I would be more than willing to assist, as it not only strengthens friendships but also allows for personal growth.

Band 6-7

00:00

So this happened 2 years before when I was studying in grade 10. At the time my friend was sitting next to me and was writing notes which was written in the board. She was just copying and suddenly she felt something weird. She woke up and was about to go to the restroom when I saw a stain at her dress. She was really worried and the stain occurred in the bench which we were sitting. She got really worried and I helped her to clean the bench and helped her to cover up the stain and wash it. So I think that's a memorable event which is really weird and I never thought it would happen. Me and her really learnt a lesson to sit in a bench by taking off the skirt.

Follow up questions

How did your friend react after you helped her?

After I helped her clean the stain, my friend was really relieved and grateful. She thanked me multiple times and felt more at ease. We both laughed about the situation afterward, which helped lighten the mood. It was a bonding moment for us, and we learned to support each other in awkward situations.

What lessons did you learn from this experience?

From this experience, I learned the importance of being supportive and helpful to friends in difficult situations. It also taught me to be more aware of my surroundings and to take precautions, like being careful about what I wear when sitting on benches. It was a valuable lesson in friendship and empathy.

Have you had to help your friend in any other situations?

Yes, I have helped my friend in other situations as well. For instance, I assisted her during exam preparations by studying together and sharing notes. We often support each other through various challenges, whether academic or personal, which strengthens our friendship.

Band 6-7

00:00

A time when I stepped up and helped my friend was during the first year of our undergraduate course and this was particularly during our assessment week in the first semester of college. Since it was a new phase for all of us, it was an extremely hard month as there were numerous assignments pending and numerous assignments that were due every day after another and it became really hard for not just me but all the students to cope up with their studies as well as their assignments. However, very unfortunately, one of my friends who I met during the first year of college had found out that her father had passed away during this time and their whole family was completely in shock and grief and she had a lot of emotions that she needed to process and couldn't set off time to complete her assignments per se within the stipulated time and date. Therefore, I stepped in and took up her work because I really believe that she needed someone to console her but also step up and help her with the assignments that she had to submit as it counted for a very large part of her grade and I didn't want her to miss out on that because of what she was going through at that time. I needed to make sure that I was there for her emotionally but as a friend, out of my own will, I decided to sit and do her assignments along with mine and she was able to pass that semester with good marks and how this made me feel was that I felt that I was a very good friend in this situation and I also felt happy knowing that maybe if I was in the same position, I would have required someone to do the same for me.

Follow up questions

How did you feel while helping your friend during that difficult time?

I felt a mix of emotions. I was empathetic towards her grief and wanted to support her. It also made me feel fulfilled to be able to help someone in need, knowing that I was making a positive impact during a tough time in her life.

What did you learn from this experience of helping your friend?

I learned the importance of compassion and support in friendships. It taught me that sometimes, being there for someone means stepping up and taking on extra responsibilities. It also reinforced my belief in the value of teamwork and mutual support during challenging times.

Have you ever needed help from a friend in a similar situation?

Yes, I have. There were times in my life when I faced challenges, and my friends stepped in to help me. It made me realize how crucial it is to have a support system and how important it is to reciprocate that support when others are in need.

Show all 25 answers

Cue 1:When did it happen?

Begin by mentioning the specific time frame, such as a recent event or a significant moment in the past.
Provide context about your relationship with the friend and the circumstances surrounding the event.

Example

It happened about six months ago when my friend Riya was preparing for her final exams. We had been friends since school, and I knew she was feeling overwhelmed with her studies.

Cue 2:How & why did you help?

Describe the specific actions you took to assist your friend, emphasizing your motivation to help.
Explain why you felt it was important to support her during this challenging time.

Example

I decided to help her by organizing study sessions together. I knew she struggled with time management, so I created a study schedule for us. I wanted to ensure she felt supported and confident before her exams.

Cue 3:How did you feel about it?

Share your emotions during the experience, focusing on the satisfaction of helping a friend.
Reflect on the impact this had on your friendship and your personal growth.

Example

I felt really fulfilled and happy to be there for Riya. Seeing her gradually gain confidence and improve her grades made me proud. It strengthened our friendship, and I realized how rewarding it is to help someone in need.

Conclusion

Summarize the key points of your experience and the importance of helping friends.
Mention how this experience has influenced your perspective on friendship and support.

Example

In conclusion, helping Riya not only brought us closer but also taught me the value of being there for friends during tough times. It reinforced my belief that support and encouragement can make a significant difference in someone's life.

Following this structure will ensure you cover all the essential points while providing a clear and engaging response to the cue card topic.

Tips to answer this Cue Card

1: Avoid Vague Responses

Giving vague or unclear answers can make it difficult for the examiner to understand your experience. Specific details help create a clearer picture of the situation.

Tip

Use specific examples and details when describing the event, such as the time, place, and actions taken to help your friend.

2: Don't Rush Your Answer

Rushing through your response can lead to incomplete thoughts and a lack of coherence. This may confuse the listener and weaken your overall performance.

Tip

Take a moment to organize your thoughts before speaking. Use the cue prompts to structure your answer clearly.