Describe a person who did something to help you solve a problem
IELTS Speaking Part 2 cue card with a full sample answer, a Band 9 model of the two-minute long turn.
The cue card
Describe a person who did something to help you solve a problem
You should say:
- what the problem was
- when and where you faced it
- how this person solved it
- how you felt about the experience
Sample answer
I'd like to describe a person who helped me solve a difficult problem — my older cousin, who came to my rescue during a particularly stressful time.
The problem I faced was that I was completely overwhelmed while preparing for a crucial set of university entrance exams. I was struggling to understand some of the more difficult subjects, especially mathematics, and I was falling behind despite studying for hours. As the exams drew closer, I grew increasingly anxious and began to lose confidence in my ability to succeed.
This happened a few years ago, during the final year of my high school, mostly at home where I was trying, and failing, to study on my own. It was one of the most stressful periods I've ever been through.
Fortunately, my cousin, who had already been through the same exams and excelled in them, stepped in to help. When he noticed how stressed I was, he generously offered to tutor me in his spare time. He would come over several evenings a week and patiently explain the concepts I was struggling with, breaking them down in a way that finally made sense to me. Beyond the academic side, he also shared his own study techniques, helped me create a realistic revision schedule, and constantly reassured me that I was capable of doing well.
His help made an incredible difference. Not only did my understanding and grades improve dramatically, but my confidence was restored too, which was perhaps even more important.
As for how I felt about the whole experience, I was, and still am, deeply grateful to him. I was genuinely touched that he sacrificed so much of his own free time simply to help me, expecting nothing in return. It really strengthened the bond between us. His kindness taught me the true value of supporting others, and I've since tried to do the same for younger relatives whenever they need a hand.
322 words — roughly 2–3 minutes at a natural speaking pace.
Reading a model answer is not the same as saying one. The sample above shows what a strong Part 2 answer sounds like. What it cannot tell you is how yours sounds — whether you hesitate, repeat the question back, or run out of things to say at forty seconds.
You can record an answer to this exact question and get it marked on fluency and coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range and pronunciation — the same four criteria the examiner uses.
Common questions
How long should I speak for in Part 2?
Between one and two minutes. The examiner stops you at two, so aim to still be talking at the ninety-second mark rather than finishing early — running out at forty seconds is the most common problem in this part.
What do I do with the one minute of preparation time?
You get one minute and a pencil and paper. Most candidates waste it writing full sentences they then read aloud, which sounds flat. Note a few keywords against each bullet instead, so you have four things to say and can speak naturally from them.
Do I have to cover all four bullet points?
They are prompts, not a checklist, and you are not penalised for skipping one. In practice they are the easiest way to fill two minutes, so covering them is usually the simplest way to keep going.
Does it matter if the story is not true?
No. You are assessed on your English, not on whether the events happened. Inventing detail is fine and often easier than recalling a real memory under pressure.
Model answers written and reviewed by The English All-in-One IELTS team. They are teaching models showing what each band looks like, not real candidate scripts.