Cards that start "A time when..." ask for one specific event, not a general habit. Start from a moment and tell it as a story.
The cue card
Describe a time when you helped someone.
You should say:
who you helped
when and where it happened
how you helped them
and explain how you felt about it.
One-minute notes
- who: an elderly man, lost, metro station
- when: last winter, evening, Chilonzor
- how: called his son, waited 40 min, bought tea
- felt: tired but happy, son's message later
Model answer (about 2 minutes)
I'd like to describe a time last winter when I helped an elderly man who'd got lost in the metro in Tashkent.
It was a cold evening in January and I was on my way home from university. At the Chilonzor station I noticed an old man standing near the exit, looking really confused and asking people something, but everyone was rushing past him.
When I went over, it turned out he'd come from a village to visit his son, who'd moved to the city recently, and he'd written the address on a piece of paper that he'd since lost. He didn't have a smartphone, only an old phone with his son's number saved in it, and the battery was almost dead. So I charged it with my power bank, called his son for him, and explained where we were. The son was on the other side of the city, so I waited with the old man for about forty minutes. We bought tea from a kiosk and he told me about his grandchildren the whole time.
When his son finally arrived, he thanked me so many times that I felt a bit embarrassed. I got home late and really tired, but I felt genuinely happy, probably happier than after most things I do in a week. The next day the son even sent me a message saying his father had told the whole family about me.
Since then I try not to rush past people who look like they need help.
Useful words and phrases
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| rush past | rush past |
| it turned out | it turned out |
| the battery was almost dead | the battery was almost dead |
| a power bank | a power bank |
| genuinely happy | genuinely happy |
| cautious about strangers | cautious about strangers |
| a box to tick | a box to tick |
| a care home | a care home |
How to answer
- Open with the situation: when, where and what you noticed.
- The past perfect shows what had happened before: "he'd written the address... that he'd since lost".
- Describe the help through concrete actions: "I charged his phone, called his son, waited...".
- For the feelings part, use a comparison: "happier than after most things I do in a week".
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Part 3: follow-up discussion questions
Are people less willing to help strangers than in the past?
In big cities, maybe a little, mainly because everyone is in a hurry and people are more cautious about strangers. But in my experience most people are still happy to help if you actually ask them directly.
Should schools teach children to volunteer?
I think it's a good idea, as long as it's not just a box to tick. If children see the real effect of their help, for example in a care home, they're more likely to keep doing it as adults.
Why do some people not help others in public?
Who should take care of elderly people: families or the state?
Part 2 strategy: the cue card guide. Next step: the Part 3 guide.
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The AI examiner asks you these questions, listens to your answers and shows your mistakes.
