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Describe a person who supported you during a difficult time

Try the card on the exam timer first, then read the band-8 sample answer and the Part 3 questions that follow it.

Practice it like the exam

Part 2 · Candidate task card

Describe a person who supported you during a difficult time.

You should say:

  • who this person is
  • what the difficult time was
  • how this person supported you

and explain what their support meant to you.

Ready

1 minute to prepare, then 2 minutes to speak. It switches on its own.

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Band 8 sample answer

269 words · about 2 minutes at a natural pace · Phrases from the vocabulary list are highlighted.

The person who supported me during a difficult time is my best friend, Diyora. The period I'm thinking of was about two years ago, when I failed my university entrance exam on my first attempt.

I had spent nearly a year preparing, studying every evening and giving up many social activities, so the result was a huge shock. I felt like a failure, and I was embarrassed in front of my family and friends. For several days, I stayed in my room, ignored my phone and barely ate.

Diyora wouldn't let me disappear. She turned up at my door one afternoon with some of my favourite sweets and just sat beside me. She didn't give me a lecture or tell me it would all be fine; she let me talk and cry for as long as I needed. Over the following weeks, she called me every day, made me go for walks, and gradually helped me to look at the situation more calmly. When I decided to try again, she created a study timetable with me and tested me on difficult topics. She even came to the exam centre with me and waited outside during the whole test.

Her support meant everything. At that point I doubted myself, and her belief in me gave me strength to carry on. Without her, I might have given up. Thankfully, I passed on my second attempt and began my course the following autumn.

I try to be there for her in the same way now. That period taught me that real friends are the people who stay with you at your lowest.

What to notice

  • It takes the points on the card in order, so the examiner can follow it.
  • Each point gets a specific detail or a short story, which is what keeps a talk going for two minutes.
  • The "explain" line at the end gets the most time, because that is where you give an opinion and show your range of language.

We wrote this answer for practice; it does not come from IELTS. Take its structure and phrases and tell your own story, because examiners notice memorised answers.

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Useful vocabulary

PhraseMeaning
be there for someonebe available to support them
a shoulder to lean onsomeone who offers emotional support
go through a rough patchexperience a hard period
pick me upcheer me up
stand by someonecontinue supporting them
get through hard timessurvive difficult periods

Plan it in one minute

Choose what to talk about in the first ten seconds, then write two or three key words for each point. Full sentences take too long to write and to read back.

Who or what you could talk about

  • A parent who encouraged you after failing an exam
  • A friend who helped you through illness or loss
  • A teacher or colleague who stood by you at a stressful time

How to spend the two minutes

  1. 25 swho this person is
  2. 25 swhat the difficult time was
  3. 25 show this person supported you
  4. 45 sand explain what their support meant to you.

Part 3 questions

In the exam these come straight after your talk, on the wider subject: Emotional support. Answer each in 3–4 sentences, with your view, a reason and an example.

  1. Who do people usually turn to when they have problems?
  2. Why do some people prefer not to talk about their difficulties?
  3. Is it better to give advice or just to listen to someone in trouble?
  4. Can friends be more supportive than family?
  5. How can communities support people who are going through difficult times?

Frequently asked questions

How should I describe a person in an IELTS cue card?

Pick someone you know well enough to tell a story about: that is easier to stretch to two minutes than a famous name. Say who they are and how you know them in a few sentences, spend most of your time on one or two specific moments, and finish with why they matter to you.

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