IELTS Speaking 2025 Part 2&3: Describe an occasion when your family asked you for help

Describe an occasion when your family asked you for help

Suggested ideas for each part

• When it happened: 🎂 During my sister’s birthday / 🏡 When we moved to a new house / 📚 During my younger brother’s exam season
• Who you helped: 👵 My grandmother / 👧 My younger sister / 👨‍👩‍👦 My parents
• How you helped: 🍳 Cooked dinner / 📦 Helped with housework / 📖 Tutored my sibling
• How you felt: 😊 Proud / 💖 Happy to contribute / 🥹 Exhausted but fulfilled

Useful grammar structures

1. Past simple: Last year, my family needed my help when we moved to a new house.
2. Past continuous: While I was carrying boxes, I realized how tiring moving can be.
3. Relative clauses: It was a situation that taught me how to be responsible.
4. Conditional sentence (Type 3): If I had not helped, my parents would have struggled a lot.
5. Present perfect: Since then, I have been more willing to help my family whenever they need me.

Collocations

1. Take on responsibility 🤲 (đảm nhận trách nhiệm)
2. A sense of duty 💪 (tinh thần trách nhiệm)
3. Lend a helping hand ✋ (giúp đỡ ai đó)
4. Pull my weight 🏋️ (hoàn thành phần việc của mình)
5. Make a meaningful contribution 💖 (đóng góp có ý nghĩa)
6. Be there for someone 🤝 (ở bên cạnh giúp đỡ ai đó)
7. A valuable lesson 📖 (bài học quý giá)

Full spoken sample (about 2 minutes)

One memorable time when my family asked for my help was last year when we moved to a new house 🏡. It was a big event for us because we had lived in our old house for over ten years. Since moving can be exhausting, my parents needed all the help they could get, and I was happy to lend a helping hand ✋.

On the day of the move, my parents and I woke up early to start packing 📦. My job was to organize our books and fragile items, while my dad focused on moving furniture. I also helped my younger sister pack her toys and clothes because she felt overwhelmed 😖. Since my grandmother couldn’t do any heavy lifting, I also assisted her by setting up her new room and making sure she was comfortable.

The most challenging part was carrying the heavy boxes up and down the stairs! It was physically demanding, and I felt like I was getting a full workout 🏋️. However, I knew that if I pulled my weight, the process would be faster. After hours of hard work, we finally settled into our new home. That evening, we ordered food and celebrated our successful move with a small family dinner 🍕.

Honestly, I felt really proud of myself. Helping my family gave me a sense of duty 💪, and I realized how important it is to be there for my loved ones 🤝. If I had not helped, my parents would have struggled a lot more. This experience taught me a valuable lesson 📖 about responsibility and teamwork. Since then, I have been more willing to help around the house whenever needed!

Part 3: Discussion Questions

1. How can children help their parents at home?

Ideas

• 🧹 Doing simple chores (sweeping, washing dishes)
• 📖 Helping younger siblings with homework
• 🍳 Learning basic cooking skills

Collocations

1. Share household chores 🏠 (chia sẻ việc nhà)
2. Develop independence 🌱 (phát triển tính tự lập)
3. Lighten the workload 💼 (giảm bớt gánh nặng công việc)

Sample answer

Children can help their parents in many ways, such as sharing household chores 🏠 like sweeping the floor or washing the dishes. They can also help younger siblings with homework 📖, which not only supports their family but also improves their own knowledge. When children help at home, they learn how to develop independence 🌱 and lighten the workload 💼 for their parents.

2. Should parents always help their children with everything?

Ideas

• ❌ No, children need to learn independence
• ✅ But parents should guide them when necessary

Collocations

1. Overprotective parenting 🛡️ (nuôi dạy con quá bảo bọc)
2. Foster self-reliance 🚀 (nuôi dưỡng tính tự lập)
3. Strike a balance ⚖️ (tạo sự cân bằng)

Sample answer

I don’t think parents should help their children with everything because it can lead to overprotective parenting 🛡️, which might make kids too dependent. Instead, they should guide their children while allowing them to make their own decisions. This way, children can foster self-reliance 🚀. However, parents should also strike a balance ⚖️ and support their kids when needed.

3. What can children learn by helping others?

Ideas

• 💖 Kindness and empathy
• 🤝 Teamwork and cooperation
• 💪 Problem-solving skills

Collocations

1. Build strong moral values 🌟 (xây dựng giá trị đạo đức tốt)
2. Develop a sense of empathy 💖 (phát triển sự đồng cảm)
3. Enhance problem-solving skills 🧩 (nâng cao kỹ năng giải quyết vấn đề)

Sample answer

When children help others, they learn to build strong moral values 🌟, such as kindness and generosity. It also helps them develop a sense of empathy 💖 by understanding others’ difficulties. In addition, they can enhance problem-solving skills 🧩, especially when they work together to solve a problem.

4. Do neighbors often help each other in your country?

Ideas

• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Yes, in rural areas, neighbors are very supportive
• 🏙️ In cities, people are often too busy

Collocations

1. Tight-knit community 🤝 (cộng đồng gắn kết)
2. Look out for one another 👀 (quan tâm lẫn nhau)
3. A sense of belonging 🏡 (cảm giác thuộc về cộng đồng)

Sample answer

In Vietnam, neighbors in rural areas tend to form a tight-knit community 🤝, where they look out for one another 👀 and help whenever needed. In cities, however, people are often too busy, and many don’t even know their neighbors well. That being said, having good neighbors can create a sense of belonging 🏡 in any community.

5. How do people know that their neighbors might need help?

Ideas

• 👀 Observing changes in behavior
• 🏡 Noticing if their house is unusually quiet or messy
• 💬 Talking and checking in regularly

Collocations

1. Pay close attention 👂 (chú ý kỹ lưỡng)
2. Offer a helping hand ✋ (đề nghị giúp đỡ)
3. Strengthen community bonds 🤝 (củng cố tình làng nghĩa xóm)

Sample answer

People can know their neighbors need help if they pay close attention 👂 to unusual behavior, such as someone suddenly becoming very quiet or their house looking neglected. Checking in regularly and being friendly can also help strengthen community bonds 🤝. If they see someone struggling, they should offer a helping hand ✋ instead of waiting for the person to ask for help.