In this IELTS speaking practice example, we look at a high-score answer for the cue card Describe a person who helped you achieve a goal.
IELTS Speaking Part 2 Cue Card
Describe a person who helped you achieve a goal
You should say:- who the person is
- what goal they helped you achieve
- how they helped you
High-Score Sample Answer
I’d like to talk about my former manager, Sophie, who played a big role in helping me land my current job as a marketing specialist. Sophie was my boss during my first internship at a small digital marketing agency, and she was honestly the best mentor I could’ve asked for.
At the time, my main goal was to develop practical skills in marketing because I had just finished my degree, and my knowledge was purely theoretical. Sophie guided me step by step, teaching me everything from crafting email campaigns to analyzing website traffic data. She was incredibly patient and made sure I understood not just the how but also the why behind everything we did.
One thing she did that really stood out was encouraging me to work on a personal project—a social media strategy for a nonprofit organization. It was her idea, and she gave me the freedom to lead it, even though I was a total beginner. She reviewed my work regularly and gave me constructive feedback, which really boosted my confidence. When it came time to apply for jobs, Sophie also helped me tweak my resume and even wrote me a glowing recommendation letter.
Her support was invaluable. Not only did I gain the skills I needed, but I also learned to believe in myself. I’ll always be grateful for her encouragement and the way she went above and beyond to help me achieve my goals.
IELTS Examiner’s Analysis
Fluency and Coherence (Band 8)
- Strengths: The candidate speaks naturally and at a consistent pace, with minimal hesitation. The response is well-organized, following a logical sequence: introduction of Sophie, the goal, how she helped, and the impact of her support.
- Examples: Linking words like "at the time", "one thing she did that really stood out", and "not only...but also", effectively connect ideas, enhancing coherence.
- Improvements: A few minor pauses could be reduced to achieve Band 9.
Lexical Resource (Band 8.5)
- Strengths: The response features a range of vocabulary, such as “practical skills”, “theoretical knowledge”, “constructive feedback”, and “tweak my resume”. The language is precise and varied without sounding overly rehearsed.
- Examples: The use of idiomatic expressions like "played a big role" and "went above and beyond" demonstrates flexibility with English.
- Improvements: A touch more adventurous language could push this into Band 9 territory.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy (Band 8)
- Strengths: The speaker uses complex sentences accurately, such as "She was incredibly patient and made sure I understood not just the how but also the why behind everything we did." There’s a good mix of simple, compound, and complex structures.
- Examples: The conditional "when it came time to apply for jobs" and the relative clause "which really boosted my confidence" add variety.
- Improvements: Slight refinement in sentence structures, avoiding repetitive patterns like "she helped," could enhance this further.
Pronunciation (Band 8.5)
- Strengths: The candidate has clear and natural pronunciation with effective stress and intonation, making the response engaging.
- Examples: Emphasis on phrases like "the best mentor I could’ve asked for" and "incredibly patient" adds emotional nuance. Improvements: A minor improvement in enunciation of connected speech could lead to a Band 9.
Estimated Band Score: 8.5
This response demonstrates strong fluency, vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. Minor improvements, such as reducing hesitations and enhancing lexical variety, could push it to Band 9.