Describe a time when you taught a friend/relative something
Describe a time when you taught a friend/relative something
You should say:
- Who you taught
- What/how you taught
- What the result was
- And explain how you felt about the experience
One minute to prepare, then speak for one to two minutes.
How to plan it in one minute
- Note down the person's name and the specific skill to ensure you have a focus.
- Draft a quick sequence: the preparation, the teaching method, and the final outcome.
- Include a brief emotional reflection to ensure you complete the final prompt thoroughly.
Band 8 model answer
A couple of years ago, my younger cousin, Leo, was struggling to get to grips with basic digital photography. He had just bought his first DSLR camera, but he was completely overwhelmed by the manual settings, so I decided to sit him down for a weekend workshop in my local park. To teach him, I avoided drowning him in jargon immediately. Instead, I started by demonstrating the relationship between shutter speed and aperture using his own camera. We spent an hour just taking photos of moving cyclists, experimenting with how a faster shutter speed could freeze motion while a slower one created a blur. I made sure to let him hold the camera the entire time, guiding his fingers to the dials while I explained the exposure triangle. The result was genuinely rewarding. Within a few hours, he managed to capture a crisp, well-exposed shot of a bird in flight, which was a massive step up from the blurry, overexposed pictures he had been producing previously. He was absolutely thrilled with his progress and even ended up using that shot as his desktop wallpaper. Personally, I felt a deep sense of satisfaction throughout the experience. It wasn’t just about the technical aspect; it was seeing that ‘aha’ moment when the concepts finally clicked for him. Teaching him allowed me to look at photography through fresh eyes again, reminding me of the excitement I felt when I first picked up a camera. It reinforced my belief that breaking down complex tasks into bite-sized, practical steps is the most effective way to mentor someone.
262 words, about two minutes at a natural pace. Details are invented; use your own.
Vocabulary from the answer
- get to grips with
- To begin to understand or deal with something
- drowning him in jargon
- Using too many technical words that confuse someone
- exposure triangle
- The three fundamental elements of photography lighting settings
- massive step up
- A significant improvement compared to previous attempts
- aha moment
- A sudden realization or moment of clear understanding
- bite-sized
- Divided into small, easy-to-manage and digest pieces
- mentor
- To advise or train someone in a skill
- overwhelmed
- Feeling that a task is too difficult or complex
Part 3 questions that follow this card
- What practical skills can young people teach old people?
- What skills can young people teach old people besides technology?
- How can young people teach old people skills?
- Do you think 'showing is a better way than 'telling' in education?
- How can we know what to do when we want to learn something new?
- Do people in your country like to watch videos to learn something
Answer each in three to five sentences: position, reason, example, limit. See the Part 3 guide.
Say it out loud and get a band
Record this card with the AI examiner: one minute of prep, two minutes to speak, then a band for fluency, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation with the words that cost you.
Practise this cue cardOn your phone? Get the BandLadder app and record cue cards anywhere.
Frequently asked questions
How should I start the cue card "Describe a time when you taught a friend/relative something"?
Note down the person's name and the specific skill to ensure you have a focus.
How long should my answer be?
Speak for the full two minutes, about 220 to 280 words at a natural pace. The examiner will stop you at two minutes, which is a good sign, not a problem.
Can I use this model answer in the exam?
Use its structure and vocabulary, not its sentences. Examiners recognise memorised answers and mark fluency down; a shorter answer from your own memory scores higher than a recited one.
More cue cards: an experience
- Describe a bad service you received in a restaurant/shop
- Describe a course or training you completed that helped you
- Describe a day when you thought the weather was perfect
- Describe a difficult task that you completed at work/study that you felt proud of
- Describe a dream or goal you have for the future
- Describe a job that you have done
- All 193 cue cards