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IELTS Model Answers

A Time a Neighbour Helped You

General

Speaking Part 2

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Question

Describe a time when a neighbour helped you. You should say what the situation was and what your neighbour did. Explain how you felt about this help.

Model Answer

Last winter I locked myself out of my flat without my phone and my roommate was away. My neighbour from upstairs let me wait in her kitchen and lent me slippers because it was cold. She even called a locksmith for me. I felt very grateful and embarrassed, but she just laughed and made tea.

Glossary

helpful neighbour

Someone living nearby who assists you when you need support.

matter-of-fact kindness

Practical, calm helpfulness without drama or fuss.

I felt profoundly grateful

Strong way to say you were deeply thankful.

urban anonymity

The feeling that in cities people do not know each other and stay distant.

neighbourly solidarity

Support and shared responsibility between people who live near one another.

not merely for the practical rescue but for the reminder that

Adds a second, deeper layer of meaning after the first reason.

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