Table of Contents
Describe A Time When You Gave Advice To Others
Part 2
You should say:
- When it was
- To whom you gave the advice
- What the advice was
- And explain why you gave the advice
Sample Answer 1
When it was?
It happened last month, on a Wednesday evening after our college evening self-study class. We sat in the campus café, and my friend looked quite upset while talking about her study troubles, so I took the chance to give her some practical and targeted advice.
To whom you gave the advice?
I gave the advice to Lee, my college deskmate and best friend. She was preparing for the IELTS exam and had been stuck in the speaking part for a long time. She practiced hard every single day but made little progress, which made her really anxious and even want to give up the exam preparation for a while.
What the advice was?
I gave her three specific actionable suggestions for her IELTS speaking. First, spend 15 mins daily shadowing official audio to practice standard pronunciation and natural intonation. Second, sort out topic card materials by themes instead of blind recitation. Third, find a study partner for 20-minute daily mock interviews to get used to the real exam rhythm.
Explain why you gave the advice?
I gave the advice for two key reasons. First, I took the IELTS exam half a year before and had the same speaking trouble-these methods worked really well for me, so I was sure they could help her out. Second, I found her core problem was wrong learning methods: blind recitation limited her free expression, and lack of practice made her nervous in speaking.
Conclusion
Lee took my advice seriously and kept practicing every day. A week later, she told me excitedly that she felt more confident in speaking and could express her ideas much more fluently. I was really happy my advice helped her, and it let me know sincere help can always bring warm feelings to people around us.
Sample Answer 2
The time that comes to mind happened last year, when one of my close classmates was feeling quite lost about choosing a university major. He wasn’t failing or anything, but he kept switching ideas and looked stressed all the time. It was one of those situations where nothing was “wrong” on the surface, but you could tell he was under pressure.
At first, I didn’t plan to give advice. I’m not an expert, and I didn’t want to sound bossy. But after listening to him complain for weeks, I realised he wasn’t short of information — he was short of clarity. So one evening, we sat down after class and talked it through properly.
Instead of telling him what to choose, I suggested a simple rule: separate what he was good at from what he was afraid of missing out on. I asked him to think about which subjects made him feel focused, not just impressed by others. I also reminded him that changing direction later isn’t a failure — it’s pretty normal.
I gave this advice because I’d gone through a similar phase myself. Looking back, I learned that decisions don’t have to be perfect; they just need to be honest. In the end, he didn’t follow my advice word for word, but he became calmer and more confident. For me, that was enough. Sometimes advice isn’t about fixing someone’s problem — it’s about helping them breathe again.
Sample Answer 3
One experience that I remember quite clearly happened about a year ago, and it involved one of my close friends. At that time, she was feeling very stressed because she was struggling to balance her studies and part-time work.
She often complained about feeling exhausted and unmotivated, so I decided to share my thoughts with her. I suggested that she reconsider her schedule and cut down her working hours slightly. I also advised her to prioritize her studies and make a simple weekly plan, instead of trying to deal with everything at once.
I gave her this advice primarily because I had been in a similar situation before. I knew that long-term pressure without proper rest could seriously affect both performance and mental health. I didn’t want her to burn out before finishing her studies.
Later on, she actually followed my advice and adjusted her routine. Although she was still busy, she seemed much more relaxed and focused. Seeing this made me realize that giving advice is not about telling others what to do, but about sharing experience in a supportive way.
Part 3
1. Should people prepare before giving advice?
I think it depends on the situation. If it’s casual advice, like study tips, over-preparing can sound fake. But for serious issues, people should at least understand the background first. In China, we often give advice out of care, but sometimes we talk too fast. A bit of thinking helps advice sound supportive, not controlling.
2. Is it good to ask advice from strangers online?
Online advice can be useful for practical things, like tech or travel, because strangers are more objective. But for personal decisions, it’s risky. Online, people don’t know your full story, and some just talk for fun. In China, we say “listen widely, decide alone,” which fits this situation quite well.
3. What are the personalities of people whose job is to give advice to others?
People who give advice professionally are usually calm and good listeners.
They don’t rush to judge. Another key trait is emotional control, because they hear problems all day. In my view, the best advisors are not the loudest ones, but those who ask smart questions and make others think.
4. What are the problems if you ask too many people for advice?
The biggest problem is confusion. Different people give different opinions, and you end up more stressed. Also, asking too many people can weaken your confidence, because you stop trusting yourself. In daily life, especially in families, too much advice can turn care into pressure.
Some IELTS Speaking part 2 cue-cards you may like :
- IELTS Speaking Part 1 From January to April 2026
- IELTS Speaking Part 2 From January to April 2026
- Describe A Short-term Job You Want To Have In A Foreign Country
- Describe a Person Who Likes to Look After the Natural World
- (Update 2026) Describe Someone Who Is Willing To Openly Share Things With You
- (Update 2026) Describe A Place With A Lot Of Trees That You Would Like To Visit (E.g. A Forest, Oasis)
- (Update 2026) Describe A Kind Of Foreign Food You Like And You Have Had
- (Update 2026) Describe A Tv Series You Like
