Describe a time you were very busy IELTS cue card

“Describe a time you were very busy” is a popular cue card topic in the IELTS Speaking Part 2. If you get this topic in the candidate task card, you can start preparing by taking notes of the incident when you were busy and then you can share your series of events in the incident during your given time. Once you complete speaking your IELTS cue card topic, you will be asked some follow up questions related to the candidate task card topic - IELTS speaking part

Describe a time you were very busy

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You should say:

• When did you were busy?
• Where were you at your busy time?
• Explain why you were that busy and how you managed your busy schedule.

Model Answer 1

Introduction

Life has become hectic nowadays and since I’m poor at managing time I will be always busy either with my professional or personal work.

When did you were busy? 

However, the week I was extremely busy was due to my parents' 25th wedding anniversary. Planning and organizing the event took a full week for me and my cousins. During those days, I was juggling my professional responsibilities and personal tasks while keeping the surprise a secret from my parents. Our entire family, including relatives, coordinated a grand surprise event without them knowing. This all took place a couple of months ago. 

Where were you at your busy time?  

I was at my cousin’s home the previous day buying decorative things and gifts and inviting all my relatives to come home for the event in the evening. 

Explain why you were that busy and how you managed your busy schedule.

My parents left home to go to the temple. I got a chance to clean my house and decorate it with balloons and stuff. But somehow my mom called me saying that she had finished her darshan and was returning home in a few minutes. I had no clue what to do. So I called my uncle the next second and asked him to invite my parents to their house and spend at least an hour with them. At the same time, I immediately ordered the cake and made everything ready. My cousins arrived in a hurry to give me a helping hand. We were in a rush to make the arrangements as fast as possible. 

We also requested our relatives and their friends to take a video talking about my parents and their life history. Everyone was very sweet to send it also. We kept our laptop ready with the video footage and a few cinematic songs and cute videos of them. When we are about to check whether it was working properly, the power went off. I got stressed and contacted the Electricity Board in our area after an hour.

It was about 5 pm. Within one hour we were about to begin the party and I started to get ready for it. My relatives started arriving with my mom and dad. At the right time, the power came back. I was super relieved. When my parents were about to open the door, we screamed from inside saying anniversary wishes and they were so surprised and happy. They were shocked to see the relatives and the decorations we made. We cut the cake, gifted our presents, took pictures, and had snacks. Then I played the cinematic video made for them with their cute pictures and their loved ones speaking about them. They got so emotional by watching those videos. A few of their friends spoke about their teenage days and their naughty stuff which made everyone laugh.

Conclusion

It was the time when I had so much pressure in my office. It was hectic collecting videos from all their closed ones and editing those videos but somehow, I managed everything. I was so busy managing both my work and making plans for the event. It was the week I was so busy, but it all paid off.

Model answer 2

Introduction

Everyone is busy nowadays trying to manage their time effectively in this hustle work culture. I remember the day when my family faced a great loss and had to come home soon from college.

When did you were busy?  

A few months ago, I experienced an extremely busy and stressful day as it coincided with my semester exams and the passing of my grandmother. I was in the middle of writing my exam when I received a message urging me to come home as soon as possible. After finishing the exam, I saw the message and immediately rushed home.

Explain why you were that busy and how you managed your busy schedule. 

I saw my parents worried calling my relatives and conveying the news. I came to know that they didn’t have any lunch. I made them coffee to drink. I was having my semester exam continuously at that time and I had no time to prepare. I was busy doing all the work my parents asked me to do and being their helping hand at that time. People gathered in the evening at my house and the ritual started happening. I was so stressed thinking about the exam and also the situation I was in. I was also tired of doing back-to-back work. When everything got over by night 10 pm, I took a rest for about an hour and started reading for my exam. I just skimmed my notes and went to sleep again since I had my exam the morning next day. Somehow, I managed to attend to all the questions during the exam and went home soon and took a rest.

Conclusion

It was the day I was so busy, tired, and stressed. But I learned to manage the situation and also my exam and I’m proud of it as well.

Model answer 3

Introduction

Effective time management is an essential skill, especially when having multiple responsibilities simultaneously. There was a time when I had to balance several crucial commitments, which put my time management skills to the test.

When did you were busy? 

Last December, I was very busy with my multiple duties as I was coordinating a major fundraising event for a local charity while also preparing for an important certification exam.

Where were you at your busy time?

During this hectic time, I spent most of my days between the office, where I was coordinating the charity event, and my home office, where I focused on studying for my certification exam. 

Explain why you were that busy and how you managed your busy schedule. (h3)

I was incredibly busy because the charity event required extensive planning, coordination with volunteers, sponsors, and vendors, and managing the event itself. Concurrently, I had to study for my certification exam, which was critical for my career advancement. Each day, I split my time between organizing event logistics and dedicating hours to rigorous study sessions.

Conclusion

That December was one of the most demanding periods I've experienced. Balancing the responsibilities of event planning and exam preparation was exhausting but ultimately rewarding. The event was a success, raising significant funds for the charity, and I passed my certification exam.

IELTS speaking part 3: Follow-up Questions

The following are the sample follow-up questions for the topic “describe a time you were very busy”. The part 3 round of the IELTS speaking test is conducted for 4-5 minutes.
 
1. Are you often busy?

Yes, I’m busy. I’m taking spoken English classes in the early morning, starting my work at 9 am, and returning home at 7 pm. Taking the spoken English classes again at night for one hour. I prepare my dinner, eat it, and go to bed at 10.30 pm.
 
2. Why are people so busy these days?

With the advancement of technology, people want to use the benefit in various ways to earn passive money, learn, and try different things to find their passion, and communicate with the people they love.

3. Is it good for a person to remain busy all the time?

Being busy is really good. It does not make people overthink and make people be organized, prioritize important things, and become more productive.

4. What are the advantages and disadvantages when people keeping busy?

The biggest advantage of being busy is you will not get distracted by negative thoughts and will work towards your goal. The major disadvantage is you will not be able to spend time with your friends and family at times.

5. How a person keeps himself more concentrated and healthy during his busy schedule?

To be concentrated and healthy during work they should not be stressed. The person needs to take breaks and spend time with people they love to make their mind free from all the chaos. Spend time on yourself like doing exercise. These activities will help to solve the problems.
 
6. What kind of pressure may people experience at work?

People may experience a different kind of pressure at work. Usually, they get pressure from their superiors to achieve the target or from their subordinates who do not complete the work on time, and getting work from them would be a big task.
 
7.  What relaxation techniques do you usually use?

I like to listen to music, and do meditation. I would also love to relax in a quiet place enjoying nature. These activities make my mind free and positively distract myself from negative thoughts.

Related IELTS cue card topics 

• Describe a piece of art you like
• Describe a time you got up early in the morning
• Describe an interesting conversation that you had