• Being Short of Time

IELTS Cue Card Speaking Part 2 with Sample Answer:

Describe a situation when you did not have enough time for something.

You should say:

      • what the situation was
      • when it happened
      • what you were trying to do

  and explain how you handled the situation.

Sample Answer, C1 English Level, Advanced, Band Score 6.5-7.5

One situation where I faced a time constraint was during my final year of university. It was the last semester, and I had to submit my research paper on a topic of my choice by the end of the month. I had procrastinated and wasted a lot of time before starting the research, so I had very little time left to complete the paper.

I remember feeling stressed and overwhelmed, as I knew that meeting the deadline was crucial for my grades. I had to put in extra hours of research and writing, sacrificing my leisure time and social life. I spent almost every waking hour in the library, trying to complete the paper on time.

However, the more I worked on it, the more I realized that I still had a lot of work to do. It seemed like an endless task, and I felt like giving up. Nevertheless, I knew that I had to push through and complete it on time.

In order to handle this situation, I decided to take three measures. Firstly, I broke down the task into smaller, more manageable parts. This helped me focus on one aspect of the paper at a time and prevented me from getting overwhelmed.

Secondly, I sought help from my professors and peers. They provided me with feedback and suggestions on how to improve my research and writing. This constructive criticism was essential in ensuring that I was on the right track.

Lastly, I had to prioritize my time and make a schedule. This helped me to stay organized and ensured that I was making progress towards my goal.

In the end, I was able to complete the paper on time and submit it before the deadline. Despite the challenges, I felt proud of myself for persevering and putting in the effort to meet the deadline. This experience taught me the importance of time management and how critical it is to avoid procrastination.

During my final year of university, I experienced a situation where I had limited time to complete my research paper. It was the last semester, and I had to submit my paper on a topic of my choice before the month ended. However, I had wasted a lot of time before starting the research, and I felt stressed and overwhelmed because meeting the deadline was vital for my grades. Therefore, I had to work extra hours and sacrifice my leisure time to finish the paper.

Although it was challenging to complete the paper within the short time frame, I had to keep pushing and finish it on time. In order to deal with this stressful situation, I decided to do a few things right away. First, I divided the task into smaller, more manageable parts to stay focused on one aspect at a time and prevent getting overwhelmed. Second, I sought help from my professors and peers to get feedback and suggestions to improve my research and writing. Ultimately, I had to prioritize my time and make a schedule to ensure that I was making progress towards my goal.

After much effort, I was able to complete the paper on time and submit it before the deadline. Despite the challenges, I felt proud of myself for persevering and avoiding procrastination. This experience taught me the importance of time management and how critical it is to avoid wasting time.

One instance where I confronted a time constraint was during my final year in college. It was the ultimate semester, and I had to present my self-selected research paper before the month-end. Having procrastinated and wasted much time before beginning the research, I was left with only a little time to complete the paper.

I recall feeling overwhelmed and stressed since I was aware that meeting the deadline was crucial for my grades. I had to work extra hours on research and writing, sacrificing my leisure time and social life. I spent almost all of my waking hours in the library, endeavoring to complete the paper on time.

However, the more I worked, the more I realized that the task still required a lot of work. It seemed like an insurmountable challenge, and I felt like giving up. Despite that, I knew I had to keep going and finish it on time.

To deal with this situation, I resolved to take three measures. Firstly, I divided the task into smaller, more manageable parts. This helped me to focus on one aspect of the paper at a time and prevented me from getting overwhelmed.

Secondly, I sought assistance from my professors and peers. They gave me feedback and suggestions on how to improve my research and writing. This constructive criticism was vital in ensuring that I was on the right track.

Lastly, I had to prioritize my time and make a schedule. This helped me to stay organized and ensured that I was making progress towards my goal.

Ultimately, I was able to complete the paper before the deadline and submit it on time. Despite the difficulties, I felt proud of myself for persisting and putting in the effort to meet the deadline. This experience taught me the significance of time management and the criticality of avoiding procrastination.