One day, when I was a child, my sister became very ill. She was running a high fever, and at that time, there was only one doctor in our village. Unfortunately, we didn’t have mobile phones or any other way to contact the doctor quickly, like we do now. The only option was to send someone to fetch him in person. It so happened that my father was not at home that evening, so my mother asked me to go and see the doctor. However, it was a cold and dark winter night, and as a child, I was quite scared to go out alone. I hesitated for a while and then told my mother that I would go and fetch the doctor early the next morning instead.
At that age, I didn’t fully understand how serious a high fever could be, and I underestimated the urgency of the situation. Unfortunately, as the night went on, my sister’s condition started to worsen. Her fever climbed to an alarming 104 or even 105 degrees Fahrenheit. She began to murmur incoherently in her sleep, which made things even more frightening. My mother and I were extremely worried, and I could see the panic on her face. It was heartbreaking and very stressful for both of us. I remember feeling an overwhelming sense of guilt as I sat there, helpless, thinking about how my reluctance to go out earlier had made things worse. I kept blaming myself and thinking, “If only I had gone to get the doctor, this might not have happened.” That guilt weighed heavily on me for a long time.
Thankfully, with God’s grace and my mother’s constant care and prayers, my sister survived the ordeal. However, her recovery took quite a long time, and those weeks were very challenging for my family. My mother stayed by my sister’s side day and night, doing everything she could to bring her fever down and keep her comfortable. I tried to help where I could, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had failed when it mattered most. That feeling taught me an important life lesson—one that has stayed with me ever since.
Looking back, I realize that my hesitation and inaction came from my lack of understanding as a child. At that age, I didn’t know how dangerous a high fever could be, nor did I grasp the importance of acting quickly in emergencies. That incident left a deep impact on me and changed the way I think about responsibility and urgency. It taught me that in situations involving health, time is of the essence, and even small delays can lead to serious consequences. I also learned that being scared or uncomfortable is no excuse for inaction when someone’s well-being is at stake.
Since that day, I’ve made it a personal rule to never delay taking action in emergencies, especially when it comes to health. Whether it’s helping someone who’s unwell or responding to a difficult situation, I’ve become much more proactive and responsible. This experience not only made me more aware of the importance of health but also helped me grow as a person. Now, I try to ensure that I don’t hesitate to do the right thing, no matter how challenging the circumstances may be. It’s a lesson I will carry with me for the rest of my life.
The IELTS Speaking test is scored based on four criteria, each weighted equally at 25% of the overall score. Here’s how the answer aligns with the band descriptors, along with an estimated band score:
1. Fluency and Coherence (25%)
- Key Requirements: The speaker should speak at length without noticeable effort, organize ideas logically, use linking words effectively, and maintain a natural flow.
- Performance in the Answer:
- The response is lengthy and well-organized with a clear progression of ideas.
- Logical connectors like however, thankfully, unfortunately, since, because, looking back, and at that age are used effectively to connect thoughts.
- The speaker demonstrates the ability to expand on the topic without frequent pauses or repetition.
- Minor hesitation (e.g., thinking about what to say next) would not significantly affect coherence, provided the speech sounds natural.
- Estimated Score for Fluency and Coherence: 7.5-8.0
2. Lexical Resource (25%)
- Key Requirements: The speaker should use a wide range of vocabulary flexibly and precisely, including less common words, paraphrases, and topic-specific terms.
- Performance in the Answer:
- A good range of vocabulary is displayed, including less common expressions like alarming, murmuring, overwhelming sense of guilt, underestimated the urgency, heartbreaking, health emergencies, inaction, personal rule, and time is of the essence.
- Paraphrasing is evident, such as rephrasing “she became very ill” as “her fever climbed to an alarming 104-105 degrees.”
- Some repetition of basic words like fever and sister might lower the score slightly, but overall, the vocabulary is varied and appropriate.
- Estimated Score for Lexical Resource: 7.5
3. Grammatical Range and Accuracy (25%)
- Key Requirements: The speaker should use a variety of sentence structures (simple, compound, and complex) and maintain good grammatical accuracy with minimal errors.
- Performance in the Answer:
- A variety of grammatical structures is used effectively, such as:
- Complex sentences: I hesitated for a while and then told my mother that I would go and fetch the doctor early the next morning instead.
- Conditional sentences: If only I had gone to get the doctor, this might not have happened.
- Passive voice: Her recovery took quite a long time.
- Grammatical accuracy is strong, though minor errors (if present during speaking) like incorrect tenses or prepositions may slightly reduce the score.
- A variety of grammatical structures is used effectively, such as:
- Estimated Score for Grammatical Range and Accuracy: 7.5-8.0
4. Pronunciation (25%)
- Key Requirements: The speaker should be easily understood, with natural stress, intonation, and rhythm. Occasional mispronunciation should not affect clarity.
- Performance in the Answer:
- Clear and understandable pronunciation is assumed, given the coherent structure and appropriate vocabulary.
- Natural intonation and emphasis on key words like urgent, responsibility, and serious consequences enhance meaning.
- Minor pronunciation issues (if present during the actual speaking) would not severely impact the score.
- Estimated Score for Pronunciation: 7.5-8.0
Overall Band Score Estimate: 7.5-8.0
The answer demonstrates a high level of fluency, a wide range of vocabulary, good grammatical control, and clear pronunciation. However, slight room for improvement exists, such as reducing repetition of basic vocabulary and maintaining more advanced expressions throughout.
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