Something a Coworker Taught You

The task

Talk about a time when a coworker or classmate taught you something useful. Describe what they taught you and how it helped you.

• Read the task, prepare during the preparation time, then speak aloud for the speaking time.

Preparation

30 seconds

Speaking time

60 seconds

Question

2 of 20

When I started my first job in Canada, at a warehouse in Mississauga, I worked with a man named Gary who had been there for almost twenty years. During my first week I was trying to finish my orders as fast as possible, and honestly, I was making a lot of mistakes. One afternoon Gary stopped me and showed me how he organized his cart: heavy boxes at the bottom, small items in labelled bins, and the order sheet always clipped to the handle. It sounds simple, but it changed everything. Within a couple of weeks my error rate dropped and I was actually faster than before. What I appreciated most was that he didn't make me feel stupid. He just said everybody learns this the hard way. Since then, I always try to help new employees in the same patient way.

Why this answer works

• Gives specific, concrete details (heavy boxes at the bottom, labelled bins) instead of a vague 'he helped me'.
• Uses a range of past forms naturally: had been there, was trying, was making, dropped.
• Connects the story to a lasting result, which gives the answer a satisfying ending inside 60 seconds.