Describe a Time You Were Busy: IELTS Band 9 Answer (2026)

One of the most used IELTS Speaking Part 2 Cue Cards in 2026 is "Describe a time when you were busy." The examiner expects you to tell a well structured story about a specific busy period in your life, explain why your schedule was so full, and describe the effect it had on you. To get Band 7+ you need to use advanced vocabulary such as snowed under, burning the candle at both ends, and frenzied activity.

How to Use This Sample Answer

Below is a sample answer for a hardworking professional that focuses on a specific end-of-year crisis involving a big client project and tight deadlines. If this is your case, perfect. But what if you were busy planning a wedding? Or what if you were busy writing your thesis?
In this case, you should use the IELTS Speaking Lab App to generate your own perfect answer to this Cue Card with your personal vocabulary that describes your real story and matches your target Band.

Cue Card

Describe a time when you were very busy. You should say:

• When it was

• What you had to do

• Why you were busy

• And explain how you felt about it.

Band 9 Model Answer

(Answer) I want to describe a time last December when I was completely snowed under with work. It was the end of the financial year, which is always a hectic period for my company, but this year was exceptional because we were also working against the clock to finish a massive project for a new client.

(Add detail) I had to wear many hats during those few weeks. Not only was I responsible for my usual duties, but I also had to cover for a colleague who was on sick leave. This completely disrupted my daily routine. I was juggling multiple tasks simultaneously, and my to-do list seemed endless. I was constantly fielding emails and calls from stressed managers, leaving me no chance to practice good time management or even take a proper lunch break.

(Anecdote) I remember one Tuesday vividly. I arrived at the office at 7 AM and didn’t leave until nearly midnight. I was burning the candle at both ends to ensure we met the deadline. At around 8 PM, the office was empty except for me and the security guard. I was staring at my screen, feeling like a zombie, running purely on caffeine and adrenaline. I had to proofread a 50-page document while simultaneously coordinating with a team in a different time zone. It was a moment of pure frenzied activity.

(Explain) In terms of how I felt, I was physically and mentally drained. I missed my usual hobbies and downtime, and I felt quite overwhelmed by the sheer volume of work. However, once we submitted the project, that stress was replaced by a huge sense of relief and a feeling of pride that I had managed to pull it off without making any mistakes.

This answer uses the AAAE Strategy (Answer, Add detail, Anecdote, Explain).

Key Vocabulary for IELTS Cue Card: Busy

Here is the complete glossary of every bolded word and phrase used in the answer above.

• Adrenaline: A hormone produced by the body when you are frightened, angry, or excited, which makes the heart beat faster.

• Burning the candle at both ends: To work or do other things from early in the morning until late at night and get very little rest.

• Drained: Very tired and without energy.

• Endless: Having or seeming to have no end or limit.

• Frenzied activity: Wild, excited, and uncontrolled effort or movement.

• Hectic: Full of incessant or frantic activity.

• Juggling multiple tasks: Trying to deal with two or more important jobs or activities at the same time.

• Overwhelmed: To have too much work or too many problems to deal with.

• Pride: A feeling of pleasure and satisfaction that you get because you or people connected with you have done something good.

• Sense of relief: A feeling of cheerfulness or positivity that follows the removal of anxiety, pain, or distress.

• Snowed under: To have so much work that you have problems dealing with it all.

• Wear many hats: To have many different roles or tasks to perform.

• Working against the clock: To work very fast because you have limited time.

• Zombie: A person who seems to be acting without thinking or feeling, often because they are very tired.

Create Your Own Band 9 Answers

The answer above is perfect—if you are an office worker facing a deadline. But what if you were busy planning a wedding? Or what if you were busy writing your thesis?

Your answers need to be true so that you can easily recall them during a stressful exam.

IELTS Speaking Lab helps you turn your real ideas into Band 9 answers.

1. Select your Part 2 Cue Card - Describe a time you were busy.

2. Input your rough idea (e.g., "I was busy planning my sister's wedding and I forgot to eat lunch").

3. Get personalized Band 9 answers instantly, with the perfect vocabulary for your story.

Start Generating Your Personal Answers Now →