What the examiner sees
Photograph description
The photograph shows a boy at a school swimming pool during a competition. He is in the water, clearly tired, and slightly behind the other swimmers. On the poolside, his teammates and coach are cheering him on with encouraging gestures. A timing board shows the race is almost over. The boy's face shows determination despite his exhaustion.
Three questions the examiner might ask
What is happening in this photograph? How can you tell the boy is finding the race difficult?
Tell me about a time when you wanted to give up on something but kept going. What helped you persevere?
Some people believe that talent matters more than hard work. Do you agree, or do you think perseverance is more important? Why?
Q1 tests what you see in the photograph. Q2 tests a personal experience. Q3 tests your opinion — the hardest of the three since 2025.
A model opinion answer (P.E.E.L.)
Point
In my opinion, young people today should take more responsibility for their community.
Explain
This is because we live in a small, shared space, so one person's actions affect many neighbours.
Example
For example, during the last school holidays, my class organised a block-wide recycling drive and collected over 200 kilograms of paper.
Link
As a result, the residents thanked us and even helped out on the second weekend — which shows that small actions can inspire others.
Swap in your own example — the structure stays the same. Examiners reward concrete detail over polished phrasing.
Common mistakes on this topic
- Memorising a full paragraph and trying to recite it — examiners can tell and will ask a follow-up you haven't prepared for.
- Jumping straight to an opinion without describing the photograph first. Q1 always starts with what is in the picture.
- Giving a one-line answer. Aim for 3–4 sentences: Point → Explain → Example → Link.
Vocabulary that works for this topic
responsibility— a duty someone is expected to do
“Taking care of my little sister is a big responsibility.”
community— a group of people living or working together
“Our HDB estate has a very close community.”
considerate— thinking about other people's feelings
“It was considerate of him to give up his seat.”
priority— something more important than other things
“Homework should be a priority on weekdays.”
in my opinion— phrase for sharing your view
“In my opinion, screen time should be limited.”
for example— phrase for giving a specific instance
“For example, my grandfather walks 30 minutes daily.”
For parents
After every practice answer, ask three questions — 'Why?', 'Can you give an example?', and 'So what does that mean?' — in that order. It trains the P.E.E.L. structure without needing to coach content.
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