PSLE SBC Practice 5: Helping an Elderly Neighbour
This page helps you practise talking about a photo for the PSLE Oral. Cover the model answers first. Answer each question out loud, then compare.
The photo
Question 1: how are the people feeling?
"Look at the people in the picture. How do you think they are feeling? Why do you say so?"
This question is about the photo. Say how each person feels. Then point to what you can see that shows it.
Weak answer: "The lady feels happy. The boy is helping her."
Strong answer: "I think the elderly woman is feeling grateful and relieved, because she is smiling warmly at the boy as he lifts her two heavy bags, and with her walking stick she would have found them hard to carry alone. The boy seems kind and willing to help, since he still has his school bag on his back, so it looks like he stopped on his way home rather than being asked. He appears happy to help her, not reluctant, which is why the moment looks so warm."
| Weak answer | Strong answer | |
|---|---|---|
| People | Only the woman | The woman and the boy |
| Feelings | Happy | Grateful and relieved (woman), kind and willing (boy) |
| Proof from the photo | None | "smiling warmly", "walking stick", "still has his school bag on his back" |
Use this shape for the first question: "They feel ___ because I can see ___."
Question 2: have you helped someone older?
"Have you ever helped someone older than you? Tell me about it."
Now the question is about your own life. Describe a real example with some detail.
Weak answer: "Yes, I helped my grandfather once. It was nice."
Strong answer: "Yes, I have. My grandfather's eyesight is not very good, so I often help him read his letters and messages aloud. One evening, I helped him fill in a form he had received because the words were too small for him to see. He kept thanking me and said I was a great help. It made me happy because it was something small for me, but it really mattered to him. Now I try to check on him whenever I visit."
| Weak answer | Strong answer | |
|---|---|---|
| Person and task | "my grandfather once" | Reading letters aloud and filling in a form |
| What you did | None | Helped because the words were too small for him |
| How it felt | "It was nice" | Happy, because it mattered to him |
Question 3: do young people care about the elderly?
"Do you think young people today care enough about the elderly? Why?"
This question asks for your view on a wider topic. Give a clear view with reasons. You can talk about both sides.
Strong answer: "I think many young people do care, though we could all do more. On one hand, I often see students giving up their seats on the MRT or helping neighbours, like the boy in the picture. On the other hand, everyone is busy with school and phones, so sometimes we forget to notice when someone needs help. So I believe most young people are kind at heart, but we should make more of an effort to slow down and look out for the elderly around us."
Why this answer does well:
- It gives a clear view.
- It supports the view with examples.
- It looks at both sides.
- It links back to the helpful boy in the photo.
A plain "yes, they care" would score much lower.
Practise the habits, not the answers
These answers are models. Do not learn them by heart. Practise 2 habits on a new photo each day:
- Describe the photo fully, including how each person feels.
- Give every opinion a reason and a real example.
Back to PSLE Oral Practice · Full method: How to answer any SBC photo