Describe a time when you helped someone.

I'd like to talk about a time I helped my neighbour, Mrs Chen. She is an older woman who lives on the same floor as me. It happened last autumn on a Saturday afternoon, when I was coming back to my apartment after buying lunch. I saw her near the entrance of our building. It was raining, and she had two heavy bags of groceries.

The problem was that the lift was not working, and she had hurt her knee a few days earlier. She looked tired and did not know what to do. I asked if I could help. I carried one bag in each hand and walked slowly with her up the stairs to the fifth floor. I also took her umbrella, so she could hold the handrail. When we got to her flat, I put the bags in her kitchen and checked that she was okay.

She thanked me and offered me some fruit, but I said it was no problem. I felt happy and useful because I could make a difficult day a little easier for her.

Honestly, one small moment I remember clearly was helping my neighbour, Mrs Chen, last autumn. She is in her seventies and lives on the same floor as me, so we often say hello but don't usually spend much time together.

It happened on a rainy Saturday afternoon, when I was coming home with some lunch. At the entrance, I saw her trying to manage two large shopping bags. The lift in our building had broken down that morning, and she'd recently hurt her knee. She looked exhausted, and I could tell she was worried about climbing five floors with the bags.

I offered to carry them upstairs. I took one in each hand and walked slowly, stopping on the landings so she could rest. She had an umbrella as well, so I held it while she used the handrail. Once we reached her flat, I put the groceries on her kitchen counter and asked if she needed me to call her son. She said she was fine and thanked me warmly.

What made it feel worthwhile was that it wasn't a dramatic rescue; it simply took pressure off someone who was having a rough day. I felt genuinely glad I noticed and stepped in, especially because a small practical gesture can matter a lot when you're tired or in pain. If I had walked past, I think she would have struggled up those stairs alone. I was also pleased that we chatted more afterwards, and now we check in on each other occasionally.