Describe a time someone gave you a positive comment for work you did
Describe a time someone gave you a positive comment
You should say:
- What you did
- Who the person was
- What they said
And explain how you felt about it
“I remember last winter during my last winter holiday, just before the lunar new year I decided to surprise my mother by spring cleaning the house while she was away at work. It’s an important tradition to spring clean your home from top to bottom before the new year begins, in order to drive away any bad luck from the previous year.
My mother was very busy with work, and I thought it would be a lovely surprise for her to come home after a long day to find the house already spick and span.
As soon as she left for work, I was up and ready to get stuck into the job ahead. I remember I started in the kitchen, cleaning out all the cupboards and shelves, making sure everything was clean as a whistle, as well as putting everything back in its correct place. I felt proud as punch with everything gleaming, and it really looked like a new kitchen.
I then moved on to the living room, working hard to get rid of any dust as well as washing and polishing the floors until everything was squeaky clean, which was a hard grind. I spent the rest of the day working non-stop to try and have everything perfect for when my mother arrived home.
I can still remember her coming in the door later that evening and immediately noticing something was different. She walked from the kitchen through the living room, over the moon with happiness, all the while complimenting me on my great work. Just seeing the look on her face was enough to make my day, and all her positive comments and praise made me one happy camper.
Thank you”
Idioms
- To spring clean
A thorough clean of a house or room, usually at the start of spring.
“I spent all the weekend spring cleaning my home.”
- From top to bottom
If you say that you cleaned something from top to bottom, you are saying you cleaned or examined it thoroughly and completely.
“I searched the house from top to bottom trying to find my keys.”
- Spick and span / clean as a whistle / sqeaky clean
This just means for something to be very clean and tidy.
“My mother is very fussy, and our house is always spick and span.”
- To get stuck into
To get stuck into something means to start doing something with lots of enthusiasm
“I sat down and got stuck into my assignment to make sure I had it finished by Monday morning.”
- A hard grind
Difficult, hard, unpleasant work.
“She has to work 7 days a week from 7am until 9pm, which really is a hard grind.”
- To make one’s day
To bring happiness or excitement to someone, or brighten up their day
“When I saw how happy the gift I gave my mother made her, it really made my day.”
- A happy camper
Someone who is left feeling very happy or satisfied.
“After passing the exam, I was one happy camper.”
Describe a time someone gave you a positive comment – part 3
In what situations do you think children need encouragement?
“Well, personally I believe children need praise and encouragement throughout their young lives. I think that some praise, and even the occasional reward helps them with motivation in the different day to day tasks as well as any new goals they face. For instance when only starting to learn to walk a child needs lots of encouragement, when learning to eat vegetables or even learning to talk. As they get older they need more motivation and encouragement with their studies and preparation for sitting exams. So, yes, I think it’s extremely important for children to constantly receive encouragement as they grow.”
Do you think it’s possible to give children too much encouragement or praise?
“Yes, I think it is actually very possible, and we need to be careful in how, as well as in what situations we praise kids. I believe that extreme or over-the-top praise could lead to some negative effects. This could lead to setting crazy high standards for the child in the future, as well as putting too much pressure on the child to maintain these standards in the future.
What’s more, with too much praise a child might not perceive any problems, and not worry about any future problem they might face.
On top of that children might not want to lose our respect or approval, and won’t want to risk failure, which could lead to them backing off future new challenges.
Another problem that could arise is that a child could end up becoming narcissistic, and unable to deal with constructive criticism in the future.”
Do you think adults sometimes need encouragement or praise in work to work harder?
“Yes, absolutely….. I think that encouragement and motivation is the key to any company’s success. I believe it’s very important for employees to feel valued, and leaders should always be looking for different ways in which they can encourage and value their team members.
I think everybody responds to positive feedback, and even requires it to remain motivated in their work. What’s more companies can offer incentives and rewards to further encourage and motivate employees in the workplace.”
Do you think it’s important for children to learn to help each other?
“Yes, certainly….I think it’s actually extremely important for a child to learn and understand the importance of helping others. I believe that learning to help others provides an opportunity to grow into a better person, as well as helping to build a child’s character. Children will learn that life is actually more fulfilling and that they can make a difference in the future.
What’s more, learning to help others is a very important social skill, and having the ability to interact and make friends with others is something that remains important throughout our lives.”
More links to part 2 and part 3 example answers
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