A friend is struggling with an application and asks for help. You can explain one confusing question, but you do not have an evening available to complete the form. An offer to "sort it out" would create a commitment you cannot reliably keep.
Name the part you can do. You might read the instructions together for fifteen minutes or review a finished paragraph. Ask whether that would be useful before starting. The friend may need a different kind of help.
Leave the next action with its owner
At the end, say what has been resolved and what remains. If you reviewed a paragraph, the applicant still needs to check the facts and submit the form. Avoid quietly taking over those steps because they are close to the work you offered.
You can make another offer later if you have the time. Treat it as a fresh decision rather than an automatic extension. Keeping the original limit clear makes it easier for the person to plan around the help actually available.
