IELTS Speaking for Success - 🚅 Describe a long journey you had and would like to take again (Part 2) + Transcript

Episode Date: November 20, 2025

Get our premium episode archive: https://www.patreon.com/ieltssfs You should say: when/where you went, who you had the journey with, why you had the journey, and explain why you would like to have it again. Tune in and have a great day! - Book a class with Rory here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://successwithielts.com/rory⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Our course on Phrasal Verbs: https://successwithielts.com/podcourses Transcript: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for our archive to get access to the transcript⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find an IELTS Speaking Partner: https://links.successwithielts.com/ieltspartner Our social media: https://linktr.ee/successwithielts © 2025 Podcourses Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello, hello, dear listener and welcome into IEL speaking part two. Describe a long journey you had and would like to take again. You should say, when, where you went, who you had the journey with, why you had the journey and explain why you'd like to have it again. Rory, give us your story. Well, I've taken a lot of these in my time and enjoyed them, but one that stands out really clearly in my mind is when I went to London at the end of May, well, this year, 2025, for Mighty Hoopla, which is a music festival in Brixton, a part of the, well, it's a part of the city

in the south, and when it comes to who I went with, it was supposed to be with my best friend, but unfortunately he wasn't feeling well, so I had to go it alone. You'd think that would make for a pretty dull trip, but thankfully I'd packed a book and my laptop with me. So here I was able to actually do quite a few things on my way down south. I was actually incredibly productive now I think about it, even more than I'd planned to be since it was just me at a single seat in first class. So I was able to lock in and really focus.

I wrote out lesson plans and organized my first. files from work and then for my coming, well, my upcoming trip to Oxford. Oh, and I got to email various people involved in different projects. Not only was I able to do work, or at least my work in peace, but I managed to get some entertainment in as well. I watched a few videos on my laptop and play video games, all in this big comfy cheer that I had to myself. I'd swapped it with people who were sitting next to me because they wanted to sit next together and I didn't have anybody to sit next to. On top of everything else that I talked about, this was first class, so I got a catering service, which served free meals and drinks on a regular basis

throughout the day. This trip takes a few hours, so it's kind of necessary. I hadn't done that before, but my friend had arranged it for me, so I was very grateful for that. It meant that despite the inauspicious start, I could actually unwind for once. That's part of the reason I'd like to do it again. It was a really pleasant experience all around, and it didn't cost a great deal to upgrade to first class. So whenever I get the chance, I always try to do that. Now, if I hadn't been able to do that, it would have been decidedly less relaxing. The train was absolutely mobbed, and people in economy were being loud and obnoxious.

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To sign up for the archive, click the link in the description below. See you soon. Yay, thank you all for your story. Hopefully it took you on a journey through vocabulary and grammar. So dear listener, a long journey you had. Journey meaning like a trip. A long trip you had and would like to take again. So you can talk about, I know, your holiday.

Maybe you traveled somewhere, right? On holiday or by plane, by boat, by car, or just maybe it was a short trip to the countryside. Maybe the trip that you took to get to your, IELTS exam because some people have to travel a very long way. Yeah, I'd like to take it again. Maybe not for IELTS next time, no. And you can start off with, um, I've taken a lot of trips, but one that stands out

really clearly in my mind is when I went to London. So you know, like, I have taken a lot of trips, but the one I remember vividly, the one I really remember in my mind, clearly. so the structure is like but but one that stands out one meaning trip journey but one that stands out clearly in my mind is when I went to London when I traveled by car when I went to my family in the countryside and Rory talked about May mighty hoopla which is a music festival in Brixton, so in Great Britain, right? So he went to this festival. The second time, right? It was your second time? I think it was my third time, actually. Oh, your third time? Yeah. First time

using first class though. And we change the topic when it comes to who I went with. I had to do it alone. I had to go it alone. You could do it alone, but you could also go it alone. But that just means you did it by yourself. You might think it was a dull trip because I was alone. But I didn't. I had a great time. Yeah, but I had a great time. I had packed a book, past perfect, because I had packed a book and my laptop with me. So I was busy on my way. I was incredibly productive on my way then. so I was like very productive I was even more productive than I planned

wow it was just me in the first class I was able to lock in and really focus so Rory locked himself in he locked the door he didn't allow anyone in didn't lock the door maybe I locked the door of my mind

if you lock in you're concentrating yeah I was able to lock in so I was able to concentrate and focus yeah it's actually a very good idea to work on the train, because you've got nowhere to go to, and you can really get things done. I wrote out plans, I organized my files, you know, I emailed different people, so, yeah. Or deal with the same, you can say that I was traveling with friends, we had fun, we played board games,

so we were drinking, we were laughing, yeah, so pass continues. or we were sleeping all the way there. Rory used inversion. Not only was I able to do my work, but I also managed to get some entertainment. It's been a while since we dropped inversion into this. Yeah, I know. Not only this, but also that.

Yeah, so kind of like I was able to do my work and I had some fun. So we ask a question, not only was I able to do my work, but I also did that I watched some videos on my laptop I played video games so how long was the journey

like seems like two days I think it was six hours or so that's a long journey for me because like in this country it usually takes you two hours to get anywhere on top of that so that means that you're we are adding in addition yeah in addition or

but you know like in speaking we should use informal phrases So, in addition, it's a bit formal. Furthermore, but on top of that, like, besides, also, I got a catering service. Yes. So, Rory was served meals. Ooh, la, la, and drinks, yeah, on a regular basis throughout the day. So he was eating and drinking all six hours. I hadn't done it before.

So, pass perfect. like I booked this trip and I hadn't done it before so it was the first time I had ever traveled in where where where did you travel London to Brickston in London but I was in business

class or first class I should say yes I was really grateful for that because my friend had arranged it for me pass perfect again so I was very grateful thankful because my friend before had arranged it for me

So first action, my friend arranged and then I was grateful. So please make sure once or twice you do use past perfect to show a range of grammar structures. I could actually unwind for once. Unwind, relax. It's difficult to unwind on the train usually because there's so much happening. C2Dialist in band nine vocabulary, unwind. So relax, I don't know, C1 in this meaning. Relax. Allow your mind to be free from worry. Yay! Watching videos helped me to unwind,

or I could really unwind for once on a train. Roy, you've used this interesting word. Ino what? Oh, Enospicious. Yeah. Do you not know what that means? Well, showing signs that something will not be successful or positive. Yes, so my friend couldn't make it because. he was sick and I was like oh god it was just going to be me by myself but then it turned into oh it's me by myself yeah and very often we say like after an inespicious start we won the game right so at the start it didn't seem successful or positive but then we won so after an inespicious start and I'd like to do it again because I could unwind it was a really pleasant

experience all round. So throughout the journey, it didn't cost a great deal to upgrade to first class. So I upgraded my trip. Oh, wow, interesting. I thought like first class is normally pretty expensive. No, it was actually okay. So I got the chance to try it.

It was very relaxing, pleasant. And usually people on the train are loud and obnoxious. Like, annoying. They were definitely loud. Unpleasant, rude, obnoxious, loud, so you can't really relax. But that trip was great. Quality even, you could say. Yeah, it was a quality.

I had some quality time. It was a quality day. Right, dear listen, so you should decide what trip I'm going to talk about. Like, the card says long journey. Six hours, eight hours a day, two days, maybe you travel somewhere for a week. Well, by train, for example. It could be a cruise. Yeah, so like anything.

Thank you very much for listening, and we'll get back to you in our next episode. Okay? Bye. Describe a long journey you had and would like to take again. You should say, when, where you went, who you had the journey with, why you had the journey and explain why you'd like to have it again.

Well, I've taken a lot of these in my time and enjoyed them, but one that stands out really clearly in my mind is when I went to London at the end of May, well, this year 2025, for Mighty Hoopla, which is a music festival in Brixton, a part of the, well, it's a part of the city in the south. And when it comes to who I went with, it was supposed to be with my best friend, But unfortunately, he wasn't feeling well, so I had to go it alone. You'd think that would make for a pretty dull trip. But thankfully, I'd packed a book and my laptop with me.

So here, I was able to actually do quite a few things on my way down south. I was actually incredibly productive now I think about it, even more than I'd planned to be since it was just me at a single seat in first class. So I was able to lock in and really focus. I wrote out lesson plans and organized my fire. from work and then for my coming, well, my upcoming trip to Oxford. Oh, and I got to email various people involved in different projects. Not only was I able to do work, or at least my work in peace,

but I managed to get some entertainment in as well. I watched a few videos on my laptop and play video games, all in this big comfy cheer that I had to myself. I swapped it with people who were sitting next to me because they wanted to sit next together and I didn't have anybody to sit next to. next to. On top of everything else that I talked about, this was first class, so I got a catering service, which served free meals and drinks on a regular basis throughout the day. This trip takes a few hours, so it's kind of necessary. I hadn't done that before, but my friend had arranged

it for me, so I was very grateful for that. It meant that despite the inauspicious start, I could actually unwind for once. That's part of the reason I'd like to do it again. It was a really pleasant experience all around and it didn't cost a great deal to upgrade to first class. So whenever I get the chance, I always try to do that now. If I hadn't been able to do that, it would have been decidedly less relaxing. The train was absolutely mobbed and people in economy were being loud and obnoxious. So that would have been just horrendous.