IELTS Speaking for Success - 💫 Describe a time you needed to use your imagination (Part 2) + Transcript

Episode Date: March 22, 2026

Get access to our premium episode archive: https://www.patreon.com/ieltssfs You should say: when it was, why you needed to use imagination, how difficult or easy it was, and explain how you felt about it. 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: https://successwithielts.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 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

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Describe a time you needed to use your imagination. You should say when it was, why you needed to use your imagination, how difficult or easy it was, and explain how you felt about it. Rory, give us your story. Well, I have to do this all the time, really, but one time that stands out most recently was when I was reading the book I just finished. In terms of when it was, this was about maybe a week ago, I think. I usually read two or three books a month and I only just start as a new one, but it's an autobiography, so it takes less imagination. When it comes to why I needed to use imagination for this particular book,

the one I just finished, the one I was working my way through was a science fiction one, so it had a lot of weird and wonderful characters that were described in various ways. So I had to think, up how they might look. Not only that, the author described how they sounded when they talked, so I had to imagine that as well. And all the scenery and settings were described in great detail most of the time, but there were sometimes when I needed to fill in the blanks with my own ideas of how things might look. So I spent time thinking about that. I'd like to think I'm pretty good at picturing things in my head, so I didn't find it very taxing. It was actually quite fun to think up how things might be and then add details as the plot progressed.

And as for how I felt about it, I quite enjoyed the experience. It's not often I've read something like that, and I'm looking forward to doing the same thing with the sequels, actually. If I hadn't read it, I doubt I'd have been too cut up about the whole thing, but it's good I didn't miss out. I can still visibly remember the characters and their images in my mind's eye. So I'm looking forward to doing that again. maybe next time it will take less effort because I already practiced and warmed my imagination up with this particular book.

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into our super secret archive. To sign up for the archive, click the link in the description below. See you soon. Yay, thank you, Roy, for your story. So, dear listener, describe a time you needed to use your imagination. So you can talk about something creative that you've done. Because when do we use our imagination? Well, it could be when we write something or when we have to read something that's not very clear. Or maybe we have to solve a problem.

I think this would be quite useful for when you take an IELS test, because I think you take the speaking after you do your reading and your writing. So you could actually describe what you did in the reading and the writing tasks and how you had to imagine things. Yeah, like when you solved a problem and you visualised a solution, when I don't know, you did something creative, perhaps you designed something or you designed your flat or a house or something you did at school. So some, you know, like innovation.

Or, for example, you planned your holiday and you used your imagination to plan it out, I don't know, draw up the route, the itinerary, the plan of your trip, right? Or, for example, meditation, right? When we meditate, we also use our imagination to imagine things. So pretty much it's about visualizing things when you close your eyes and you imagine. Ooh, imagine your ideal house. Imagine your ideal life. Yeah, or for example, you can say, like, the last time I used mind imagination was when I was preparing for this test, I imagined that I got Ben 9.

To help with my confidence. Let's check the examiner. Actually, did you know, Rory, that many sportsmen use the technique. they imagine how they do it. So for example, it's a boxing match or a marathon or like a racing, you know, Formula One. So they kind of like sit down and they imagine exactly how they will do it. A secret technique, dear listener, now you know what to do before the test. You imagine everything, okay?

And then you should imagine the certificate. you imagine that you look at the certificate and you see that, oh yeah, okay, it's bent 8, bent 7, bent 7.5. You can start off with one time that stands out most was when I was reading a book. So one time that I do remember very well was when I was designing the furniture for my flat, when I was doing something, when I was preparing for the test. in terms of when it was as for when it was

it was about a week ago two months ago a day ago yesterday you don't need to tell the exact time and Rory told us about the time that he was reading a book autobiography so he was reading a book about a certain person

did you name the person no it was just a science fiction book that's all yeah but autobiography no no the one I'm reading now is not biography, but the one before that was a science fiction book. Yeah, so Rory was reading sci-fi and he used his imagination to imagine the characters, to imagine this unreal world, maybe himself in this world, you know.

I needed to use my imagination because the book was science fiction and it had a lot of strange, weird, weird, like strange, wonderful characters. Like, we call the people who are in the book characters. And I have to think up how they might look. So a synonym for, I had to imagine, I had to think up how they might look, how maybe they look. Like, they might look like this. They might look like that.

And actually, like, it's true that every book we read, we use our image. imagination, right? Like you kind of visualize everything you read about. Well, some people don't have imagination, so it's maybe difficult for them. And the other thing is, you might have some more factual texts that you don't really use your imagination for. Yeah, but when you read like, oh, the sun is shining, like you kind of, you picture the sun in your head. You have a picture, no? Well, you hope so. Some people can't do that, unfortunately. What about you, the listener? When you read a book, you know, do you have pictures in your head?

Are they black and white? Are they colorful? Do you picture? Do you think up how the characters might look or no? What do you have? Maybe you have words, only words, maybe only colors or how does it work for you? When Westchard first took flight in 1996, the vibes were a bit different. People thought denim on denim was peak fashion. Inline skates were everywhere and two out of three women rocked the Rachel. While those things stayed in the 90s, one thing that hasn't is that fuzzy feeling you get when West's, Jet welcomes you on board. Here's to WestJetting since 96. Travel back in time with us and actually travel with us at Westjet.com slash 30 years. At MedCan, we know that life's greatest moments are built on a foundation of good health, from the big milestones to the quiet winds. That's why our annual health assessment offers a physician-led, full-body checkup that provides a clear picture of your health today and may uncover early signs of conditions like heart disease and cancer. The healthier you means more moments to cherish.

Take control of your well-being and book an assessment today. Medcan, live well for life. Visit medcan.com slash moments to get started. The author described how they sounded, so how characters sounded, and Rory imagined the sounds. So he kind of heard different sounds in his head. That's important because when people think of imagination, they often think of the things they see.

But it could also be the things that we think, we should hear as well. If we do talk about the things we see, we can picture them or picture them in our heads. Yeah, you can kind of imagine the sounds, imagine how characters spoke to each other, scenery, like all the nature

that is in the book setting, like the place where the characters were described. And I imagined the setting in great detail. I imagined everything in great detail. I filled in the blanks with my own ideas. Sometimes the description is not good, so we must create something from what we think is the case. We fill in the blanks.

The blank is the thing that we don't have and filling it in with the ideas that we do have. You can say I'm pretty good at picturing things in my head. So I'm good at using my imagination, I'm good at visualizing things in my head. I'm good at picturing things in my head. Oh, I'm pretty good. Oh, I'm pretty good at that.

I'm pretty good at using my imagination. Yeah. So it was easy for me. I didn't find it very taxing. Taxing, like... Maybe just very tiring. Difficult, yeah, like not difficult. Or it was rather texting for me.

It was difficult for me. I had to put a lot of effort into imagining things because, yeah, it's not my kind of thing. Or it was easy. I didn't find it texting. It was actually quite fun. It was fun for me to think up how things might be in the book. As the plot progressed. So the idea of the book, the plot.

And it progresses. It kind of moves you forward. Well, the story as well. the story of the book. I quite enjoyed the experience. Oh, I didn't enjoy the experience because I had to imagine a lot of things. Yeah, like when we watch a movie,

like we don't usually imagine things. We're kind of, we're given everything. But it's kind of like when you read the book, you have a movie in your head. Or you may not, dear listener, I don't know what you have. Or, for example, when you listen to music, like, what's,

What do you have in your head? Do you imagine a story? Do you see people, nature, sounds? Like, what do you see in your head? Some people see colors. Oh, okay, yeah. And again, it depends on the song, right? It depends on the music. But maybe nothing, you're listening. That's also fine, you know, so we are all different. So it's interesting what you have in your head. I am looking forward to doing the same thing again with another book or I don't know. I don't know. don't usually do it. I don't usually use my imagination. Yeah, I want to develop my imagination, you can say, I can still vividly remember the characters. So I imagined the characters, and I vividly remember them. Vividly, like, clearly, I vividly remember my first day at school. I remember it clearly in a detailed kind of way. And that collocates with imagination.

You can have a vivid imagination or a vivid image of something. Excellent, dear listener. So now you need to choose what to talk about. Again, the easiest path would be to choose a book and you kind of saw a movie in your head while you were reading a book. Maybe something else, right? Take a look at some articles online, how to use your imagination to create a brilliant life.

Or meditation. I would talk about meditation. There are some guided meditations when, you know, the instructor guides you. Like, now imagine a house. And you can have imagined a house. Enter the house. What do you see in this house? Oh, what do you see?

But actually, I will talk about the test. I would tell the examiner, like, you know, I imagined that I got banned nine for speaking before this speaking test. you. I'm just doing it again. And actually, yes, I imagined you, the examiner. And yeah, you are different from what I, what I had imagined. Yeah, the power of imagination to create the life you want. Right, de Liszt, now you know what to do. We'll get back to you in our next episode where we talk about imagination. All right? Bye. Bye. I'm not an astronaut. I don't need an astronaut.

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Describe a time you needed to use your imagination. You should say when it was, why you needed to use your imagination, how difficult or easy it was, and explain how you felt about it. Well, I have to do this all the time, really. But one time that stands out most recently was when I was reading the book I just finished. In terms of when it was, this was about maybe a week ago, I think. read two or three books a month and I only just started as a new one but it's an autobiography so it takes less imagination. When it comes to why I needed to use imagination for this particular book, the one I just finished, the one I was working my way through

was a science fiction one so it had a lot of weird and wonderful characters that were described in various ways so I had to think up how they might look. Not only that, the author described how they sounded when they talked so I had to imagine imagine that as well. And all the scenery and settings were described in great detail most of the time, but there were sometimes when I needed to fill in the blanks with my own ideas of how things might look. So I spent time thinking about that. I'd like to think I'm pretty good at picturing things in my head, so I didn't find it very taxing. It was actually quite fun to think up how things might be and then add details as the plot progressed. And as for how I felt about it,

it. I quite enjoyed the experience. It's not often I've read something like that, and I'm looking forward to doing the same thing with the sequels, actually. If I hadn't read it, I doubt I'd have been too cut up about the whole thing, but it's good I didn't miss out. I can still visibly remember the characters and their images in my mind's eye, so I'm looking forward to doing that again. Maybe next time it will take less effort, because I already practiced and warmed my imagination up with this particular book. Thank you.