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Describe your favourite means of transport. v.1

Describe your favourite means of transport. v. 1
Describe your favourite means of transport. You should say: What it is when and how often you use it why you use it And explain why it is your favourite transport. Model Answer 1: Favourite means of transport? That’s easy! I love going off on adventures, and there is one particular form of transport that I strongly associate with starting off on a voyage of discovery. I wonder if you will feel the same way about it, or whether you might think I’m a bit odd for thinking about it in such a romantic way!   I’ll tell you what it is, when and how often I use it as well as why, and try to convey to you why it is my favourite way to travel, even if the reality isn’t always as magical as my imagination would like it to be. My favourite means of transport is the train! I don’t really use the train all that often, but that is part of the attraction. For day to day getting about town I tend to walk, or use the local bus, or if there is no public transport where I want to go then I’ll take my car. However, if I’m heading off further afield I always like to take the train, so that might be just a few times a year, and always for a longish journey – perhaps three hours if I’m going to London, but a lot longer if I was travelling right up to Scotland for example. I use the train for lots of reasons. The practical reasons are that it is usually a comfortable way to travel as long as you go off peak. (I DO NOT enjoy being packed on a commuter train in the rush hour – that is a completely different railway experience). In cars or coaches, I can get a bit travel sick if I’m a passenger, but there is something soothing about the trundle of a train. I never feel ill journeying that way. Trains are also reasonably efficient at getting you from city to city towards your final destination, and you don’t have to worry about getting stuck in traffic, so although it can be an expensive way to get about, it is always reassuring that you will probably get to wherever you are going on time to say catch your flight or make your meeting appointment. Those are the practical reasons, but there are more emotional reasons why I like train travel. It is the anticipation you get sitting on a train, heading for a maybe new city, or to get a plane to an unknown destination and you start to think about all the exciting possibilities ahead. It is the first step into the unknown of travel, and it makes you feel alive!   Then, there is the joy of seeing new scenery unfolds as the train passes through towns, cities, countryside. Even if the route is familiar, it will always look different on any day depending on the time of year, the weather, the time of day. You get little snapshots of other people’s lives as you can see into their back gardens, watch them walking through the countryside, or even (if I’m honest) peering into their houses. The view from the train window may not always be beautiful, but it will always be interesting.   Depending on my mood, I like to look at the other passengers and imagine what their stories and destinations might be.   Some travelling alone like me, may be carrying suitcases or backpacks and will be going off on holiday somewhere. There might be others wearing suits and clutching briefcases trying to get to important work meetings. Screeching groups of friends could be on their way to a reunion or party, and then there are quieter couples of individuals who might be going to the shops, visiting a friend or family member in a hospital. I like it when you see gangs who are clearly on their way to the same destination such as a day at the races (all wearing enormous hats and ‘posh’ clothes that would normally be out of place in the middle of the day). Sometimes it might be fans going to a concert or people from one particular profession heading to a work conference. I try and guess where they are all heading. Amongst this throng of fellow travellers, you sometimes strike gold. British people have a reputation for not talking on trains, and generally, this is true. You do have to be a bit careful about how you read other people’s body language before you strike up a conversation. However, sometimes something will happen – the train is delayed, or you have to talk to each other as you are finding your reserved seat, and then to coin a phrase you’ve ‘broken the ice’ and talk flows.   I’ve had some of the best conversations and experiences of my life talking to strangers on a train. I have a theory that if you are talking to people you will probably never see again, you can be honest and direct in a way you would never risk in ‘normal’ chit chat. I can recall a few. One day I was on a train that was delayed for several hours due to an accident on the track ahead. Probably a suicide I think, although the announcements were a bit vague. This delay led to me having a really profound talk with the woman alongside me. We discussed quite literally attitudes to life and death, personal experiences of dealing with family illnesses, and notions of identity. We also had much more light-hearted conversation about fashion malfunctions and embarrassing stories about ourselves! We talked for hours, but at the end of our journey said our goodbyes and I don’t even know her name. I’ve had other amazing conversations too, one with a guy who claimed to provide personal banking services to millionaires – I’m sure it wasn’t true, but it was fascinating hearing him tell his tales ‘in confidence’ trying to impress me. On another occasion, I met an elderly woman who said she’d been a spy in the war – doubtful, but great to hear her stories all the same. Then there was the youngish man who chose me to unburden his soul to about his relationship problems with his girlfriend. I was surprised by the intimacy of his disclosures, but nosy enough to listen to it all anyway! So trains are great.   They not only take you to glorious destinations, they are in themselves a snapshot of the world. If you are cautiously open enough to engage with others around you, you can gain insights into other worlds and experiences. You might even get some good advice along the way! Sadly, not all train experiences are like this. Some are crowded, exasperating, squashed up against the armpits of others, getting increasingly annoyed at the fumes from the overflowing loo and being angry at the noisiness of drunken youths a few seats down. On those journeys I try to close my eyes, concentrate on the rhythmic rocking of the train and imagine myself back on one of my more life-affirming journeys. Maybe next time I get on a train it will be like that all over again! [ Written by - Lucy Marris:   Careers Adviser (UK), TEFL teacher (Vietnam) ]   Sample Answer 2: Transportation is a great issue to consider here in Jakarta, Indonesia. It is really hard to move with public transports and meeting deadlines for reaching office. So, I have my own transport. I will describe the topic here and would like to thank you for this nice topic. I work for a multinational company headquartered in Indonesia. In fact, I am the country manager for the company here and have been assigned to deal with lots of issues together. Earlier, before having the car, I used to ride on public transports. But it was difficult for me to reach office in due time and complete my responsibilities. Even though I got out of home about one and a half hour before the office hour began, I was unable to reach by 9. 00am. The sluggish movement of the transports and congestion on the roads caused the delay. So, I bought a Fiat 500L. Now it is no more a problem for me to reach office. Further, I can use the car after my will and the movement inside the city has become easier for me now. I use the car frequently. Actually, I rely on it for my movements inside and outside of Jakarta. Often I have to move for visiting markets and production plants. And by the same time, I have to meet some strict deadlines. I use the car almost every day in the week. Mostly I use it for visiting my office. The car is kept in the office garage during my office hours. Generally, I move from my home to office in the morning. I start my journey at 8. 10am and reach office by around 8. 50am. It takes almost of the times than public transport. I use the car for different purposes. When I did not have the car, I was unable to do everything so exactly as I am doing now. I failed to attend meetings in time, missed the deadlines of reaching in production plants and so on. Moreover, I had to wait for bus or taxi which was also difficult. But waiting did not ensure that I would be able to ride on the bus while the taxi drivers demanded three times more than the usual fare. Riding on a crowded public bus was really a trouble for me. But now, they have vanished. I also use the car for moving at any parts of the city with my family. It is really a great advantage for me. It appears that I have got freedom. The car is my favourite transport for many reasons. First of all, while riding a car, you do not need to think over reaching the destination in time unless there are no accidents of huge traffic congestions on the roads. The public transports make delay as it carries a large number of passengers and they need to ride or get off to different destinations. Besides, the transports wait for the passengers in the stoppages which also play an important role to kill time. As a result, a huge number of working hours are wasted. But with the car I own, there are no such issues. I can start and stop journey at any time or at any place I need. Moreover, I drive the car and use apps to avoid traffic congestions on my way to the destination. For all such reasons, the car is my favourite mode of transport.
Describe
your
favourite
means of
transport
. You should say: What it is when and how
often
you
use
it why you
use
it And
explain
why it is your
favourite
transport
. Model Answer 1:

Favourite
means of
transport
? That’s easy! I
love
going
off
on adventures, and there is one particular form of
transport
that I
strongly
associate with starting
off
on a voyage of discovery. I wonder if you will feel the same way about it, or whether you
might
think
I’m a
bit
odd for thinking about it in such a romantic way!
 
I
’ll
tell
you what it is, when and how
often
I
use
it as
well
as why, and try to convey to you why it is my
favourite
way to
travel
, even if the reality isn’t always as magical as my imagination would like it to be. My
favourite
means of
transport
is the
train
! I don’t
really
use
the
train
all that
often
,
but
that is
part of the attraction. For day to day getting about town I tend to walk, or
use
the local bus, or if there is no
public
transport
where I want to go then I’ll take my
car
.
However
, if I’m heading
off
further
afield I always like to take the
train
,
so
that
might
be
just
a few
times
a year, and always for a longish
journey
perhaps three
hours
if I’m going to London,
but
a lot longer if I was travelling
right
up to Scotland
for example
. I
use
the
train
for lots of
reasons
. The practical
reasons
are that it is
usually
a comfortable way to
travel
as long as you go
off peak
. (I DO NOT enjoy
being packed
on a commuter
train
in the rush
hour
that is
a completely
different
railway
experience)
. In
cars
or coaches, I can
get
a
bit
travel
sick if I’m a
passenger
,
but
there is something soothing about the trundle of a
train
. I never feel ill journeying that way.
Trains
are
also
reasonably
efficient at getting you from city to city towards your final
destination
, and you don’t
have to
worry about getting stuck in traffic,
so
although it can be an expensive way to
get
about, it is always reassuring that you will
probably
get
to wherever you are going on
time
to say catch your flight or
make
your
meeting
appointment. Those are the practical
reasons
,
but
there are more emotional
reasons
why I like
train
travel
. It is the anticipation you
get
sitting on a
train
, heading for a maybe new city, or to
get
a
plane
to an unknown
destination
and you
start
to
think
about all the exciting possibilities ahead. It is the
first
step into the unknown of
travel
, and it
makes
you feel alive!
 
Then, there is the joy of seeing new scenery unfolds as the
train
passes through towns,
cities
, countryside. Even if the route is familiar, it will always look
different
on any day depending on the
time
of year, the weather, the
time
of day. You
get
little
snapshots of
other
people’s
lives
as you can
see
into their back gardens,
watch
them walking through the countryside, or even (if I’m honest) peering into their
houses
. The view from the
train
window may not always be
beautiful
,
but
it will always be interesting.
 
Depending on my mood, I like to look at the
other
passengers
and imagine what their stories and
destinations
might
be.
 
Some
travelling alone like me, may be carrying suitcases or backpacks and will be going
off
on holiday somewhere. There
might
be others wearing suits and clutching briefcases trying to
get
to
important
work
meetings
. Screeching groups of friends could be on their way to a reunion or party, and then there are quieter couples of individuals
who
might
be going to the shops, visiting a friend or family member in a hospital. I like it when you
see
gangs
who
are
clearly
on their way to the same
destination
such as a day at the races (all wearing enormous hats and ‘posh’ clothes that would
normally
be out of place in the middle of the day).
Sometimes
it
might
be fans going to a concert or
people
from one particular profession heading to a work conference. I
try and
guess where they are all heading. Amongst this throng of fellow
travellers
, you
sometimes
strike gold. British
people
have a reputation for not talking on
trains
, and
generally
, this is true. You do
have to
be a
bit
careful about how you read
other
people’s
body language
before
you strike up a
conversation
.
However
,
sometimes
something will happen
the
train
is delayed
, or you
have to
talk to each
other
as you are finding your reserved seat, and then
to coin a phrase
you’ve ‘broken the ice’ and talk flows.
 
I’ve had
some
of the best
conversations
and
experiences
of my life talking to strangers on a
train
. I have a theory that if you are talking to
people
you will
probably
never
see
again, you can be honest and direct in a way you would never
risk
in ‘normal’
chit chat
.
I
can recall a few. One day I was on a
train
that
was delayed
for several
hours
due to an accident on the
track
ahead.
Probably
a suicide I
think
, although the announcements were a
bit
vague. This delay led to me having a
really
profound talk with the woman alongside me. We discussed quite
literally
attitudes to life and death, personal
experiences
of dealing with family illnesses, and notions of identity. We
also
had much more light-hearted
conversation
about fashion malfunctions and embarrassing stories about ourselves!
We
talked for
hours
,
but
at the
end
of our
journey
said our goodbyes and I don’t even know her name. I’ve had
other
amazing
conversations
too, one with a guy
who
claimed to provide personal banking services to millionaires
I’m sure it wasn’t true,
but
it was fascinating hearing him
tell
his tales ‘in confidence’ trying to impress me. On another occasion, I met an elderly woman
who
said she’d been a spy in the war
doubtful,
but
great
to hear her stories all the same. Then there was the youngish
man
who
chose me to unburden his soul to about his relationship problems with his girlfriend. I
was surprised
by the intimacy of his disclosures,
but
nosy
enough
to listen to it all
anyway
!
So
trains
are
great
.
 
They not
only
take you to glorious
destinations
, they are in themselves a snapshot of the world. If you are
cautiously
open
enough
to engage with others around you, you can gain insights into
other
worlds and
experiences
. You
might
even
get
some
good
advice along the way!
Sadly
, not all
train
experiences
are like this.
Some
are crowded
, exasperating, squashed up against the armpits of others, getting
increasingly
annoyed at the fumes from the overflowing loo and being angry at the noisiness of drunken youths a few seats down. On those
journeys
I try to close my eyes, concentrate on the rhythmic rocking of the
train
and imagine myself back on one of my more life-affirming
journeys
. Maybe
next
time
I
get
on a
train
it will be like that all over again!
[
Written by
-
Lucy
Marris
:
 
Careers Adviser (UK), TEFL teacher (Vietnam)
]
 
Sample Answer 2:

Transportation is a
great
issue to consider here in Jakarta, Indonesia. It is
really
hard
to
move
with
public
transports
and
meeting
deadlines for reaching
office
.
So
, I have my
own
transport
. I will
describe
the topic here and would like to thank you for this nice topic.

I work for a multinational
company
headquartered in Indonesia. In fact, I am the country manager for the
company
here and have
been assigned
to deal with lots of issues together. Earlier,
before
having the
car
, I
used
to ride on
public
transports
.
But
it was difficult for me to
reach
office
in due
time
and complete my responsibilities.
Even though
I
got
out of home about one and a half
hour
before
the
office
hour
began, I was unable to
reach
by 9. 00am. The sluggish movement of the
transports
and congestion on the roads caused the delay.
So
, I
bought
a Fiat 500L.
Now
it is no more a problem for me to
reach
office
.
Further
, I can
use
the
car
after my will and the movement inside the city has become easier for me
now
.

I
use
the
car
frequently
.
Actually
, I rely on it for my movements inside and outside of Jakarta.
Often
I
have to
move
for visiting markets and production plants. And by the same
time
, I
have to
meet
some
strict deadlines. I
use
the
car
almost every day in the week.
Mostly
I
use
it for visiting my
office
. The
car
is
kept
in the
office
garage during my
office
hours
.
Generally
, I
move
from my home to
office
in the morning. I
start
my
journey
at 8. 10am and
reach
office
by around 8. 50am. It takes almost of the
times
than
public
transport.

I
use
the
car
for
different
purposes. When I did not have the
car
, I was unable to do everything
so
exactly as I am doing
now
. I failed to attend
meetings
in
time
, missed the deadlines of reaching in production plants and
so
on.
Moreover
, I had to wait for bus or taxi which was
also
difficult.
But
waiting did not ensure that I would be able to ride on the bus while the taxi drivers demanded three
times
more than the usual fare. Riding on a crowded
public
bus was
really
a trouble for me.
But
now
, they have vanished. I
also
use
the
car
for moving at any parts of the city with my family. It is
really
a
great
advantage for me. It appears that I have
got
freedom.

The
car
is my
favourite
transport
for
many
reasons
.
First of all
, while riding a
car
, you do not need to
think
over reaching the
destination
in
time
unless there are no accidents of huge traffic congestions on the roads. The
public
transports
make
delay as it carries
a large number of
passengers and
they need to ride or
get
off
to
different
destinations
.
Besides
, the
transports
wait for the
passengers
in the stoppages which
also
play an
important
role to kill
time
.
As a result
, a huge number of working
hours
are wasted
.
But
with the
car
I
own
, there are no such issues. I can
start
and
stop
journey
at any
time
or at any place I need.
Moreover
, I drive the
car
and
use
apps to avoid traffic congestions on my way to the
destination
. For all such
reasons
, the
car
is my
favourite
mode of
transport
.
26Linking words, meeting the goal of 7 or more
192Repeated words, meeting the goal of 3 or fewer
35Mistakes

IELTS speaking Describe your favourite means of transport. v. 1

Speaking
  American English
7 paragraphs
1815 words
5.5
Overall Band Score
Coherence and Cohesion: 5.5
  • Structure your answers in logical paragraphs
  • ?
    One main idea per paragraph
  • ?
    Include an introduction and conclusion
  • ?
    Support main points with an explanation and then an example
  • Use cohesive linking words accurately and appropriately
  • ?
    Vary your linking phrases using synonyms
Lexical Resource: 5.0
  • Try to vary your vocabulary using accurate synonyms
  • Use less common question specific words that accurately convey meaning
  • Check your work for spelling and word formation mistakes
Grammatical Range: 5.5
  • Use a variety of complex and simple sentences
  • Check your writing for errors
Task Achievement: 5.0
  • Answer all parts of the question
  • ?
    Present relevant ideas
  • Fully explain these ideas
  • ?
    Support ideas with relevant, specific examples
Labels Descriptions
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    Currently is not available
  • Meet the criteria
  • Doesn't meet the criteria