Training / Demonstration
How to Use The Deck for Speaking Task 1
Click play to watch the video training. The transcripts for my model responses are below the video.
Jaime's Responses
Click below to see the 3 versions of responses I created for the prompt:
planning your own vacation
versus
using other people’s itineraries
One of the disadvantages of planning my own trips is that I’m lazy, honestly and I never do a good job planning.
Like I remember back when I was in Turkey my first year, I had my first vacation and I ended up at a beach resort in the middle of a rainstorm. I really wanted to see the ocean but because I didn’t plan anything about the weather, I didn’t realize that I was going during the rainy season.
If I had done any research about the town where I was going, I would have known that I shouldn’t go there that month.
So that’s how I learned that I’m not great at planning vacations.
One of the reasons why I like borrowing other people’s vacation itineraries is because they are usually a lot better at planning than me.
Like when I lived in Turkey, I found out that my friend Maureen was amazing at doing the research for really amazing trips. When my mom and stepdad came to visit me in 2013, I borrowed Maureen’s itinerary for at rip. I literally did everything she did. We stayed at an amazing hotel that I never would have found and we had an incredible time.
If I hadn’t used Maureen’s itinerary, I probably would have had another vacation disaster like some of my previous trips.
So that’s why I don’t like planning my own trips.
One of the reasons why it’s good to plan my own vacations is because it lets me do whatever I want and whatever I’m the most energized to do.
Like for me, with my job, I’m really busy and my favorite thing to do on vacation is absolutely nothing. I remember when I lived in Turkey, I started taking trips to the beach and I discovered how much I love doing absolutely nothing. I would go to a small beach near Izmir and I would just sit by the water literally for hours. In those days, we didn’t have smart phones so I would read a book and I would just listen to the water and it was super energizing.
If I followed my friends’ plans, that would make me tired because on vacation, I don’t want to do anything.
That’s why I like making my own trip plans.
Examples of "If" Sentences
Second Conditional (Timeless)
- If I was renting a house, I would not have a backyard where I can plant my vegetables and fruit.
- If I didn’t own a house, I would not have enough room to host friends.
- If I was renting, I would spend more on rent each month than I do on my mortgage
- If I we didn’t have plants in our kitchen, I think things would look a lot less homey.
- If my friend Vince wasn’t obsessed with plants, he would probably have more money.
Third Conditional (about the Past)
- If I had done more research, I would have had a better vacation.
- If I hadn’t borrowed Maureen’s intinerary, my vacation with my parents would have been as bad as some of my other vacations.
- If I hadn’t started going to the beach and just relaxing, I never would have found out that I like it so much.