📙 Part 2: Describe a place you visited where the air was polluted

This episode's vocabulary

Particulate (noun) - an extremely small piece of dirt, especially one produced by road vehicles, that causes pollution.

Matter (noun) - a substance of a particular kind.

Anthropogenic (adj.) - caused by humans or their activities.

Phenomenon (noun) - something that exists and can be seen, felt, tasted, etc., especially something unusual or interesting.

To hurl (verb) - to throw something with a lot of force, usually in an angry or violent way.

Aircraft (noun) - any vehicle, with or without an engine, that can fly, such as a plane or helicopter

Particle (noun) - an extremely small piece of something such as dust, dirt, or sand.

Dust storm (noun) - a mass of dust and sand that has been lifted from the ground in very dry areas such as deserts and that is carried by the wind.

Visibility (noun) - how clearly objects can be seen, or how far you can see clearly, usually because of the weather conditions.

Build-up (noun) - an increase in the amount of something over a period of time.

Swirl (noun) - the act of moving quickly with a twisting, circular movement, or something that moves in this way.

Dust devil (noun) - a small atmospheric vortex appearing in clear, dry conditions, made visible by swirling dust picked up from the ground.

Desertification (noun) - the process by which land changes into desert, for example because there has been too much farming activity on it or because a lot of trees have been cut down.

Instance (noun) - a particular situation, event, or fact, especially an example of something that happens generally.

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Questions and Answers

R: Well, if scientists are to be believed then the air we breathe is polluted all the time by various industrial chemicals and particulate matter from human life. However, not all pollution has to be anthropogenic. Can you tell that I studied environmental science at university, yet? There is a very unusual atmospheric phenomenon in West Africa called the Harmattan. Which is caused by massive amounts of dust being hurled into the air by windstorms. I first observed it when I lived in Ghana in early 2015, right at the start of my career as an English teacher. Apparently, or at least according to the locals, it's a seasonal thing and it isn't unique to Ghana. Lots of countries in West Africa experience it. Generally, it's not a serious problem and it can be predicted with some accuracy. However, it can prevent planes and other aircraft from flying due to the number of dust particles in the air that can cause engine damage. It also contributes to dust storms. That can reduce visibility and cause build-ups and machinery that reduce their functioning, at least until they are cleared out. You would imagine that all of this would make being around it or caught up in it quite terrifying. But actually, when viewed from a safe distance or at least from reasonable shelter, I thought it was quite mysterious and beautiful, to be honest with you. I would sit and watch the swirls and dust devils for ages. It was absolutely fascinating. In the evenings, the dust would be caught by the sun and turn the sky red. It was absolutely amazing to watch. At least, it was amazing to watch where I lived, which was the north of Ghana. I don't know how it would work in the south with the increased humidity from the ocean. But at the very least, where I was it was pretty great view. And I'd definitely recommend it to anybody, if they got the chance to see it, then they should. If I hadn't lived in Ghana, I doubt I never would have heard of this kind of thing, to be honest. It's almost entirely natural. Just not very well known. Though, I suppose, increasing desertification will have an impact on the size of each instance. Like I said, it makes for quite a sight and you should definitely take the opportunity to see it if you can.

M: And have you told your friends about this place?

R: I've told them about Ghana, not the Harmattan that they'd be interested.

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Discussion

M: Hey, thank you, Rory, for your story! Rory-story. Yes, dear listener, an interesting topic, a place you visited where the air was polluted. So it's about pollution, so the air was dirty. This smog or, I don't know, some other chemical elements in the air.

R: It's great, though, because for once, it's a specialist subject that I know things about. And this is where studying things at university can be extremely handy. Because I can use all of this technical language that no one knows and it's amazing.

M: Hey! Yes, dear listener, if you do know some technical language, some specific terms, feel free to use them, yeah. Because it is a specific topic. But if you don't, well, make sure you know how to describe polluted air. If you've never visited this place lie, okay? It's a white lie. That's fine. It's an IELTS lie. So, Rory, you started off with "scientists are to be believed".

R: Well, if scientists are to be believed.

M: Yes. So kind of if we believe scientists, the air we breathe is polluted all the time. It's such a nice start. Kind of, Rory told us that pretty much everywhere the air is polluted, so I can tell you about any place. Hey! So according to scientists, air is polluted everywhere, all the time by various industrial chemicals.

R: Industrial chemicals just means chemicals that are used in industry like oil, gas. And then you have all of the fumes and emissions that come from the processes.

M: And what did you mean by particulate matter?

R: Particulate matter is a really fancy way of saying small particles in the air.

M: Oh, wow.

R: It's amazing. This is what you learn about in university. Honestly, it's great.

M: But weren't you supposed to kind of study education? And how to teach little people?

R: I did combined degrees, so I did whatever I wanted, it was great. I loved environmental science and politics.

M: An educated native speaker for you here, dear listener, huh?

R: An actual educated native speaker. Like this is my specialist subject.

M: Yay, cool. Right, and the band nine is the level of an educated native speaker, and an educated native speaker who does know his polluted air. And then you say also something anthro...

R: Anthropogenic. But that just means something that's caused by humans. So anthropogenic pollution is pollution that's caused by people.

M: Really? So I can say like, pollution caused by people. How do you pronounce it?

R: Anthropogenic. It's probably the same word in Russian.

M: Anthropogenic, anthropogenic. So pollution caused by people. Anthropogenic pollution?

R: Yeah.

M: Oh, wow.

R: And then I show off by asking this rhetorical question. Can you tell I studied environmental science at university?

M: Yeah, so anthropogenic. Anthropogenic emissions. Emissions like guesses. So caused by people. And then Rory talked about a specific place. So in Africa, and the place is called...

R: Harmattan.

M: Harmattan?

R: Harmattan. I imagine that's got different regional pronunciation. So if we have any listeners from Africa listening and you say it a different way then that's fine.

M: Yeah. We're sorry.

R: Well, we're not sorry. It's just life. Different African pronunciations.

M: Okay, I've just googled Harmattan... It tells me that the Harmattan is a season in West Africa. It's a season, it's not a place. Are you sure you...

R: It's not... It's an atmospheric phenomenon in West Africa.

M: Oh. Ah, yeah, I thought the place. Oh, boy, oh, boy.

R: So West Africa is the place where it happens and Harmattan is the thing that affects the place.

M: Oh, wow. Yeah, so this Harmattan is a very unusual atmospheric phenomena.

R: Well, or you could say harmattans are an unusual atmospheric phenomena. Although, if you live in Africa... Or West Africa, then they happen like regularly. So it's not so unusual there.

M: Wow. Okay. Interesting. And then this phenomenon or phenomena, many phenomena.

R: Phenomena is many and phenomenon is one thing. But Harmattan is one like... You could say the 20... I don't know, 2015 Harmattan. That's like one phenomenon. But the harmattan happens regularly or happened regularly. So there are also phenomena.

M: So it's this period of time caused by massive amounts of dust. This, you know, dust being held into the air by windstorms. So windstorms where we have strong winds and they just put up this dust, like all this sand, all this stuff in the street. So the dust is hurled into the air. So you see kind of dust going... In the air. Whoa. And it's really bad because you can't see anything. You pretty much just see the sand moving in the air, yeah?

R: Yeah. Well, it's like, it's sand and dust. Particulate matter, if you will.

M: And lots of countries in West Africa experience it. So it's a seasonal thing.

R: Yeah.

M: So it could be predicted with some accuracy. People can predict it. They can say when this thing will start and it can prevent planes and other aircraft from flying. Mhm. So like planes or aircraft.

R: Things that fly. Human-made things that fly.

M: So this situation can prevent planes from flying due to the number of dust particles. So you see? There are a lot of dust particles. Particle is this little thingy, little dust piece in the air. Oh, and these like dust particles can cause engine damage. Wow.

R: So if you're flying a plane, don't fly into dust. I think, that's like general advice.

M: It also contributes to dust storms that can reduce visibility. So sand storms, dust storms reduce visibility. You can't see anything but sand, right? It's like, you have a snowstorm, you can see only snow and nothing else, everywhere. So the same with dust storms. And you can get caught up in such a storm, right? So, for example, I got caught up in this dust storm, which is quite terrifying, just like quite horrible and scary. But when you view it from a safe distance. So to watch something from a safe distance or from a reasonable shelter, so from a place where you can hide from the storm, it's quite mysterious, Rory said, and beautiful. And then Rory used this structure. I would sit and watch the swirls and dust. So I would sit there. Again, Rory is talking about the past because, regularly, when the storm happened, I would sit and I would watch it with a cup of hot tea.

R: I don't know if I... Did I have? Oh, I did have tea back then. I drank a lot of tea back then.

M: So this structure. When you do something in the past, on a regular basis, regularly, quite often, you can use would, but about the past. You can say like I sat and I watched the storm or I would sit, I would watch the storm. It was fascinating. And then in the evenings, I would sit there with my cup of tea. I would watch the storm, I would think about my podcast.

R: I didn't have a podcast then. Gosh, life before Success with IELTS...

M: It was not life. It was just existence.

R: It really was. I really enjoy my life now thanks to this podcast. It's awesome. Not that I hated my life before, but I feel like... I feel like I enjoy life a lot more.

M: Yeah, there's more meaning, there's more meaning to it, yeah?

R: Yeah, there's more meaning to life.

M: You see, dear listener, our purpose is not just the podcast, it's to bring you joy, knowledge, gorgeous vocabulary...

R: And grammar.

M: Super grammar. And in terms of grammar, Rory finished it off with third conditional. Rory, what did you say? Could you just read it out with nice Scottish pronunciation?

R: If I hadn't lived in Ghana, I doubt I'd ever have heard of this kind of thing.

M: Sweet. So let's break it down. The third conditional. We are talking about the past, we talk about unreal past. So if I hadn't lived in Ghana, but Rory did live in Ghana, he lived in Ghana. We imagine that it was not true. If I hadn't lived in Ghana, I doubt I would have ever heard. Or you can say I wouldn't have heard about this thing.

R: Or I'd never have heard. That might be a better one.

M: Yeah, yeah. Super, super.

R: I doubt I'd ever have heard. That's like band nine grammar.

M: Yeah, god.

R: Because I doubt like describing the mental state of not believing something would happen and then I'd ever have or I'd have ever, I would have ever. So adverb, lots of things going on and then heard, making sure that the verb is in the right place. But it's great. Because I round off with this kind of thing, which is really not a very specific answer, is it? So you could use it for anything. I doubt I'd ever have heard of this kind of thing if I hadn't done that.

M: Yeah, or you can say if I hadn't done this, if I hadn't seen this, if I hadn't visited this place. I would never have heard of or I would never have experienced, I would never have. And we make it like short forms. I'd never have heard, I'd never have done it, I'd never have seen, okay? Dear listener, if it's difficult for you, don't use it, okay? Just like remove it from your answer completely. But this is a nice touch when the story is in the past. What helped you organise this answer?

R: Well, the task did. But also, I'll be honest, I cheated a little bit because of course, I know this subject very well, so I was able to say like, well, you know, different kinds of air pollution. But also there's this kind of air pollution that's not caused by people. And that was my preamble. And then I launched into my explanation saying there's this very unusual thing and this is what it is. And then explaining a little bit more about it and where it is. That was important because it's important to distinguish between the thing and the place. So the pollution was the Harmattan and the place was Ghana. And then after drawing that distinction, moving into what it's like being in the midst of this... Well, this pollution. And then saying, it's like this, but it's also not a big problem because it's quite beautiful when you see it. And then rounding off with the nice conditional ending, as always. I know it's a bit repetitive, but if you keep repeating the structure long enough, then you'll eventually use it with greater ease in your actual answer.

M: Sweet. What else can our listener talk about? So a place you visited where the air was polluted. Like some typical places where we have polluted air? I think it's just a large city. If you talk about like traffic jams in summer when it's hot. On a hot day in, I don't know, New York, in Beijing, in Tokyo.

R: Well, you could talk about the fumes from cars. That's quite a common one. And you could say it doesn't... Like all of the things I've said you could use to talk about your own experience. So for example, we talked about build-ups. Well, there's a build-up of emissions in the air. They don't reduce visibility, but they do make it less pleasant to be out there. And then you would imagine that all of this would make being outside in these conditions very bad. And you would be correct, it's horrible being outside when there's fumes in the air.

M: You can also say like the air was contaminated, the air was dirty from fumes, from emissions. Emissions from cars. And in terms of feelings, how I felt about the place, what else can our listeners say? You kind of mentioned some nice feelings, right? So kind of it was mysterious and beautiful. I felt amazed. But what about some negative feelings? If, okay, I'm on a hot day in the city centre, the air is dirty, I breathe all these, you know, exhaust fumes from cars, the traffic is horrendous. So I feel what?

R: Very sad.

M: Annoyed or angry, even.

R: My lungs are inflamed. I cough, I feel discomfort, dizzy.

M: Dizzy, right. So my head, you know, like... Dizzy. Kind of it spins, so like... Sweet. On such nice note, dear listener, make sure you have a place with polluted air that's easy for you to talk about.

R: To talk about, maybe not necessarily to live in. God...

M: Yeah, right. And we'll get back to you with speaking part three where we talk about pollution.

R: Yummy.

M: Bye!

R: Bye!

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