📙 Part 2: Describe a time when you broke something

This episode's vocabulary

Stand out (phrasal verb) – to be noticeable or memorable among other things. → One time that really stands out for me was my first job interview.

Given (preposition) – considering or taking into account. → The exam was quite easy, given how much time we had to prepare.

Literally (adverb) – used to emphasize that something is exactly true without exaggeration. → I literally studied for eight hours yesterday without a break.

In the course of (phrase) – during a particular period or process. → In the course of preparing for IELTS, I improved my vocabulary significantly.

With regard to (phrase) – concerning or about a particular matter. → With regard to the speaking test, I feel quite confident.

Wind up (phrasal verb) – to eventually be in a particular situation, often unexpectedly. → I wound up choosing a completely different career path than I'd planned.

Grasp (noun/verb) – a firm hold or understanding of something. → The book slipped from my grasp and fell into the pool.

Cursing (verb) – swearing or expressing anger through offensive words. → I spent the afternoon cursing my carelessness after losing my wallet.

Mercifully (adverb) – fortunately or thankfully, especially when avoiding something unpleasant. → Mercifully, the test was postponed due to technical issues.

Unsightly (adjective) – unattractive or unpleasant to look at. → The unsightly stain on my shirt made me feel self-conscious during the presentation.

Warranty (noun) – a written guarantee from a manufacturer covering repairs or replacements. → I was relieved to discover my laptop was still under warranty when it broke.

Devastating (adjective) – extremely upsetting or shocking; causing severe damage. → Losing all my photos was devastating because they had sentimental value.

Clumsy (adjective) – awkward in movement or handling things, prone to accidents. → I'm so clumsy that I've dropped my phone at least five times this year.

Irreparable (adjective) – impossible to fix or repair. → Unfortunately, the damage to the antique vase was irreparable.

Sentimental value (phrase) – emotional attachment to an object beyond its monetary worth. → The watch had tremendous sentimental value as it belonged to my grandfather.

Questions and Answers

Maria: You should say what it was, when and where it happened, how you broke it, and explain what you did after that.

Rory: Well, to be honest, I'm pretty good at keeping my things in a reasonable condition. But one time that does stand out for me was when I cracked my phone screen, which was really annoying given the lengths I'd gone to protect it from that exact problem.

When it comes to the where and when of it all, this was about maybe, oh, maybe three years ago, when I was living in the north of Scotland. I used to be a primary school teacher, and I'd literally just left my job to become an independent teacher. And part of that involved moving back to my hometown to find a house to buy there. I didn't really want to live up north anymore, and my family was closer. That's important to mention because in the course of tidying up and packing everything and getting it all into boxes, I decided to clean my phone and remove it from its cover. So, with regard to how I broke the thing, that is how it wound up being unprotected. And as I was cleaning it, it slipped from my grasp and struck the side of the coffee table in my living room, and it landed right on the corner at an angle and then fell face down on the carpet.

In terms of what I did after that, well, after I was done cursing myself and my bad luck, I picked it up and saw it was cracked. There wasn't a phone shop in the village because it was quite an isolated place, and I'd have to wait to get it all patched up. Mercifully, it was just a small part of the screen that was cracked, and it didn't seem to affect the functionality; it just looked really unsightly. So I suppose in that regard, I was quite lucky.

If I hadn't dropped it, obviously, I'd have been much happier with it, but at least it's given me something to talk about. Like I said, I'm not so careless with my things. I have a new phone now, and I'm very careful when I have it out of its, well, the new protective cover for that one.