📙 Part 2: Describe an occasion when you waited for a nice thing

You should say: when it happened, what the nice thing was, why you waited for a long time, and explain how you felt about the experience.

This episode's vocabulary

To delay (verb) - to cause someone or something to be slow or late

Gratification (noun) - pleasure or satisfaction, or something which provides this.

Ergonomically (adverb) - in a way that makes furniture or equipment comfortable and effective for people who use it.

To put off (phrasal verb) - to decide or arrange to delay an event or activity until a later time or date.

Unsightly (adj.) - not pleasing to see; unattractive.

Get hold of (idiom) - to find someone or obtain something.

Questions and Answers

R: Well, this happens all the time. I'm pretty good at delaying gratification with a lot of things until I have enough money or the conditions are right. But one particular example that sticks out in my mind is when I bought my new office set-up. This was just recently as I bought a house and finally had the space to create my dream office. I'd been waiting for ages to buy this desk and chair set for it. The desk is a standing desk, so you can raise it to waist height if you want and ditch sitting in a chair all the time. It's supposed to be good for your back and other aspects of your physical health. I mean, if I'm going to be working from home for the rest of my life, I suppose I should make an effort to do that. Otherwise, I'll end up with all kinds of conditions. The chair that comes with it is quite fancy. It's ergonomically designed. So even if I decide to sit in it for a while, I won't do my back in. I suppose I put off getting it for so long just because I wanted to make sure the conditions were right. I had the money for it. But I didn't have the space and no one wants unsightly boxes just sitting around the house gathering dust while you're waiting for, well, the right time to come around. In terms of my feelings, I guess I was glad to finally be able to get hold of the set since they're quite popular. Not to mention expensive. And I was worried I'd miss out on them or that the price would go up which would be even worse. However, that wasn't the case. And now I have them, so I can get to work setting up my office. If I'm honest, even if I hadn't got them, it wouldn't have been a disaster. My friends rightly pointed out that cheaper options are available. And I exercise a lot so my posture would be okay. Still, I'm happy with my choice and I can't wait to put them to good use.

M: And do you often have to wait for things?

R: Ah, yes, but not because things aren't available. It's just I don't have the space or I'm not ready for them.

Discussion

M: Hey, Rory story! So the situation. A situation when you had to wait for a nice thing. So you waited for something nice, dear listener. Rory told us about a time when he had to wait for his desk and chair to arrive. So what do we usually wait for? Like what nice things do we usually wait for?

R: We wait for Christmas.

M: Wait for Christmas. Yeah. Maybe you wait for... For what? For your holiday.

R: Something you ordered online.

M: Yeah, for your holiday. Something you bought online. Yeah. Or maybe you waited for your friend, to see your friend. Your friend was coming to you or your family was coming to and you were waiting for this moment, for a party. Yeah? So choose one thing and this thing should be easy for you to talk about. Okay, dear listener? So you can start off with one particular example that sticks out in my mind when I bought... So one situation that sticks out in my mind≤ that I do remember very well is when I bought my new laptop, or when I bought my new iPhone or Rory told us about an example when he bought his new office setup. So his new office setup is a desk and the chair he has in his office. Yes, dear listener, in his office, because Rory owns a massive flat.

R: Is it massive?

M: Yes, with seven rooms. Practically a castle, dear listener, a Scottish castle. And there, he has an office, in his flat, dear listener. You see? Rory is super-rich.

R: I'm not super-rich. I'm just...

M: Like a Scottish Lord.

R: No, no, no. Not a lord.

M: Of the rings. Lord of the Podcasts.

R: Lord of the Podcasts, maybe. But not of anything else.

M: And then you explain, this was when I bought a house. And finally, I have space to create my dream home office. You see? And then, dear listener, because you were speaking about the past. So I bought, I had, I bought a house, I bought a new office set up. I had been waiting for it for ages. You see? So past context. I'll tell you about a time I bought my new phone. I had been waiting for it for ages. Because had been, past perfect continuous, because you used past before. I bought my office, I had been waiting for it for ages. So this had been waiting is before you bought your office. How are you doing, dear listener? Are you okay? You okay? Good. And we say wait for something. Oh, like I waited for it for ages, for a long time. And then you explain like what were you waiting for. The desk is a standing desk. A chair is a super chair.

R: Well, it's not a super chair. But it has been well designed.

M: It's supposed to be good for your back. It's supposed to be. They say it is good for your back. So it's supposed to be good for your back. And physical health. So I made an effort to organize my space well. The chair is quite fancy, or kind of like your phone is quite fancy. And then Rory said it's ergonomically designed. Oh, my God.

R: But that just means that it's been designed for, well, prolonged sitting and activity, usually at a desk.

M: Yeah. How do you pronounce it?

R: Ergonomically.

M: I put off getting it for a long time. So before you bought something, before they delivered it to you, you kind of you put it off, like not today, maybe tomorrow, maybe tomorrow, I'll do it tomorrow. You see? Like you put it off, you kind of procrastinate, yeah? And like why? So I put it off. Or I put off getting it. I put off buying it for a long time to make sure the conditions were right. The conditions? Like I bought my own flat. I have space for it. So and then I bought it. I had the money for it. Yeah? So this was quite expensive. I had the money, but I didn't have the space. So I had to wait for it for a long time. But it was nice to have it eventually. In the end. In terms of my feelings, I was glad to have it. So I was glad, pleased. I was happy. And Rory said like I was glad to finally be able to. To be able? So I could have it. But he didn't say have. He said I was happy to get hold of it. So to get hold of something means?

R: Well, it can mean different things. But if we talk about buying things here, it means to own something.

M: So I was happy to get hold of this phone or computer. I was worried that I would miss out on them. So I was worried I wouldn't be able to get them.

R: Or they would become more expensive.

M: Or when you're waiting, you usually feel anxious. You're kind of like... You're worried a little bit. You're nervous. Yeah? So maybe like I felt anxious or I felt excited. Yeah? I was glad. I was pleased. You can also say I was on edge. On edge? Like I was nervous, I was anxious. Like when will it happen? I was looking forward to it. Yeah? Like I was looking forward to my holiday or I was looking forward to having a party. And then like, I was happy with my choice. Yeah? And I can't wait to put them to good use. So if you talk about a new phone you bought, I can't wait or I couldn't wait to put it to good use, to kind of to use it well. And like I was happy with my choice. Yeah, Rory, tell us.

R: Tell you what?

M: Alternatives.

R: Oh, yes. The alternatives. Well, it was just I got to the end of what I was saying. And then I said what I would have done if I hadn't got them. And it wouldn't have been a disaster. You could think about the same thing for yours. If this thing that you waited a long time for didn't arrive, what would have happened? And does that influence your feelings about it? In my case, if they never come, or I'd never got them, something else would have come. And it would be okay.

M: Yeah, dear listener, so I think it would be quite easy for you to talk about something you bought. You bought something online or you bought a book online, and then you were waiting for it to arrive. And sometimes we have to wait for the delivery for a very long time, but we bought something nice and you were waiting for it.

R: Or waiting for our episodes to come out.

M: Right, dear listener, maybe you were waiting for our video on YouTube to come out. You can speak about that. Oh, once I was waiting for the IELTS Speaking for Success podcast to come out. I have watched them on YouTube and then you educate the examiner on our podcast. Beautiful. I think that's the best answer. Band nine. Right, dear listener, so make a choice. Okay? What will you talk about? I think like you should imagine you ordered a book online, on Amazon or on AliExpress. Rory, do you have some online shop which is big in Scotland, or in Great Britain?

R: Amazon is the big one.

M: Yep. So you bought something on Amazon, and then you were waiting for like two months for it to arrive. There we go. We'll get back to you in our next episode about waiting. You don't have to wait for a long time for this.

You should say: when it happened, what the nice thing was, why you waited for a long time, and explain how you felt about the experience.

R: It's coming up next. Bye!

M: Bye!

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