IELTS Speaking 2025 Part 2&3: Describe a time when you had to stay in a place longer than you had planned

Describe a time when you had to stay in a place longer than you had planned

Suggested ideas for each part

• Where and when it happened:
  ✈️ At an airport (delayed flight) / 🚆 At a train station (canceled train) / 🏨 At a hotel (bad weather)

• Why you had to stay longer:
  🌧️ Bad weather (heavy rain, storm, typhoon) / ⚙️ Transport issues (mechanical problems, delays, cancellations) / 🏥 Unexpected health issue

• What you did while waiting:
  📖 Read a book / ☕ Had coffee and relaxed / 📱 Watched videos and scrolled social media

• How you felt about the situation:
  🤯 Frustrated at first / 🤷‍♂️ Accepted it and made the best of it / 😊 Ended up enjoying the extra time

Useful grammar structures

1. Past simple: Last year, I was traveling to Ho Chi Minh City when my flight got delayed.
2. Past continuous: While I was waiting, I decided to read a book.
3. Present perfect: I have never experienced such a long delay before!
4. Third conditional: If the weather had been better, I would have arrived on time.
5. Modals for speculation: It might have been due to bad weather.

Collocations

1. Unexpected delay ⏳ (sự chậm trễ ngoài dự kiến)
2. Completely out of my control 🤷‍♀️ (hoàn toàn ngoài tầm kiểm soát)
3. Change of plans 🔄 (sự thay đổi kế hoạch)
4. Make the most of the situation 👍 (tận dụng tối đa tình huống)
5. Turned out to be a blessing in disguise 🍀 (hóa ra lại là một điều may mắn)
6. Kill time ⌛ (giết thời gian)
7. Pass the time 🕰️ (trải qua thời gian)
8. Unexpected adventure 🎢 (chuyến phiêu lưu ngoài dự tính)

Full spoken sample (about 2 minutes)

Last summer, I had an unexpected delay ⏳ when I was traveling to Ho Chi Minh City. I had booked an evening flight from Hanoi, expecting to arrive in HCMC by 9 PM. However, just as I reached the airport, I was informed that my flight had been delayed for nearly five hours due to bad weather 🌧️. The storm was so intense that all flights were grounded, and there was nothing I could do—it was completely out of my control 🤷‍♀️.

At first, I felt really annoyed because I had already made plans to meet my friend for dinner. This change of plans 🔄 completely ruined my schedule. But instead of just sitting there feeling frustrated, I decided to make the most of the situation 👍.

First, I went to a café in the airport and ordered a cup of coffee ☕. While killing time ⌛, I read a book that I had brought with me, which was actually quite relaxing. After that, I walked around the airport, exploring the shops and even chatting with other passengers who were also stuck. It was interesting because I got to meet a couple of tourists who were visiting Vietnam for the first time. We shared travel stories and laughed about the situation. In the end, the waiting time turned out to be a blessing in disguise 🍀, as I made some new friends and enjoyed a peaceful evening at the airport instead of rushing around the city.

Finally, when my flight was ready for boarding, I actually felt like the extra time had passed quickly. If the flight had been on time, I wouldn’t have had the chance to slow down and enjoy a relaxing evening. So, in hindsight, it wasn’t such a bad experience after all!

Part 3: Discussion Questions

1. Why do people sometimes have to stay longer than planned in certain places?

Ideas

• ✈️ Transport delays (flight cancellations, traffic jams)
• 🏨 Bad weather (storms, heavy rain)
• 🏥 Health problems (getting sick while traveling)
• 📋 Work or family reasons (unexpected meetings, family emergencies)

Collocations

1. Unforeseen circumstances ⚠️ (tình huống không lường trước)
2. Last-minute changes ⏰ (thay đổi vào phút chót)
3. Travel disruptions 🚧 (gián đoạn chuyến đi)

Sample answer

There are many reasons why people might have to stay longer than planned. Sometimes, it’s due to unforeseen circumstances ⚠️, such as bad weather or flight cancellations. Other times, people experience last-minute changes ⏰ in their work or family plans. In some cases, travelers even face travel disruptions 🚧, like road closures or train delays. No matter the reason, unexpected delays are just a part of life, and we have to deal with them.

2. How do people usually react when their plans change suddenly?

Ideas

• 🤯 Some feel frustrated and stressed
• 🤷‍♂️ Others stay calm and go with the flow
• 😊 Optimistic people try to make the best of it

Collocations

1. Caught off guard 😲 (bị bất ngờ)
2. Adapt to unexpected situations 🔄 (thích nghi với tình huống bất ngờ)
3. Remain flexible 🤹 (giữ sự linh hoạt)

Sample answer

People react differently when their plans change suddenly. Some feel caught off guard 😲 and get frustrated, especially if they are in a hurry. Others adapt to unexpected situations 🔄 and try to stay positive. Personally, I believe it’s important to remain flexible 🤹 and make the best of any situation, even if things don’t go as planned.

3. How can people make waiting time more enjoyable?

Ideas

• 📖 Read books or listen to podcasts
• 📱 Use smartphones to watch videos or chat with friends
• 🤝 Talk to people and socialize
• ☕ Relax with a coffee or meal

Collocations

1. Make good use of time ⏳ (tận dụng thời gian tốt)
2. Distract yourself 🎧 (đánh lạc hướng bản thân)
3. Turn waiting time into an opportunity 🚀 (biến thời gian chờ thành cơ hội)

Sample answer

There are many ways to make good use of time ⏳ while waiting. Some people distract themselves 🎧 by listening to music or watching videos. Others turn waiting time into an opportunity 🚀 to read a book, do some work, or even meet new people. Personally, I like to grab a coffee ☕ and relax while waiting, so I don’t feel stressed.