Hello, lovely.
I'm Maria.
And my name is Rory, and we are the hosts of the IELTS Speaking for Success podcast.
The podcast aims to help you improve your speaking skills, as well as your listening skills, along the way.
We started this podcast to give you a look at how an educated and super qualified native speaker would answer some of the most common IELTS speaking questions.
Rory, am I an easygoing person?
Of course you are, Maria.
Life with you is always a picnic.
What a coincidence again on this podcast.
We're going to be talking about picnics today.
Yes, in Speaking Part 1, they can ask you questions about picnics.
If you would like to know what score you are likely to get in the speaking exam, mistakes that you need to work on, or get some feedback on the structure of your answers, we've got what we call pre-recorded mock speaking test.
We've recorded me asking the questions for parts one, two and three of the IELTS speaking exam.
All you need to do is sign up for a test and record yourself answering the video questions whenever you want.
It doesn't matter what time zone you're in.
You decide when you want to take it.
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Rory, do you enjoy picnics?
I think I enjoy the thought of them more than actually going on them.
I'm not very outdoorsy.
How often do you go on a picnic?
I think hardly ever these days.
I live in the city so it's hard to find the time to get out of your busy schedule to do everything required to get ready for the picnic, to go on the picnic and then to tidy up after the picnic.
Where would you go on a picnic?
Um, I suppose if I could, I think I'd have one in the cotton tree sides with a lot of mosquito spray.
Who would you go with?
I think I definitely go with my friends.
I think it's probably a bit much to ask my family to do something like that these days.
And it's more original than going to the pub and it's less stressful these days with social distancing and everything going on.
So you can be outdoors and there's not so much pressure.
Why do people go on picnics?
Well, sort of like I said, when I think about it critically, I have no idea.
There are bugs everywhere.
People can have allergies to things.
To be honest, I think it's more the novelty or the romance of it that sometimes people want to be around nature.
Although sometimes you can have too much nature.
What do people do while they're on a picnic?
Well, I guess they pack a few sandwiches and drinks in a blanket and go somewhere and then throw the blanket on the ground and enjoy the food they've prepared.
There are a few official picnic spots, but I guess it can be kind of ad hoc thing as well.
When was the last time you went on a picnic?
I honestly don't remember exactly.
It's when I was younger, like a lot younger.
I had to guess probably when I was 21.
I think we went to this ruined castle near my house and ate some sandwiches there.
And I think it was like in the middle of autumn as well.
So it was kind of cold.
Do many people enjoy picnics in your country?
I have no idea.
My guess would be that it's more common in the summer, but as to the numbers, I could not say.
I don't really... I haven't seen many people doing it.
Where do people in your country go on a picnic?
Ah, well, countryside, the seaside, the roadside.
No, I'm just joking.
It's got to be somewhere in the open with lots of fresh air.
Will you go on picnics more often in the future?
If I can find someone to go on one with, then maybe.
It might be a cool idea for a date, actually.
Rory, thank you very much for your picnicking answers.
So, picnics.
We can go on a picnic.
We can have a picnic.
Yeah?
But also a picnic can be used as a verb.
For example, to picnic.
Yes.
Yeah.
What do you call this chocolate bar?
Picnic.
There is a picnic bar.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Mars, sneakers and the picnic.
Do you like it?
I think so.
I think it used to have raisins in it, which I didn't like at all.
I'm pretty sure, though there are some kinds that don't have raisins, and they're okay, but most of the time no.
Yeah, and also we can say picnicking.
Picnicking is an activity, yeah?
But careful, picnic is spelled with C, but if you write picnicking, there's a K there.
Is there?
K-I-N-G.
Oh, yeah, I think so.
Picnicking.
Are you sure about that?
Let's check it.
Yes, we are googling as we go.
Let's google it.
Who is right, Maria or Rory Battle?
Okay, picnicking with a K or picnicking with a C?
So, ta-da!
Really?
Yeah.
Yay!
Dear listener, it's sensation today.
I knew something that Rory didn't.
That seems so weird.
Hold on a minute.
Let's just check this.
Because I'm prepared, okay?
So I'm preparing for the episodes.
I'm researching and searching everything about picnics.
Yeah, okay.
Hold on a second.
He doesn't like it.
He doesn't like K in the word picnicking.
Wow.
Okay.
It's a misspelling.
That's crazy.
I thought it was without... I know that you spell panicking with a K.
Picnicking with a K. Cool.
Okay.
Yeah.
So, for example, picnicking is a nice activity.
Yeah.
Or picnicking is popular in Scotland.
It might be popular.
Who knows?
Yeah, it might be popular.
Rory, you said that I'm not very outdoorsy.
Yeah, that just means that I'm not very good at coping with being outdoors and all the things that that involves.
So you don't like spending your time outdoors?
As long as it's simple stuff like walking, then it's fine.
But if we talk about picnicking, then that's very logistically complex.
So you're not a picnic person?
Not so much, no.
Not these days.
Yeah.
So we can say like I enjoy being outdoors, or I don't enjoy being outdoors, or I'm not very outdoorsy.
We can also say that I enjoy heading out for a picnic.
So, to head out for a picnic.
Rory, you've mentioned mosquito spray, yeah?
Yes.
Can you say insect repellent?
You can, or you could say bug spray.
Bug spray.
I said mosquito spray because I hate mosquitoes in particular.
I do not like the mosquito.
Do they hate you too?
Yes.
Some Scottish blood.
Oh, too much whiskey.
Oh, no.
Okay, right.
Could you comment on the grammar?
If I could, I would.
Yes, I was going to, you know.
Comment faster.
If I could, I'd...
Yes, first I comment on your blood and how much whiskey you have in there.
So then we go to the second conditional.
So, if I could, I'd.
So, what was that about?
I was just imagining what I would do.
So, what would you do on a picnic?
I would go on one in the countryside if I had the time, but I don't have the time.
Yeah, and Rory doesn't go on picnics.
We can go to the countryside, we can have a picnic by the sea or by the road, right, Rory?
Well, you can, but it would probably be very unpleasant.
By the road.
A picnic by the road.
Yay.
Yeah, Rory, you mentioned some official picnic spots, right?
So spot is like a place?
Yes.
It's a place for picnicking, only not...
We can also call them designated picnic sites.
Sites or spots or places.
And usually people choose scenic picnic spots.
Scenic?
That means it's got some nice scenery that you can look at while you're enjoying your picnic.
Yeah, and you've said this strange word, ad hoc.
What?
Sounds really weird, but sounds really sophisticated.
Yeah, that's not English, that's just Latin, but it means you make things up as you go along.
Could you give us an example?
We need an example.
So we deal with problems on an ad hoc basis.
So we just deal with the problems as they happen.
There's no expectation or advanced planning.
What do you need to have a nice picnic?
So, you said that you need a blanket or you've mentioned a blanket, right?
Sandwiches.
Do you say sandwiches or sandwiches?
I say sandwiches.
Some people say sandwiches.
Sandwiches.
And also, Rory, you didn't mention anything about basket, a picnic basket.
It's a must-have.
If you go on a picnic, you should have a picnic basket.
I'm not paying for a picnic basket.
A plastic bag will do just fine.
No.
But what about this English tradition of having picnics?
I've heard that the English will take any opportunity for a picnic.
Yeah, but Scottish people are really cheap, so we don't pay for picnic baskets.
Okay.
Well, then you have like a basket, you have napkins and plates and dinnerware.
You can have dinnerware.
All of this seems very unnecessary, but okay.
Yeah, about the activities.
So what do people do on a picnic?
They eat.
They breathe the fresh air.
They chill.
They absorb the day and they can spend quality time with their families.
And picnics actually help with family bonding.
Yes, they do.
What about novelty and romance or romance?
So novelty is like if a situation or something is new, then people are attracted to it.
Sorry, and people are attracted to it because it's new, then that means it's a novelty.
Romance here isn't about love.
It's more about people having a very positive view of a situation and not really thinking about any of the negative parts of it.
So people have this romantic idea of picnics that you go out and you're in the countryside and you have a nice time and you breathe the fresh air, but they don't think about all of the negative things that could happen, like ants and flies and wasps and things like that.
And rain.
And rain.
Yes, that could also happen.
Thunderstorms.
Earthquakes.
Okay.
It's nice to go on a picnic and spend time lounging in the sun.
So it's kind of like a mood boost thing.
Rory, when I asked you some questions, you just said, I have no idea.
Is it okay to actually admit that you have no idea?
Yeah, absolutely.
If you're not very good at making up a story on the spot, then just say you don't have any idea.
And then you can try and remember something.
And you can...
Well, there's still an opportunity to use higher level structures.
So, for example, I said, like, I honestly can't recall.
So that's fine.
And then I said when I was younger.
So comparative forms and past forms.
And that was fine.
And in the same way, I also said when I think about it critically.
So when I think about it in depth, I have no idea.
And then you can speculate.
You can say, I think it's about something or I suppose...
So you can try.
But if you don't have an idea and you don't want to make up a story, then you can just guess.
You're not being assessed to have good ideas.
It's all about can you use language to deal with the situation.
Yeah, and you said like I have no idea, but my guess would be that people usually go on a picnic by the sea.
Thank you very much for listening.
That's all from us about picnics.
We hope that you've learned some picnicking vocabulary and some grammar.
May your life always be a picnic.
Make sure you're following success with ielts on instagram and telegram for updates, behind the scenes stuff and cool announcements from us.
We also have transcripts, rory.
Where can people find our transcripts?
They can find them on our brand new website.
Yes, because we've moved all our podcast transcripts there.
It's successwithiots.com slash podcast.
Go check it out.
Bye-bye.
Bye.
Rory, do you enjoy picnics?
I think I enjoy the thought of them more than actually going on them.
I'm not very outdoorsy.
How often do you go on a picnic?
I think hardly ever these days.
I live in the city so it's hard to find the time to get out of your busy schedule to do everything required to get ready for the picnic, to go on the picnic and then to tidy up after the picnic.
Where would you go on a picnic?
I suppose if I could, I think I'd have one in the cotton tree sides with a lot of mosquito spray.
Who would you go with?
I think I definitely go with my friends.
I think it's probably a bit much to ask my family to do something like that these days.
And it's more original than going to the pub and it's less stressful these days with social distancing and everything going on.
So you can be outdoors and there's not so much pressure.
Why do people go on picnics?
Well, sort of like I said, when I think about it critically, I have no idea.
There are bugs everywhere.
People can have allergies to things.
To be honest, I think it's more the novelty or the romance of it that sometimes people want to be around nature.
Although sometimes you can have too much nature.
What do people do while they're on a picnic?
Well, I guess they pack a few sandwiches and drinks in a blanket and go somewhere and then throw the blanket on the ground and enjoy the food they've prepared.
There are a few official picnic spots, but I guess it can be kind of ad hoc thing as well.
When was the last time you went on a picnic?
I honestly don't remember exactly.
It's when I was younger, like a lot younger.
I had to guess probably when I was 21.
I think we went to this ruined castle near my house and ate some sandwiches there.
And I think it was like in the middle of autumn as well.
So it was kind of cold.
Do many people enjoy picnics in your country?
I have no idea.
My guess would be that it's more common in the summer, but as to the numbers, I could not say.
I don't really... I haven't seen many people doing it.
When do people in your country go on a picnic?
Ah, well, countryside, the seaside, the roadside.
No, I'm just joking.
It's got to be somewhere in the open with lots of fresh air.
Will you go on picnics more often in the future?
If I can find someone to go on one with, then maybe.
It might be a cool idea for a date, actually.
