Hello, Sunshine.
I'm Maria.
And my name is Rory, and we are the hosts of the IELTS Speaking for Success podcast, the podcast that aims to help you improve your speaking skills, as well as your listening skills along the way.
We've started this podcast to give you gorgeous grammar and super vocabulary for your high score.
Ben 9 score.
Rory, what's the weather like in Scotland?
Are you moving back to Moscow?
How's your studying?
Are you all well?
Oh my god, Maria, stop.
All these questions are driving me up the wall.
Let's talk about driving.
Dear listener, we have premium episodes for you.
This week, Rory is describing a person who loves doing social work.
Yes, this topic is in speaking part two.
And in speaking part three, we're going to be talking about social work and workers, social workers in general.
Do check it out.
The link is in the description.
Rory, so let's talk about driving.
Do you like driving?
I haven't driven myself in about ten years, though I like being driven places.
It's less work and I can chat away or relax while someone else does the heavy lifting, so to speak.
When was the last time you drove?
I have to think about that.
I mean, if we mean as a passenger being driven somewhere, then it would probably be to the nursery this morning for my placement.
As a driver though, I imagine the route I took when I took and ultimately failed my first and last practical driving test.
Where do you like to sit in a car?
Well, ideally, wherever is the most comfortable.
Usually that's in the front passenger seat, since I can avoid any motion sickness and speak to the person driving.
That is unless it's a taxi, as I really hate speaking to taxi drivers.
Sorry any taxi drivers listening to us, but I just want to sit and listen to music when that Is driving common in your country.
I would say so, yes.
I think most people where we live are car owners, or at least know how to drive.
In more deprived areas that might be less so, but it's not like cars are an uncommon sight even at that.
Is it hard to learn to drive?
But since I've yet to pass my test, I would certainly say so.
I think it's a rite of passage that most people fail once, actually.
I'd need to check statistics on that, of course.
But a few of my friends have failed their driving test the first time.
Maybe we just aren't so adept at test-taking, to be honest.
Will you drive more in the future?
I hope so.
After my teacher training course, I'm planning to retake my test and actually pass this time.
It might be easier now that I'm a responsible adult and not a silly teenager.
Rory, thank you very much for your driving answers.
Hopefully they didn't drive you up the wall.
Ha ha ha.
Yeah, when you say it drives me up the wall, it means like it drives me crazy.
Can you imagine like these questions drive me up the wall?
So you're like, you are going up the wall.
You are so annoyed that you are ready to go up the wall because of these questions.
So it's really a nice expression.
It drives me up the wall.
Can I say you drive me up the wall?
Well, yes, but only if we're talking about people who drive you mad.
Like, you couldn't say it for a topic like driving.
Oh, can you say like, oh, these taxi drivers drive me up the wall?
Yeah, they do.
Yeah, sometimes.
Yeah.
Rory is now in Scotland.
And where you live, there aren't any taxi drivers.
There's no Uber, no Yandex taxis.
Am I right?
You don't have anything?
No, nothing like that.
Oh, wow.
So if you don't drive, then what?
You take a bus or a horse, a sheep, a donkey?
How do you travel?
By car, I told you.
I get dropped off where I need to be.
Now, how convenient.
And it's nice when Rory said, I haven't driven myself in about 10 years.
So I haven't driven a car.
I like being driven to places.
So this is a passive voice.
I like to be driven.
Or you said I like being driven to places, which means I like when people drive me to places, right?
I like being driven to places.
So Rory doesn't drive himself.
Other people do it for him.
Very nice.
Wow.
So every day somebody would just give you a lift.
Yes.
It's not quite as convenient as Uber, but it's there.
I have to take a taxi every day.
Well, if I go out and I need to go to the metro.
So to get to the metro, I need to take a taxi.
So, because I've decided not to drive, but I do have a driving license.
And Rory, you said that the last time you drove a car was when you failed your first and last practical driving test.
So you did apply for the driving license and you failed the exam?
Yeah, I did.
What's the story?
Rory's story.
No, no, we're not discussing that story other than to say I didn't pass my driving test.
Oh, why not?
The details are best kept under lock and key.
If you're not sure about the answer, you can say that I'd have to think about that.
So when was the last time?
I'd have to think about that.
I would have to think about that.
Yeah.
Then you can say a passenger and a passenger is being driven.
Again, dear listener, here we have a passive voice structure.
So, I enjoy being driven or I enjoy driving, if you like driving.
And then you can say as a driver, like being a driver.
The word is the route.
The route.
Yeah, that's just like the way that you travel from one place to another.
The question could be about sitting in a car.
So it's sit in a car.
I prefer the... What's it?
In the front.
So I enjoy sitting in the front. over a car or just say in the front to avoid the motion sickness.
You know this.
You can say motion sickness.
You can also say car sickness.
And then you can mention that, oh, I hate speaking to taxi drivers.
Yeah, I just prefer listening to the music.
Driving can be common in your country.
So it's quite common.
Everybody drives a car.
And then you said in more deprived areas.
Yes.
So deprived areas is just another way of saying places with no money.
Like poor, poorer areas, yeah?
Common or uncommon.
So cars are an uncommon sight in poorer areas.
And then when you talk about learning to drive, you take a test.
We call it taking a driving test.
And you said that we just aren't so adept at test taking.
Yes.
So if you're adept at something, it means that you're quite good at it or you're extremely good at it actually.
And now Rory said that I'm planning to retake my test.
So to retake or redo the test, to pass it this time.
Rory, let's imagine that you take the test, you pass it, and then you are buying a car.
So which car would you buy?
You have some choices a Ferrari, a Jaguar Nissan Lexus Porsche BMW Mercedes, Lamborghini or the Rolls Royce.
So you have plenty of money.
The podcast is like super duper popular.
So which car would you go for?
I don't think it matters.
Whichever one has the cheapest insurance, basically, because I'd be driving it for a long time.
So is it a Ferrari, is there also a Jaguar?
I have absolutely no idea.
I imagine they all are pretty expensive for someone of my age to drive.
Interesting, dear listener.
So which car do you see Rory in?
Like James Bond car?
Sweet.
Thank you very much for listening.
Hopefully we've given you some driving vocabulary, which doesn't drive you up the wall.
But if it does, then you'll have a pun.
Do you like driving?
I haven't driven myself in about 10 years, though I like being driven places.
It's less work and I can chat away or relax while someone else does the heavy lifting, so to speak.
When was the last time you drove?
I have to think about that.
I mean, if we mean as a passenger being driven somewhere, then it would probably be to the nursery this morning for my placement.
As a driver though, I imagine the route I took when I took and ultimately failed my first and last practical driving test.
Where do you like to sit in a car?
Well, ideally, wherever is the most comfortable.
Usually that's in the front passenger seat, since I can avoid any motion sickness and speak to the person driving.
That is unless it's a taxi, as I really hate speaking to taxi drivers.
Sorry, any taxi drivers listening to us.
But I just want to sit and listen to music when that happens.
Is driving common in your country?
I would say so, yes.
I think most people where we live are car owners, or at least know how to drive.
In more deprived areas that might be less so, but it's not like cars are an uncommon sight even at that.
Is it hard to learn to drive?
Since I've yet to pass my test, I would certainly say so.
I think it's a rite of passage that most people fail once, actually.
I'd need to check statistics on that, of course.
But a few of my friends have failed their driving test the first time.
Maybe we just aren't so adept at test-taking, to be honest.
Will you drive more in the future?
I hope so.
After my teacher training course, I'm planning to retake my test and actually pass this time.
It might be easier now that I'm a responsible adult and not a silly teenager.
