1. Describe a holiday you would like to take in the future
You should say:
- When and where you would like to go
- Who you would like to go with
- What you would like to do on this holiday
- Why you would like to take the holiday
Band 8 Sample
I have itchy feet, so I always have a detailed plan for the next holiday trip in mind.
This time, I am going to wait for my children’s summer vacation so that I can take the whole family on a trip together. I am a family person and I love to travel with my loved ones. And, you know, summer won’t be complete without sun tan and beach snapshots. Therefore, my destination must be a seaside city and Vinh Hy bay is my ideal place. I have heard about this place a long time ago, a friend of mine highly recommended this place after her trip there. It is known for natural scenic beauty and delicious fresh seafood at an affordable price.
I was curious, but couldn’t find time to travel there due to my tight working schedule. But this summer we are going to make it. It’s only a 4-hour ride from our city to the bay, so I am going to go by bike, as if I were going backpacking. One reason luring us to this place is that it’s a pristine island, which means it won’t be crowded with tourists and the food here won’t be overpriced. Unlike other beaches which offer a variety of water sports like canoeing, scuba-diving, water-skiing and skydiving, there will not be many activities to do in Vinh Hy bay apart from sun-bathing and eating seafood. But this is going be a family time, and to me, spending time together is already enough.
In case my children get bored, so I am going to bring some family games like UNO and castle-building tools to enjoy time on the beach together. I am in dire need of this vacation as I want to escape from a stressful workload and pressure from city life for a while with my kids and my spouse. Also, I think it is a good idea to reward my children with a trip after studying hard throughout the school year
Vocabulary highlights:
- Have itchy feet: have a desire to travel; don’t want to stay in one place.
- Destination: a place that you want to travel to.
- Natural scenic beauty: a beautiful landscape or view characterised by trees, flowers, hills and other natural things.
- Pristine: picture perfect
2. Describe a special trip in the near future
You should say:
- When it will possibly be
- Where you would go
- What preparation you need for the trip
And explain why this would be a special trip
Band 8 Sample
Travelling is what I enjoy the most in life and I’ve now visited most of the famous places in Vietnam. However, most of my trips were always with my friends, so now I really want to do something different and take my parents on a very special trip to visit Thien Cam beach.
We will probably take this trip next June I think. At that time of year, there won’t be any school for me so things will be much easier to plan. My parents are also very excited about the trip and are really looking forward to it.
Thien Cam is the largest beach in Vietnam and is quite a popular tourist destination, famous for its big waves. It is located in the central part of the country, which is not really too far from where we currently live. When we arrive, aside from enjoying the beach, we will probably visit some other tourist attractions around the area, and I guess that during the trip we will probably get some souvenirs for our relatives as well.
In terms of the preparation, we are planning to go there by train so that we can enjoy the scenic beauty of our country along the way. Of course we’ll probably have to book a hotel in advance, and bring our swimsuits, sunscreen and summer clothes. Another important thing to remember to bring is medicines, just in case someone gets sick.
So, the main reason this will be a special trip I guess is because my parents will be with me and this will be the first time they visit this place. Having my parents there with me will really make it special because it’s been more than 7 years since we took a holiday together.
Vocabulary highlights:
- looking forward to it – excited about the future
- souvenirs – gifts that tourists buy to remember a place
- scenic beauty – beautiful natural environmental surroundings eg. mountains, rivers, lakes etc
3. Describe a holiday or vacation you have been on
You should say:
- When you had it
- Where you went
- What you did
- and explain how you felt about it
Band 8 Sample
A few months ago, I went to the South of Vietnam for a vacation with my family. It’s was to the lovely coastal city of Nha Trang, which is also a very famous tourist destination. We decided to go there by plane since it is nearly 1200 kilometres from Hanoi, and would take a long time by car or train.
I was so eager for the trip that I prepared everything such as my clothes, camera and other accessories a week in advance. It took about an hour to fly there, and luckily, the flight took off on time. The trip began with an incredible view from the airplane window and I can still remember being quite overwhelmed by the beauty of my city from above and the amazing sunset.
The time we spent in Nha Trang was a blast. We got to try out so many new things such as skydiving, surfing, and diving to see the coral reef. This place has one of the most beautiful beaches in Vietnam with deep blue water and pearly-white sand. Also, the food there was so unique and delicious. I think the most memorable moment of that trip though was definitely when we bought fresh ingredients from a local market and grilled them by the beach. Sitting there by the fire on a breezy night with the delicious smell freshly barbequed fish was an amazing experience.
The trip to Nha Trang really was the holiday of a lifetime. We had a lot of fun and got to see a lot of spectacular scenery. We definitely enjoyed it and we will definitely go there again if we have a chance.
Vocabulary highlights:
- coastal city – a city that is located along the coast or near the ocean
- in advance – before it happens
- on time – to happen at the expected time
- incredible – amazing or hard to believe
- overwhelmed – to feel a sudden strong emotion
- a blast – a good time
- skydiving – jumping from an airplane and landing with a parachute
- unique – one of a kind
- breezy – a little windy
- spectacular – very exciting or interesting
