Describe a free day off study or work – IELTS Band 8 Sample

Sample Answer

I find that I have to take a lot of breaks from study because I get distracted so easily. I can only concentrate for relatively short, intense periods of study. Anyway, I’m going to talk about a time more recently when I was studying for my mid-year examinations. The examinations are quite important because they give you an idea of how well you know the material, and whether or not you are on track for achieving a good grade for the year’s work. So, although the marks only represent a small proportion of the overall grade, I think it is important mentally to feel as though you are on top of things.

So, I was studying quite hard actually, every day and the weather was very hot outside, but I kept studying and every day, one of my friends would call me and say, “hey, we’re going to the beach today, do you want to come?” or, “we’re going away to the coast for the weekend to go surfing, you should come with us” and every time I had to say no, “I’m sorry I can’t, because I have to study”. So, I was being very good and staying focused. Until finally, I think it was about a week away from my exams and I was starting to feel really restless and frustrated, when I heard that an old friend of mine was back in town from abroad. Well, he called me up and what could I say? I really wanted to catch with him because it had been ages since we’d hung out together and he was only in town for a couple of days! So of course, I put study on hold, and we went out with a whole bunch of friends and had a great night. Of course, I felt slightly guilty the next day, then, I got straight back into the books, and the good news is that I felt much more focused and able to absorb the material, so I think in the end, it was more productive, for me anyway, to take some time out and then return to the studying. It helped me to clear head and study more effectively. But I have to be really firm with myself on occasion as I am easily tempted to procrastinate run out of time! In this case, it worked for me as in the end, I got straight as on all my exams.

Vocabulary

• Achieve: to succeed in finishing something or reaching an aim, especially after a lot of work or effort
  Eg: Rose achieved her dreams of working in a corporate environment. 
• Restless: unwilling or unable to stay still or to be quiet and calm, because you are worried or bored:
  Eg: John’s restless. He never stays in one country for long. 
• Hang out:  to spend a lot of time in a place or with someone
  Eg: I often hang out with my childhood friends. 
• Guilty: feeling bad about something you have done 
  Eg: Rose was guilty about forgetting her best friend’s birthday. 
• Procrastinate: delay or postpone action; put off doing something
  Eg: One of my weaknesses is procrastination. 

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