Describe a time when you waited for (or, had to wait for) something (or
someone).
You should say:
- who or what you waited for
- where you waited
- why you waited (or, had to wait)
And explain how you felt while you were waiting
Sample Answer
Having to wait for somebody is a common situation in our daily lives. There was this one time I had to wait for my friends, which was so special I’d like to share the story with you today.
It was my birthday and I had invited a group of friends to a coffee house to celebrate it. We were scheduled to meet there at 8 that evening. I was so eager that I came early. Certainly, none of them were there, but it was easy to understand because I was early. However, I waited for half an hour, but nobody showed up, and then I started to feel uncomfortable and worried. As I was losing my patience, I began to call each of them to ask why they had not come yet. To my surprise, none of them picked up the phone. I was really fed up, as you can imagine, because it was my birthday and my friends had treated me like that.
I waited for a couple more minutes until I couldn’t stand it anymore, and decided to leave. As soon as I called the waiter for the bill, I heard the “Happy birthday” song start up in the coffee house. Out of nowhere, all of my friends suddenly appeared with a birthday cake. They hugged me and wished me happy birthday. It was such a surprise. My anger quickly gave way to laughter and we had an unforgettable night chatting until the early hours, drinking coffee and, of course, eating cake.
Vocab Highlights
– show up: [phrasal verb] to arrive where you had arranged to meet somebody
Example: It was getting late when she finally showed up.
– lose my patience: [verb phrase] to become annoyed or angry as a result of a delay.
Example: The train is now 1 hour late, and I am losing my patience.
– fed up: [adjective] bored and unhappy, especially with a situation that has continued for a long time.
Example: The traffic congestion in our city never seems to get better, so people are really fed up with the time it takes to get to work.
– stand [something]: [verb] to dislike – used especially in negative sentences.
Example: I like John, but I can’t stand his sister, she is very rude.
– out of nowhere: [expression] appearing or happening suddenly and unexpectedly
Example: The woman cried for help and, out of nowhere, a policeman arrived.
– hug: [verb] to put your arms around someone and hold them tightly, to show that you like or love them.
Example: The child ran out of the school and he hugged his mother, who was waiting at the school gate.
– the early hours: [expression] early in the morning, for example about 2, 3 or 4 am.