Describe a time when you missed or were late for an important meeting

Describe a time when you missed or were late for an important meeting/event

You should say:
When it happened
What happened
Why you missed/were late for it
And explain how you felt about this experience

Sample answer to describe a time when you missed or were late for an important meeting

I remember a time when I was late for an important meeting. This happened a few years ago when I was applying for a position as a Japanese teacher at a prestigious university near my house.

On the day of the interview, I left my house just 10 minutes before the scheduled time. The university was quite close, and I estimated that it would only take me 5 minutes to drive there, leaving me with another 5 minutes to wait in the meeting room.

However, things didn’t go as planned. The university campus was much larger than I had anticipated, and the distance from the parking lot to the meeting building was quite far. Additionally, I had difficulty locating the exact building where the meeting was to be held, so I had to ask several staff members and students for directions. To make matters worse, the elevator was slow, and I had to wait for 3 minutes for my turn.

In the end, I was 3 minutes late for the meeting. When I entered the meeting room, I could see the interviewers waiting for me. I felt quite embarrassed and nervous because of my tardiness. I apologized for my lateness and explained the situation. Fortunately, they were understanding and the interview proceeded as planned.

This experience taught me the importance of allowing extra time when going to a new place for an important event. Since then, I always make sure to leave early to account for any unexpected delays.

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Ielts speaking part 2

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