It comes in handy and convenient to my driving

[Silverobama]

The following conversation took place between my friend A and me.

A: Still preparing for your IELTS test?
Silver: Yeah.
A: Here's a question from part I of the speking test.
Silver: Go ahead.
A: Do you often use a map on your phone?
Silver: I do. I use it almost every day because I drive. It comes in handy and convenient to my driving.

I don't think the italic sentence is okay. I wanted to say that "when I drive my car, I use the map on the phone because it shows me clearly how to get to my destination. It's very convenient and it comes in handy".

 

[emsr2d2]

The following conversation took place between my friend A and me.

A: Still preparing for your IELTS test?
Silver: Yeah.
A: Here's a question from part one of the speaking test.
Silver: Go ahead.
A: Do you often use a map on your phone?
Silver: I do. I use it almost every day because I drive. It comes in handy and convenient to my driving.

I don't think the italic sentence is okay. I wanted to say that "when I drive my car, I use the map on the phone because it shows me clearly how to get to my destination. It's very convenient and it comes in handy".

If you'd used the word order in the sentence in green to construct the sentence in blue, there would have been no problems! Unfortunately, you swapped the two halves over and ended up with an ungrammatical sentence.

 

[Silverobama]

If you'd used the word order in the sentence in green to construct the sentence in blue, there would have been no problems! Unfortunately, you swapped the two halves over and ended up with an ungrammatical sentence.

Much appreciated, emsr2d2.

But, I want to focus on the fact that the map is handy and convenient only when I am driving to some remote places because those places are unfamiliar with me. I will state the point but I want to focus on the fact that driving makes the map useful. How about my new try:

It's very convenient and it comes in handy especially when I am driving to some remote and strange places which I have never been to.

If I reply like this, I think the point is strong enough to tell the exaiminer why I use a map on my phone.

Please help me with a good version of my new italic sentence.

 

[emsr2d2]

It's very convenient and it comes in handy especially when I am driving to some remote and strange places which I have never been to.

1. What do you mean by "convenient"?
2. I think it more than "comes in handy". It's almost essential.
3. The end part is unnecessarily wordy. Stick to "when I'm going somewhere new". The places you're going to don't have to remote, nor do they have to be "strange" (whatever that means!) - you just have to not know how to get there without help.

 

[Silverobama]

1. What do you mean by "convenient"?

Unlike paper maps, maps on the phone are easier to use. Let's say the size of it. If I drive a car and I use a paper map, then I'll not have time to drive car because the map is big and the characters in it are small. Even for people who walk with a paper map on their hands, it's still not that conveninent.

2. I think it more than "comes in handy". It's almost essential.

Right. I'll use this word you suggested.

3. The end part is unnecessarily wordy. Stick to "when I'm going somewhere new". The places you're going to don't have to remote, nor do they have to be "strange" (whatever that means!) - you just have to not know how to get there without help.

Right. I wanted to use "strange" to mean "new". One meaning of strange is "not familiar".

So, is my new sentence okay?

It's super handy and indispensably essential especially when I am driving somewhere new.

Much appreciated!

 

[emsr2d2]

Don't use "indispensably essential". It's tautologous. Choose either "indispensable" or "essential".

 

[Silverobama]

Don't use "indispensably essential". It's tautologous. Choose either "indispensable" or "essential".

Much appreciated.

I wonder if the following version is good now:

It's super handy and indispensable especially when I am driving somewhere new.