A Film You Enjoyed Watching

Part 3 follow-up questions

These are the discussion questions examiners asked after this cue card. Sample answers are shown where available.

1. 1. What kinds of films or movies do people enjoy watching in your country?

   May–Aug 2026
   Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question

   Band 6.5

   This answer joins short, plain sentences with 'and' and 'but' to list film types with concrete examples, using everyday vocabulary throughout.

   Comedies are the most popular, especially the Vietnamese ones released around Tết, because every cinema in Da Nang is full for those, and the whole family goes together. Horror films also do surprisingly well with younger people, and the big American action franchises have a loyal audience too. Romantic dramas from Korea are also very popular, but mostly at home rather than in the cinema. What does not do well is anything slow or serious. My friend and I once watched a beautiful Vietnamese art film, and there were only six people in the whole screening. I think here, people see cinema as something to do in a group, rather than something to do alone, so films that work well with a crowd tend to win.

   Why this band

   • FC“What does not do well is anything slow or serious.” — This sentence introduces the contrast plainly, as a short, fresh statement. A band 7 answer would more likely fold this into the flow more naturally with the word 'struggles' instead of the fuller 'does not do well', tightening the transition.
   • LR“there were only six people in the whole screening” — This is plain, literal phrasing. A higher band answer would likely rephrase this more naturally as 'a screening with six people in it', which reads more like an authentic spoken observation than the fuller, slightly more formal version here.
   • GRA“I think here, people see cinema as something to do in a group, rather than something to do alone, so films that work well with a crowd tend to win.” — This closing sentence repeats the phrase 'something to do' twice within one clause, which is accurate but slightly repetitive. A 7.5 answer would likely vary this, describing cinema as a 'group outing' instead of repeating the same structure twice.

   Band 7.0

   The verb 'struggles' replaces a fuller phrase, and 'a group outing rather than a solitary experience' shows more precise, varied vocabulary than a 6.5 answer's repeated 'something to do' structure.

   Comedies, overwhelmingly, especially the Vietnamese ones released around Tết — every cinema in Da Nang is packed for those, and the whole family goes together. Horror does surprisingly well with younger audiences, and the big American action franchises have a loyal following too. Romantic dramas from Korea have a huge audience as well, mostly at home rather than in cinemas. What struggles is anything slow or serious: a friend and I once watched a beautiful Vietnamese art film in a screening with six people in it. I think people here treat cinema as a group outing rather than a solitary experience, so films that work with a crowd tend to win.

   Why this band

   • FC“What struggles is anything slow or serious:” — The single verb 'struggles' names the contrast more efficiently than the 6.5 answer's fuller 'does not do well', and the colon launches directly into the supporting example. This more economical transition is typical of band 7 coherence.
   • LR“in a screening with six people in it” — This natural, compact phrasing reads more like an authentic spoken observation than the fuller 'there were only six people in the whole screening' a 6.5 answer uses. It shows developing fluency in natural sentence construction.
   • GRA“people here treat cinema as a group outing rather than a solitary experience” — This sentence uses two distinct, precisely contrasted nouns ('a group outing', 'a solitary experience') rather than repeating the phrase 'something to do' as a 6.5 answer does. This shows more grammatical and lexical variety in building the same contrast.

   Band 7.5

   The compressed phrase 'to a screening of six' and the verb 'command' give this answer precise, economical vocabulary, while the closing 'tends to win out' shows the natural, idiomatic finish typical of band 7.5.

   Comedies, overwhelmingly — especially the Vietnamese ones released around Tết, when every cinema in Da Nang is packed and the whole family piles in together. Horror does surprisingly well with younger audiences, and the big American action franchises have a loyal following too. Korean romantic dramas command a huge audience as well, mostly at home rather than in cinemas. What struggles is anything slow or serious: a friend and I once watched a beautiful Vietnamese art film to a screening of six. I think people here treat cinema as a group outing rather than a solitary pursuit, so anything that plays well to a crowd tends to win out.

   Why this band

   • LR“Korean romantic dramas command a huge audience as well” — 'Command' is a genuinely more vivid, powerful verb than the plainer 'have' a lower band would use, suggesting the dramas actively hold and control audience attention. It reflects precise, confident lexical choice.
   • FC“when every cinema in Da Nang is packed and the whole family piles in together” — This clause, fronted by 'when', attaches directly to the opening list without a new sentence, and 'piles in' is a more vivid verb than a plainer 'goes'. This kind of subordinate-clause attachment building on a fragment opener is characteristic of the coherent, flowing style at the top band.
   • GRA“a friend and I once watched a beautiful Vietnamese art film to a screening of six” — This compressed phrase drops the fuller 'in a screening with six people in it', replacing it with the tighter 'to a screening of six', which relies on context to convey the meaning economically. This kind of ellipsis-based compression is characteristic of the grammatical range expected at 7.5.

2. 2. Is it better to watch a film or movie at the cinema or at home?

   May–Aug 2026
   Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question

   Band 6.5

   This answer uses short, plainly connected sentences joined with 'because' and 'but' to give a direct claim, a personal example, and a simple final summary, in everyday vocabulary.

   I think it depends on the film. Something big and loud is a very different experience in a cinema. I saw an action film at CGV last year, and the seats actually shook, which no home setup can do. The cinema also forces you to pay attention, because you cannot check your phone or pause to make tea. But for a quiet drama, or anything I want to think about, home is better. I can rewind a scene, watch with subtitles in two languages, and talk about it with whoever is on the sofa. Cost matters too, because a cinema night for two people in Da Nang costs about the same as a nice dinner. So cinema is good for big films, and home is better for everything else.

   Why this band

   • FC“The cinema also forces you to pay attention, because you cannot check your phone or pause to make tea.” — This point is added with the plain word 'also' followed by 'because'. A band 7 answer would more likely tighten this into one flowing clause without the extra connector, describing the cinema as forcing attention because 'you can't check your phone or pause to make tea', joined directly with a semicolon or dash.
   • LR“the seats actually shook, which no home setup can do” — This is clear but fairly plain phrasing. A higher band answer would likely use a more natural, idiomatic way to express the same idea, describing it as something 'no home setup is doing that', matching authentic informal spoken grammar.
   • GRA“So cinema is good for big films, and home is better for everything else.” — This closing sentence uses the plain connector 'and' to join two parallel claims. A 7.5 answer would likely compress this into an even shorter, punchier closing phrase, dropping the repeated verb structure for a tighter, more aphoristic finish.

   Band 7.0

   The semicolon in 'The cinema also forces attention; you can't check your phone' shows more flexible punctuation than a 6.5 answer's fuller connected sentence, and the closing fragment gives a punchier, more confident finish.

   It depends on the film, honestly. Something big and loud is a different experience in a cinema — I saw an action film at CGV last year and the seats shook, and no home setup is doing that. The cinema also forces attention; you can't check your phone or pause to make tea. But for a quiet drama, or anything I want to think about, home wins. I can rewind a scene, watch with subtitles in two languages, and talk about it with whoever's on the sofa. Cost matters too: a cinema night for two in Da Nang is a decent dinner. So cinema for spectacle, home for everything else.

   Why this band

   • FC“So cinema for spectacle, home for everything else.” — This closing sentence drops the verb entirely, relying on the parallel noun phrases alone to deliver the conclusion, a punchier and more confident structure than a 6.5 answer's fuller 'cinema is good for... and home is better for...'. This kind of verbless summary is typical of band 7 coherence.
   • LR“no home setup is doing that” — This informal present continuous form ('is doing that') is a more natural, idiomatic way of expressing impossibility than the fuller 'which no home setup can do' a 6.5 answer uses, matching authentic spoken register.
   • GRA“The cinema also forces attention; you can't check your phone or pause to make tea.” — The semicolon links the claim directly to its explanation without a connecting word like 'because', showing more flexible punctuation-based structure than a 6.5 answer's fuller 'also forces you to pay attention, because'. This is not yet the fully compressed style a 7.5 answer would use throughout.

   Band 7.5

   The verbless opener 'Depends entirely on the film' and the compressed list 'no phones, no pausing for tea' show the flexible, economical grammar typical of band 7.5, alongside the idiomatic phrase 'wins hands down'.

   Depends entirely on the film. Something big and loud is a different animal in a cinema — I saw an action film at CGV last year and the seats genuinely shook, which no home setup is ever pulling off. The cinema also forces attention; no phones, no pausing for tea. But for a quiet drama, or anything I actually want to sit with, home wins hands down. I can rewind a scene, run subtitles in two languages, and talk it over with whoever's on the sofa. Cost matters too: a cinema night for two in Da Nang buys a decent dinner. Cinema for spectacle, home for everything else.

   Why this band

   • LR“Something big and loud is a different animal in a cinema” — 'A different animal' is a genuinely idiomatic metaphor for something fundamentally distinct, more vivid and natural than the plainer 'a different experience' a lower band would use. It gives the opening a confident, colloquial texture.
   • GRA“The cinema also forces attention; no phones, no pausing for tea.” — The semicolon here introduces a verbless, parallel two-item list ('no phones, no pausing for tea') rather than a fuller clause with 'you can't', dropping the subject and verb entirely for maximum economy. This kind of verbless listing is characteristic of the grammatical range expected at 7.5.
   • FC“home wins hands down” — 'Wins hands down' is a genuinely idiomatic intensifier for a decisive victory, adding confident emphasis beyond the plainer 'home wins' a 7.0 answer uses. This kind of natural idiom use strengthens the coherence of the whole comparative argument.

3. 3. Why don't some people enjoy watching films or movies?

   May–Aug 2026
   Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question

   Band 6.5

   This answer joins short, plain sentences with 'because' and 'and' to list several reasons, giving concrete personal examples in everyday vocabulary.

   For some people, it is simply the format. My father falls asleep in every film, not because they are boring, but because sitting still for two hours feels like wasted time to him, and he would rather be fixing something. Other people find films too passive, because they prefer games, where they get to make decisions. Some people struggle to concentrate now, and a film needs more focus than a series of short videos. There is also a group of people who find modern films predictable, because they have already seen the same three plots many times. I would also say that some people never had films as part of their childhood, so it never became something they enjoy.

   Why this band

   • FC“Other people find films too passive, because they prefer games, where they get to make decisions.” — This point is introduced with the plain phrase 'Other people find films too passive'. A band 7 answer would more likely name the group more precisely as 'Others', keeping the sentence tighter and less repetitive of the word 'people'.
   • LR“sitting still for two hours feels like wasted time to him” — This is clear but fairly plain, literal phrasing. A higher band answer would likely tighten this into a more compact idiomatic phrase, describing the same idea as feeling 'like wasted time', without the extra 'to him' repeated from the subject.
   • GRA“I would also say that some people never had films as part of their childhood, so it never became something they enjoy.” — This closing sentence joins two ideas with 'so', which is accurate but somewhat plain. A 7.5 answer would likely tighten this final point, replacing 'something they enjoy' with the more precise, evaluative phrase 'a pleasure they reach for'.

   Band 7.0

   The colon after 'the format' and the participial phrase 'having seen the same three plots' show more flexible punctuation and grammar than a 6.5 answer's fuller connected sentences.

   For some, it's simply the format: my father falls asleep in every film, not because they're boring but because sitting still for two hours feels like wasted time to him, and he'd rather be fixing something. Others find films too passive — they prefer games, where they're making decisions. Some people struggle with attention now, and a film demands more sustained focus than a series of short videos. And there's a group who find modern films predictable, having seen the same three plots a hundred times. I'd add that some people just never had film as part of their childhood, so it never became a pleasure they reach for.

   Why this band

   • FC“And there's a group who find modern films predictable, having seen the same three plots a hundred times.” — The participial phrase 'having seen the same three plots a hundred times' attaches directly to the main clause without a separate connecting word like 'because', showing more flexible sentence-building than a 6.5 answer's fuller version. This is typical of band 7 grammatical range.
   • LR“it never became a pleasure they reach for” — 'A pleasure they reach for' is a more vivid, idiomatic phrase than the plainer 'something they enjoy' a 6.5 answer uses, suggesting an active, habitual choice rather than a passive state. It shows developing figurative precision.
   • GRA“For some, it's simply the format:” — The colon here launches directly into the first example, replacing the fuller opening sentence 'For some people, it is simply the format. My father...' a 6.5 answer uses. This more compact, punctuation-led opening is typical of band 7 range.

   Band 7.5

   The participial phrase 'preferring games, where they're actively making decisions rather than just receiving them' compresses a full clause, and the idiomatic phrase 'woven into their childhood' shows the precise, figurative vocabulary typical of band 7.5.

   For some, it's simply the format: my father falls asleep in every film, not because they're boring but because sitting still for two hours feels like wasted time to a man who'd rather be fixing something. Others find films too passive, preferring games, where they're actively making decisions rather than just receiving them. Some people struggle with sustained attention now, and a film demands far more of it than a stream of short videos ever asks for. And there's a group who find modern films predictable, having sat through the same three plots more times than they can count. I'd add that some people simply never had film woven into their childhood, so it never became a pleasure they reach for.

   Why this band

   • LR“some people simply never had film woven into their childhood” — 'Woven into' is a genuinely vivid, figurative phrase for something being deeply integrated into an experience, more precise and image-rich than the plainer 'as part of' a lower band would use. It reflects confident, natural figurative language.
   • GRA“Others find films too passive, preferring games, where they're actively making decisions rather than just receiving them.” — The participial phrase 'preferring games' attaches directly to 'Others find films too passive' without a dash or a new sentence, compressing two related ideas into one continuous clause. This kind of participial compression is characteristic of the grammatical range expected at 7.5.
   • FC“having sat through the same three plots more times than they can count” — This trailing comparative clause extends the point about predictability with a vivid, slightly exaggerated image, adding emphasis beyond a flatter statement of fact. This kind of evaluative extension supports the well-organised, escalating list structure of the whole answer.

4. 4. What qualities does someone need to be a good actor?

   May–Aug 2026
   Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question

   Band 6.5

   This answer uses short, plainly connected sentences with 'because' to give a direct claim, a personal example, and several supporting reasons, in everyday vocabulary.

   I think observation is the most important quality. A friend of mine who acts in theatre in Hanoi spends more time sitting in cafés watching how people hold their cups and avoid eye contact than she does practising her lines, because that is where the truth of a character comes from. After that, you need a kind of emotional honesty, meaning the willingness to actually feel something in front of strangers instead of just pretending to. Good actors also need a good memory, physical control, and thick skin, because the job is mostly rejection. What surprises people is that charisma is not actually required, because some of the best screen actors are quite ordinary in person.

   Why this band

   • FC“After that, you need a kind of emotional honesty, meaning the willingness to actually feel something in front of strangers instead of just pretending to.” — This point is introduced with the plain transitional phrase 'After that, you need'. A band 7 answer would more likely tighten this transition with the shorter 'After that,' followed directly by the noun phrase, dropping 'you need a kind of' for a more compact, confident structure.
   • LR“because some of the best screen actors are quite ordinary in person” — This is clear but fairly plain phrasing. A higher band answer would likely tighten this slightly, replacing 'in person' with 'in the room', which sounds more natural and specific to describing an actor's off-screen presence.
   • GRA“Good actors also need a good memory, physical control, and thick skin, because the job is mostly rejection.” — This sentence lists three qualities with commas before adding a reason with 'because'. A 7.5 answer would likely add the intensifier 'obviously' before the list and separate the reason with a comma rather than 'because', for a slightly more natural spoken flow.

   Band 7.0

   The dash before 'the willingness to actually feel something' and the semicolon before 'some of the best screen actors' show more flexible punctuation than a 6.5 answer's fuller connected sentences.

   Observation more than anything, I think. A friend of mine who acts in theatre in Hanoi spends more time sitting in cafés watching how people hold their cups and avoid eye contact than she does rehearsing lines, because that's where the truth of a character comes from. After that, a kind of emotional honesty — the willingness to actually feel something in front of strangers rather than indicating it. Good actors also need a memory, obviously, physical control, and a thick skin, because the job is mostly rejection. What surprises people is that charisma isn't required; some of the best screen actors are quite ordinary in the room.

   Why this band

   • FC“After that, a kind of emotional honesty — the willingness to actually feel something in front of strangers rather than indicating it.” — This sentence drops 'you need' entirely, jumping straight from 'After that,' to the noun phrase, a more compact, confident structure than a 6.5 answer's fuller version. This kind of verb-ellipsis is typical of band 7 fluency.
   • LR“some of the best screen actors are quite ordinary in the room” — 'In the room' is a more precise, idiomatic phrase for describing someone's off-screen presence than the plainer 'in person' a 6.5 answer uses, sounding more natural and specific to the context of meeting an actor. This shows developing lexical precision.
   • GRA“What surprises people is that charisma isn't required; some of the best screen actors are quite ordinary in the room.” — The semicolon links the claim directly to its supporting example without the connecting word 'because' a 6.5 answer uses, showing more flexible punctuation-based structure. This is not yet as consistently compressed as a 7.5 answer's version throughout.

   Band 7.5

   The semicolon carried through the closing sentence and the intensifier 'aggressively ordinary' give this answer precise, evaluative vocabulary and the compressed grammar typical of band 7.5.

   Observation, more than anything. A friend of mine who acts in theatre in Hanoi spends more time in cafés watching how people hold their cups and avoid eye contact than she does rehearsing lines, because that's where a character's truth actually comes from. After that, a kind of emotional honesty — feeling something in front of strangers rather than merely indicating it. Good actors also need a memory, obviously, physical control, and a thick skin, since the job is mostly rejection. What surprises people is that charisma isn't required at all; some of the finest screen actors are almost aggressively ordinary in the room.

   Why this band

   • LR“some of the finest screen actors are almost aggressively ordinary in the room” — 'Aggressively ordinary' is a genuinely striking, less common collocation, pairing an intense adverb with a flat adjective for a deliberately paradoxical effect. This kind of unusual but precise pairing is well beyond the plainer 'quite ordinary' a lower band would use.
   • GRA“After that, a kind of emotional honesty — feeling something in front of strangers rather than merely indicating it.” — This fragment drops both 'you need' and 'the willingness to actually', compressing the idea into the barest possible noun-plus-gerund structure. This kind of extreme verbal economy is characteristic of the grammatical range expected at 7.5.
   • FC“What surprises people is that charisma isn't required at all; some of the finest screen actors are almost aggressively ordinary in the room.” — The added intensifier 'at all' sharpens the claim beyond the 7.0 version's plainer 'isn't required', giving the observation more emphatic confidence before the semicolon-linked example. This kind of escalating emphasis ties the whole answer's argument together coherently.

5. 5. What do you think of the view that being an actor is a difficult job?

   May–Aug 2026
   Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question

   Band 6.5

   This answer joins short, plainly connected sentences with 'because' and 'but' to give a direct opinion, a personal example, and a simple final contrast, in everyday vocabulary.

   I think it is true, but not in the way most people imagine. For my friend in Hanoi, the performing itself is not really the hard part, it is that she teaches English all day to pay rent, rehearses until midnight, and still gets rejected at most auditions even after ten years. The difficulty is the instability, because there is no guaranteed income, no clear career ladder, and her face is her main asset as she gets older. On film sets, there is also the physical tiredness of very long days repeating the same two minutes again and again. The glamorous version people imagine probably applies to about one actor in a thousand. For everyone else, it is a difficult job mostly because it rarely even looks like a job at all.

   Why this band

   • FC“On film sets, there is also the physical tiredness of very long days repeating the same two minutes again and again.” — This sentence uses the plain phrase 'the physical tiredness of' with a repeated intensifier 'again and again'. A band 7 answer would more likely use the more specific, vivid noun 'grind' instead of 'tiredness', giving the same idea more punch and precision.
   • LR“her face is her main asset as she gets older” — This is clear but fairly plain phrasing. A higher band answer would likely tighten this comparative idea into a more natural, compact phrase, describing 'your face aging as your main asset', which reads more like fluent spoken English.
   • GRA“The glamorous version people imagine probably applies to about one actor in a thousand.” — This is a single, grammatically simple sentence stating a comparison directly. A 7.5 answer would likely add the phrase 'people picture' instead of 'people imagine', a small but genuine variation showing more natural collocational range.

   Band 7.0

   The semicolon in 'isn't the hard part for my friend in Hanoi; the hard part is that...' and the noun 'grind' show more flexible punctuation and precise vocabulary than a 6.5 answer's fuller, plainer sentences.

   I think it's true, though not in the way people imagine. The performing itself isn't the hard part for my friend in Hanoi; the hard part is that she teaches English all day to pay rent, rehearses until midnight, and still gets rejected at most auditions after ten years. The difficulty is the instability — no guaranteed income, no career ladder, and your face aging as your main asset. On film sets there's also the physical grind of fourteen-hour days repeating the same two minutes. The glamorous version people picture applies to perhaps one actor in a thousand. For the rest, it's a difficult job precisely because it rarely looks like a job at all.

   Why this band

   • LR“On film sets there's also the physical grind of fourteen-hour days repeating the same two minutes.” — 'Grind' is a more vivid, specific noun for exhausting, repetitive work than the plainer 'tiredness' a 6.5 answer uses, and 'fourteen-hour days' is more concrete than the vague 'very long days'. This shows developing precision in expressing the idea.
   • FC“For the rest, it's a difficult job precisely because it rarely looks like a job at all.” — The added intensifier 'precisely' sharpens the final claim with more confident emphasis than a 6.5 answer's plainer 'mostly because'. This kind of precise, evaluative closing phrase is typical of band 7 coherence.
   • GRA“The performing itself isn't the hard part for my friend in Hanoi; the hard part is that she teaches English all day to pay rent, rehearses until midnight, and still gets rejected at most auditions after ten years.” — The semicolon joins the claim and its explanation into one continuous sentence, rather than the two separate sentences joined by a comma a 6.5 answer uses. This shows more flexible punctuation-based sentence-building.

   Band 7.5

   The intensified closing phrase 'so rarely resembles a job at all' and the compressed list 'no guaranteed income, no career ladder, your face ageing as your only real asset' show the compact, evaluative grammar typical of band 7.5.

   It's true, though not in the way people imagine. The performing itself isn't the hard part for my friend in Hanoi; the hard part is that she teaches English all day to pay rent, rehearses until midnight, and still gets rejected at most auditions after a decade of trying. The real difficulty is the instability — no guaranteed income, no career ladder, your face ageing as your only real asset. On film sets there's also the physical grind of fourteen-hour days spent repeating the same two minutes over and over. The glamorous version people picture applies to perhaps one actor in a thousand. For the rest, it's a difficult job precisely because it so rarely resembles a job at all.

   Why this band

   • LR“your face ageing as your only real asset” — The intensifier 'only real' sharpens the claim beyond the plainer 'main asset' a lower band would use, suggesting a more precarious, singular dependency. This kind of precise, evaluative modifier reflects confident lexical control.
   • GRA“no guaranteed income, no career ladder, your face ageing as your only real asset” — This list drops the connecting 'and' before the final item, letting three parallel noun phrases stand on their own with just commas. This kind of asyndetic (connector-free) listing is characteristic of the grammatical range expected at 7.5.
   • FC“it's a difficult job precisely because it so rarely resembles a job at all” — The added intensifier 'so' before 'rarely' sharpens the final claim with more emphatic confidence than the 7.0 version's plainer 'rarely looks like'. This kind of escalating emphasis ties the whole answer's argument together with genuine coherence.

6. 6. How important are famous actors to the success of a film or movie?

   May–Aug 2026
   Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question

   Band 6.5

   This answer joins short, plain sentences with 'but' and 'so' to give a direct claim, a specific film example, and a simple final contrast, in everyday vocabulary.

   I think they are less important than the film industry believes, but not unimportant. A Vietnamese film a couple of years ago broke the domestic box office record with two almost unknown lead actors, purely because people told their friends the film was good. So a good story and word of mouth can beat star power. But famous actors do lower the risk for a film, because they get it financed in the first place and they guarantee a good opening weekend, which is why studios keep paying for them. They matter most for films that do not have much else to sell. For a genuinely good film, a famous actor is a bonus, but for a mediocre one, a famous actor might be the only reason anyone goes to see it.

   Why this band

   • FC“But famous actors do lower the risk for a film, because they get it financed in the first place and they guarantee a good opening weekend, which is why studios keep paying for them.” — This long sentence chains four ideas together with 'because', 'and' and 'which'. A band 7 answer would more likely break off the reason with a dash instead of 'because', creating a punchier, more flexible link between the claim and its explanation.
   • LR“they guarantee a good opening weekend” — This is fairly plain, direct vocabulary. A higher band answer would likely tighten this to just 'guarantee an opening weekend', dropping the slightly redundant 'good', which is already implied by the verb 'guarantee'.
   • GRA“For a genuinely good film, a famous actor is a bonus, but for a mediocre one, a famous actor might be the only reason anyone goes to see it.” — This closing sentence repeats the phrase 'a famous actor' twice across the contrast, which is accurate but somewhat repetitive. A 7.5 answer would likely drop the repeated noun phrase in the second half, replacing it with 'a star' for variety and economy.

   Band 7.0

   The dash before 'they get a film financed' shows more flexible punctuation than a 6.5 answer's fuller 'because' clause, and the semicolon in the closing sentence tightens the parallel contrast between good and mediocre films.

   Less important than the industry thinks, but not unimportant. A Vietnamese film a couple of years ago broke the domestic box-office record with two almost unknown leads, purely because people told their friends it was good. So story and word of mouth can beat star power. But famous actors reduce risk — they get a film financed in the first place and guarantee an opening weekend, which is why studios keep paying for them. They matter most for films that don't have much else to sell. For a genuinely good film, a star is a bonus; for a mediocre one, a star is the only reason anyone turns up.

   Why this band

   • FC“But famous actors reduce risk — they get a film financed in the first place and guarantee an opening weekend, which is why studios keep paying for them.” — The dash attaches the explanation directly to the claim 'famous actors reduce risk' without the connecting word 'because' a 6.5 answer uses, giving the sentence a punchier, more confident structure. This is typical of band 7 coherence.
   • LR“for a mediocre one, a star is the only reason anyone turns up” — Replacing the repeated 'a famous actor' with the shorter 'a star' avoids the repetition a 6.5 answer's closing sentence shows, giving the parallel contrast more economy and natural rhythm. This shows developing lexical variety.
   • GRA“For a genuinely good film, a star is a bonus; for a mediocre one, a star is the only reason anyone turns up.” — The semicolon joins the two contrasted halves into one tightly balanced sentence, rather than the fuller 'but' connector a 6.5 answer uses. This kind of semicolon-based parallel contrast shows more grammatical range.

   Band 7.5

   The idiomatic phrase 'paying through the nose' and the compact verb 'de-risk' give this answer natural, precise vocabulary, while the semicolon-based closing contrast carried through from a strong 7.0 structure shows the compressed grammar typical of band 7.5.

   Less important than the industry likes to think, but not unimportant either. A Vietnamese film a couple of years back broke the domestic box-office record with two almost unknown leads, purely on the strength of word of mouth. So story can beat star power. But famous actors de-risk a project — they get it financed in the first place and all but guarantee an opening weekend, which is exactly why studios keep paying through the nose for them. They matter most for films with little else to sell. For a genuinely good film, a star is a bonus; for a mediocre one, a star is often the only reason anyone turns up at all.

   Why this band

   • LR“which is exactly why studios keep paying through the nose for them” — 'Paying through the nose' is a genuinely idiomatic expression for paying an excessive amount, far more vivid and natural than a plain statement like 'paying a lot of money' a lower band would use. It gives the sentence a confident, native-like texture.
   • GRA“But famous actors de-risk a project” — 'De-risk' is a compact, almost business-jargon verb that packs the whole idea of 'reduce risk' into a single word, more economical than the two-word phrase a 7.0 answer uses. This kind of tight, single-verb compression is characteristic of the grammatical range expected at 7.5.
   • FC“for a mediocre one, a star is often the only reason anyone turns up at all” — The added intensifier 'often' and the trailing 'at all' sharpen the closing claim with more nuance and emphasis than the 7.0 version's flatter statement. This kind of layered, evaluative closing detail ties the whole comparative argument together coherently.

7. 7. To what extent do people need entertainment in their free time?

   May–Aug 2026
   Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question

   Band 6.5

   This answer joins short, plain sentences with 'but' and 'because' to give a direct claim, a personal example, and a simple final contrast, in everyday vocabulary.

   I think people need quite a lot of entertainment, but I would define it more broadly than just films and games. My grandmother has never streamed anything in her life. Her entertainment is gossiping on the doorstep, the moon festival, and arguing with the fruit seller, and she is one of the most content people I know. I think what people need is a break from effort and some pleasure that is not productive, because the brain seems to need that to keep working well. The modern problem is that we have turned entertainment into a product we consume alone, which meets the need for rest but not the need for connection. So people need entertainment, but not necessarily in the form that companies try to sell it in.

   Why this band

   • FC“she is one of the most content people I know” — This is clear but fairly plain phrasing. A band 7 answer would more likely intensify this claim, describing her as 'one of the most contented people I know', a small but genuine step toward a slightly more emphatic, natural-sounding adjective choice.
   • LR“The modern problem is that we have turned entertainment into a product we consume alone” — This is clear, direct vocabulary. A higher band answer would likely tighten 'we have turned entertainment into a product' into the more natural contraction 'we've turned entertainment into a product', matching authentic spoken rhythm more closely.
   • GRA“So people need entertainment, but not necessarily in the form that companies try to sell it in.” — This closing sentence uses the fuller relative clause 'in the form that companies try to sell it in'. A 7.5 answer would likely compress this into the shorter, punchier 'not necessarily in the form the industry sells it', dropping 'that... try to' for a tighter structure.

   Band 7.0

   The semicolon before 'her entertainment is gossip on the doorstep' and the dash before 'the brain seems to require that' show more flexible punctuation than a 6.5 answer's fuller connected sentences.

   Quite a lot, but I'd define entertainment more broadly than films and games. My grandmother has never streamed anything in her life; her entertainment is gossip on the doorstep, the moon festival, and arguing with the fruit seller, and she's one of the most contented people I know. What people need is a break from effort and some pleasure that isn't productive — the brain seems to require that to keep working well. The modern problem is that we've turned entertainment into a product we consume alone, which meets the need for rest but not the need for connection. So people need it, but not necessarily in the form the industry sells it.

   Why this band

   • FC“So people need it, but not necessarily in the form the industry sells it.” — This closing sentence drops the fuller relative clause 'that companies try to sell it in' a 6.5 answer uses, tightening it into the shorter, punchier 'the form the industry sells it'. This kind of economical closing statement is typical of band 7 coherence.
   • LR“the brain seems to require that to keep working well” — 'Require' is a more precise, slightly formal verb than the plainer 'need' a 6.5 answer uses in the same position, giving the claim a more considered, almost clinical tone appropriate to describing a mental process. This shows developing lexical precision.
   • GRA“My grandmother has never streamed anything in her life; her entertainment is gossip on the doorstep, the moon festival, and arguing with the fruit seller, and she's one of the most contented people I know.” — The semicolon joins the claim about never streaming directly to its explanation without a new sentence, showing more flexible punctuation-based structure than a 6.5 answer's two separate sentences. This is not yet as consistently compressed as a 7.5 answer would make it.

   Band 7.5

   The compact phrase 'something consumed alone' replaces a fuller noun phrase, showing the economical, evaluative grammar typical of band 7.5, alongside the precise verb 'functioning'.

   Quite a lot, but I'd define entertainment far more broadly than films and games. My grandmother has never streamed anything in her life; her entertainment is gossip on the doorstep, the moon festival, and arguing with the fruit seller, and she's one of the most contented people I know. What people need is a break from effort and some pleasure that isn't productive — the brain seems to require that to keep functioning well. The modern problem is that we've turned entertainment into something consumed alone, which meets the need for rest but not the need for connection. So people need it, but not necessarily in the form the industry sells it.

   Why this band

   • LR“the brain seems to require that to keep functioning well” — 'Functioning' is a genuinely more precise, almost clinical verb than the plainer 'working' a lower band would use, fitting naturally with the earlier reference to the brain as a system. It reflects confident, exact lexical choice.
   • GRA“we've turned entertainment into something consumed alone” — This drops the fuller noun phrase 'a product we consume alone' in favour of the more compact 'something consumed alone', using a passive participle instead of a full relative clause. This kind of participial compression is characteristic of the grammatical range expected at 7.5.
   • FC“she's one of the most contented people I know” — This closing observation about the grandmother's contentment rounds off the personal anecdote before the answer pivots to the broader argument, showing tight control over how the example supports the claim. This kind of well-placed evaluative closing detail is typical of coherent top-band answers.

8. 8. What do you think of the view that people might place too much importance on being entertained, and not enough on the things that really matter, such as relationships and learning?

   May–Aug 2026
   Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question

   Band 6.5

   This answer joins short, plain sentences with 'and' and 'but' to give a personal example, a balanced opinion, and a simple final recommendation, in everyday vocabulary.

   I think there is something to this view, and I admit I am guilty of it myself. I once realised I had spent three evenings in a row watching short videos while my sister's messages sat unanswered, and entertainment had quietly replaced a relationship instead of just sitting beside it. I do not think entertainment itself is the problem, it is that it is now designed to be endless, so it takes up the time that used to be left over for other things. On the other hand, entertainment and important things are not always separate, because watching a film with friends is a relationship, and a documentary is a form of learning. So I think the view is right about the danger, but a little too simple about the solution. The real fix is boundaries, not giving up pleasure completely.

   Why this band

   • FC“I do not think entertainment itself is the problem, it is that it is now designed to be endless, so it takes up the time that used to be left over for other things.” — This long sentence chains three ideas together with commas and 'so', which is accurate but somewhat linear. A band 7 answer would more likely break the middle idea off with a semicolon, giving the sentence a sharper, more deliberate structural pause.
   • LR“it takes up the time that used to be left over for other things” — This is clear but fairly wordy phrasing. A higher band answer would likely tighten this comparative idea into a more compact phrase, describing entertainment as taking 'the time that used to be left over', which reads more naturally in spoken English.
   • GRA“So I think the view is right about the danger, but a little too simple about the solution.” — This closing sentence uses the plain connector 'but' to state a balanced final judgement. A 7.5 answer would likely tighten this by dropping 'I think' and 'a little', making the claim more direct and confident.

   Band 7.0

   The semicolon in 'The worry isn't entertainment itself; it's that it's now engineered to be endless' shows more flexible punctuation than a 6.5 answer's fuller chained sentence, and the closing fragment gives a punchier, more confident finish.

   I think there's something to it, and I say that as someone who's guilty. I once realised I'd spent three evenings in a row on short videos while my sister's messages sat unanswered — entertainment had quietly replaced a relationship rather than sitting beside it. The worry isn't entertainment itself; it's that it's now engineered to be endless, so it takes the time that used to be left over. On the other hand, entertainment and the important things aren't always separate — a film watched with friends is a relationship, a documentary is learning. So the view is right about the danger and a bit simplistic about the solution. The fix is boundaries, not giving up pleasure.

   Why this band

   • FC“The fix is boundaries, not giving up pleasure.” — This closing sentence drops 'I think' and 'a little', delivering the recommendation as a confident, direct statement rather than a hedged opinion. A 6.5 answer would more likely keep the fuller, softer phrasing 'I think the real fix is boundaries', showing less confident closure.
   • LR“it's that it's now engineered to be endless” — 'Engineered' is a more precise, almost technical verb than the plainer 'designed' a 6.5 answer uses, suggesting deliberate, calculated construction rather than simple design. This shows developing lexical precision.
   • GRA“The worry isn't entertainment itself; it's that it's now engineered to be endless, so it takes the time that used to be left over.” — The semicolon joins the claim and its explanation into one flowing sentence, replacing the three-part comma chain a 6.5 answer uses for the same idea. This shows more flexible, deliberate punctuation-based structure.

   Band 7.5

   The vivid verb 'burned through' and 'swallows the time' give this answer precise, idiomatic vocabulary, while the semicolon-based structure carried through from a strong 7.0 base shows the compressed grammar typical of band 7.5.

   There's something to it, and I say that as someone who's guilty. I once realised I'd burned through three evenings in a row on short videos while my sister's messages sat unanswered — entertainment had quietly replaced a relationship rather than sitting beside it. The worry isn't entertainment itself; it's that it's now engineered to be endless, so it swallows the time that used to be left over. On the other hand, entertainment and the important things aren't always separate: a film watched with friends is a relationship, a documentary is learning. So the view is right about the danger and a touch simplistic about the solution. The fix is boundaries, not giving up pleasure altogether.

   Why this band

   • LR“I once realised I'd burned through three evenings in a row on short videos” — 'Burned through' is a genuinely vivid, figurative verb for consuming time carelessly, more evocative and precise than the plainer 'spent' a lower band would use. It reflects confident, natural figurative language.
   • FC“it's that it's now engineered to be endless, so it swallows the time that used to be left over” — 'Swallows' personifies entertainment as an active, consuming force, a more vivid verb than the plainer 'takes' a 7.0 answer uses. This kind of precise, evaluative verb choice strengthens the coherence of the whole cause-and-effect argument.
   • GRA“On the other hand, entertainment and the important things aren't always separate: a film watched with friends is a relationship, a documentary is learning.” — The colon launches directly into two parallel, verbless-feeling equative clauses ('a film... is a relationship, a documentary is learning') without any connecting word between them, relying purely on juxtaposition. This kind of compressed parallel listing is characteristic of the grammatical range expected at 7.5.

9. 9. Do you agree or disagree that by providing people with new perspectives, the entertainment industry might shape society?

   May–Aug 2026
   Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question

   Band 6.5

   This answer joins short, plainly connected sentences with 'and' and 'because' to give a direct opinion, a family example, and a simple final concern, in everyday vocabulary.

   I agree, and I think it already has. My younger cousins have grown up watching Korean dramas, and you can see it in what they expect, from relationships, from apartments, even from how an apology should sound. That is a whole way of seeing the world learned through entertainment, without anyone deciding to teach it directly. Films have made distant lives feel normal, which is probably why attitudes on many social issues have changed faster in one generation than any campaign could manage. The warning is that the industry shapes society in whatever direction sells the most, not necessarily a good direction, because it can make cruelty seem normal just as easily as kindness. So yes, it does shape society, but the real question is who gets to decide the shape.

   Why this band

   • FC“That is a whole way of seeing the world learned through entertainment, without anyone deciding to teach it directly.” — This is clear but fairly plain phrasing. A band 7 answer would more likely use the more precise, abstract word 'worldview' instead of the fuller 'a whole way of seeing the world', compressing the same idea into a single, natural-sounding noun.
   • LR“it can make cruelty seem normal just as easily as kindness” — This is clear, direct vocabulary. A higher band answer would likely use the more precise verb 'normalise' instead of the fuller phrase 'make... seem normal', giving the same idea in a single, more natural-sounding word.
   • GRA“The warning is that the industry shapes society in whatever direction sells the most, not necessarily a good direction, because it can make cruelty seem normal just as easily as kindness.” — This long sentence chains several ideas together with commas and 'because'. A 7.5 answer would likely break this off with a dash instead, creating a punchier link between the warning and its illustration.

   Band 7.0

   The compact noun 'worldview' and the verb 'normalise' show more precise, economical vocabulary than a 6.5 answer's fuller phrasing, while the semicolon in the closing sentence tightens the final structure.

   I agree, and I think it already has. My younger cousins have grown up on Korean dramas, and you can see it in what they expect — from relationships, from apartments, even from how an apology should sound. That's a whole worldview absorbed through entertainment, without anyone deciding to teach it. Films have made distant lives feel normal, which is probably why attitudes on many social issues have shifted faster in a generation than any campaign could manage. The caution is that the industry shapes society in whatever direction sells, not necessarily a good one — it can normalise cruelty as easily as kindness. So yes, it shapes society; the question is who gets to decide the shape.

   Why this band

   • FC“That's a whole worldview absorbed through entertainment, without anyone deciding to teach it.” — 'Worldview' compresses the fuller phrase 'a whole way of seeing the world' into a single precise noun, showing more economical, confident vocabulary than a 6.5 answer's version. This kind of compact abstraction is typical of band 7 lexical range.
   • LR“it can normalise cruelty as easily as kindness” — 'Normalise' is a more precise, single-word verb for the process described more clumsily as 'make... seem normal' in a 6.5 answer, fitting the abstract, sociological register of the whole argument. This shows developing lexical precision.
   • GRA“So yes, it shapes society; the question is who gets to decide the shape.” — The semicolon joins the confirming statement directly to the final open question, rather than the fuller 'but the real question is' a 6.5 answer uses. This kind of tight, semicolon-based closing structure shows more grammatical range.

   Band 7.5

   The intensified phrase 'just as readily as' and the trailing clause 'the shape it takes' give this answer precise, evaluative closure, while the semicolon-based structure carried through from a strong 7.0 base shows the grammatical compression typical of band 7.5.

   I agree, and I think it already has. My younger cousins have grown up on Korean dramas, and you can see it in what they expect — from relationships, from apartments, even from how an apology ought to sound. That's a whole worldview absorbed through entertainment, without anyone ever deciding to teach it. Films have made distant lives feel ordinary, which is probably why attitudes on many social issues have shifted faster in a single generation than any campaign could manage. The caution is that the industry shapes society in whichever direction sells, not necessarily a good one — it can normalise cruelty just as readily as kindness. So yes, it shapes society; the real question is who gets to decide the shape it takes.

   Why this band

   • LR“it can normalise cruelty just as readily as kindness” — 'Readily' is a genuinely more precise adverb than the plainer 'easily' a lower band would use, suggesting a disturbing willingness or ease specific to how quickly something can become normalised. It reflects confident, exact lexical choice.
   • FC“the real question is who gets to decide the shape it takes” — The trailing relative clause 'it takes' extends the closing question with an extra layer of precision, rounding off the whole answer on a more considered, deliberate note. A 6.5 or 7.0 answer would more likely stop at 'who gets to decide the shape' without this additional refinement.
   • GRA“without anyone ever deciding to teach it” — The added intensifier 'ever' sharpens the claim beyond the plainer 'without anyone deciding to teach it' a lower band would use, adding emphatic confidence to the observation about unintentional cultural transmission. This kind of small, deliberate intensification reflects the grammatical control expected at 7.5.