A Friend You Enjoy Talking With

Part 3 follow-up questions

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

1. 1. Is talking with friends face-to-face always better than talking on the phone or online?

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

   Band 6.5

   Stays at 6.5 through short, separate sentences joined by plain connectors like 'But' and 'Also', never risking a longer combined clause.

   Not always, I think. Face-to-face is usually better because you can see the other person's face and body language. But it isn't always possible. My best friend from university now lives in Melbourne, so we talk on video calls every two weeks. These calls are still very meaningful to us, even though we are far apart. Also, some people find it easier to say honest things online than in person. So I would choose face-to-face when I can, but I don't think phone calls are a bad substitute.

   Why this band

   • FC“These calls are still very meaningful to us, even though we are far apart.” — The point is stated flatly with no development. The 7.0 version instead explains why the calls matter ('mainly because we both give the call our full attention'), and 7.5 adds a further justification ('no distractions and a fixed hour set aside'), so both higher bands turn the claim into a small argument rather than a statement.
   • LR“very meaningful” — A basic intensifier-plus-adjective pairing. 7.0 upgrades this to 'genuinely some of the best conversations I have' and 7.5 to 'some of the most rewarding conversations I have', both trading the plain phrase for a more precise, evaluative one.
   • GRA“even though we are far apart” — A simple subordinate clause with basic grammar. 7.0 embeds a comparable idea inside a longer sentence with a causal clause, and 7.5 compresses two ideas into one flexible sentence using a colon-free appositive structure, showing more range than this short clause allows.

   Band 7.0

   The spoken hedge 'Honestly, I'd say' and the contrastive 'That said' push this past 6.5's flat statements into a lightly argued opinion.

   Honestly, I'd say face-to-face is better in most ways, but I don't think the alternatives are as poor as people often claim. One of my closest friends from university moved to Melbourne, and our video calls every two weeks are genuinely some of the best conversations I have, mainly because we both give the call our full attention. Face-to-face does let you read body language and comfortable silences, which matter a lot for serious talks. That said, online chats can sometimes feel more honest, since a little distance makes people braver. So face-to-face is my default, but the phone is a real second choice, not a poor substitute.

   Why this band

   • FC“our video calls every two weeks are genuinely some of the best conversations I have” — This adds a reason ('mainly because we both give the call our full attention') that 6.5 leaves unexplained. 7.5 goes further still, layering two reasons ('no distractions... a fixed hour set aside') into one sentence, so the idea keeps deepening across the bands.
   • LR“a little distance makes people braver” — A neat, slightly figurative way to phrase the idea, more precise than 6.5's plain 'easier to say honest things online'. 7.5 pushes the same idea further into idiom with 'people occasionally confess things there they'd never risk across a table', showing a clearer step up in register.
   • GRA“That said, online chats can sometimes feel more honest, since a little distance makes people braver.” — One sentence carries a contrast and a causal clause, more complex than 6.5's separate short sentences on the same idea. It's still simpler than 7.5's version, which folds the contrast, an idiom, and a supporting clause into a single flowing sentence.

   Band 7.5

   The closing image 'not a consolation prize' gives an evaluative finish that neither lower band attempts.

   Better in most respects, I'd argue, though not always available, and I resist the common line that phone or online chats are a poor substitute. One of my closest friends from university relocated to Melbourne, and our fortnightly video calls have become some of the most rewarding conversations I have, precisely because we both show up with no distractions and a fixed hour set aside. Face-to-face offers the small stuff — body language, a comfortable silence — that carries real weight in serious conversations. Yet there's something to be said for the slight distance of a screen or message: people occasionally confess things there they'd never risk across a table. So face-to-face remains my instinctive choice, while the phone earns its place as a genuine alternative, not a consolation prize.

   Why this band

   • FC“precisely because we both show up with no distractions and a fixed hour set aside” — This packs two supporting reasons into one clause, going beyond 7.0's single reason ('mainly because we both give the call our full attention') and far beyond 6.5's unexplained claim. The layering is what pushes the idea from stated to genuinely argued.
   • LR“not a consolation prize” — An idiomatic, slightly witty closing phrase that 6.5's 'not a bad substitute' and 7.0's 'not a poor substitute' both approach more literally. The idiom signals a more natural, native-like register.
   • GRA“Face-to-face offers the small stuff — body language, a comfortable silence — that carries real weight in serious conversations.” — The dashes interrupt the main clause to insert examples before the sentence resolves, a more flexible structure than 6.5's simple list joined by 'and', and more compact than 7.0's plainer coordinated clause on the same point.

2. 2. What may happen when people having a discussion do not speak the same language?

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

   Band 6.5

   Simple cause-effect sentences like 'so small meanings and jokes get lost' keep the grammar and vocabulary safely plain.

   A lot of misunderstanding can happen, even when both sides think they agree. I once used a translation app in a meeting with a Japanese client, and we both left happy, but later we found out we understood 'end of the month' differently, which caused problems. Without a shared language, people use simpler words, so small meanings and jokes get lost. Discussions become more like business transactions. On the good side, people also listen more carefully to body language and tone, which sometimes helps them understand each other better.

   Why this band

   • FC“which caused problems” — Vague and unspecific compared to 7.0's concrete detail ('which cost us two weeks') and 7.5's identical but more polished phrasing. The higher bands quantify the consequence instead of just naming it.
   • LR“small meanings and jokes get lost” — Plain, everyday wording. 7.0 and 7.5 both upgrade this to a sequence — 'nuance disappears first, then humour, then honesty' — which is more precise and more sophisticated than the general phrase 'small meanings and jokes'.
   • GRA“Discussions become more like business transactions.” — A short, simple standalone sentence. 7.5 compresses a related idea into a subordinate clause inside a longer sentence ('and the discussion quietly hardens into a transaction'), showing tighter sentence control than this separate statement.

   Band 7.0

   The hedge 'To be fair, though' signals a natural spoken pivot that 6.5's flatter 'On the good side' doesn't quite achieve.

   Usually there's a lot of nodding and less real agreement than people assume. I remember a meeting with a Japanese client's team where we relied on a translation app, and both sides left the room happy — until we realised 'by the end of the month' meant two different months to us, which cost us two weeks. Without a shared language, people tend to simplify what they say, so nuance disappears first, then humour, then honesty. To be fair, though, people also become more patient and pay closer attention to gestures and tone, and that attention sometimes produces better understanding than two fluent speakers talking past each other.

   Why this band

   • FC“which cost us two weeks” — A concrete, quantified consequence, sharper than 6.5's vague 'which caused problems'. 7.5 keeps this exact detail but sets it inside a more elaborate lead-up, showing the idea is stable across bands while the surrounding language grows more complex.
   • LR“nuance disappears first, then humour, then honesty” — A precise three-step sequence, more sophisticated than 6.5's blanket phrase 'small meanings and jokes get lost'. 7.5 reuses this same sequence, showing it's already near-ceiling phrasing rather than something that needs further upgrading.
   • GRA“both sides left the room happy — until we realised 'by the end of the month' meant two different months to us” — The dash creates a turn mid-sentence, a more complex structure than 6.5's two short sentences joined by 'but'. It's slightly less compact than 7.5's version of the same idea, which trims the wording further.

   Band 7.5

   The image 'hardens into a transaction' is the kind of compact, evaluative metaphor that marks this out from 7.0's more literal 'become more like business transactions' idea.

   Usually a great deal of nodding, and considerably less agreement than everyone in the room believes. I once sat through a meeting with a Japanese client's team where we leaned entirely on a translation app, and both sides walked away satisfied — except that we'd understood 'by the end of the month' to mean different months, a slip that cost us two weeks. Without a shared language, people instinctively simplify what they say, so nuance vanishes first, then humour, then honesty, and the discussion quietly hardens into a transaction. On the brighter side, people also grow more patient and start reading gestures and tone with unusual care, and that heightened attention occasionally produces a sharper understanding than fluent speakers manage when they're simply talking past one another.

   Why this band

   • FC“a slip that cost us two weeks” — Reframes the same consequence as 7.0 ('which cost us two weeks') but folds it into an appositive noun phrase ('a slip that...') rather than a separate clause, a more economical structure.
   • LR“the discussion quietly hardens into a transaction” — A vivid, slightly metaphorical verb choice ('hardens into') replacing 6.5's plain 'become more like business transactions'. This is the kind of precise, idiomatic collocation examiners associate with the top band.
   • GRA“and that heightened attention occasionally produces a sharper understanding than fluent speakers manage when they're simply talking past one another” — A long sentence carrying a comparison, a subordinate clause, and an idiom ('talking past one another') all at once, more ambitious than 7.0's already-complex but shorter equivalent, and far beyond 6.5's simple 'which sometimes helps them understand each other better'.

3. 3. In what everyday situations do people need to talk with people they don't know?

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

   Band 6.5

   The list is delivered as plain coordinated nouns ('shops and banks') rather than the more elaborate imagery of the higher bands.

   Very often, especially if you live in a city. Every morning I talk to the parking attendant, the bánh mì seller, and my Grab driver, and each is a short conversation with a stranger. I also ask for directions, talk to people in shops and banks, or make small talk in a lift. At work, new clients and new colleagues are strangers too, and hospitals or government offices are common as well. Most of these conversations follow the same pattern, so people usually know what to say.

   Why this band

   • FC“Most of these conversations follow the same pattern, so people usually know what to say” — States the idea of scripted talk in basic, generic terms. 7.0 sharpens this to 'how scripted most of these exchanges are', and 7.5 to the idiomatic 'we've quietly memorised the lines', both more precise and more vivid.
   • LR“a short conversation with a stranger” — Plain, literal phrasing. 7.5 upgrades the same idea to 'a small conversation with a total stranger', where 'total' adds emphasis that this simpler version lacks.
   • GRA“I also ask for directions, talk to people in shops and banks, or make small talk in a lift.” — A simple list joined with commas and 'or'. 7.5 restructures a similar list with varied connectors and a more literary flourish ('the unavoidable small talk that fills a lift'), showing greater sentence variety than this single flat list.

   Band 7.0

   The reflective close 'What's interesting, I'd say' adds a layer of commentary that 6.5's plain listing doesn't attempt.

   Honestly, if you live in a city, it's almost constant. My average morning involves the parking attendant, the bánh mì seller, and my Grab driver, and each of those is a small conversation with someone I don't know. Then there's asking for directions, dealing with shops and banks, and the slightly awkward small talk in a lift. At work, strangers are the clients on a first call or the new colleague on their first day, and hospitals or government offices are full of the same kind of interaction. What's interesting, I'd say, is how scripted most of these exchanges are, since we've all learned the same lines to use.

   Why this band

   • FC“the slightly awkward small talk in a lift” — Adds an evaluative adjective ('slightly awkward') that 6.5's bare 'make small talk in a lift' skips. 7.5 keeps a similar idea but reframes it as 'the unavoidable small talk that fills a lift', trading the adjective for a stronger verb choice.
   • LR“how scripted most of these exchanges are” — A more analytical noun phrase than 6.5's 'follow the same pattern'. 7.5 pushes further into idiom with 'we've quietly memorised the lines', which is more figurative than this more literal 7.0 phrasing.
   • GRA“What's interesting, I'd say, is how scripted most of these exchanges are, since we've all learned the same lines to use.” — A cleft sentence ('What's interesting... is...') followed by a causal clause, more complex than 6.5's separate simple sentences on the same point, though less compact than 7.5's version with its added contrast clause about going 'off the script'.

   Band 7.5

   The closing observation about someone going 'off the script' gives an evaluative twist absent from the more descriptive lower bands.

   Constantly, if you happen to live in a city. My average morning involves the parking attendant, the bánh mì seller, and a Grab driver, and each of those counts as a small conversation with a total stranger. Then there's asking for directions, navigating shops and banks, sitting beside someone on a long bus, and the unavoidable small talk that fills a lift. At work, strangers arrive as the client on a first call and the new colleague on their first day, while hospitals and government offices supply plenty more of the same. What strikes me is how scripted most of it is — we've quietly memorised the lines — and how visibly uncomfortable people get the moment a stranger wanders off the script.

   Why this band

   • FC“counts as a small conversation with a total stranger” — The word 'counts as' frames the claim more analytically than 6.5's plain statement 'is a short conversation with a stranger', while still describing the same everyday moment.
   • LR“we've quietly memorised the lines” — A vivid, idiomatic recasting of 7.0's more literal 'we've all learned the same lines to use', trading a plain verb for a more evocative one ('memorised') paired with 'quietly'.
   • GRA“What strikes me is how scripted most of it is — we've quietly memorised the lines — and how visibly uncomfortable people get the moment a stranger wanders off the script.” — One long sentence uses a cleft opener, a parenthetical dash aside, and a final subordinate clause, a more ambitious structure than 7.0's already complex but shorter cleft sentence, and well beyond 6.5's separated simple sentences.

4. 4. What do young people often talk about with their friends?

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

   Band 6.5

   The simile 'almost like another person' is offered plainly, without the sharper 'third participant' phrasing the higher bands use.

   Mostly the same things young people have always talked about, just with new topics added. Last week I heard students at a café talking about an exam, a crush, and which phone plan was cheaper. They also talk about relationships and complaints about parents or teachers. Nowadays a lot of the conversation is about online content, like a video or a meme, instead of their own lives. Phones are usually on the table too, almost like another person in the conversation. But it's still mostly about who they are and who likes them.

   Why this band

   • FC“almost like another person in the conversation” — A simple, everyday simile. 7.0 and 7.5 both upgrade this to the more precise 'a third participant', a term borrowed from formal register that reads as more sophisticated.
   • LR“with new topics added” — Vague, general wording. 7.0 and 7.5 both replace this with the more vivid metaphor 'different props', which more precisely captures the idea that the underlying topics are old but the surface details are new.
   • GRA“Nowadays a lot of the conversation is about online content, like a video or a meme, instead of their own lives.” — A straightforward sentence with a simple list. 7.5 restructures a similar idea using a dash-set list and the phrase 'orbits content', showing more grammatical ambition than this plain construction.

   Band 7.0

   The construction 'Add X, and that's most of it' is a natural spoken shortcut that keeps the answer efficient without sounding like a list.

   Honestly, probably the same things young people have always talked about, just with different props. At the next table in a café last week, a group of students spent an hour on three topics: an exam, someone's crush, and which phone plan was cheaper. Add relationships, plans for the future, complaints about parents and teachers, and whatever's trending online, and that's most of it. What's a little newer, I'd say, is that a lot of the talk is about content — a video, a meme, a match — rather than about their own lives directly, with the phone often sitting on the table like a third participant.

   Why this band

   • FC“Add relationships, plans for the future, complaints about parents and teachers, and whatever's trending online, and that's most of it.” — An imperative-plus-result construction that's more natural and economical than 6.5's plain 'They also often talk about...' listing sentence. 7.5 keeps a nearly identical structure, showing this phrasing is already close to ceiling.
   • LR“different props” — A compact metaphor replacing 6.5's literal 'new topics added'. It implies the underlying script is unchanged and only the surface objects differ, a more precise idea than the plain version conveys.
   • GRA“with the phone often sitting on the table like a third participant” — A participial phrase adds a personifying image to the end of the sentence, more elaborate than 6.5's short separate sentence on the same idea ('Phones are usually on the table too'). 7.5 extends this further into 'propped on the table like a silent third participant', adding yet another descriptive layer.

   Band 7.5

   The verb 'orbits' in 'orbits content' is the kind of precise, slightly unusual collocation that marks the top band's vocabulary choices.

   Much the same things young people have always talked about, just with different props these days. At the next table in a café last week, a cluster of students spent a full hour on three subjects: an exam, someone's crush, and which phone plan was cheapest. Throw in relationships, plans for the future, gripes about parents and teachers, and whatever's currently trending online, and you've covered most of it. What feels genuinely newer is that a good chunk of the conversation orbits content — a video, a meme, a match — rather than their own lives directly, with the phone propped on the table like a silent third participant. Underneath it all, though, it's still mostly the old question of who they are and who likes them.

   Why this band

   • FC“orbits content” — A striking, compact verb choice replacing 7.0's more conventional 'is about content'. The metaphor of orbiting suggests the conversation circles around the content without being directly about the speakers' own lives.
   • LR“gripes about parents and teachers” — 'Gripes' is a more colloquial, idiomatic near-synonym than 6.5 and 7.0's neutral 'complaints', giving the phrase a more natural, conversational register.
   • GRA“Throw in relationships, plans for the future, gripes about parents and teachers, and whatever's currently trending online, and you've covered most of it.” — Reuses the imperative-conditional structure from 7.0 almost exactly, showing that this sentence pattern is already well-formed at 7.0 and mainly gets lexical polish rather than structural change at 7.5.

5. 5. How is the way people talk to strangers different from the way they talk to friends?

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

   Band 6.5

   The semicolon in the opening sentence is the only structural flourish; everything after runs in short, separate clauses.

   With strangers, people usually behave more carefully; with friends, they relax. I have seen my mother speak very politely to a stranger at the market, then immediately tease her best friend in the same way. With strangers, people choose safe topics, avoid strong opinions, and quickly fill silences because it feels awkward. With friends, silence is fine, and people can interrupt each other without being rude. Also, with strangers we listen to learn who they are, but with friends we already know them, so sometimes we don't listen as carefully.

   Why this band

   • FC“With strangers, people usually behave more carefully; with friends, they relax.” — A balanced but simple semicolon sentence. 7.5 achieves the same contrast with punchier, more idiomatic phrasing ('we perform a little; with friends, we finally relax'), where 'perform' is a sharper verb choice than 'behave more carefully'.
   • LR“behave more carefully” — A generic, literal verb phrase. 7.0 and 7.5 both replace it with the more figurative 'perform', which captures the idea of consciously managing one's presentation rather than simply being careful.
   • GRA“then immediately tease her best friend in the same way” — A simple coordinated clause. 7.5 compresses a similar idea into 'then turn and mock her best friend's hat in almost the same breath', a tighter idiomatic phrase ('in the same breath') that this plainer version doesn't use.

   Band 7.0

   The hedge 'I'd say' softens the opening claim, and the honest aside 'honestly, we sometimes stop listening' adds the reflective tone typical of this band.

   With strangers, I'd say we perform a little; with friends, we relax completely. I've watched my mother speak to a stranger at the market with quite formal politeness, then turn to her best friend and tease her in almost the same breath. With strangers, people tend to choose safer topics, avoid strong opinions, and fill silences quickly because silence can feel rude. With friends, though, silence is fine, interruptions feel affectionate rather than impolite, and you're allowed to be wrong out loud. There's also a difference in listening: with strangers we listen for clues about who they are, while with friends, honestly, we sometimes stop listening quite so carefully.

   Why this band

   • FC“you're allowed to be wrong out loud” — A vivid, idiomatic phrase that goes beyond 6.5's plain 'people can interrupt each other without being rude'. 7.5 keeps this phrase almost unchanged, showing it's already strong at 7.0.
   • LR“in almost the same breath” — An idiom signalling how quickly the mother switches registers, more sophisticated than 6.5's plain 'immediately... in the same way'. It appears again at 7.5, suggesting it's a ceiling-level phrase already.
   • GRA“There's also a difference in listening: with strangers we listen for clues about who they are, while with friends, honestly, we sometimes stop listening quite so carefully.” — A colon introduces an elaboration, followed by a contrastive clause with an inserted hedge ('honestly'), more structurally varied than 6.5's simple 'Also... but...' sentence on the same idea.

   Band 7.5

   The regional detail 'the full formal politeness Hue is known for' anchors the observation in specific, credible local knowledge rather than a generic claim.

   With strangers, we perform a little; with friends, we finally relax. I've watched my mother address a stranger at the market with the full formal politeness Hue is known for, then turn and mock her best friend's hat in almost the same breath. With strangers, people gravitate toward safer topics, steer clear of strong opinions, lean on titles and softer grammar, and rush to fill silences because silence feels rude. With friends, silence sits comfortably, interruptions read as affectionate rather than intrusive, and you're free to be wrong out loud. There's a subtler shift in listening too: with strangers we listen for cues about who they are, whereas with friends we already know — so, if I'm honest, we sometimes stop listening quite so closely.

   Why this band

   • FC“the full formal politeness Hue is known for” — Adds cultural specificity that neither lower band includes; 6.5 and 7.0 both just say 'formal politeness' or 'quite formal politeness' without locating it in a place, so this detail deepens the example.
   • LR“people gravitate toward safer topics, steer clear of strong opinions, lean on titles and softer grammar” — Three varied verb phrases ('gravitate toward', 'steer clear of', 'lean on') replace 6.5's repeated plain verbs ('choose', 'avoid', 'quickly fill'), giving the list more lexical variety.
   • GRA“whereas with friends we already know — so, if I'm honest, we sometimes stop listening quite so closely” — A dash interrupts the main clause to insert a hedge before the sentence resolves, a more flexible structure than 7.0's colon-based version of the same idea, itself already more complex than 6.5's simple coordinated sentence.

6. 6. Why do some people find it difficult to talk to people they don't know?

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

   Band 6.5

   The phrase 'find new people tiring to talk to' names the feeling directly, unlike 7.5's more abstract 'costly in energy'.

   Mainly because they are afraid of being judged before people really know them. At work events, I sometimes practise an opening line in my head, then stand near the snacks and say nothing, because I know a stranger only judges me by my first sentence. Some people also grew up in small towns with close families, so they never got used to strangers. Others had bad experiences before, or they are simply shy and find new people tiring to talk to. In Vietnam, the rules for addressing someone senior are also complicated, which makes a first sentence feel risky.

   Why this band

   • FC“practise an opening line in my head, then stand near the snacks and say nothing” — A concrete, plainly told anecdote. 7.5 tells the same story with a punchier verb ('plant myself near the snacks') and adds emphasis ('absolutely nothing'), giving the same content more vividness.
   • LR“find new people tiring to talk to” — Simple, literal wording for social fatigue. 7.0 and 7.5 both replace it with the more abstract, precise phrase 'costly in energy', a metaphor borrowed from economics that's more sophisticated than the plain description here.
   • GRA“Some people also grew up in small towns with close families, so they never got used to strangers.” — A simple cause-result sentence. 7.5 compresses a similar idea into a single balanced clause ('small towns and close-knit families produce excellent friends and nervous networkers in roughly equal measure'), which packs a contrast into the same space this plainer sentence needs two clauses for.

   Band 7.0

   The self-deprecating aside 'Speaking for myself' and the reflective 'and I know how much rests on it' keep the tone personal and slightly hedged.

   Speaking for myself, it's the fear of being judged before you've had the chance to be yourself. At industry events, I rehearse an opening line in the lift and stand next to the snacks saying nothing, because a stranger only has my first sentence to judge me by, and I know how much rests on it. Some people simply weren't raised around strangers, since small towns and close families tend to produce great friends but nervous networkers. Others have had bad experiences, or they're introverted and find each new person a bit draining. Cultures differ too — in Vietnam, the rules for addressing someone older or more senior are complex enough to make a first sentence feel risky.

   Why this band

   • FC“small towns and close families tend to produce great friends but nervous networkers” — A neat contrastive pairing ('great friends but nervous networkers'). 7.5 extends this with 'in roughly equal measure' and 'close-knit', adding precision that this 7.0 version doesn't quite reach.
   • LR“a bit draining” — A common, moderately informal phrase. 7.5 replaces it with the more original, economics-flavoured metaphor 'costly in energy', which is less common and more evocative.
   • GRA“Cultures differ too — in Vietnam, the rules for addressing someone older or more senior are complex enough to make a first sentence feel risky.” — A dash introduces the final point as an aside, more varied than 6.5's plain 'In Vietnam...' sentence starting cold. 7.5 pushes this further with the added metaphor 'like a minefield' at the very end.

   Band 7.5

   The closing simile 'feel like a minefield' is the kind of vivid, evaluative image that lifts the ending beyond 7.0's more neutral 'feel risky'.

   Speaking for myself, it's the fear of being judged before you've had any real chance to be yourself. At industry events I rehearse an opening line in the lift, then plant myself near the snacks and say absolutely nothing, because a stranger only has my first sentence to go on, and I know how much rides on it. Some people simply weren't raised around strangers — small towns and close-knit families produce excellent friends and nervous networkers in roughly equal measure. Others carry bad experiences, or they're genuinely introverted and find each new person costly in energy. And cultures diverge sharply here: in Vietnam, the etiquette around addressing someone older or more senior is intricate enough to make a single opening sentence feel like a minefield.

   Why this band

   • FC“feel like a minefield” — A vivid, slightly exaggerated simile that intensifies 7.0's plainer 'feel risky', giving the closing point a more memorable, idiomatic punch.
   • LR“costly in energy” — An economics-style metaphor for social fatigue, more original than 6.5's literal 'tiring to talk to' and slightly more polished than 7.0's more casual 'a bit draining'.
   • GRA“small towns and close-knit families produce excellent friends and nervous networkers in roughly equal measure” — A single balanced sentence with a parallel structure ('excellent friends and nervous networkers') plus a precise qualifier ('in roughly equal measure'), more compact and controlled than 7.0's similar but less tightly balanced version.

7. 7. How important is it for world leaders to hold regular discussions?

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

   Band 6.5

   The maintenance comparison is stated as a simple simile ('like regular maintenance') rather than developed into the sharper closing point the higher bands make.

   I think it's very important, for the same reason regular contact matters in any relationship. Problems tend to grow bigger when people stop talking. I once saw a small disagreement with a client almost turn into losing the contract, just because we stopped having our weekly call for a month. Between countries, the risk is much higher, and regular meetings help leaders build the trust needed to call each other quickly during a crisis. Even if meetings don't produce big results, they are still useful, like regular maintenance.

   Why this band

   • FC“Problems tend to grow bigger when people stop talking.” — A plain generalisation. 7.0 and 7.5 both compress this into the more compact, aphoristic 'problems grow in silence', which says the same thing with fewer, more carefully chosen words.
   • LR“like regular maintenance” — A simple simile stating the comparison directly. 7.5 develops the same idea into a fuller observation — 'you only notice maintenance once it stops' — which extends the metaphor rather than just naming it.
   • GRA“I once saw a small disagreement with a client almost turn into losing the contract, just because we stopped having our weekly call for a month.” — A single long sentence, but built from simple coordinated ideas. 7.5 expresses a similar anecdote with a more literary verb phrase ('edge toward a near-cancellation') and the addition 'assuming the worst', showing more descriptive control.

   Band 7.0

   The final dash-led claim 'that's rather the point' turns a simple observation into a small argued conclusion.

   Very important, I'd say, and for the same reason it matters in any relationship: problems tend to grow in silence. I've seen a minor disagreement with a client almost turn into a cancelled contract, simply because we let the weekly call slip and both sides spent a month assuming the worst. Between countries the stakes are obviously much higher, and regular contact builds the personal familiarity that makes an emergency call possible at all. It also stops leaders relying purely on what their advisers tell them about each other. Honestly, the meetings themselves often look like they've achieved nothing, but I'd argue that's rather the point — they're maintenance, and you only notice maintenance once it stops.

   Why this band

   • FC“problems tend to grow in silence” — A compact, near-aphoristic phrase compressing 6.5's longer sentence 'Problems tend to grow bigger when people stop talking' into fewer words with more rhetorical weight. 7.5 uses the identical phrase, suggesting it is already well pitched at 7.0.
   • LR“assuming the worst” — An idiomatic collocation adding psychological nuance that 6.5's version lacks entirely. It appears again almost unchanged at 7.5, showing this phrase already sits at a high level.
   • GRA“they're maintenance, and you only notice maintenance once it stops” — A two-part sentence that both states and extends the metaphor within one breath, more developed than 6.5's separate simile 'like regular maintenance'. 7.5's version is structurally almost identical, showing this construction was already strong here.

   Band 7.5

   The verb 'edge toward' in 'edge toward a near-cancellation' is a more precise, gradual image than 7.0's blunter 'turn into a cancelled contract'.

   Very, I'd say, and the logic is the same one that governs any relationship: problems grow fastest in silence. I've watched a minor disagreement with a client edge toward a near-cancellation simply because we let the weekly call slip, and both sides spent a month quietly assuming the worst. Between countries the stakes run enormously higher, and regular contact builds the personal familiarity that makes a crisis call even possible in the first place. It also keeps leaders from relying solely on what their advisers report about one another. The meetings themselves often produce nothing visible, granted, but that's rather the point — they're maintenance, and maintenance is the kind of thing you notice only once it stops.

   Why this band

   • FC“edge toward a near-cancellation” — A more gradual, precise verb phrase than 7.0's 'turn into a cancelled contract', suggesting a process rather than a single event, and 'near-cancellation' is a more exact noun than 6.5's plain 'losing the contract'.
   • LR“granted” — A single-word concessive marker, more compact and native-sounding than 6.5's plain 'Even if' and 7.0's 'Honestly, the meetings themselves often look like', showing more economical hedging.
   • GRA“The meetings themselves often produce nothing visible, granted, but that's rather the point — they're maintenance, and maintenance is the kind of thing you notice only once it stops.” — A long sentence layers a concession, a dash-led counter-claim, and a defining relative clause ('the kind of thing you notice only once it stops'), more elaborate than 7.0's already complex but shorter version of the same closing idea.

8. 8. Can international issues always be resolved through discussion?

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

   Band 6.5

   The final clause 'sometimes that delay is still useful' states the nuance plainly rather than closing on the sharper proverb-like line the higher bands use.

   No, not always, and I think it's unrealistic to believe otherwise. Two neighbours on my parents' street have argued over a wall for ten years, and even with the whole street trying to help, nothing has changed because both of them believe they are completely right. Some international problems are similar — both sides want something that cannot be shared. Discussion works better when there is room to compromise. But when one side wants something the other simply cannot give, talking mostly just delays the problem, and sometimes that delay is still useful.

   Why this band

   • FC“it's unrealistic to believe otherwise” — A plain adjective choice. 7.0 and 7.5 both use the stronger, more pointed 'naive to pretend otherwise', which carries more judgement than the neutral 'unrealistic'.
   • LR“both sides want something that cannot be shared” — A clear but generic description. 7.0 and 7.5 both replace it with the more technical, precise phrase 'fixed interests that simply don't overlap', which sounds more like considered political vocabulary.
   • GRA“and sometimes that delay is still useful” — A short, plain closing clause. 7.5 replaces this with a fuller comparative sentence — 'a dispute argued over for fifty years beats one fought over in five' — that makes the same point through a concrete, memorable contrast rather than a flat statement.

   Band 7.0

   The hedge 'though, to be fair' softens the closing claim into a considered afterthought rather than a flat add-on.

   Not always, no, and I think it's naive to pretend otherwise. Two neighbours on my parents' street have argued over a boundary wall for a decade, with the whole neighbourhood trying to mediate, and the talks have achieved essentially nothing because both of them genuinely believe they're right. Some international disputes work the same way — fixed interests that simply don't overlap. Discussion tends to work when there's room for a trade, or when both sides fear the alternative more than they fear compromising. Where one side wants what the other truly can't give, talking mostly just delays the outcome — though, to be fair, delay itself can still be valuable.

   Why this band

   • FC“fixed interests that simply don't overlap” — A precise, almost technical phrase for the underlying problem, more analytical than 6.5's plain 'want something that cannot be shared'. 7.5 reuses this exact phrase, showing it was already well-chosen at 7.0.
   • LR“it's naive to pretend otherwise” — A sharper, more judgemental adjective than 6.5's neutral 'unrealistic', giving the opinion more conviction. The same phrase carries over unchanged into 7.5.
   • GRA“Where one side wants what the other truly can't give, talking mostly just delays the outcome — though, to be fair, delay itself can still be valuable.” — A conditional clause plus a dash-led concession in one sentence, more structurally layered than 6.5's shorter 'But when... talking mostly just delays the problem' sentence, though 7.5 develops the final clause even further with a concrete comparison.

   Band 7.5

   The closing comparison 'a dispute argued over for fifty years beats one fought over in five' turns the abstract nuance into a concrete, memorable claim.

   Not always, no, and I think it's naive to pretend otherwise. Two neighbours on my parents' street have argued over a boundary wall for a decade, with the whole neighbourhood taking turns to mediate, and the talks have achieved nothing because both of them genuinely believe the wall can only sit in one place. Some international disputes are cut from the same cloth: fixed interests that simply don't overlap. Discussion earns its keep when there's room for a trade, or when both sides fear the alternative more than they fear compromise. Where one side wants what the other flatly can't give, talking mostly just postpones the reckoning. That said, postponement has its own value — a dispute argued over for fifty years beats one fought over in five.

   Why this band

   • FC“cut from the same cloth” — An idiom replacing 7.0's more literal 'work the same way', giving the comparison between the neighbour dispute and international disputes a more natural, native-sounding connector.
   • LR“postpones the reckoning” — A more dramatic, literary noun ('reckoning') than 7.0 and 6.5's plain 'delays the outcome' / 'delays the problem', giving the consequence more weight.
   • GRA“a dispute argued over for fifty years beats one fought over in five” — A tightly parallel comparative sentence contrasting 'argued over' with 'fought over' and 'fifty years' with 'five', a more sophisticated rhetorical construction than 7.0's simpler concessive clause 'delay itself can still be valuable'.

9. 9. How important is it to listen carefully when talking with friends?

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

   Band 6.5

   The final contrast 'many conversations are only half-heard' is close to the higher bands' wording but arrives without the sharper image of a café full of them.

   I think it's extremely important, and I learned this in an embarrassing way. A friend once told me about her marriage ending, but I was thinking about my own week instead of really listening, and I only realised when she stopped talking and looked at me. Friendship is mostly built on being the person who notices things. Listening carefully also helps you notice what isn't said, like a change in someone's tone. Friends who listen well also give better advice, because they understand the real question. Most people think they listen well, but honestly, many conversations are only half-heard.

   Why this band

   • FC“I was thinking about my own week instead of really listening” — A plain description of the lapse. 7.0 and 7.5 both dramatise it further with 'mentally composing a story about my own week', a more specific and slightly self-mocking image than this flat statement.
   • LR“a change in someone's tone” — General, undetailed wording. 7.0 and 7.5 both sharpen this to 'the flat tone, the subject that keeps getting changed', naming two concrete, specific cues rather than one vague category.
   • GRA“Most people think they listen well, but honestly, many conversations are only half-heard.” — A simple two-clause sentence joined by 'but'. 7.5 restructures a similar closing idea using an inverted, more literary sentence ('the sheer number of half-heard conversations drifting through any café suggests otherwise'), where the evidence becomes the grammatical subject rather than being tacked on after 'but'.

   Band 7.0

   The closing semicolon sentence sets a claim against counter-evidence in one breath, a more efficient move than 6.5's separate 'but' clause.

   It's basically the whole thing, honestly, and I learnt that lesson in an embarrassing way. A friend once spent ten minutes telling me her marriage was ending while I was mentally composing a story about my own week, and I only realised what she'd said when she stopped and looked at me. Friendship, I'd say, is largely built on being the person who noticed. Careful listening also catches what isn't said — the flat tone, the subject that keeps getting changed. And practically speaking, friends who listen give better advice, because they're answering the actual question. Most of us assume we're good listeners; the number of half-heard conversations in any café suggests otherwise.

   Why this band

   • FC“mentally composing a story about my own week” — A vivid, self-aware image replacing 6.5's plainer 'thinking about my own week instead of really listening'. 7.5 keeps this phrase almost identically, showing it was already well-pitched here.
   • LR“the flat tone, the subject that keeps getting changed” — Two specific, concrete details replace 6.5's vague 'a change in someone's tone'. The listing structure itself, without connecting words, is more compact and more native-sounding than a fuller sentence would be.
   • GRA“Most of us assume we're good listeners; the number of half-heard conversations in any café suggests otherwise.” — A semicolon joins a claim to contrary evidence without a connecting word, a more compact structure than 6.5's 'but'-joined sentence. 7.5 keeps nearly the same structure, adding only 'sheer' and 'drifting through' for extra vividness.

   Band 7.5

   The verb 'grasped' in place of 'realised' is a small but telling upgrade, suggesting effortful understanding rather than a simple realisation.

   It's the whole thing, honestly, and I learnt that the embarrassing way. A friend once spent ten minutes telling me her marriage was ending while I was quietly composing a story about my own week, and I only grasped what she'd said when she stopped talking and looked at me. Friendship, at bottom, is largely built on being the person who noticed. Careful listening also catches what goes unsaid — the flattened tone, the subject that keeps getting steered away from. And practically, friends who listen give sharper advice, because they're actually answering the question that was asked. Most of us like to think we're good listeners; the sheer number of half-heard conversations drifting through any café suggests otherwise.

   Why this band

   • FC“I only grasped what she'd said” — A more precise verb than 7.0 and 6.5's plain 'realised', suggesting the understanding took real mental effort to arrive at, which fits the story of a distracted friend catching up late.
   • LR“the subject that keeps getting steered away from” — A more active, deliberate-sounding phrase than 7.0's 'keeps getting changed', implying the avoidance is intentional rather than accidental, a subtler reading of the same behaviour.
   • GRA“the sheer number of half-heard conversations drifting through any café suggests otherwise” — The subject of the clause is expanded with 'sheer' and given a participial phrase ('drifting through any café'), making the sentence more descriptively loaded than 7.0's leaner but structurally similar version.