A Person You Know Who Enjoys Helping Other People

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 machines do people use at home to help them, for example with cleaning?

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

   Band 6.5

   Uses the plain verb 'are' for rice cookers' location and the general phrase 'don't think they really clean' for dishwasher scepticism.

   The usual list has grown fast in Vietnam. Washing machines are everywhere now, rice cookers are in every kitchen, and robot vacuums have arrived in a big way — my parents bought one last year, gave it a name, and my father genuinely argues with it when it gets stuck under the sofa. Air conditioners, water purifiers, and electric kettles are standard in cities. Dishwashers are still rare here, partly because of how we eat and partly because people don't think they really clean. What I notice is that each machine removes a chore but adds a small new job, so the time you save is always less than the advert promised.

   Why this band

   • FC“rice cookers are in every kitchen” — The plain verb 'are' simply states location. The 7.0/7.5 versions replace this with the more vivid verb 'sit', a small personifying touch that makes the sentence read slightly more naturally.
   • LR“people don't think they really clean” — This is a workable but slightly informal way of describing a common belief. The 7.0/7.5 versions replace it with the more formal noun phrase 'the belief that they don't really clean', which matches the more analytical tone of the rest of the answer.
   • GRA“each machine removes a chore but adds a small new job” — This uses the plain coordinator 'but' and the vague noun 'job'. The 7.0/7.5 versions replace 'but' with 'and' and 'a small new job' with the more precise 'a small maintenance job', both small but real upgrades in precision.

   Band 7.0

   Uses the more vivid verb 'sit' for rice cookers and the precise noun phrase 'a small maintenance job' for the closing observation.

   The usual list has grown fast in Vietnam. Washing machines are everywhere now, rice cookers sit in every kitchen, and robot vacuums have arrived in a big way — my parents bought one last year, gave it a name, and my father genuinely argues with it when it gets stuck under the sofa. Air conditioners, water purifiers and electric kettles are standard in cities. Dishwashers are still rare here, partly because of how we eat and partly because of the belief that they don't really clean. What I notice is that each machine removes a chore and adds a small maintenance job, so the total time saved is always less than the advert promised.

   Why this band

   • FC“sit in every kitchen” — This slightly personifying verb choice is a natural upgrade from the plain 6.5 verb 'are', giving the sentence a touch more descriptive life without changing the meaning.
   • LR“the belief that they don't really clean” — This nominalised phrase is more precise and formal than the plain 6.5 clause 'people don't think they really clean', better fitting the reflective, analytical tone established elsewhere in the answer.
   • GRA“each machine removes a chore and adds a small maintenance job, so the total time saved is always less than the advert promised” — This sentence uses 'and' rather than 'but' to link the two clauses, treating them as part of one continuous observation rather than a contrast, a subtly more sophisticated way of presenting cause and effect together.

   Band 7.5

   Adds the reflective adverbial 'by now' and the more precise closing verb pair 'quietly adds... never quite matches'.

   The usual list has grown fast in Vietnam. Washing machines are everywhere now, rice cookers sit in every kitchen, and robot vacuums have arrived in force — my parents bought one last year, named it, and my father genuinely argues with it whenever it gets stuck under the sofa. Air conditioners, water purifiers and electric kettles are, by now, standard issue in cities. Dishwashers remain rare here, partly because of how we eat and partly because of the lingering belief that they don't really clean. What strikes me is that each machine removes one chore and quietly adds a small maintenance job of its own, so the time actually saved never quite matches what the advert promised.

   Why this band

   • FC“robot vacuums have arrived in force” — The idiom 'in force' is a more vivid, almost military metaphor for sudden widespread adoption, replacing the plainer 7.0/6.5 phrase 'in a big way' with something more distinctive.
   • LR“the lingering belief that they don't really clean” — The added participle 'lingering' gives the noun phrase a sense of a stubborn, persistent idea, a more evocative upgrade from 7.0's plain 'the belief that they don't really clean'.
   • GRA“each machine removes one chore and quietly adds a small maintenance job of its own, so the time actually saved never quite matches what the advert promised” — This sentence adds the adverb 'quietly' and the phrase 'of its own' as parenthetical insertions within the main clause, and closes with the more idiomatic 'never quite matches' instead of 7.0's plainer comparative 'is always less than', showing more flexible control over sentence-internal modification.

2. 2. What do you think about whether parents should teach their children to help in the home?

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

   Band 6.5

   Ends the answer on the two parental mistakes without an added clause spelling out the consequence of the punishment mistake.

   They should, and early, and I say that as someone who didn't like it at the time. I was washing rice and sweeping the yard at seven years old, and I only understood why when I moved into my first flat at twenty and watched a flatmate who had never done either struggle with both. Helping at home teaches you to be capable, of course, but it also teaches that a household is shared work, not a service one tired adult provides. It builds a feeling of belonging — you're a member, not a guest. The mistake some parents make is doing everything for the child out of love, or using chores as a punishment.

   Why this band

   • FC“I say that as someone who didn't like it at the time.” — This is a plain, direct way of admitting past reluctance. The 7.0/7.5 versions replace 'didn't like it' with the more precise, slightly formal verb 'resented', a stronger and more natural word for describing childhood frustration.
   • LR“Helping at home teaches you to be capable, of course, but it also teaches” — This repeats the verb 'teaches' with the object 'you to be capable'. The 7.0/7.5 versions replace this with the single abstract noun 'competence', a more economical and formal way of naming the same quality.
   • GRA“The mistake some parents make is doing everything for the child out of love, or using chores as a punishment.” — This sentence lists the two mistakes with 'or' but stops there. The 7.0/7.5 versions extend the same sentence with a further relative clause explaining the consequence of the second mistake, adding an extra layer of reasoning within one sentence.

   Band 7.0

   Adds the hedge 'I'd say' before naming the two parental mistakes and extends the closing sentence with a consequence clause.

   They should, and early, and I say that as someone who resented it at the time. I was washing rice and sweeping the yard at seven, and I only understood why when I moved into my first flat at twenty and watched a flatmate who'd never done either struggle with both. Helping at home teaches competence, obviously, but it also teaches that a household is shared work rather than a service provided by one tired adult. It builds a sense of belonging — you're a member, not a guest. The mistake some parents make, I'd say, is either doing everything for the child out of love, or using chores as punishment, which teaches the opposite lesson entirely.

   Why this band

   • FC“I'd say,” — This hedge softens the claim about parental mistakes, a more natural spoken device than the flat 6.5 statement 'The mistake some parents make is'. The 7.5 version drops the hedge for a more direct, confident final claim.
   • LR“resented” — This precise, formal verb is a clear upgrade from the plain 6.5 phrase 'didn't like it', capturing childhood frustration more vividly and naturally.
   • GRA“which teaches the opposite lesson entirely” — This relative clause extends the closing sentence with an explicit consequence, a structural move the 6.5 version doesn't make, stopping instead at simply naming the two mistakes.

   Band 7.5

   Drops the hedge used at 7.0 and replaces the vague 'opposite lesson entirely' with the more specific, ironic final clause about helping being tied to punishment.

   They should, and early, and I say that as someone who resented it at the time. I was washing rice and sweeping the yard at seven, and I only understood why when I moved into my first flat at twenty and watched a flatmate who'd never done either struggle with both. Helping at home teaches competence, obviously, but also that a household is shared work rather than a service provided by one tired adult. It builds a sense of belonging — you're a member, not a guest. The mistake some parents make is either doing everything for the child out of love, or using chores as punishment, which teaches that helping is what happens when you've been bad.

   Why this band

   • FC“The mistake some parents make is either doing everything for the child out of love, or using chores as punishment, which teaches that helping is what happens when you've been bad.” — This closing sentence states the mistake directly, without the hedge 'I'd say' used at 7.0, and replaces 7.0's vaguer consequence ('teaches the opposite lesson entirely') with a specific, ironic explanation of exactly what gets taught instead.
   • LR“teaches that helping is what happens when you've been bad” — This precise, almost ironic final clause names the exact wrong lesson a child learns, a more specific and memorable upgrade from 7.0's vaguer closing phrase 'teaches the opposite lesson entirely'.
   • GRA“but also that a household is shared work rather than a service provided by one tired adult” — This drops the repeated 'it' before 'also', fusing the two verb complements ('teaches competence... but also that a household is...') into one smoother coordinated structure, a slightly tighter construction than 7.0's version, which repeats the subject 'it' before 'also teaches'.

3. 3. Do you agree or disagree that it's important for everyone in a family to help in the home?

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

   Band 6.5

   Ends the closing sentence at 'tend to be quietly angry', without the concessive clause the higher bands add.

   I agree, and the reason isn't really about fairness, it's about what unfairness does to a family. For years my mother cooked the whole Tết feast alone while everyone else watched television, and the resentment came out in small ways all year. When my sister and I started taking two dishes each, the cooking became something we did together and the whole holiday felt warmer. Everyone helping doesn't mean everyone doing the same amount; a small child can lay the table and a grandparent can shell peas. What matters is that nobody is only a consumer of the home. Families where one person carries it all tend to be quietly angry.

   Why this band

   • FC“the reason isn't really about fairness, it's about what unfairness does to a family” — This uses the plain phrase 'isn't really about... it's about'. The 7.0/7.5 versions replace this with the more idiomatic comparative structure 'isn't so much fairness as' / 'isn't fairness so much as', a more elegant, native-sounding way of making the same contrast.
   • LR“the resentment came out in small ways all year” — This is complete but plain. The 7.0 version extends it slightly to 'all year round', a small but more natural, idiomatic addition to the same time phrase.
   • GRA“Families where one person carries it all tend to be quietly angry.” — This sentence ends without further qualification. The 7.0/7.5 versions extend the same sentence with the concessive tag 'whether or not anyone says so', adding a further layer of nuance within one sentence.

   Band 7.0

   Uses the more idiomatic comparative 'isn't so much fairness as' and extends the closing sentence with the concessive tag.

   I agree, and the reason isn't so much fairness as what unfairness does to a family. For years my mother cooked the entire Tết feast alone while everyone else watched television, and the resentment came out in small ways all year round. When my sister and I started taking two dishes each, the cooking became a thing we did together, and the whole holiday got noticeably warmer. Everyone helping doesn't mean everyone doing the same; a small child can lay the table and a grandparent can shell peas. What matters is that nobody is only a consumer of the home. Families where one person carries it all tend to be quietly angry, whether or not anyone says so.

   Why this band

   • FC“isn't so much fairness as what unfairness does to a family” — This idiomatic 'not so much X as Y' comparative structure is more elegant and native-sounding than the plainer 6.5 phrasing 'isn't really about fairness, it's about'.
   • LR“all year round” — This slightly fuller, more idiomatic time phrase is a small natural upgrade from the plain 6.5 phrase 'all year'.
   • GRA“whether or not anyone says so” — This concessive tag, absent from the 6.5 version, extends the final sentence with an additional layer of nuance, a structural move the 6.5 version doesn't make.

   Band 7.5

   Trims 'all year round' back to the leaner 'all year' while keeping the more elegant comparative structure and concessive close.

   I agree, and the reason isn't fairness so much as what unfairness does to a family. For years my mother cooked the entire Tết feast alone while everyone else watched television, and the resentment came out in small ways all year. When my sister and I started taking two dishes each, the cooking became a thing we did together and the whole holiday got warmer. Everyone helping doesn't mean everyone doing the same; a small child can lay the table and a grandparent can shell peas. What matters is that nobody is only a consumer of the home. Families where one person carries it all tend to be quietly angry, whether or not anyone says so.

   Why this band

   • FC“isn't fairness so much as what unfairness does to a family” — This reorders the comparative slightly compared with 7.0's 'isn't so much fairness as', placing 'fairness' first for a marginally more natural, emphatic rhythm in spoken English.
   • LR“all year” — This reverts to the leaner 6.5 phrasing rather than 7.0's slightly fuller 'all year round', suggesting a deliberately economical choice consistent with the tighter overall phrasing elsewhere in this band's answer.
   • GRA“Families where one person carries it all tend to be quietly angry, whether or not anyone says so.” — This closing sentence is identical to 7.0's, showing the concessive tag introduced at 7.0 was already a mature, higher-band structure requiring no further change at the top band.

4. 4. What kinds of things do people need help with when they start a new job?

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

   Band 6.5

   Uses the plain adjective 'silly' for the kind of questions new people need permission to ask, and the intensifier 'much' before 'more'.

   The unwritten things, much more than the written ones. In my first week at the studio I could use every tool but had no idea that the youngest person made the morning coffee, that one client was never called before ten, and that the boss liked to hear bad news in person. New people need someone to explain those rules, plus practical help, like passwords and who actually decides things. They need permission to ask silly questions, and a small early task they can finish, because nothing calms nerves like finishing something. And they need one person who checks in at the end of the day.

   Why this band

   • FC“The unwritten things, much more than the written ones.” — The intensifier 'much' is plain but functional. The 7.0/7.5 versions replace it with 'far', a slightly more emphatic and natural intensifier in this comparative context.
   • LR“permission to ask silly questions” — This is a workable but slightly childish adjective choice. The 7.0/7.5 versions replace 'silly' with 'stupid', a stronger, more natural collocation for describing the fear new employees have about looking incompetent.
   • GRA“that one client was never called before ten, and that the boss liked to hear bad news in person” — This lists two rules joined by 'and'. The 7.0/7.5 versions add a third item to the same list, joined with 'or' instead, and use the more precise passive construction 'was never to be called' rather than the simpler active 'was never called'.

   Band 7.0

   Uses 'far' as a stronger intensifier and extends the closing sentence with a clause about most companies skipping the final step.

   The unwritten things, far more than the written ones. In my first week at the studio I could use every tool but had no idea that the youngest person made the morning coffee, that one particular client was never to be called before ten, or that the boss preferred bad news in person. New people need someone to explain those rules, plus practical help — passwords, where things are, who actually decides. They need permission to ask stupid questions, and a small early task they can complete, because nothing settles nerves quite like finishing something. And they need one person who checks in at the end of the day, which most companies skip entirely.

   Why this band

   • FC“far more than the written ones” — The intensifier 'far' is a more emphatic, natural upgrade from the plain 6.5 word 'much', better suiting the confident opening claim of the answer.
   • LR“stupid questions” — This stronger, more natural collocation is a clear upgrade from the plain 6.5 phrase 'silly questions', better capturing the specific fear of looking incompetent in front of new colleagues.
   • GRA“was never to be called before ten” — This passive 'was never to be called' construction is more formal and precise than the simple active 'was never called' used at 6.5, expressing an implicit rule rather than a simple past fact.

   Band 7.5

   Trims the closing clause used at 7.0 into its own separate sentence for a punchier final observation.

   The unwritten things, far more than the written ones. In my first week at the studio I could use every tool but had no idea that the youngest person made the morning coffee, that one particular client was never to be called before ten, or that the boss preferred bad news in person. New people need someone to explain those rules, plus practical help — passwords, where things are, who actually decides. They need permission to ask stupid questions, and a small early task they can complete, because nothing settles nerves like finishing something. And they need one person who checks in at the end of the day. Most companies provide the login and skip everything else.

   Why this band

   • FC“Most companies provide the login and skip everything else.” — This closing observation is given its own short, separate sentence rather than being attached to the previous one with 'which' as at 7.0, creating a punchier, more memorable final statement.
   • LR“nothing settles nerves like finishing something” — This drops the intensifier 'quite' used at 7.0's version of the same phrase, a slightly leaner, more confident final version of the same idiomatic claim.
   • GRA“Most companies provide the login and skip everything else.” — This short standalone sentence functions as a final independent clause rather than a subordinate 'which' clause attached to the previous sentence, as at 7.0, giving the ending a more deliberate, aphoristic rhythm.

5. 5. Do you think employees should ask their manager for help at work?

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

   Band 6.5

   Explains the manager's shortcut knowledge with the repeated phrase 'nobody else knows', and ends without the final sentence about the cost of not asking.

   Yes, and sooner than most of us actually do. I once lost two days on a layout problem because of pride, and when I finally showed my boss, she solved it in ten minutes and asked why I had waited — the honest answer was that I didn't want to look incapable. Good managers would rather hear a problem early than find out about it late, and they usually know shortcuts nobody else knows. The skill is in how you ask: bring what you've already tried and a specific question, not just 'help'. There is a limit, though; someone who asks about everything is really asking the manager to do their job for them.

   Why this band

   • FC“they usually know shortcuts nobody else knows” — This repeats the verb 'knows' twice, which is clear but slightly redundant. The 7.0/7.5 versions replace the second instance with 'does', avoiding the repetition through ellipsis.
   • LR“I once lost two days on a layout problem because of pride” — The cause is expressed with the plain phrase 'because of pride'. The 7.0 version intensifies this to 'out of pure pride', a more vivid, self-deprecating phrasing that adds a touch of personality to the confession.
   • GRA“There is a limit, though; someone who asks about everything is really asking the manager to do their job for them.” — This sentence ends with the trailing phrase 'for them'. The 7.0/7.5 versions drop this, ending on the leaner 'to do their job', which is more economical while keeping the same meaning.

   Band 7.0

   Uses ellipsis ('nobody else does') to avoid repeating the verb 'know' and adds a final sentence about the cost of not asking.

   Yes, and sooner than most of us do. I once lost two days on a layout problem out of pure pride, and when I finally showed my boss, she solved it in ten minutes and asked why I'd waited — the honest answer was that I didn't want to look incapable. Good managers would rather hear a problem early than discover it late, and they usually know shortcuts nobody else does. The skill is in how you ask: bring what you've tried and a specific question, not just 'help'. There's a limit, of course; a person who asks about everything is really asking the manager to do their job. But the fear of asking, honestly, costs companies far more than over-asking ever does.

   Why this band

   • FC“nobody else does” — This ellipsis, standing in for 'knows', avoids the repeated verb used at 6.5 ('nobody else knows'), a more economical and natural piece of spoken grammar.
   • LR“out of pure pride” — The intensifier 'pure' sharpens the plain 6.5 phrase 'because of pride', adding a touch of self-deprecating emphasis to the admission.
   • GRA“But the fear of asking, honestly, costs companies far more than over-asking ever does.” — This additional closing sentence, absent from the 6.5 version, extends the argument with a final comparative generalisation, a structural move the 6.5 version doesn't make.

   Band 7.5

   Removes the hedge 'honestly' from the closing sentence used at 7.0, stating the final comparison with more direct confidence.

   Yes, and sooner than most of us do. I once lost two days on a layout problem out of pride, and when I finally showed my boss she solved it in ten minutes and asked why I'd waited — the honest answer was that I didn't want to look incapable. Good managers would rather hear a problem early than discover it late, and they usually know shortcuts nobody else does. The skill is in how you ask: bring what you've tried and a specific question, not just 'help'. There's a limit, of course; a person who asks about everything is really asking the manager to do their job. But the fear of asking costs companies far more than over-asking ever does.

   Why this band

   • FC“But the fear of asking costs companies far more than over-asking ever does.” — This closing sentence states the comparison directly, without the mid-sentence hedge 'honestly' used at 7.0, giving the final generalisation slightly more unhedged authority.
   • LR“out of pride” — This reverts to the leaner 6.5-style phrase rather than 7.0's intensified 'out of pure pride', suggesting a deliberately understated, confident register consistent with the rest of this band's closing paragraph.
   • GRA“a person who asks about everything is really asking the manager to do their job” — This clause is identical to 7.0's already-economical version, confirming that the trailing 'for them' cut at 6.5 was already resolved by 7.0 and needed no further change at the top band.

6. 6. Do you think many people will lose their jobs because of help from artificial intelligence?

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

   Band 6.5

   Ends the answer on a shorter, more tentative final clause without the emphatic double negative the higher bands build.

   Some will, and I can already see the shape of it. My studio hired one junior designer this year instead of the usual three, because the first drafts they used to spend weeks on now come out of software in an hour. That's not three people fired; it's two jobs that never existed, which is probably how most of the loss will happen — quietly, at the entry level. Whole types of routine work, like basic translation, customer support and bookkeeping, will shrink. Whether 'many' is the right word depends on how fast new work appears alongside it. History suggests it does, but maybe not for the same people.

   Why this band

   • FC“Some will, and I can already see the shape of it.” — This opening is plain and direct. The 7.0 version extends it slightly with 'happening' at the end, a small but natural addition that makes the claim feel more concrete and ongoing.
   • LR“Whole types of routine work” — This is a workable but slightly informal category noun. The 7.0/7.5 versions replace 'types' with the more formal, precise noun 'categories', a small but real register upgrade appropriate to a discussion of labour trends.
   • GRA“History suggests it does, but maybe not for the same people.” — This sentence ends after one qualifying clause. The 7.0/7.5 versions extend the same sentence with a further clause about the gap being 'where the real damage happens', adding an evaluative conclusion the 6.5 version doesn't reach.

   Band 7.0

   Adds the word 'happening' to the opening and extends the closing sentence with the evaluative clause about where 'the real damage happens'.

   Some will, and I can already see the shape of it happening. My studio hired one junior designer this year instead of the usual three, because the first drafts they used to spend weeks on now come out of software in an hour. That's not three people fired; it's two jobs that never appeared, which is probably how most of the loss will actually happen — quietly, at the entry level. Whole categories of routine work, like basic translation, customer support and bookkeeping, will shrink. Whether 'many' is the right word depends on how quickly new work appears alongside it. History suggests it does, but not necessarily for the same people, and that gap is where the real damage happens.

   Why this band

   • FC“I can already see the shape of it happening” — The added participle 'happening' makes this claim feel more concrete and ongoing than the plain 6.5 version 'I can already see the shape of it', a small but deliberate extension.
   • LR“categories of routine work” — This more formal, precise noun is a clear upgrade from the plain 6.5 word 'types', better fitting the analytical register of a discussion about labour market shifts.
   • GRA“and that gap is where the real damage happens” — This final clause, absent from the 6.5 version, extends the closing sentence with an evaluative conclusion, a structural move the 6.5 version doesn't make, stopping instead at the milder observation about timing.

   Band 7.5

   Adds a further parallel clause, 'and not at the same time', extending the closing sentence one step beyond the 7.0 version.

   Some will, and I can already see the shape of it. My studio hired one junior designer this year instead of the usual three, because the first drafts they used to spend weeks on now come out of software in an hour. That's not three people fired; it's two jobs that never appeared, which is how most of the loss will happen — quietly, at the entry level. Whole categories of routine work, like basic translation, customer support and bookkeeping, will shrink. Whether 'many' is the right word depends on how quickly new work appears alongside. History suggests it does, but not for the same people, and not at the same time, and that gap is where real damage happens.

   Why this band

   • FC“but not for the same people, and not at the same time, and that gap is where real damage happens” — This closing sentence adds a third parallel clause ('and not at the same time') beyond the two clauses used at 7.0, building a triple structure that makes the final point about timing more emphatic and complete.
   • LR“it's two jobs that never appeared” — This phrase is identical to 7.0's already precise wording, showing the lexical upgrade from 6.5's 'never existed' to 'never appeared' was already achieved at 7.0.
   • GRA“Some will, and I can already see the shape of it.” — This reverts to the leaner 6.5-style opening without the extra participle 'happening' used at 7.0, suggesting a deliberately compact opening that leaves room for the more elaborate triple-clause ending later in the same answer.

7. 7. Do you think everyone has a responsibility to help to improve society?

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

   Band 6.5

   Uses the plain verb phrase 'gave... the job of' rather than the more precise formal verb 'assigned'.

   I think so, though how much responsibility depends on what a person can actually carry. Nobody gave Mr Tâm the job of keeping our building's flood list; he saw a gap and filled it, and that seems to me like the model — not grand duty, but noticing what's in front of you. A person struggling to feed their family has already met their responsibility by doing that. Someone with more time, money or skills has more to answer for. Where I'd push back is on the idea that responsibility means activism; helping a neighbour, doing your job honestly and raising good children improve society more than most campaigns.

   Why this band

   • FC“Nobody gave Mr Tâm the job of keeping our building's flood list” — This uses the everyday phrase 'gave... the job of'. The 7.0/7.5 versions replace this with the single, more formal verb 'assigned', a more economical and precise way of expressing the same idea of an official, delegated duty.
   • LR“A person struggling to feed their family has already met their responsibility by doing that.” — The adverb 'already' adds a slightly redundant emphasis. The 7.0/7.5 versions drop it, tightening the sentence to 'has met their responsibility by doing that/exactly that', a cleaner construction.
   • GRA“improve society more than most campaigns.” — This comparative ends plainly. The 7.0 version extends it with 'ever do', an emphatic echo structure that intensifies the comparison, showing a more developed grammatical device than the plain comparative used here.

   Band 7.0

   Uses the precise verb 'assigned' and intensifies the closing comparison with the echo structure 'ever do'.

   I think so, though the size of the responsibility varies with what a person can carry. Nobody assigned Mr Tâm the job of keeping our building's flood list; he saw a gap and filled it, and that seems to me the model — not grand duty, but noticing what's in front of you. A person struggling to feed their family has met their responsibility by doing exactly that. Someone with time, money or skills has more to answer for. Where I'd push back is on the idea that responsibility means activism; helping a neighbour, doing your job honestly and raising decent children improve society more than most campaigns ever do.

   Why this band

   • FC“Nobody assigned Mr Tâm the job” — This single, precise verb is a clear economical upgrade from the fuller 6.5 phrase 'gave... the job of', capturing the sense of an official duty in one word.
   • LR“has met their responsibility by doing exactly that” — The added intensifier 'exactly' sharpens the claim slightly more than the plain 6.5 phrase 'has already met their responsibility by doing that', giving the sentence a touch more precision.
   • GRA“improve society more than most campaigns ever do” — The echo structure 'ever do' after the comparative intensifies the claim, a more sophisticated grammatical device than the plain comparative ending used at 6.5, which stops at 'more than most campaigns'.

   Band 7.5

   Drops the intensifier 'ever do' used at 7.0's ending and instead adds a further closing sentence generalising the whole argument.

   I think so, though the size of the responsibility varies with what a person can carry. Nobody assigned Mr Tâm the job of keeping our building's flood list; he saw a gap and filled it, and that seems to me the model — not grand duty, but noticing what's in front of you. A person struggling to feed their family has met their responsibility by doing that. Someone with time, money or skills has more to answer for. Where I'd push back is on the idea that responsibility means activism; helping a neighbour, doing your job honestly and raising decent children improve society more than most campaigns. Everyone owes something, but the something can be small.

   Why this band

   • FC“Everyone owes something, but the something can be small.” — This additional closing sentence, absent from both 6.5 and 7.0, distils the whole argument into a final compact generalisation, a structural device unique to this band.
   • LR“the something can be small” — This deliberately vague repetition of 'something' as a noun is a distinctive, almost playful piece of phrasing that neither lower band attempts, giving the final line a memorable, aphoristic quality.
   • GRA“improve society more than most campaigns. Everyone owes something, but the something can be small.” — Rather than intensifying the comparative sentence itself (as 7.0 does with 'ever do'), this band adds an entirely new short sentence afterwards, a different but equally valid way of extending and rounding off the same idea.

8. 8. What do you think of the view that the best way for individuals to help society is by paying taxes?

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

   Band 6.5

   Uses the fuller phrase 'isn't fair to people' rather than the more idiomatic 'sells people short'.

   It's the foundation, but calling it the best way isn't fair to people. My taxes pay for the lifeguard station on My Khe Beach and the hospital my friend works in, and that matters more than any amount of volunteering — you can't replace a health system with good intentions. But taxes are also the easiest contribution, because they're taken from you; there's no real effort or care involved. The flood list in my building isn't in any budget, and no tax would ever create it. I'd say paying taxes honestly is the minimum, and a society where that's all people do is functional but cold.

   Why this band

   • FC“but calling it the best way isn't fair to people” — This uses the plain, general phrase 'isn't fair to people'. The 7.0/7.5 versions replace it with the idiomatic phrasal expression 'sells people short', a more vivid, natural way of criticising an overstated claim.
   • LR“there's no real effort or care involved” — This is a workable but slightly vague pairing. The 7.0/7.5 versions replace 'real effort' with 'attention', a more precise and natural noun to pair with 'care' in this context.
   • GRA“I'd say paying taxes honestly is the minimum, and a society where that's all people do is functional but cold.” — This sentence ends the answer without a further generalising clause. The 7.0/7.5 versions add a whole extra closing sentence, 'The best help is usually the kind nobody can collect', extending the argument with a final aphorism.

   Band 7.0

   Uses the idiomatic phrase 'sells people rather short' and adds the closing aphorism about help nobody can collect.

   It's the foundation, but calling it the best way sells people rather short. My taxes pay for the lifeguard station on My Khe Beach and the hospital my friend works in, and that matters more than any amount of volunteering — you can't replace a health system with good intentions. But taxes are also the easiest contribution, because they're simply taken from you; there's no attention or care involved. The flood list in my building isn't in any budget, and no tax would ever create it. I'd say paying taxes honestly is the minimum, and a society where that's all people do is functional but cold. The best help is usually the kind nobody can collect.

   Why this band

   • FC“sells people rather short” — This idiomatic phrase is a vivid, natural upgrade from the plain 6.5 phrase 'isn't fair to people', with 'rather' softening it slightly as a natural spoken hedge.
   • LR“no attention or care involved” — This more precise noun pairing is a clear upgrade from the vaguer 6.5 phrase 'no real effort or care involved', better capturing the specific quality that taxation lacks compared with voluntary help.
   • GRA“The best help is usually the kind nobody can collect.” — This additional closing sentence, absent from the 6.5 version, extends the argument with a final memorable generalisation, a structural move the 6.5 version doesn't make.

   Band 7.5

   Drops the softening 'rather' from the idiomatic phrase used at 7.0, stating the criticism with slightly more direct force.

   It's the foundation, but calling it the best way sells people short. My taxes pay for the lifeguard station on My Khe Beach and the hospital my friend works in, and that matters more than any amount of volunteering — you can't replace a health system with good intentions. But taxes are also the easiest contribution, because they're taken from you; there's no attention or care involved. The flood list in my building isn't in any budget, and no tax would create it. I'd say paying taxes honestly is the minimum, and a society where that's all people do is functional but cold. The best help is usually the kind nobody can collect.

   Why this band

   • FC“but calling it the best way sells people short” — This states the criticism directly, without the softening adverb 'rather' used at 7.0's version of the same idiom, giving the claim slightly more unhedged force.
   • LR“no attention or care involved” — This phrase is identical to 7.0's already precise wording, showing the lexical upgrade from 6.5's vaguer phrasing was already achieved at 7.0.
   • GRA“no tax would create it” — This drops the intensifying adverb 'ever' used at 7.0's version of the same clause ('no tax would ever create it'), a small but deliberate economy consistent with the slightly leaner phrasing throughout this band's answer.

9. 9. Do you agree or disagree that individuals can't help to transform society and that it's only governments that can take effective action?

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

   Band 6.5

   Ends the final clause with the simple coordinator 'but' rather than the semicolon the higher bands use.

   I disagree, but with respect for what governments can do. A monthly beach cleanup in Da Nang started with five people, grew to hundreds, and eventually embarrassed the city into changing how it manages beach cleaning — the individuals created the pressure, and the government did the actual changing. That's usually how it works: people change what's considered normal, and governments follow once it feels safe to. Only governments can build the drainage, pass the law or fund the hospital, so the view isn't completely wrong about effective action. But governments rarely act on things nobody is asking for. Individuals can't transform society alone, but they can decide what society will accept.

   Why this band

   • FC“the individuals created the pressure, and the government did the actual changing” — This clause uses the coordinator 'and' plus the phrase 'the actual changing'. The 7.0/7.5 versions replace 'and' with an asyndetic comma-only join and use the more precise noun 'transforming', a tighter and more economical construction.
   • LR“the actual changing” — This is a workable but slightly clumsy nominalised phrase. The 7.0/7.5 versions replace it with the more precise, single word 'transforming', which echoes the key verb of the question itself.
   • GRA“Individuals can't transform society alone, but they can decide what society will accept.” — This final sentence is joined with the coordinator 'but'. The 7.0/7.5 versions replace 'but' with a semicolon, a more compact and slightly more literary way of joining two closely related final clauses.

   Band 7.0

   Replaces 'and' with an asyndetic comma join in the beach-cleanup sentence and adds a relative clause to the closing sentence.

   I disagree, but with respect for what governments can do. A monthly beach cleanup in Da Nang started with five people, grew to hundreds, and eventually embarrassed the city into changing how it contracts beach cleaning — the individuals created the pressure, the government did the transforming. That's usually how it works: people change what's considered normal, and governments follow once it's safe to. Only governments can build the drainage, pass the law or fund the hospital, so the view isn't entirely wrong about effective action. But governments rarely act on things nobody is demanding. Individuals can't transform society alone; they can decide what society will accept, which is where transformation genuinely starts.

   Why this band

   • FC“the individuals created the pressure, the government did the transforming” — This asyndetic construction, joining two clauses with only a comma and no conjunction, is a more compact, rhetorically confident structure than the 6.5 version's fuller 'and' join.
   • LR“transforming” — This precise noun, echoing the key verb from the question itself, is a clear upgrade from the vaguer 6.5 phrase 'the actual changing'.
   • GRA“which is where transformation genuinely starts” — This relative clause extends the closing sentence beyond the semicolon-joined pair, adding a further explanatory layer the 6.5 version's simpler 'but' sentence doesn't reach.

   Band 7.5

   Drops the intensifier 'genuinely' from the closing relative clause used at 7.0, ending on a slightly more restrained final observation.

   I disagree, but with respect for what governments can do. A monthly beach cleanup in Da Nang started with five people, grew to hundreds, and eventually embarrassed the city into changing how it contracts beach cleaning — the individuals created the pressure, the government did the transforming. That's usually how it works: people change what's considered normal, and governments follow once it's safe to. Only governments can build the drainage, pass the law or fund the hospital, so the view isn't entirely wrong about effective action. But governments rarely act on things nobody is demanding. Individuals can't transform society alone; they can decide what society will accept, which is where transformation starts.

   Why this band

   • FC“which is where transformation starts” — This states the closing observation directly, without the intensifier 'genuinely' used at 7.0's version of the same clause, giving the final line a slightly more understated, confident register.
   • LR“the government did the transforming” — This phrase is identical to 7.0's already precise wording, confirming the lexical upgrade from 6.5's 'the actual changing' was already achieved at 7.0.
   • GRA“Individuals can't transform society alone; they can decide what society will accept, which is where transformation starts.” — This sentence keeps the same semicolon-plus-relative-clause structure introduced at 7.0, showing that particular grammatical development was already mature at 7.0, with 7.5's refinement concentrated in trimming the intensifier rather than changing the structure.