A Person's Home You Visited That You Liked but Would Not Want to Live In

Part 3 follow-up questions

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

1. 1. How usual is it to visit people at home in your country?

   Sep–Dec 2026
   Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question

   Band 6.5

   The 6.5 answer states the point directly and links ideas with simple connectors like 'But' and 'because', staying close to modest, everyday vocabulary throughout.

   It's very usual, but it depends on where you are. In Hue, my parents' relatives often just drop in around dinner time without calling first, and everyone thinks that's normal and friendly. At Tết, almost everyone visits other people's homes for three days. But among my friends in Da Nang, it's different, because we usually meet in cafés instead. I think this is because our flats are small and a home visit feels more personal than coffee.

   Why this band

   • FC“But among my friends in Da Nang, it's different, because we usually meet in cafés instead.” — This uses simple 'But...because' connectors to link ideas step by step in two short linked sentences. A 7+ band would blend this into one clause using a parallel structure like 'partly...partly' instead of two separate sentences.
   • LR“everyone thinks that's normal and friendly” — The adjectives 'normal and friendly' are modest, everyday vocabulary. A higher band would reach for a more precise collocation, such as 'regarded as hospitality rather than intrusion', to say the same thing.
   • GRA“I think this is because our flats are small and a home visit feels more personal than coffee.” — This is a simple compound sentence built with 'because', with no subordinate or participial structures. A 7.5 answer would compress the same reasoning into an absolute clause like 'our flats being too cramped'.

   Band 7.0

   The 7.0 answer opens with the natural spoken marker 'Honestly' and uses a moderately complex 'partly...partly' sentence to explain the contrast between generations.

   Honestly, it depends a lot on generation and location. Back in Hue, my parents' relatives still drop in unannounced around dinner time, which is seen as warmth rather than an intrusion, and at Tết, visiting from house to house for three days is almost compulsory. Among my friends in Da Nang, though, it's rarer, partly because our flats are small and partly because inviting someone home feels more intimate than just grabbing a coffee. So I'd say the countryside and older generations keep this open-door habit alive, while younger city people have moved their social lives outdoors instead.

   Why this band

   • FC“Honestly, it depends a lot on generation and location.” — This spoken opener signals the speaker's stance before elaborating, which is more natural discourse management than the flatter 'It's very usual, but it depends on where you are' opening typical of a 6.5 answer.
   • LR“which is seen as warmth rather than an intrusion” — This is a mild collocation ('seen as warmth') rather than plain wording like 'thinks that's normal and friendly'. It is not yet as idiomatic as a 7.5 answer's 'regarded as hospitality rather than intrusion'.
   • GRA“partly because our flats are small and partly because inviting someone home feels more intimate than just grabbing a coffee” — The balanced 'partly...partly' parallel structure is a moderately complex sentence pattern, going beyond the simple single 'because' clause a 6.5 answer would use for the same reason.

   Band 7.5

   The 7.5 answer uses the idiomatic collocation 'think nothing of turning up' and compresses two reasons into a single absolute clause with 'our flats being too cramped', giving it more flexible, compact grammar.

   It's remarkably common still, though the custom is fraying along generational lines. In Hue, relatives of my parents think nothing of turning up unannounced around dinner time and being fed on the spot — a practice regarded as hospitality rather than intrusion — and at Tết, house-hopping for three straight days is practically obligatory. Among my Da Nang friends, though, that openness has largely given way to café meetups, our flats being too cramped and a home visit carrying a weight of intimacy a coffee simply doesn't. So the tradition survives mainly in the countryside and among older generations, while young urbanites have quietly relocated their social lives outdoors. I do rather miss the unannounced kind.

   Why this band

   • FC“though the custom is fraying along generational lines” — This concise evaluative aside is embedded mid-sentence rather than stated as a separate sentence, showing tighter coherence than a 7.0 answer, which would state the same idea plainly right after 'Honestly'.
   • LR“think nothing of turning up unannounced” — 'Think nothing of' is an idiomatic collocation well beyond the plain 'just drop in' a 6.5 answer would use, and beyond the more literal 'still drop in' of a 7.0 answer.
   • GRA“our flats being too cramped and a home visit carrying a weight of intimacy a coffee simply doesn't” — This is an absolute participial construction ('our flats being...', 'a home visit carrying...') that compresses two reasons into one flowing clause, more flexible than the paired 'partly...partly' sentence a 7.0 answer would use.

2. 2. What kinds of presents or gifts might visitors take when going to someone's home?

   Sep–Dec 2026
   Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question

   Band 6.5

   The 6.5 answer gives a direct list of gifts using plain connectors like 'If' and 'But', keeping vocabulary modest throughout.

   Usually fruit is the safest gift, like a bag of oranges or a durian. People also bring boxes of sweets, biscuits, or tea. If it's the first visit, I often bring sweets from my hometown, Hue. At Tết, people give lucky money to children and sometimes a small kumquat tree. For a housewarming, a plant or something for the kitchen is common. But you shouldn't bring anything too expensive, because it can make the host feel embarrassed.

   Why this band

   • FC“But you shouldn't bring anything too expensive, because it can make the host feel embarrassed.” — This uses a simple 'But...because' connector chain giving one direct reason. A higher band would use 'since' plus an extra clause explaining the effect, such as adding that it also creates an unspoken debt.
   • LR“the safest gift” — This is plain, modest vocabulary. A 7.5 answer would reach for a more idiomatic phrase like 'the fail-safe option' to express the same idea.
   • GRA“If it's the first visit, I often bring sweets from my hometown, Hue.” — This is a simple conditional clause with 'If', the most basic conditional form, rather than the non-defining relative clauses ('which is why...') used at higher bands.

   Band 7.0

   The 7.0 answer adds the spoken marker 'Honestly' and a non-defining relative clause ('which is why I always turn up...') to link the habit to a personal reason.

   Honestly, fruit is the classic choice — a bag of good oranges, or a durian if you really want to impress. Boxes of sweets, biscuits and tea are common too, and for a first visit, I'd say bringing something from your hometown is a nice touch, which is why I always turn up in Da Nang with sweets from Hue. At Tết, people give children lucky money and sometimes a small kumquat tree, while for a housewarming a plant or a kitchen item works well. The one thing to avoid is anything too pricey, since that can embarrass the host rather than please them.

   Why this band

   • FC“Honestly, fruit is the classic choice” — The spoken discourse marker 'Honestly' frames the opinion before the detail follows, a more developed opening move than the flat listing start of a 6.5 answer.
   • LR“if you really want to impress” — This is a moderately idiomatic conditional aside; it is less compressed than a 7.5 answer's version, which nests the same idea inside a longer clause as 'if you're aiming to impress'.
   • GRA“which is why I always turn up in Da Nang with sweets from Hue” — This non-defining relative clause links reason to habit in one sentence, a step up in complexity from the separate simple sentences a 6.5 answer would use for the same point.

   Band 7.5

   The 7.5 answer closes with an evaluative one-line contrast ('I didn't come empty-handed... I'm richer than you') and uses the less common collocation 'unspoken debt'.

   Fruit is the fail-safe option — a bag of decent oranges, or a durian if you're aiming to impress — followed closely by boxes of sweets, biscuits or tea. On a first visit, bringing something from your hometown is almost expected, which is why I never arrive in Da Nang empty-handed, usually with sweets from Hue. Tết calls for lucky money for the children and, often, a small kumquat tree, while a housewarming favours something practical for the kitchen. What you conspicuously avoid is anything extravagant, since an overly generous gift embarrasses the host and creates an unspoken debt. The gift's real message is 'I didn't come empty-handed,' not 'I'm richer than you.'

   Why this band

   • FC“The gift's real message is 'I didn't come empty-handed,' not 'I'm richer than you.'” — This compact closing contrast evaluates the whole custom in one line, giving the answer a rounded finish that the more list-like 6.5 and 7.0 versions lack.
   • LR“an overly generous gift embarrasses the host and creates an unspoken debt” — 'Unspoken debt' is a precise, less common collocation, well beyond the plain 'make the host feel embarrassed' a 6.5 answer would use for the same idea.
   • GRA“followed closely by boxes of sweets, biscuits or tea” — This compressed participial phrase stands in for a full clause, more flexible grammar than the simple standalone listing sentences ('People also bring...') typical of a 6.5 answer.

3. 3. Should a friend be welcomed into a person's home at any time?

   Sep–Dec 2026
   Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question

   Band 6.5

   The 6.5 answer gives a direct opinion with one simple supporting reason, joined by a plain 'but' at the end, and uses everyday phrasing like 'that's what friends are for'.

   I think yes, but only in a real emergency. Once, a friend came to my door at midnight after a breakup, and I was glad I opened it, because that's what friends are for. But most visits at any time aren't emergencies like that. Nowadays, home is a place where people rest after work, not somewhere to perform hospitality. So I think a short message before coming is more polite. My grandmother would probably think this is cold, but I still believe it's better.

   Why this band

   • FC“But most visits at any time aren't emergencies like that.” — This short, direct contrast sentence uses 'But' as the sole connective device, which is simpler coherence-building than the embedded contrastive clauses ('though most...aren't') used at higher bands.
   • LR“that's what friends are for” — This is a common, everyday fixed phrase. A 7.5 answer would reach for something more literary, like 'that's the entire point of friendship', to make the same point.
   • GRA“My grandmother would probably think this is cold, but I still believe it's better.” — These two short clauses are joined by 'but', basic coordination rather than the more flexible semicolon or fronted structures used at 7.0 and 7.5.

   Band 7.0

   The 7.0 answer softens its claim with 'to be fair' and uses the contrastive structure 'rather than entertain guests' to add a touch of reflection.

   In theory, yes, but in practice I'd say a bit of notice helps. A friend once turned up at my door at midnight after a breakup, and I was honestly glad I answered, because sometimes friendship means the door isn't locked. That said, most 'any time' visits aren't actual emergencies, and homes have become places where people recover from the day rather than entertain guests. A quick message beforehand respects that without turning friendship into something you have to schedule. My grandmother would probably find this a bit cold, and to be fair, she might have a point.

   Why this band

   • FC“to be fair, she might have a point” — This natural spoken hedge closes the answer with a balanced concession, showing more developed turn-taking language than the flat coordination ('but I still believe it's better') that ends a 6.5 answer.
   • LR“sometimes friendship means the door isn't locked” — This is a mild figurative collocation beyond plain wording, though it is less compressed than a 7.5 answer's version, which folds the same image into 'there are moments when that's the entire point of friendship'.
   • GRA“homes have become places where people recover from the day rather than entertain guests” — The 'rather than' contrastive structure adds complexity beyond the simple standalone sentences a 6.5 answer would use to express the same idea.

   Band 7.5

   The 7.5 answer opens with the semicolon-balanced 'In principle, yes; in practice...' and ends with a compact, aphoristic closing sentence about a friend with 'the good sense not to abuse it'.

   In principle, yes; in practice, a little warning goes a long way. A friend once showed up at my door at midnight after a breakup, and I was glad the door wasn't locked — there are moments when that's the entire point of friendship. Most 'any time' visits, though, aren't emergencies, and homes have quietly become places to decompress rather than stages for hospitality. A message sent twenty minutes ahead honours that without reducing friendship to an appointment. My grandmother would likely find this attitude cold, and she may well be right. Still, a friend who's welcome at any hour is usually one with the good sense not to abuse it.

   Why this band

   • FC“Still, a friend who's welcome at any hour is usually one with the good sense not to abuse it.” — This compact, evaluative closing line wraps the whole argument in a single aphoristic sentence, a more polished finish than the plainer concluding sentences of the 6.5 and 7.0 answers.
   • LR“homes have quietly become places to decompress rather than stages for hospitality” — 'Stages for hospitality' is a less common, vivid collocation that a 6.5 or 7.0 answer would render as plain wording like 'places where people rest after work'.
   • GRA“In principle, yes; in practice, a little warning goes a long way.” — This semicolon-linked, fronted structure compresses two contrasted ideas into one sentence, more flexible than the separate simple sentences ('I think yes, but only in a real emergency') typical of a 6.5 answer.

4. 4. What are the popular types of homes in the city and in the countryside?

   Sep–Dec 2026
   Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question

   Band 6.5

   The 6.5 answer lists city and countryside homes with simple additive connectors like 'also' and plain adjectives such as 'lower and wider'.

   In the cities, most people live in tube houses, which are narrow and tall, usually four or five storeys, with a shop on the ground floor. There are also more and more apartment towers now, like the one I live in. In the countryside, houses are lower and wider. My uncle's farmhouse has just one storey, a tiled roof, and a big yard for drying rice. Older houses in the countryside also have a room for the family altar. Nowadays, some rural families build tube houses too, which I think is a bit sad.

   Why this band

   • FC“There are also more and more apartment towers now, like the one I live in.” — This simple additive sentence uses 'also' to build the description step by step, rather than folding the detail into a single longer clause the way higher bands do.
   • LR“houses are lower and wider” — These are plain, basic adjectives. A 7.5 answer would use a more vivid verb-based image instead, such as 'sprawl rather than climb'.
   • GRA“which I think is a bit sad” — This short relative clause is tacked on simply, less elaborate than the extended 'efficient but honestly a little sad, since...' reasoning chain a 7.0 answer would build for the same point.

   Band 7.0

   The 7.0 answer opens with the spoken frame 'Honestly, the city and countryside look almost like two different worlds' and uses a participial phrase to add detail without a new clause.

   Honestly, the city and countryside look almost like two different worlds. In cities, the typical home is the tube house — narrow, four or five storeys, built on a strip of land about four metres wide, often with a family shop downstairs — and apartment towers like mine are becoming just as common. In the countryside, though, houses tend to be lower and wider, like my uncle's single-storey farmhouse, which has a tiled roof and a big yard for drying rice. What's changing is that rural families are now building tube houses too once they have money, which is efficient but honestly a little sad, since the yard usually disappears.

   Why this band

   • FC“Honestly, the city and countryside look almost like two different worlds.” — This spoken framing device sets up the comparison before the detail arrives, a more developed opening move than the flat listing start of a 6.5 answer.
   • LR“efficient but honestly a little sad” — This mild evaluative collocation pairs two contrasting judgments; it is less vivid than a 7.5 answer's version, 'a trade-off that's efficient yet quietly sad'.
   • GRA“built on a strip of land about four metres wide, often with a family shop downstairs” — This participial phrase adds detail without introducing a new finite clause, a moderately complex structure beyond the simple relative clauses a 6.5 answer would use.

   Band 7.5

   The 7.5 answer uses the vivid metaphor 'sprawl rather than climb' and closes with a dangling participial clause, 'the yard vanishing along with half of village life'.

   Cities and countryside might as well belong to different architectural eras. Urban homes are typically tube houses — narrow, four or five storeys tall, squeezed onto a plot barely four metres wide, with the family shop occupying the ground floor — alongside a growing number of apartment towers, mine included. Rural homes, by contrast, sprawl rather than climb: my uncle's single-storey farmhouse has a tiled roof, a generous yard for drying rice, and fruit trees dotted around the garden, with older houses centring on an altar room flanked by rooms for each generation. What's shifting now is rural families importing tube-house designs into villages once money allows, a trade-off that's efficient yet quietly sad, the yard vanishing along with half of village life.

   Why this band

   • FC“Cities and countryside might as well belong to different architectural eras.” — This vivid, slightly idiomatic opening claim immediately frames the whole comparison, giving tighter coherence than the more literal openers used at 6.5 and 7.0.
   • LR“Rural homes, by contrast, sprawl rather than climb” — 'Sprawl' is a genuinely less common verb choice used metaphorically here, well beyond the plain 'lower and wider' a 6.5 answer would use for the same contrast.
   • GRA“the yard vanishing along with half of village life” — This dangling, absolute participial closing clause compresses cause and consequence into a fragment-like structure, more flexible grammar than the full 'which is efficient but...since the yard usually disappears' sentence a 7.0 answer would use.

5. 5. What do people need to consider most when choosing a place to live?

   Sep–Dec 2026
   Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question

   Band 6.5

   The 6.5 answer gives a plain ranked list of factors, joined with 'After that' and 'also', and uses generic phrasing like 'a good decision'.

   I think distance to work and family is the most important thing, at least in Vietnam. I chose my flat because it's only a ten-minute walk to work, and that was a good decision, even though I regret the west-facing windows every afternoon. After that, safety and flood risk matter, and also whether there's a market, school, or clinic nearby. Price is important too, because it decides most of it. Many people forget about the neighbours, but living above a noisy karaoke bar is a mistake you only make once.

   Why this band

   • FC“After that, safety and flood risk matter, and also whether there's a market, school, or clinic nearby.” — This simple additive listing sentence linked with 'and also' builds points one by one, rather than embedding them inside a single flowing clause with dashes, as higher bands do.
   • LR“a good decision” — This is a plain, generic phrase. A 7.5 answer would use a more idiomatic phrase like 'a decision I still stand by' to express the same confidence.
   • GRA“Price is important too, because it decides most of it.” — This is a short main clause plus a 'because' clause, the most basic causal structure, compared with the compressed absolute phrases ('with price usually settling the matter') used at 7.5.

   Band 7.0

   The 7.0 answer opens with 'Honestly' to state a clear position and embeds a parenthetical list ('a market, a school, a clinic') inside a longer clause.

   Honestly, distance to work and family comes first for most people here. I picked my flat mainly for the ten-minute commute, and I'd say that was the right call, even if I regret the west-facing windows every single afternoon. After that, I'd weigh safety, flood risk in a city like mine, and whether daily essentials — a market, a school, a clinic — are within walking distance. Price decides most of it, obviously, but what people tend to underestimate is the neighbours and the building's management, since a lovely flat above a karaoke bar is a mistake you only make once.

   Why this band

   • FC“Honestly, distance to work and family comes first for most people here.” — This spoken opener stakes a clear position before elaborating, giving more natural discourse flow than the flatter 'I think...' opening a 6.5 answer would use.
   • LR“what people tend to underestimate” — This is a moderately natural collocation; it is less vivid than a 7.5 answer's version, 'what people consistently underrate', for the same idea.
   • GRA“whether daily essentials — a market, a school, a clinic — are within walking distance” — This parenthetical list embedded mid-clause using dashes is a more flexible structure than the plain listing sentence a 6.5 answer would use for the same content.

   Band 7.5

   The 7.5 answer closes with the idiomatic tag 'hands down' and uses the vivid image 'a gorgeous flat perched above a karaoke bar' instead of plainer wording.

   Distance to work and family tops the list for most people here, hands down. I picked my flat chiefly for the ten-minute commute, a decision I still stand by, even though I curse the west-facing windows every single afternoon. Beyond that come safety, flood risk in a city like mine, and whether daily essentials — a market, a school, a clinic — sit within walking distance, with price usually settling the matter regardless. What people consistently underrate is the neighbours and the building's management, since a gorgeous flat perched above a karaoke bar is a mistake you make exactly once. I'd also throw in light and air, since you feel their absence daily in a way price tags never register.

   Why this band

   • FC“Distance to work and family tops the list for most people here, hands down.” — This vivid idiomatic closing tag ('hands down') stamps the opinion with confidence, a more polished rhetorical move than the plainer statements of the 6.5 and 7.0 openers.
   • LR“a gorgeous flat perched above a karaoke bar is a mistake you make exactly once” — 'Perched above' is a vivid, slightly idiomatic image replacing the plain 'living above a noisy karaoke bar' a 6.5 answer would use.
   • GRA“with price usually settling the matter regardless” — This compressed absolute clause is tacked onto the sentence instead of forming a new finite clause, more flexible than the separate 'Price is important too, because...' sentence a 6.5 answer would use.

6. 6. How easy is it to find a good place to live in your country nowadays?

   Sep–Dec 2026
   Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question

   Band 6.5

   The 6.5 answer narrates the anecdote in short, separate sentences and uses a basic 'so' result clause to state the consequence.

   Finding somewhere to live is easy, but finding somewhere good and affordable is hard now. My colleague spent four months looking for a flat in Da Nang that wasn't too expensive for tourists, wasn't in a flood area, and wasn't next to a building site. In the end, she had to accept some problems. Land prices in cities have risen faster than salaries, so buying a home is difficult for young people. Renting is also hard because of short-term tourist rentals. In the countryside it's easier and cheaper, but there aren't enough jobs.

   Why this band

   • FC“In the end, she had to accept some problems.” — This short, plain closing sentence to the anecdote uses simple sequencing rather than folding the outcome into the same sentence as the search, as higher bands do with 'and even then she had to compromise'.
   • LR“wasn't too expensive for tourists, wasn't in a flood area, and wasn't next to a building site” — This plain, repeated 'wasn't' structure uses everyday vocabulary; contrast with a 7.5 answer's more varied phrasing, 'wasn't priced for tourists, sat in a flood zone, or backed onto a building site'.
   • GRA“so buying a home is difficult for young people” — This is a simple 'so' result clause, a more basic structure than the fronted 'With land prices...outstripping...' absolute construction a 7.5 answer would use for the same idea.

   Band 7.0

   The 7.0 answer opens with a semicolon-linked contrast after 'Honestly' and fronts the cause with a 'Since' clause for more complex reasoning.

   Honestly, finding somewhere to live at all is easy; finding somewhere good and affordable is a different story these days. A colleague of mine spent four months hunting for a flat in Da Nang that wasn't priced for tourists, wasn't in a flood zone, and wasn't next to a building site, and even then she had to compromise on the last one. Since land prices in the cities have outpaced salaries by a wide margin, buying is out of reach for most young people, and renting increasingly means competing with short-term tourist lets. It's easier and cheaper in the countryside, but that's exactly where the jobs aren't.

   Why this band

   • FC“Honestly, finding somewhere to live at all is easy; finding somewhere good and affordable is a different story these days.” — This opens with a spoken discourse marker and a semicolon-linked contrast in one breath, more developed coherence-building than the two separate short sentences a 6.5 answer would use.
   • LR“even then she had to compromise on the last one” — This is a natural, moderately idiomatic phrase ('compromise on'); it is less vivid than a 7.5 answer's version, 'eventually settling for the least bad option'.
   • GRA“Since land prices in the cities have outpaced salaries by a wide margin, buying is out of reach for most young people” — This subordinate 'Since' clause fronting the cause is a step up in complexity from the plain 'so' result clause a 6.5 answer would use.

   Band 7.5

   The 7.5 answer closes with the generalising sentence 'where you end up living is dictated less by preference than by budget' and uses the fronted absolute construction 'With land prices... outstripping salaries'.

   Finding a roof over your head is easy; finding somewhere decent and affordable is getting harder by the year. A colleague of mine spent four months hunting for a Da Nang flat that wasn't priced for tourists, sat in a flood zone, or backed onto a building site, eventually settling for the least bad option. With land prices in the cities outstripping salaries by a wide margin, buying has slipped out of reach for most young people, while renting has turned into a scramble against short-term tourist lets. The countryside remains cheaper and easier, but the jobs simply aren't there. Increasingly, where you end up living is dictated less by preference than by budget.

   Why this band

   • FC“Increasingly, where you end up living is dictated less by preference than by budget.” — This compact, evaluative closing sentence reframes the whole answer as a general truth, more polished than the plainer concluding sentences of the 6.5 and 7.0 answers.
   • LR“eventually settling for the least bad option” — This is a genuinely less common, idiomatic phrase beyond the plain 'had to accept some problems' a 6.5 answer would use for the same outcome.
   • GRA“With land prices in the cities outstripping salaries by a wide margin, buying has slipped out of reach for most young people” — This fronted 'With...' absolute construction opening the sentence is more flexible and compressed than the subordinate 'Since' clause a 7.0 answer would use.

7. 7. Is it the government's responsibility to ensure that everyone has somewhere to live?

   Sep–Dec 2026
   Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question

   Band 6.5

   The 6.5 answer states its position with the plain conditional 'if the government tries to control everything, it usually doesn't work well', keeping vocabulary modest.

   I think the government should make sure people have somewhere to live, but it doesn't have to provide a home for everyone. Near Da Nang's industrial zone, the government built social housing, so factory workers didn't have to sleep ten people in one rented room anymore. That's exactly what government should do, because the market alone wasn't going to help them. So the government should guarantee basic shelter and control rents and land prices. But if the government tries to control everything, it usually doesn't work well.

   Why this band

   • FC“That's exactly what government should do, because the market alone wasn't going to help them.” — This short evaluative sentence uses a plain 'because' clause, a simpler linking device than the dash-marked aside a 7.5 answer would use for the same reasoning.
   • LR“help them” — This is a plain, generic verb choice. A 7.5 answer would use a more precise phrase, such as 'house people on those wages', for the same idea.
   • GRA“But if the government tries to control everything, it usually doesn't work well.” — This is a basic 'if...then' conditional using everyday wording, less compressed than the semicolon-fronted structures used at 7.0 and 7.5.

   Band 7.0

   The 7.0 answer hedges with 'Honestly, I'd say' and chains a relative clause with a 'since' clause for a more complex justification.

   Honestly, I'd say the government should guarantee shelter, but that doesn't mean providing a home for literally everyone. Near Da Nang's industrial zone, social housing blocks meant factory workers stopped sleeping ten to a room, which is exactly the kind of gap government should fill, since the market wasn't going to house people on those wages. So I'd expect governments to set a floor nobody falls below, regulate rents and land so housing isn't purely an investment, and build where private developers won't bother. Turning every home into a state responsibility, though, hasn't worked well anywhere I know of.

   Why this band

   • FC“Honestly, I'd say the government should guarantee shelter, but that doesn't mean providing a home for literally everyone.” — This spoken hedge ('Honestly, I'd say') softens the claim before qualifying it, more natural stance-taking than the flat 'I think' opener a 6.5 answer would use.
   • LR“the market wasn't going to house people on those wages” — This is a moderately precise phrase; it is less idiomatic than a 7.5 answer's dash-set-off version of the same claim, 'the market was never going to house people on those wages'.
   • GRA“which is exactly the kind of gap government should fill, since the market wasn't going to house people on those wages” — A relative clause stacked with a 'since' clause forms a more complex chained structure than the two short sentences a 6.5 answer would use for the same point.

   Band 7.5

   The 7.5 answer opens with the semicolon-balanced 'Guaranteeing shelter, yes; providing every single home, not necessarily' and uses the less common collocation 'rein in rents and land speculation'.

   Guaranteeing shelter, yes; providing every single home, not necessarily. The social housing blocks that went up near Da Nang's industrial zone meant factory workers no longer had to sleep ten to a rented room, and that's precisely what government exists for — the market was never going to house people on those wages. So governments ought to set a floor nobody falls beneath, rein in rents and land speculation so housing isn't treated purely as an investment vehicle, and build wherever private developers won't bother. Turning every home into a state responsibility, though, hasn't worked anywhere I'm aware of; the trick is a floor nobody falls below and a market above it that's genuinely policed.

   Why this band

   • FC“Guaranteeing shelter, yes; providing every single home, not necessarily.” — This semicolon-balanced opening states the whole position in one compact line, tighter and more confident than the fuller opening sentences of the 6.5 and 7.0 answers.
   • LR“rein in rents and land speculation so housing isn't treated purely as an investment vehicle” — 'Rein in' and 'investment vehicle' are genuinely less common collocations, beyond the plainer 'control rents and land prices' a 6.5 answer would use.
   • GRA“the trick is a floor nobody falls below and a market above it that's genuinely policed” — This compressed closing clause folds the whole argument into one flexible, semicolon-linked fragment, unlike the separate simple sentences a 6.5 answer would use to make the same point.

8. 8. Should new homes ever be built on public green spaces in cities?

   Sep–Dec 2026
   Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question

   Band 6.5

   The 6.5 answer reports the outcome in a short, separate sentence and uses the plain verb phrase 'hard to create again'.

   I don't think so, almost never. Near my old flat in Da Nang, there was a small park by the river, but it became a car park 'temporarily' and then a tower was built there. Now old people and children don't have that place anymore. Green space is hard to create again once it's gone, but new homes can be built on old factory land or above shops instead. Maybe in a real emergency it's okay, but the green space should be replaced somewhere nearby. If you say 'never', it stops developers from pushing too hard.

   Why this band

   • FC“Now old people and children don't have that place anymore.” — This short, plain consequence sentence is stated separately, simpler sequencing than the em-dash-linked consequence clause a 7.0 or 7.5 answer would use for the same fact.
   • LR“hard to create again” — This is a plain verb phrase. A 7.5 answer would use a more vivid choice, such as 'can't simply conjure back up', for the same idea.
   • GRA“Maybe in a real emergency it's okay, but the green space should be replaced somewhere nearby.” — This is a simple coordinated 'but' sentence, less compact than the em-dash-set-off exception clause a 7.5 answer would use.

   Band 7.0

   The 7.0 answer opens with a confident 'Honestly, almost never' and chains an appositive with a 'provided' clause for its one exception.

   Honestly, almost never, and Da Nang has taught me why. There used to be a small park by the river near my old flat, but it became a car park 'temporarily,' and not long after, a tower went up in its place — the neighbourhood lost the only spot where old people sat and children played, and that's not coming back. Green space is the one thing a city can't easily recreate later, whereas homes can go on brownfield land, above shops, or in car parks instead. I'd allow one exception, a genuine housing emergency with nowhere else to build, provided the green space gets replaced nearby.

   Why this band

   • FC“Honestly, almost never, and Da Nang has taught me why.” — This spoken, confident opening fronts the opinion before the reasoning, a more natural rhetorical move than the flatter 'I don't think so, almost never' opener a 6.5 answer would use.
   • LR“the neighbourhood lost the only spot where old people sat and children played” — This is a natural, moderately vivid phrase; it is less compressed than a 7.5 answer's dash-interrupted version, 'with it went the one spot where old people sat out the afternoon and children played'.
   • GRA“I'd allow one exception, a genuine housing emergency with nowhere else to build, provided the green space gets replaced nearby” — An appositive phrase plus a 'provided' conditional clause chained together is more complex than the plain 'but' sentence a 6.5 answer would use for the same exception.

   Band 7.5

   The 7.5 answer closes with the semicolon-linked observation about 'the loophole developers lean on' and uses the idiomatic verb choice 'conjure back up'.

   Almost never, and Da Nang has taught me exactly why. A small riverside park near my old flat turned into a car park 'temporarily,' then into a tower not long after, and with it went the one spot where old people sat out the afternoon and children played — gone for good. Green space is the one urban asset a city can't simply conjure back up later, whereas homes can be slotted onto brownfield land, above shops, or into existing car parks. I'd grant a single exception — a genuine housing emergency with nowhere else to turn — provided the green space is replaced nearby. In practice, though, 'ever' is precisely the loophole developers lean on; saying 'never' at least keeps the pressure off.

   Why this band

   • FC“In practice, though, 'ever' is precisely the loophole developers lean on; saying 'never' at least keeps the pressure off.” — This sharp, semicolon-linked closing observation reframes the whole debate in one aphoristic move, more polished than the plainer closing sentences of the 6.5 and 7.0 answers.
   • LR“Green space is the one urban asset a city can't simply conjure back up later” — 'Conjure back up' is a genuinely less common, idiomatic verb choice, beyond the plain 'hard to create again' a 6.5 answer would use for the same idea.
   • GRA“with it went the one spot where old people sat out the afternoon and children played — gone for good” — This fronted 'with it went...' inversion plus a fragment-like dash addition is a more flexible and compressed structure than the separate simple sentences a 6.5 answer would use.

9. 9. To what extent can people's lives be influenced by the area they live in?

   Sep–Dec 2026
   Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question

   Band 6.5

   The 6.5 answer gives a plain two-part closing sentence joined by 'but' and uses generic phrasing like 'grew up very differently'.

   A lot, I think, and people often don't notice it. I have two cousins from the same family who grew up very differently. One grew up by the river in Hue, swimming every day and knowing all the neighbours. The other grew up in a tower in Ho Chi Minh City, and she never learned to swim and doesn't know anyone on her floor. The area decides your friends, your school, whether you walk or sit in traffic, and what feels normal to you. Adults can change this a bit, but children usually can't.

   Why this band

   • FC“Adults can change this a bit, but children usually can't.” — This short, plain closing contrast is joined by 'but', a simple two-part sentence rather than the semicolon-compressed version, 'Adults can partly override it; children largely can't', that a 7.5 answer would use.
   • LR“grew up very differently” — This is plain, generic phrasing. A 7.5 answer would use a more vivid idiom, such as 'turned out worlds apart', to describe the same contrast.
   • GRA“One grew up by the river in Hue, swimming every day and knowing all the neighbours.” — This simple sentence has two coordinated participial phrases, less densely packed than the colon-introduced parallel structure a 7.0 or 7.5 answer would use for the same comparison.

   Band 7.0

   The 7.0 answer opens with a stacked, spoken-style list after 'Honestly' and uses a long 'while' clause with an inverted 'nor does she' construction.

   Honestly, enormously, and often in ways people don't even notice. I've got two cousins from the same family who turned out quite differently: one grew up by the river in Hue, swimming daily and knowing every neighbour, while the other grew up in a tower in Ho Chi Minh City and never learned to swim, nor does she know anyone on her floor. The area you're raised in decides your friends, your school, whether you walk or sit in traffic, and what you think of as normal. Adults can partly override that, but children generally can't.

   Why this band

   • FC“Honestly, enormously, and often in ways people don't even notice.” — This compact, spoken-style opener stacks three short elements, giving a more natural conversational rhythm than the fuller opening sentence a 6.5 answer would use.
   • LR“one grew up by the river in Hue, swimming daily and knowing every neighbour” — This is a moderately natural phrase; it is less compressed than a 7.5 answer's version, 'swimming daily and knowing every neighbour by name'.
   • GRA“one grew up by the river in Hue, swimming daily and knowing every neighbour, while the other grew up in a tower in Ho Chi Minh City and never learned to swim, nor does she know anyone on her floor” — This long 'while' clause with an inverted 'nor does she' construction is more complex than the two separate simple sentences a 6.5 answer would use for the same comparison.

   Band 7.5

   The 7.5 answer uses the vivid idiom 'turned out worlds apart' and closes with a dash-linked generalising statement about 'setting the defaults for thousands of lives'.

   Enormously, and often invisibly. Two cousins of mine, raised in the very same family, turned out worlds apart: one grew up by the river in Hue, swimming daily and knowing every neighbour by name, while the other grew up in a Ho Chi Minh City tower, never learned to swim, and doesn't know a soul on her own floor. The area effectively decides your friends, your school, whether you walk or sit in traffic, how safe you feel, and what passes for normal in your head. Adults can partly override it; children largely can't. That's the strongest case for planning neighbourhoods with real care — you're not just building housing, you're setting the defaults for thousands of lives.

   Why this band

   • FC“That's the strongest case for planning neighbourhoods with real care — you're not just building housing, you're setting the defaults for thousands of lives.” — This dash-linked closing reframes the whole answer as a general principle, a more polished, evaluative finish than the plainer endings of the 6.5 and 7.0 answers.
   • LR“turned out worlds apart” — This is a genuinely less common, vivid idiom, beyond the plain 'grew up very differently' a 6.5 answer would use for the same contrast.
   • GRA“Adults can partly override it; children largely can't.” — This tightly compressed, semicolon-linked pair of clauses is more flexible and economical than the fuller 'but' sentence a 6.5 answer would use for the same idea.