How long should my answer to this Part 2 cue card be?

Speak for 1 to 2 minutes. The examiner will stop you at 2 minutes, so aim for roughly 220-300 words that cover every bullet on the card and end with how you feel about it.

What Part 3 questions follow this cue card?

After "A Place You Have Visited (Not Your Hometown) That You Would Recommend as a Good Place to Live", examiners have asked 9 follow-up discussion questions, listed above. They move from your personal story to general opinions on the same theme.

Is this cue card still being used?

It was most recently reported by test-takers in May–Aug 2026. Cue cards rotate every four months, and many topics return in later seasons with slightly different wording.

IELTS Speaking Part 2

A Place You Have Visited (Not Your Hometown) That You Would Recommend as a Good Place to Live

Most recently asked in May–Aug 2026

The cue card

Describe a place you have visited, not your hometown, that you would recommend as a good place to live

You should say:

where this place is
how well you know this place
what people can do in this place
and explain why you would recommend this place as a good place to live

Sample answers: Band 6.5, 7.0 & 7.5

Three versions of the same answer, each written to sit genuinely at that band — compare them to see exactly what separates the scores.

Band 6.5

The answer sticks to simple linking words like 'because' and 'but', and closes with a plain, direct statement of preference ('Hoi An is the first place I would think about moving to') rather than building toward a reflective point.

The place I'd recommend is Hoi An, an old town about thirty minutes from Da Nang by motorbike.

I know it quite well because I go there often, maybe once a month, sometimes for work and sometimes just for a day out with friends. I've also stayed overnight there a few times, so I know more than just the tourist areas near the river.

In Hoi An, people can do a lot of things. There's the old town with its yellow buildings and lanterns, which is beautiful in the evening, lots of small restaurants and cafes, tailor shops where you can get clothes made, and quiet beaches close by like An Bàng. It's also very easy to cycle everywhere because the town is small and flat.

I'd recommend it as a place to live because it's much quieter and slower than Da Nang, but it's still close enough to a big city if you need it. The people there seem more relaxed, prices are lower, and you're surrounded by something beautiful every day instead of tall buildings. I think if I ever get tired of city life, Hoi An is the first place I would think about moving to.

199 words · about 2 minutes

Why this band

FC“I'd recommend it as a place to live because it's much quieter and slower than Da Nang” — The answer moves through the four cue-card points in strict order with simple cause-and-effect linking ('because'), giving a clear but formulaic structure typical of Band 6.5.
LR“quiet beaches close by like An Bàng” — Vocabulary stays everyday and concrete ('quiet beaches'), with no attempt at a more precise or figurative collocation, characteristic of Band 6.5 lexical range.
GRA“I've also stayed overnight there a few times, so I know more than just the tourist areas near the river.” — The sentence uses a basic result clause with 'so' rather than a more varied subordinate structure, showing the mostly simple-sentence grammar typical of Band 6.5.

Band 7.0

The answer opens with a direct personal claim ('Quy Nhơn is the place I'd point to') and develops the recommendation with one concrete comparison — nobody minding 'a long, unhurried lunch' — giving natural, connected development beyond the 6.5 answer's simple listing, though without the sharper imagery of the 7.5 version.

Quy Nhơn is the place I'd point to — a coastal city roughly five hours south of Da Nang if you take the train. My connection to it started through work rather than tourism: my company built an app for a hotel group based there, which meant three separate trips, each a few days long. That's given me a decent feel for the centre and the beach road, though I couldn't tell you much about the outskirts.

There isn't a great deal going on, and that's honestly the whole appeal of the city, which is home to something like three hundred thousand people along a curved, east-facing beach where the sun comes straight up out of the sea. After dinner, what seems like the entire population heads out to walk along the promenade. Seafood costs a fraction of what you'd pay in Da Nang, a couple of old Cham towers sit on a hill overlooking the town, and small fishing villages are within easy reach. It's not purely a holiday spot either — a technology park opened recently on the edge of town, so people are starting to build careers there rather than just retiring to it.

What makes me recommend it to live in, and not merely visit, is the way it echoes an earlier version of Da Nang, before my own city turned into somewhere louder and more expensive every year. Rent in Quy Nhơn is still low, the beach hasn't been taken over by rows of sunbeds, and nobody bats an eyelid at a long, unhurried lunch. With both an airport and a rail line, you're never really cut off. Ask me where I'd settle a family near the sea on an average salary, and honestly, that's my answer.

292 words · about 2 minutes

Why this band

FC“There isn't a great deal going on, and that's honestly the whole appeal of the city” — The sentence sets up an apparent negative ("there isn't a great deal going on") and then immediately reframes it as the main selling point, using the spoken hedge "honestly" to mark the reframe as a genuine, slightly surprising opinion rather than a scripted answer. This turn-the-expectation-around move gives the response a small argumentative shape instead of a flat list of facts about Quy Nhơn, which is the natural, connected development Band 7.0 Fluency and Coherence rewards over a Band 6.5 answer that would likely just state "It's quiet and I like that."
LR“nobody bats an eyelid at a long, unhurried lunch” — The idiomatic collocation 'bats an eyelid' is a natural, slightly less-common expression, fitting the Band 7.0 target of a few flexible word choices beyond plain vocabulary.
GRA“What makes me recommend it to live in, and not merely visit, is the way it echoes an earlier version of Da Nang” — The sentence opens with a nominalised clause as subject rather than a simple 'I' statement, showing the more varied sentence structure typical of Band 7.0 grammar.

Band 7.5

The answer builds to a self-aware closing move — warning that recommending the town risks ruining it — and uses the vivid triple repetition 'a little louder, a little more expensive, a little less mine' to characterise Da Nang's change, both marks of Band 7.5 sophistication.

The place I'd recommend is Quy Nhơn, a coastal city about five hours south of Da Nang by train. I've been three times, each for a few days, because my studio built an app for a small hotel group there, and I ended up knowing it better than most places I've visited purely for pleasure. I know the centre well, the beach road very well, and the outskirts hardly at all.

It's a city of maybe three hundred thousand people, with a long curved beach that faces east, so you get the sunrise straight off the sea. What people can do there is, honestly, not that much, which is the point. There's an evening promenade where the whole city seems to walk after dinner. There's seafood at prices that make Da Nang look expensive, a couple of old Cham towers on a hill above the town, and quiet fishing villages within half an hour. For work, a technology park has opened on the edge of the city and a few software companies have moved in, so it's no longer a place you'd have to leave to have a career.

Why I'd recommend it as a place to live rather than just to visit comes down to a comparison with my own city. Da Nang has become a tourism machine — every year a little louder, a little more expensive, a little less mine. Quy Nhơn feels like Da Nang did about ten years ago: rents at half the price, a beach you can walk without stepping over sunbeds, and a pace of life where a two-hour lunch isn't a scandal. The train and airport mean you're not cut off. If someone asked me where to raise a family on an ordinary salary near the sea, that's the answer — with the honest warning that if enough people take the advice, it'll turn into Da Nang.

315 words · about 2 minutes

Why this band

LR“Da Nang has become a tourism machine” — The metaphor "tourism machine" compresses a whole set of ideas -- mass tourism, relentless development, loss of local character -- into two words, used naturally as part of the argument rather than as a showpiece, exactly the 7.5 target of figurative language deployed "if it fits the moment" rather than forced in. A Band 6.5 or 7.0 answer would more likely state the idea literally ("Da Nang has a lot of tourists now and it's expensive"). The metaphor also earns its place structurally: it's immediately followed by the parallel comparative list ("a little louder, a little more expensive, a little less mine") that unpacks exactly what "machine" means here.
FC“with the honest warning that if enough people take the advice, it'll turn into Da Nang” — The answer closes with a reflective, slightly ironic twist rather than simply restating the recommendation, showing the evaluative development expected at Band 7.5.
GRA“every year a little louder, a little more expensive, a little less mine” — Three comparative phrases are stacked in parallel without repeating the full clause each time ("it becomes...") -- a genuinely economical structure that relies on the listener inferring the shared verb, rather than the fuller, more repetitive coordination a Band 6.5 or 7.0 speaker would use ("it's louder and it's more expensive and it doesn't feel like mine anymore"). The final item, "a little less mine," is also grammatically unusual since "mine" is used almost adjectivally in a comparative slot, showing real flexibility rather than a memorised pattern. This compressed list matches the personal, slightly wistful tone of the whole answer about watching a home city change.

How this card was asked, by exam period

Describe a place you have visited, not your hometown, that you would recommend as a good place to liveMay–Aug 2026

Part 3 follow-up questions

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

1. What preparations do people make before moving to a new area?
May–Aug 2026
Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question
Band 6.5
The short sentence 'That is the normal checklist' states the observation plainly with no elaboration, typical of the direct 6.5 style.
People usually do sensible things, but the things that matter most are often different. Before I moved to Da Nang, I spent a weekend looking at flats, joined the online group for my building, and checked the commute time. That is the normal checklist. My mother came with me and did something I never thought of — she visited the nearest market and talked to two sellers, and decided the area was fine based on that. People also check schools, hospitals, and flooding. Nobody really prepares for feeling lonely in the first months, though.
Why this band
GRA“she visited the nearest market and talked to two sellers, and decided the area was fine based on that” — A simple chain of past-tense verbs joined with 'and'. The 7.5 version compresses the same sequence into a tighter colon-free list, 'she inspected the nearest market, chatted to two stallholders, and decided on that basis alone', which reads more fluently.
LR“talked to two sellers” — Plain, generic vocabulary. The 7.0 and 7.5 versions use the more precise noun 'stallholders', which names the specific role rather than a generic word.
FC“Nobody really prepares for feeling lonely in the first months, though” — A short closing sentence tacked on with 'though'. The 7.5 version instead builds a fuller final clause, 'which is, in practice, the hardest part of any move', giving the ending more weight.
Band 7.0
The colon before 'she inspected the nearest market' sets up a small anecdote within the sentence rather than starting a new one, a more fluent link than 6.5's separate sentence.
Honestly, people do the sensible things, and the ones that actually matter, which aren't always the same. Before I moved to Da Nang I spent a weekend looking at flats, joined the online group for my building, and checked the commute — that's the standard checklist. My mother came along and did the thing I'd never have thought of: she inspected the nearest market, talked to two stallholders, and decided on that basis that the neighbourhood was fine. People also research schools if they have children, and hospitals if they're older. What nobody really prepares for, to be fair, is loneliness in the first months.
Why this band
FC“the ones that actually matter, which aren't always the same” — A relative clause adds a layer of reflection right in the opening sentence, more developed than 6.5's separate short sentence making the same point.
LR“she inspected the nearest market, talked to two stallholders” — The verb 'inspected' is more precise and slightly formal than 6.5's plain 'visited', suggesting real scrutiny rather than a casual look.
GRA“What nobody really prepares for, to be fair, is loneliness in the first months” — The hedge 'to be fair' inserted mid-clause softens the closing generalisation, a spoken texture that 6.5's flatter final sentence doesn't have.
Band 7.5
The closing clause 'which is, in practice, the hardest part of any move' turns a passing observation into the answer's real conclusion.
People make the sensible preparations and the ones that actually matter, which aren't always the same thing. Before I moved to Da Nang I spent a weekend touring flats, joined the online group for my building, and checked the commute — that's the standard checklist anyone would run through. My mother came along and did the one thing I'd never have thought of: she inspected the nearest market, chatted to two stallholders, and decided on that basis alone that the neighbourhood was fine. People also research schools if they have children, hospitals if they're older, and increasingly whether the area floods. What nobody quite prepares for is the loneliness of the first few months, which is, in practice, the hardest part of any move.
Why this band
FC“which is, in practice, the hardest part of any move” — This closing evaluative clause gives the whole answer a considered final judgement, well beyond 6.5's throwaway 'though' and 7.0's hedge-softened but still brief ending.
LR“decided on that basis alone that the neighbourhood was fine” — The added word 'alone' sharpens the claim, emphasising how minimal yet sufficient the evidence was — a more precise touch than 6.5's plain 'based on that' and 7.0's near-identical phrasing.
GRA“the standard checklist anyone would run through” — The relative clause 'anyone would run through' adds flexible, idiomatic texture to what would otherwise be a flat noun phrase, beyond 6.5's bare 'the normal checklist'.
2. What impact does population growth have on places of natural beauty?
May–Aug 2026
Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question
Band 6.5
The plain verb phrase 'gets weaker' states the effect on beauty in the simplest possible terms, without any figurative language.
It wears them down, usually slowly, then quickly. The road up Sơn Trà Peninsula near Da Nang was empty at dawn when I first moved here, but now there is a line of tour vans by eight in the morning. More people means more roads, buildings and waste, and the beauty that attracted them gets weaker. It is not only tourists — a growing city needs land too, and beautiful land at the edge goes first. Some places control it with limits, but most only react after the damage is already visible.
Why this band
LR“the beauty that attracted them gets weaker” — Plain, generic vocabulary. The 7.0 and 7.5 versions use the more precise phrase 'gets diluted by their own presence', a specific, almost chemical metaphor for the same idea.
GRA“there is a line of tour vans by eight in the morning” — A simple existential clause. The 7.5 version instead uses 'there's a queue of tour vans', a slightly more idiomatic noun choice within a semicolon-joined sentence rather than a separate one.
FC“Some places control it with limits, but most only react after the damage is already visible” — A short final sentence. The 7.5 version extends the same idea with 'by which point the place has quietly become something else', adding a reflective closing image beyond the plain statement.
Band 7.0
The phrase 'slowly and then suddenly' borrows a familiar rhythm to describe decline, giving the opening a more reflective, considered feel than a flat statement.
Honestly, it wears them down, usually slowly and then suddenly. The road up the Sơn Trà Peninsula near Da Nang was empty at dawn when I first moved here; now there's a queue of tour vans by eight in the morning, and the monkeys have started raiding the bins. More people means more roads, more buildings, more waste, and the beauty that attracted them gets diluted by their own presence. The pressure isn't only tourists, to be fair — a growing city needs land too, and the beautiful land on the edge is usually the first to go. Most places only respond once the damage is visible.
Why this band
FC“the monkeys have started raiding the bins” — A small, vivid concrete detail that 6.5's version leaves out entirely, adding texture to the description of change.
LR“gets diluted by their own presence” — 'Diluted' is a precise, almost scientific metaphor, more developed than 6.5's plain 'gets weaker' for describing the same effect.
GRA“The pressure isn't only tourists, to be fair — a growing city needs land too” — The dash plus hedge 'to be fair' link a counterpoint smoothly within one sentence, more fluent than 6.5's separate short sentence 'It is not only tourists'.
Band 7.5
The closing clause 'by which point the place has quietly become something else' extends a factual observation into a genuinely reflective final judgement.
It wears them down, usually slowly at first and then suddenly. The road up the Sơn Trà Peninsula near Da Nang was empty at dawn when I first moved here; now there's a queue of tour vans by eight in the morning, and the monkeys have taken to raiding the bins. More people means more roads, more buildings, more waste, and the beauty that attracted them in the first place gets diluted by their own presence. The pressure isn't only tourists — a growing city needs land, and the most beautiful land on its edge is always the first to go. Some places manage this with limits, paths and quotas. Most respond only after the damage is already visible, by which point the place has quietly become something else.
Why this band
FC“by which point the place has quietly become something else” — This closing relative clause adds a reflective, almost philosophical final beat that neither 6.5's plain ending nor 7.0's shorter close attempts.
LR“the monkeys have taken to raiding the bins” — The idiom 'taken to' frames the monkeys' behaviour as a developed habit rather than a single event, more vivid than 7.0's plainer 'have started raiding'.
GRA“Some places manage this with limits, paths and quotas” — A tightly packed three-item list functions as its own short sentence, a more economical structure than 6.5's longer 'Some places control it with limits, but most only react'.
3. How do commercial interests influence the development of places of natural beauty?
May–Aug 2026
Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question
Band 6.5
The plain closing sentence 'Without strong rules, beauty ends up being sold privately' states the conclusion directly with basic vocabulary.
They usually decide who gets to enjoy the beauty, and it's normally paying customers. Between my second and third visit to Quy Nhơn, part of a public beach had been fenced off for a resort — the sea was still there, but now it belonged to the guests. Commercial interests bring money for roads and jobs, and sometimes protect a place as their product. But their aim is to build closer and bigger, because a view sells for more than it is worth shared. Without strong rules, beauty ends up being sold privately.
Why this band
LR“part of a public beach had been fenced off for a resort” — A plain passive sentence. The 7.5 version adds the adverb 'quietly' to the same construction, 'had quietly been fenced off for a resort', giving the action a more deliberate, almost sinister quality.
GRA“But their aim is to build closer and bigger, because a view sells for more than it is worth shared” — A single cause-and-effect sentence with 'because'. The 7.0 and 7.5 versions instead use 'their logic is to build closer, bigger and more exclusively', a tighter three-item list rather than a two-item one.
FC“Without strong rules, beauty ends up being sold privately” — A blunt final sentence. The 7.0 version instead frames it as 'no company voluntarily leaves a beautiful place alone', shifting the focus from the outcome to the actor's motive.
Band 7.0
The hedge 'to be fair' inserted mid-sentence before naming the industry's 'logic' softens what is otherwise a fairly critical claim.
Honestly, they tend to decide who gets to enjoy the beauty, and the answer is usually paying customers. Between my second and third visits to Quy Nhơn, a stretch of public beach had been fenced off for a resort — the sea was still there, but now it belonged to the guests. Commercial interests bring money for roads and jobs, and sometimes they protect a place because it's their product. But their logic, to be fair, is to build closer, bigger and more exclusively, and a view is worth more sold than shared. The counterweight has to be regulation, because no company voluntarily leaves a beautiful place alone.
Why this band
GRA“their logic, to be fair, is to build closer, bigger and more exclusively” — The three-item list 'closer, bigger and more exclusively' shows more developed coordination than 6.5's plainer two-item 'closer and bigger'.
LR“a view is worth more sold than shared” — A compact, almost aphoristic phrase, more polished than 6.5's longer 'a view sells for more than it is worth shared'.
FC“no company voluntarily leaves a beautiful place alone” — This closing claim shifts focus from outcome to motive, a more analytical ending than 6.5's blunter 'beauty ends up being sold privately'.
Band 7.5
The closing image 'one fence at a time' turns an abstract process into something visual and concrete, a memorable final touch.
They tend to decide who gets to enjoy the beauty, and the answer is usually whoever can pay. Between my second and third visits to Quy Nhơn, a stretch of public beach had quietly been fenced off for a resort — the sea was still there, but now it technically belonged to the guests. Commercial interests bring money for roads and jobs, and sometimes they protect a place precisely because it's their product. But their underlying logic is to build closer, bigger and more exclusively, since a view is worth considerably more sold than shared. The counterweight has to be regulation, because no company will ever voluntarily leave a beautiful place alone. Where regulation is weak, beauty gets quietly privatised, one fence at a time.
Why this band
FC“beauty gets quietly privatised, one fence at a time” — This closing metaphor captures the whole process in a single vivid image, more developed than 6.5's flat final sentence and 7.0's more analytical but less visual ending.
LR“had quietly been fenced off for a resort” — The adverb 'quietly' gives the passive construction a slightly sinister, deliberate quality, sharper than 6.5's plain 'had been fenced off'.
GRA“no company will ever voluntarily leave a beautiful place alone” — The modal 'will ever' intensifies the claim beyond 7.0's plainer present-tense 'voluntarily leaves', giving it more rhetorical force.
4. Should people be allowed to live in places of outstanding natural beauty?
May–Aug 2026
Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question
Band 6.5
The short standalone sentence 'What should not be allowed is unlimited building' isolates the key rule in a single plain clause.
Yes, but with some conditions, starting with the people already living there. The fishing families on Cù Lao Chàm island near Hội An have lived there for centuries, and now they are the ones enforcing the plastic ban and protecting the reef — their presence actually protects the place. Banning people would be unfair, and it would often make things worse, not better. What should not be allowed is unlimited building. There should be limits on numbers, strict rules on construction, and priority for people whose lives are already tied to the place.
Why this band
GRA“Banning people would be unfair, and it would often make things worse, not better” — Two ideas joined with 'and'. The 7.0 and 7.5 versions compress this into a single adjective pair, 'both unjust and, often, counterproductive', which is more economical.
LR“their presence actually protects the place” — Plain vocabulary. The 7.5 version adds the qualifying phrase 'if anything', 'their presence, if anything, is what protects the place', a more idiomatic and nuanced way of making the same claim.
FC“There should be limits on numbers, strict rules on construction, and priority for people whose lives are already tied to the place” — A plain closing list. The 7.5 version extends this with a direct contrast, 'over people who simply want a second home with a view', sharpening the point considerably.
Band 7.0
The hedge 'to be fair' at the end of the sentence about banning people softens what would otherwise be a fairly blunt moral claim.
Yes, with conditions, and I'd start from the people already there. The fishing families on Cù Lao Chàm, the island off Hội An, have lived there for centuries and are now the ones enforcing the plastic ban and guarding the reef — their presence protects the place. Banning people would be both unjust and, often, counterproductive, to be fair. What shouldn't be allowed is unlimited building: a cap on numbers, strict rules on construction and waste, and priority for people whose lives are genuinely tied to the place over people who just want a second home with a view.
Why this band
GRA“Banning people would be both unjust and, often, counterproductive, to be fair” — The paired adjectives 'unjust and... counterproductive' compress two separate ideas from 6.5 into one economical clause.
FC“priority for people whose lives are genuinely tied to the place over people who just want a second home with a view” — The direct contrast 'over people who just want a second home' sharpens 6.5's plainer, unfinished version of the same list.
LR“guarding the reef” — 'Guarding' is a slightly more vivid, protective verb than 6.5's plain 'protecting', suggesting active vigilance rather than a passive state.
Band 7.5
The closing antithesis 'residents who belong to them, not residents who merely own them' compresses the whole argument into one balanced, memorable line.
Yes, with conditions, and I'd start from the people who are already there. The fishing families on Cù Lao Chàm, the island off Hội An, have lived there for centuries and are now the ones enforcing the plastic ban and guarding the reef — their presence, if anything, is what protects the place. Banning people outright would be both unjust and, often enough, counterproductive. What shouldn't be allowed is unlimited building: a firm cap on numbers, strict rules on construction and waste, and priority given to people whose lives are genuinely tied to the place over people who simply want a second home with a view. Beautiful places need residents who belong to them, not residents who merely own them.
Why this band
FC“Beautiful places need residents who belong to them, not residents who merely own them” — This closing antithesis ties the whole argument together in one polished line, a more developed ending than 6.5's plain list and 7.0's version without this final contrast.
LR“their presence, if anything, is what protects the place” — The parenthetical 'if anything' adds a nuanced, slightly understated emphasis, more idiomatic than 6.5's flat 'their presence actually protects the place'.
GRA“Banning people outright would be both unjust and, often enough, counterproductive” — The added adverb 'outright' and the qualifier 'often enough' show more controlled, precise modification than 7.0's plainer version of the same clause.
5. Is choosing where to live the most important decision people make in their lives?
May–Aug 2026
Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question
Band 6.5
The plain closing sentence 'For most people, though, place is a quiet decision' summarises the whole answer in basic, unadorned vocabulary.
It is one of the two or three biggest decisions, and people underrate it. Choosing Da Nang over Hanoi after university decided my job, my friends, and the person I became — and I decided it in about an afternoon, with less thought than I gave to buying a laptop. Where you live sets the default for everything else, like what work exists and who you meet. A partner and a career are the other big decisions, both shaped by place too. For most people, though, place is a quiet decision.
Why this band
GRA“Where you live sets the default for everything else, like what work exists and who you meet” — A simple two-item example list. The 7.5 version extends this to a four-item list including 'what your children will take for granted', giving the claim more scope and depth.
LR“with less thought than I gave to buying a laptop” — Plain, functional wording. The 7.0 and 7.5 versions sharpen this to 'which laptop to buy', a slightly more specific and natural phrasing.
FC“For most people, though, place is a quiet decision” — A short, flat closing sentence. The 7.5 version extends it into a fuller antithesis, 'place is the quiet decision that makes the loud ones', which is far more memorable.
Band 7.0
The closing metaphor 'the quiet decision that shapes the loud ones' gives the answer a considered, almost aphoristic final line.
Honestly, it's one of the two or three, and I think it's underrated. Choosing Da Nang over Hanoi after university decided my job, my friends, the person I've become — and I made it in about an afternoon, with far less thought than I gave to which laptop to buy. Where you live sets the defaults for everything else: what work exists, who you meet, how you spend your evenings. A partner and a career are the other big decisions, and they're both partly determined by place, to be fair. So for most of us, place is the quiet decision that shapes the loud ones.
Why this band
GRA“Where you live sets the defaults for everything else: what work exists, who you meet, how you spend your evenings” — The colon-led three-item list is more developed than 6.5's plainer two-item version joined with 'like'.
FC“the quiet decision that shapes the loud ones” — A figurative metaphor closes the answer, more vivid than 6.5's flat 'place is a quiet decision' with no further elaboration.
LR“with far less thought than I gave to which laptop to buy” — The intensifier 'far' plus the more idiomatic 'which laptop to buy' sharpens 6.5's plainer 'less thought than I gave to buying a laptop'.
Band 7.5
The concession 'since some people carry their life with them wherever they go' adds genuine nuance before the confident final claim.
One of the two or three, and I think it's genuinely underrated. Choosing Da Nang over Hanoi after university decided my job, my friends, the person I've since become — and I made that call in about an afternoon, with far less thought than I gave to which laptop to buy. Where you live sets the defaults for everything else: what work exists, who you meet, how you spend your evenings, what your children will take for granted. A partner and a career are the other big decisions, and both are partly determined by place in any case. I wouldn't call it the most important decision for everyone, since some people carry their life with them wherever they go. But for most of us, place is the quiet decision that makes the loud ones.
Why this band
FC“I wouldn't call it the most important decision for everyone, since some people carry their life with them wherever they go” — This concession sentence adds a layer of nuance that neither 6.5's flatter answer nor 7.0's more confident, unqualified version includes.
LR“what your children will take for granted” — A precise, evocative fourth item extends the list beyond 7.0's three items, adding a generational dimension to the idea.
GRA“both are partly determined by place in any case” — The tag 'in any case' adds a flexible, idiomatic closing note to the clause, a small but real step beyond 7.0's plainer 'to be fair' hedge.
6. What kinds of places do older and younger people like to live in?
May–Aug 2026
Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question
Band 6.5
The plain closing sentence 'Both are right for their own stage of life' states the conclusion with no elaboration, typical of direct 6.5 phrasing.
They want opposite things in my family. My grandmother won't leave her lane in Hue; she knows every neighbour and the market is five minutes away. My sister wants a tower in Ho Chi Minh City with a gym on the roof and lots of restaurants nearby. Younger people usually want density — jobs, people, and choice — and don't mind small flats since they're rarely home. Older people want familiar places, quiet, and services nearby, trading restaurants for one neighbour who checks on them. Both are right for their own stage of life.
Why this band
LR“My sister wants a tower in Ho Chi Minh City with a gym on the roof and lots of restaurants nearby” — Plain vocabulary. The 7.0 and 7.5 versions use the more specific, exaggerated 'a hundred restaurants below', a more vivid and precise number than the vague 'lots of'.
GRA“Younger people usually want density — jobs, people, and choice” — A three-item list. The 7.0 and 7.5 versions extend this to four items, adding 'noise', for a fuller sensory picture of city life.
FC“Both are right for their own stage of life” — A flat closing statement. The 7.5 version extends this idea with 'The cities that genuinely work are the ones that manage to hold both at once', adding a further, more developed conclusion.
Band 7.0
The phrase 'pull in opposite directions' is a more figurative, dynamic way of expressing contrast than 6.5's flat 'want opposite things'.
Honestly, they pull in opposite directions in my family. My grandmother won't leave the lane in Hue where she knows every neighbour and the market is a five-minute walk; my sister wants a tower in Ho Chi Minh City with a gym on the roof and a hundred restaurants below. Younger people want density — jobs, people, noise, choice — and don't mind small flats because they're rarely in them. Older people want familiarity, quiet, ground-floor access, and services close by, and they'd trade a hundred restaurants, to be fair, for one neighbour who checks on them. Both groups are right for their own stage of life.
Why this band
LR“my sister wants a tower in Ho Chi Minh City with a gym on the roof and a hundred restaurants below” — The specific exaggerated number 'a hundred restaurants' is more vivid and precise than 6.5's vague 'lots of restaurants nearby'.
GRA“Younger people want density — jobs, people, noise, choice” — A four-item list adds 'noise' to 6.5's three-item version, giving a fuller sensory sense of what density actually means.
FC“they'd trade a hundred restaurants, to be fair, for one neighbour who checks on them” — The hedge 'to be fair' inserted mid-clause softens the claim, a spoken texture 6.5's plainer version of the same sentence doesn't include.
Band 7.5
The closing generalisation 'The cities that genuinely work are the ones that manage to hold both at once' widens the answer from a family anecdote into a broader claim about urban design.
They pull in genuinely opposite directions in my family. My grandmother won't leave the lane in Hue where she knows every neighbour and the market is a five-minute walk away; my sister wants a tower in Ho Chi Minh City with a gym on the roof and a hundred restaurants somewhere below. Younger people want density — jobs, people, noise, choice — and don't much mind small flats, since they're rarely in them anyway. Older people want familiarity, quiet, ground-floor access, and services close at hand, and they'd happily trade a hundred restaurants for one neighbour who checks on them occasionally. Both groups, in their own way, are entirely right for their stage of life. The cities that genuinely work are the ones that manage to hold both at once.
Why this band
FC“The cities that genuinely work are the ones that manage to hold both at once” — This closing sentence widens the answer's scope from a personal family story to a general claim about cities, a more developed conclusion than 6.5's plain final sentence and 7.0's version without this extra step.
LR“they'd happily trade a hundred restaurants for one neighbour who checks on them occasionally” — The added adverbs 'happily' and 'occasionally' give the sentence more precise, natural texture than 7.0's plainer version of the same trade-off.
GRA“Both groups, in their own way, are entirely right for their stage of life” — The parenthetical 'in their own way' and intensifier 'entirely' show more flexible, controlled modification than 6.5's flat 'Both are right for their own stage of life'.
7. What are the advantages of living near your workplace?
May–Aug 2026
Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question
Band 6.5
The plain closing sentence 'The disadvantage is that work always feels close' states the counterpoint directly without softening.
Mainly time, and what that time becomes. My commute is ten minutes, so I am home by six with enough energy to cook or exercise. A colleague who lives across the city loses two hours a day in traffic and arrives home only ready for the sofa. Living near work means you can go home at lunch or handle an emergency. It saves money on fuel too, and reduces stress, because traffic makes people unhappy every day. The disadvantage is that work always feels close, and some need distance to switch off.
Why this band
LR“so I am home by six with enough energy to cook or exercise” — A simple cause-and-effect clause with 'so'. The 7.5 version instead uses 'with enough energy left to cook or go for a run', which is more specific and physically vivid.
GRA“A colleague who lives across the city loses two hours a day in traffic and arrives home only ready for the sofa” — A relative clause plus a coordinated verb phrase. The 7.5 version tightens this with the semicolon-joined structure and 'fit only for the sofa', a slightly more idiomatic adjective choice.
FC“It saves money on fuel too, and reduces stress, because traffic makes people unhappy every day” — A simple cause clause. The 7.0 and 7.5 versions strengthen this with 'proven to make people unhappy', adding a claim of evidence rather than a flat assertion.
Band 7.0
The fragment-style opener 'Time, mostly, honestly, and what time turns into' answers the question before the sentence is grammatically complete, a compact spoken structure.
Time, mostly, honestly, and what time turns into. My commute is ten minutes, and I'm home by six with enough energy to cook or run; a colleague who lives across the city loses two hours a day in traffic and arrives home ready only for the sofa. Living near work means you can go home at lunch, handle an emergency, or stay late without dreading the journey home. It saves money on fuel too and reduces stress considerably, since traffic is one of the few things proven to make people unhappy daily. The disadvantage, to be fair, is that work is always close, and some people need real distance to switch off.
Why this band
FC“traffic is one of the few things proven to make people unhappy daily” — The claim of evidence, 'proven to', is more developed than 6.5's flatter 'traffic makes people unhappy every day'.
GRA“Living near work means you can go home at lunch, handle an emergency, or stay late without dreading the journey home” — A three-item list of benefits, one more than 6.5's two-item version, showing a fuller, more organised range.
LR“The disadvantage, to be fair, is that work is always close, and some people need real distance to switch off” — The added adjective 'real' before 'distance' is a small but precise intensifier beyond 6.5's plain 'distance to switch off'.
Band 7.5
The closing balance 'what I gain in hours outweighs what I lose in separation' sums up the whole argument in one tightly parallel sentence.
Time, mostly, and what that time quietly turns into. My commute is ten minutes, and I'm home by six with enough energy left to cook or go for a run; a colleague who lives across the city loses two hours a day to traffic and arrives home fit only for the sofa. Living near work means you can pop home at lunch, handle an emergency without panic, or stay late without dreading the journey back. It saves real money on fuel and reduces stress considerably, since traffic is one of the few things reliably proven to make people unhappy every single day. The disadvantage is that work is permanently close by, and some people genuinely need distance to switch off. I've found what I gain in hours outweighs what I lose in separation.
Why this band
FC“I've found what I gain in hours outweighs what I lose in separation” — This closing parallel structure weighs the whole argument's costs and benefits in one balanced sentence, a more sophisticated ending than 6.5's flat final claim and 7.0's version without any such summary.
LR“pop home at lunch” — The phrasal verb 'pop home' is a casual, idiomatic choice, more natural-sounding than 6.5's plain 'go home at lunch' and 7.0's identical phrasing.
GRA“arrives home fit only for the sofa” — The adjective 'fit' used idiomatically ('fit only for') is a more compact, natural construction than 6.5's and 7.0's plainer 'ready only for the sofa'.
8. What types of places do people in your country like to live in?
May–Aug 2026
Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question
Band 6.5
The plain closing contrast 'The dream for many is still... but the reality for most is' states the whole idea directly with basic connecting words.
Traditionally, people like a house with its own front on the street, the tube house, because it means independence and land that is truly yours. That preference runs deep — my parents still see my apartment as a temporary arrangement even after five years. Cities are slowly changing this; young people accept flats for the location and security. People also like living near family, within walking distance, and near a market. The dream for many is still a house in a lively neighbourhood, but the reality for most is whatever is affordable near work.
Why this band
GRA“because it means independence and land that is truly yours” — A simple two-item reason list. The 7.0 and 7.5 versions extend this to a three-item list including 'room for a shop or a motorbike', giving a fuller, more concrete picture of what the house actually offers.
LR“my parents still see my apartment as a temporary arrangement even after five years” — Plain, functional phrasing. The 7.0 version uses the more precise verb 'regard', a slightly more formal choice than the everyday 'see'.
FC“but the reality for most is whatever is affordable near work” — A short, flat closing clause. The 7.5 version extends this to 'whatever's affordable within an hour of work', a more specific and realistic detail.
Band 7.0
The fragment-style opener 'Traditionally, honestly, a house with its own front on a street' skips the main verb entirely, a compact spoken structure.
Traditionally, honestly, a house with its own front on a street — the narrow tube house — because it means independence, a place for a shop or a motorbike, and land that's genuinely yours. That preference runs deep; my parents regard my apartment as a temporary arrangement even after five years. Cities are gradually changing it: young people accept flats for the location and the security. People also like living near family, ideally within walking distance, and near a market. The dream for many, to be fair, is still a house in a lively neighbourhood, close to relatives, with a bit of yard.
Why this band
GRA“because it means independence, a place for a shop or a motorbike, and land that's genuinely yours” — A three-item list, one more than 6.5's simpler two-item version, giving a fuller sense of what the house symbolises.
LR“my parents regard my apartment as a temporary arrangement even after five years” — 'Regard' is a more formal, considered verb choice than 6.5's plainer 'see', suggesting a settled, ongoing attitude rather than a casual opinion.
FC“The dream for many, to be fair, is still a house in a lively neighbourhood, close to relatives, with a bit of yard” — The hedge 'to be fair' softens what could otherwise sound like an overconfident generalisation about the whole country's preferences.
Band 7.5
The closing two-sentence contrast between 'the dream' and 'the reality for most' rounds off the answer with a deliberate, structured ending.
Traditionally, a house with its own front on a street — the narrow tube house — because it means independence, room for a shop or a motorbike, and land that's unquestionably yours. That preference runs remarkably deep; my parents still regard my apartment as a temporary arrangement even after five years living in it. Cities are gradually reshaping it: young people increasingly accept flats for the location and the security they offer. People also like living near family, ideally within walking distance, and near a market they already know. The dream for many is still a house in a lively neighbourhood, close to relatives, with a scrap of yard. The reality for most, though, is whatever's affordable within an hour of work.
Why this band
FC“The reality for most, though, is whatever's affordable within an hour of work” — This closing sentence names a specific, realistic constraint ('within an hour of work'), a more developed conclusion than 6.5's vaguer 'whatever is affordable near work'.
LR“a scrap of yard” — 'A scrap of' is an idiomatic, slightly self-deprecating quantifier, more vivid and precise than 6.5's and 7.0's plain 'a bit of yard'.
GRA“young people increasingly accept flats for the location and the security they offer” — The added relative clause 'they offer' extends the sentence with more grammatical detail than 7.0's plainer, shorter version of the same claim.
9. Why do some people move to a different area to live?
May–Aug 2026
Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question
Band 6.5
The plain opener 'Work first, almost always' states the main cause in four words before any explanation follows.
Work first, almost always. Half of my university class left Hanoi within three years — for Ho Chi Minh City, the coast, or abroad — and nearly all of it was jobs or pay. After that, family: moving to be near ageing parents or to follow a partner. Some move for a way of life, like friends who left cities for the countryside once remote work became possible. Cost also pushes people, because they can no longer afford where they live. It is rarely just one reason, but money is usually part of it.
Why this band
LR“for Ho Chi Minh City, the coast, or abroad” — A general three-item list. The 7.0 and 7.5 versions name the specific countries, 'for Japan and Australia', giving the same list far more concrete detail.
GRA“Cost also pushes people, because they can no longer afford where they live” — A simple cause-and-effect sentence. The 7.5 version instead extends this with 'people eventually leave places they can no longer afford to stay in', adding the time element 'eventually' for more nuance.
FC“It is rarely just one reason, but money is usually part of it” — A short, flat closing sentence. The 7.5 version adds a whole extra sentence before this conclusion — about people who 'move purely because they've outgrown somewhere' — giving the ending more build-up.
Band 7.0
The repeated preposition structure 'for Ho Chi Minh City, for the coast, for Japan and Australia' gives the list a driving, spoken rhythm.
Work first, honestly, nearly always. Half my university class left Hanoi within three years — for Ho Chi Minh City, for the coast, for Japan and Australia — and almost all of it was jobs or better pay. After that, family: moving to be near ageing parents, or away from them, or to follow a partner. Some move for a way of life, like the friends who've left cities for the countryside since remote work became possible. Cost drives many moves too, to be fair, since people leave places they can no longer afford. It's rarely one single reason, but money is usually somewhere in there.
Why this band
GRA“for Ho Chi Minh City, for the coast, for Japan and Australia” — The repeated preposition 'for' across four destinations is a more rhythmic, deliberate structure than 6.5's flatter comma-and-'or' list.
FC“After that, family: moving to be near ageing parents, or away from them, or to follow a partner” — The colon introduces a nuanced three-option list, including the more complex idea of moving 'away from them', which 6.5's simpler version omits.
LR“money is usually somewhere in there” — The idiom 'somewhere in there' is a more natural, conversational closing phrase than 6.5's plainer 'usually part of it'.
Band 7.5
The added final category — people who 'move purely because they've outgrown somewhere' — gives the answer one more layer of depth before the closing line.
Work first, nearly always. Half my university class left Hanoi within three years — for Ho Chi Minh City, for the coast, for Japan and Australia — and almost all of it came down to jobs or better pay. After that comes family: moving to be near ageing parents, or deliberately away from them, or simply to follow a partner. Some move for a different way of life entirely, like the friends who've left cities for the countryside now that remote work has become possible. Cost drives a great many moves too, since people eventually leave places they can no longer afford to stay in. And a few move purely because they've outgrown somewhere and want to start again where nobody knows them. It's rarely just one reason, but money is nearly always somewhere in there.
Why this band
FC“a few move purely because they've outgrown somewhere and want to start again where nobody knows them” — This extra category adds a psychological motive that neither 6.5's list nor 7.0's version includes, giving the answer a fuller range of reasons before the conclusion.
LR“almost all of it came down to jobs or better pay” — The idiom 'came down to' is a more natural, conversational way of expressing cause than 6.5's and 7.0's plainer 'was jobs or better pay'.
GRA“or deliberately away from them, or simply to follow a partner” — The added adverbs 'deliberately' and 'simply' give this three-option list more precise, controlled modification than 7.0's plainer version of the same list.

Frequently asked questions

How long should my answer to this Part 2 cue card be?: Speak for 1 to 2 minutes. The examiner will stop you at 2 minutes, so aim for roughly 220-300 words that cover every bullet on the card and end with how you feel about it.
What Part 3 questions follow this cue card?: After "A Place You Have Visited (Not Your Hometown) That You Would Recommend as a Good Place to Live", examiners have asked 9 follow-up discussion questions, listed above. They move from your personal story to general opinions on the same theme.
Is this cue card still being used?: It was most recently reported by test-takers in May–Aug 2026. Cue cards rotate every four months, and many topics return in later seasons with slightly different wording.