A Situation When You Gave Advice to Someone

Part 3 follow-up questions

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

1. 1. When is it better to ask friends for advice rather than family?

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

   Band 6.5

   States the main distinction plainly ('honest advice, not just comfort') and lists supporting reasons in short, separate sentences.

   I think it is better to ask friends when you need honest advice, not just comfort. Before I left my first job, I asked a friend instead of my mother, because I already knew what my mother would say — stay, it's safe, don't be careless. Her answer would come from love, not from her real opinion about the job. Friends can be more honest about relationships and careers, things family already has opinions about. Friends also know the current you better than parents do. But for money and health, family usually knows more.

   Why this band

   • FC“I think it is better to ask friends when you need honest advice, not just comfort.” — This opening states the whole distinction in one plain sentence. The 7.0 band sharpens this to 'the truth without the emotional weight', and 7.5 to 'the truth without the stake attached', both more precise and idiomatic ways of naming the same contrast.
   • LR“Her answer would come from love, not from her real opinion about the job.” — This is plain, direct phrasing for the mother's motivation. The higher bands keep the same basic idea but embed it inside a longer sentence with a dash, as in 'and it came from love for me, not from any real view of the job itself'.
   • GRA“Friends can be more honest about relationships and careers, things family already has opinions about.” — This sentence uses a comma to attach a short explanatory phrase. The 7.5 version instead builds a longer sentence joined by a semicolon, folding in the point about knowing the current version of a person within the same continuous structure.

   Band 7.0

   Adds the hedge 'I'd say' and the phrase 'the truth without the emotional weight' to sharpen the opening distinction.

   I'd say it's better to ask friends when you need the truth without the emotional weight. Before I left my first job, I asked a friend rather than my mother, because I already knew her answer before I even asked — stay, be safe, don't be reckless — and it came from love for me, not from any real view of the job itself. Family advice tends to carry the weight of their hopes for you, and sometimes their own fears too. Friends, on the other hand, can be more honest about relationships and careers, areas where family already has fixed opinions. That said, for money and health, family usually has both the interest and the experience to help.

   Why this band

   • FC“the truth without the emotional weight” — This phrase is more precise than the plain 'honest advice, not just comfort' at 6.5, naming the specific quality — emotional weight — that friends lack. It's a step toward the even more compact 7.5 phrase 'the truth without the stake attached'.
   • LR“Friends, on the other hand, can be more honest about relationships and careers, areas where family already has fixed opinions.” — 'Fixed opinions' is a more precise phrase than the plainer 'opinions' at 6.5, suggesting the opinions are hard to move. It matches the 7.5 phrasing closely, showing convergence in vocabulary between the two higher bands.
   • GRA“because I already knew her answer before I even asked — stay, be safe, don't be reckless — and it came from love for me, not from any real view of the job itself” — This sentence uses a dash-marked list embedded within a longer clause, more ambitious than the two separate sentences used for similar content at 6.5. It's close to the 7.5 structure, which adds the word 'genuine' for extra precision.

   Band 7.5

   Opens with the compact 'the truth without the stake attached' and uses a semicolon to link the two points about friends knowing the 'current version' of you.

   I'd say it's better to ask friends when you need the truth without the stake attached. Before I left my first job, I asked a friend rather than my mother, simply because I knew my mother's answer before I'd even asked it — stay, security, don't be reckless — and it came from love for me, not from any genuine view of the job. Family advice carries the weight of their hopes for you, and often of their own fears as well. Friends, by contrast, can be far more honest about relationships, careers and anything family already has fixed opinions on; they also tend to know the current version of you better, whereas parents sometimes remember an entirely different one. For money and health, though, family usually has both the interest and the experience.

   Why this band

   • FC“the truth without the stake attached” — 'The stake attached' is a more compact, idiomatic phrase than the fuller 'the emotional weight' used at 7.0. This kind of economy — saying the same thing in fewer, more precise words — is typical of the top band.
   • LR“not from any genuine view of the job” — 'Genuine' is a slightly more precise word than the plainer 'real' used at 6.5 and 7.0 for describing an honest assessment. This small lexical substitution across an otherwise similar sentence shows the fine-grained upgrades typical of 7.5.
   • GRA“they also tend to know the current version of you better, whereas parents sometimes remember an entirely different one” — This clause uses a semicolon to link it to the previous point about honesty, then adds a 'whereas' contrast, more layered than the separate sentence used at 6.5. The nested structure lets three related ideas sit inside a single continuous sentence.

2. 2. Why do older people sometimes ask younger people for advice?

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

   Band 6.5

   States the general cause plainly ('a world they entered late') and reports the father's two questions as short, separate sentences.

   Usually it's about a world they entered late. My father asks me which phone to buy, which makes sense, but last year he also asked how to talk to a new colleague thirty years younger who wouldn't speak in meetings. That was a real request to understand a different generation. Technology is the obvious area, but younger people also understand job markets and what is acceptable to say now. It takes some humility to ask, and the older people who do it are usually the wiser ones. Being asked made me feel like an adult.

   Why this band

   • FC“Usually it's about a world they entered late.” — This short opening states the cause plainly. Both higher bands add 'rather' before 'late', a small but genuine softening that gives the claim a more considered, less absolute tone.
   • LR“That was a real request to understand a different generation.” — This is plain, direct phrasing. The higher bands upgrade this to 'a genuine request for translation between generations', a more precise and figurative noun ('translation') than the plain 'to understand'.
   • GRA“My father asks me which phone to buy, which makes sense, but last year he also asked how to talk to a new colleague thirty years younger who wouldn't speak in meetings.” — This sentence joins two examples with 'but', accurate but fairly linear. The higher bands restructure this with a comma-marked aside ('which is fairly expected') and a dash-free continuous clause, showing slightly tighter integration.

   Band 7.0

   Adds 'rather' to soften the opening claim and uses the phrase 'a genuine request for translation between generations'.

   Usually it's about a world they entered rather late. My father asks me which phone to buy, which is fairly expected, but last year he also asked how to handle a new colleague thirty years younger who wouldn't speak up in meetings, and that felt like a genuine request for translation between generations. Technology is the obvious area, but younger people also know how things work now — job markets, social norms, what's acceptable to say — in ways that have simply changed since older people learned the rules. It takes a certain humility, and honestly, the older people who do it tend to be the wiser ones. Being asked was one of the first times I felt like a proper adult in my family.

   Why this band

   • FC“a world they entered rather late” — Adding 'rather' softens the claim slightly compared with the flat '6.5' version, a small but genuine hedge. It's shared exactly with the 7.5 opening, showing the two higher bands converge on this precise wording.
   • LR“a genuine request for translation between generations” — 'Translation between generations' is a vivid, figurative phrase that the plainer '6.5' version doesn't attempt. It reframes the father's question as bridging two different worlds rather than simply 'understanding' one.
   • GRA“job markets, social norms, what's acceptable to say — in ways that have simply changed since older people learned the rules” — This dash-marked list feeding into a 'that have... changed' clause is more compact than the comma-list-plus-clause structure at 6.5. It's close to the 7.5 version, which adds 'quietly shifted' instead of 'simply changed', a slightly more vivid verb.

   Band 7.5

   Drops 'It's' from the opening for a more compact fragment and inserts the aside 'almost without exception' mid-sentence.

   Usually about a world they entered rather late. My father asks me which phone to buy, which is expected enough, but last year he also asked how to handle a new colleague thirty years younger who wouldn't speak in meetings, and that was a genuine request for translation between generations. Technology is the obvious area, but younger people also know how things work now — job markets, social norms, what's acceptable to say — in ways that have quietly shifted since older people first learned the rules. It takes a certain humility, and the older people who manage it tend, almost without exception, to be the wise ones. Being asked, honestly, was one of the first times I felt genuinely like an adult in my own family.

   Why this band

   • FC“Usually about a world they entered rather late.” — Dropping 'It's' entirely creates a more compact, almost clipped opening than the fuller sentence at 6.5 and 7.0. This kind of economical fragment is a marker of confident, practised fluency.
   • LR“have quietly shifted since older people first learned the rules” — 'Quietly shifted' is a more vivid, understated verb than the plainer 'simply changed' used at 7.0. It suggests a gradual, almost unnoticed process, adding a layer of nuance the lower bands don't reach.
   • GRA“the older people who manage it tend, almost without exception, to be the wise ones” — Inserting 'almost without exception' as a mid-sentence aside, set off by commas, is a more flexible structure than the simpler 'tend to be the wiser ones' used at 6.5 and 7.0. The interruption itself shows confident control of sentence flow.

3. 3. What problems can someone have when they ask lots of different people for advice?

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

   Band 6.5

   Opens with the Minh story told in one sentence with 'so' and lists the two main problems as separate short sentences.

   By the time Minh came to me, he had already asked eight other people, and each one gave him a different, confident answer, so he was more confused than before he started. The first problem is that the advice contradicts itself, and the second is that it lets you avoid actually deciding. Asking many people can also become a way to search for the answer you already wanted, and stopping once you hear it. It also spreads your private business around. Too many opinions make your own judgement unclear, and that is the judgement you have to live with.

   Why this band

   • FC“By the time Minh came to me, he had already asked eight other people, and each one gave him a different, confident answer, so he was more confused than before he started.” — This sentence chains three ideas with 'and... so', accurate but additive. The higher bands restructure this with a dash to attach the two-part 'problem' summary directly onto the story, creating one longer, more integrated sentence.
   • LR“search for the answer you already wanted” — This is plain, direct phrasing. The higher bands keep almost the same wording, showing that at this point the phrase itself is already close to optimal — the difference lies in the surrounding sentence's flow rather than the vocabulary.
   • GRA“Too many opinions make your own judgement unclear, and that is the judgement you have to live with.” — This closing sentence joins two ideas with 'and', accurate but plain. The 7.5 version instead adds a further semicolon-linked clause with a specific number ('two or three thoughtful people... beat a survey every time'), extending the sentence's scope.

   Band 7.0

   Tightens 'the advice contradicts itself' to the single word 'contradiction' and adds 'honestly' as a natural spoken hedge.

   By the time Minh reached me, he'd already asked eight other people, and each one had given him a confident, different answer, so honestly he arrived more confused than when he'd started. The first problem is contradiction, and the second is that it lets you avoid actually deciding. Asking widely can also become a way of searching for the answer you already wanted, and stopping the moment you hear it. It spreads your private business around too, and people who gave advice tend to feel entitled to know whether you took it. Too many opinions blur your own judgement, which is the one you'll ultimately have to live with.

   Why this band

   • FC“so honestly he arrived more confused than when he'd started” — Adding 'honestly' mid-sentence gives this a more natural, spoken rhythm than the plainer version at 6.5. It's a smaller move than the 7.5 version, which drops the connective 'so' entirely and uses a dash instead, creating an even tighter join.
   • LR“The first problem is contradiction” — 'Contradiction' as a single noun is a more economical, precise word than the fuller phrase 'the advice contradicts itself' used at 6.5. This kind of compression is typical of the step up from 6.5 to 7.0.
   • GRA“Too many opinions blur your own judgement, which is the one you'll ultimately have to live with.” — This sentence uses a relative clause ('which is the one...') to attach the final point directly onto the main clause, more integrated than the 'and that is' structure at 6.5. It's close to the 7.5 version, which extends the same sentence even further with a semicolon and an added comparison.

   Band 7.5

   Uses a dash to attach the two-part diagnosis directly onto the Minh story and closes with the semicolon-linked comparison 'beat a survey every time'.

   By the time Minh reached me he'd already asked eight other people, and each had given him a confident, different answer, so he arrived more confused than when he'd started — the first problem is contradiction, and the second is that it lets you avoid deciding at all. Asking widely can easily become a way of searching for the answer you already wanted, and stopping the moment you hear it. It also spreads your private business around, and people who gave advice tend to feel entitled to know whether you took it. Too many opinions blur your own judgement, which is the one you'll actually have to live with; two or three thoughtful people, in my experience, beat a survey every time.

   Why this band

   • FC“so he arrived more confused than when he'd started — the first problem is contradiction” — The dash here attaches the diagnosis directly onto the narrative sentence, more compact than the separate sentences used at 6.5 or the 'so honestly' join at 7.0. It signals confident, economical sentence construction.
   • LR“beat a survey every time” — This is a vivid, idiomatic closing comparison that neither lower band attempts; both stop after the plainer statement about judgement. 'A survey' as a metaphor for asking too many people is a precise and slightly witty image.
   • GRA“which is the one you'll actually have to live with; two or three thoughtful people, in my experience, beat a survey every time” — This sentence adds a semicolon-linked second clause onto the relative-clause structure already used at 7.0, more layered still. The extra clause, with its own mid-sentence aside ('in my experience'), rounds the answer off with a memorable final comparison.

4. 4. In what situations is it important to think carefully before giving advice to someone?

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

   Band 6.5

   States the main condition plainly and expands it with parallel 'the person who... walks away / does not' clauses.

   It is important when the person will live with the result and you will not. I thought carefully before advising Minh because his whole career and our friendship were involved, and it still cost me two weeks of silence between us. Any advice about marriage, children, leaving a job or a country deserves that same care, because the person who gives advice walks away, and the person who receives it does not. It also matters when you do not know the topic, or when your own interests are involved. When someone is in pain, they usually want to be heard before being told what to do.

   Why this band

   • FC“It is important when the person will live with the result and you will not.” — This opening states the central condition plainly with 'will... will not'. The higher bands tighten this to 'actually live with' and 'you won't', small contractions and intensifiers that make the same idea sound more natural and spoken.
   • LR“the person who gives advice walks away, and the person who receives it does not” — This is a plain, explicit way of naming the two roles. The higher bands compress this to 'the adviser walks away and the advised doesn't', using the more economical nouns 'adviser' and 'advised' instead of full descriptive phrases.
   • GRA“I thought carefully before advising Minh because his whole career and our friendship were involved, and it still cost me two weeks of silence between us.” — This sentence joins two ideas with 'and', accurate but additive. The 7.5 version instead uses a dash to attach the consequence directly onto the reason, creating a tighter, more compact structure.

   Band 7.0

   Adds 'precisely' and 'on the table' to sharpen the Minh example, and uses the compressed 'the adviser walks away and the advised doesn't'.

   It's important when the person will actually live with the result and you won't. I thought carefully before advising Minh precisely because his whole career and our friendship were on the table — and it still cost me two weeks of silence afterwards. Any advice about marriage, children, leaving a job or a country deserves that same care, because the adviser walks away and the advised doesn't. It's also important when you don't really know the field, when the person hasn't actually asked, and when your own interests are involved, which is more often than we'd like to admit. And when someone is in real pain, they usually want to be heard before they want to be told.

   Why this band

   • FC“his whole career and our friendship were on the table” — 'On the table' is a more vivid, idiomatic phrase than the plainer 'were involved' used at 6.5. It suggests something actively at stake and open to loss, rather than simply present.
   • LR“the adviser walks away and the advised doesn't” — 'Adviser' and 'advised' are more economical, precise nouns than the fuller descriptive phrases used at 6.5. This kind of compression through precise vocabulary is typical of the step from 6.5 to 7.0.
   • GRA“his whole career and our friendship were on the table — and it still cost me two weeks of silence afterwards” — The dash attaches the consequence directly onto the reason within one sentence, more compact than the 'and' join at 6.5. It's identical in structure to the 7.5 version, showing this particular upgrade is shared across the top two bands.

   Band 7.5

   Closes with a semicolon-linked generalisation, 'most advice, in my experience, fails on timing rather than content.'

   It's important when the person will live with the result and you won't. I thought carefully before advising Minh precisely because his whole career and our friendship were on the table — and it still cost me two weeks of silence. Any advice about marriage, children, leaving a job or a country deserves that same care, because the adviser walks away and the advised doesn't. It also matters when you don't actually know the field, when the person hasn't asked, and when your own interests are involved, which is more often than we'd care to admit. And when someone is in genuine pain, they usually want to be heard before they want to be told; most advice, in my experience, fails on timing rather than content.

   Why this band

   • FC“It's important when the person will live with the result and you won't.” — Dropping 'actually' from the 7.0 version makes this opening slightly more economical while keeping the same meaning. This kind of trimming for compactness, without losing precision, is characteristic of the top band.
   • LR“fails on timing rather than content” — This closing distinction between 'timing' and 'content' is a precise, abstract contrast that neither lower band reaches; both stop after the point about pain and being heard. It adds a genuinely new analytical layer to the answer's ending.
   • GRA“they usually want to be heard before they want to be told; most advice, in my experience, fails on timing rather than content” — This sentence adds a semicolon-linked final clause onto the structure already used at 7.0, extending it with a general conclusion and a mid-sentence aside. The extra layered clause gives the ending a more rounded, conclusive feel.

5. 5. What kinds of personal qualities do people need to give good advice?

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

   Band 6.5

   Lists the qualities one by one, each introduced by a short new sentence such as 'Honesty matters too'.

   The first quality is being able to listen longer than feels comfortable. My old studio director used to ask questions for twenty minutes before giving a single opinion, and by the end you had often solved the problem yourself. Honesty matters too. You also need enough experience to know what usually happens, and enough humility to know it might not this time. Being able to stay separate from the outcome matters, because advice from someone who needs you to take it feels like pressure, not real advice. And you need respect for the other person's right to ignore you.

   Why this band

   • FC“The first quality is being able to listen longer than feels comfortable.” — This opening states the first quality plainly. The higher bands add 'I'd say' and 'I'd argue' respectively before this same claim, small hedges that give the opening a more considered, personal tone.
   • LR“Being able to stay separate from the outcome matters” — This is plain, descriptive phrasing for a fairly abstract idea. The higher bands compress this to the single precise noun 'Detachment', a more economical and slightly technical word for the same quality.
   • GRA“advice from someone who needs you to take it feels like pressure, not real advice” — This is a plain contrastive clause. The 7.5 version extends the same idea with 'pressure dressed up as guidance, not advice at all', adding a participle phrase that makes the metaphor more vivid and the sentence more complex.

   Band 7.0

   Adds 'I'd say' before the first quality and compresses 'being able to stay separate from the outcome' into the single word 'Detachment'.

   The first quality, I'd say, is the ability to listen longer than feels comfortable. My old studio director would ask questions for twenty minutes before offering a single opinion, and by the end you'd often solved the problem yourself, which was really the whole point. Honesty matters too, of course, including the courage to say something the person won't like. Enough experience to know what usually happens, and enough humility to know it might not this time, both matter as well. Detachment is important too — advice from someone who needs you to take it is pressure, not advice. And a kind of respect for the other person's right to ignore you completely.

   Why this band

   • FC“which was really the whole point” — This closing tag adds a small evaluative comment onto the director story that the plainer 6.5 sentence doesn't attempt. It's a step toward the 7.5 version's similar but slightly more formal 'which was rather the point'.
   • LR“Detachment is important too” — 'Detachment' is a single precise noun replacing the fuller descriptive phrase used at 6.5. It is shared exactly with the 7.5 version, showing the two higher bands converge on this compact vocabulary choice.
   • GRA“Enough experience to know what usually happens, and enough humility to know it might not this time, both matter as well.” — This sentence fronts two parallel 'enough... to know' clauses before the verb 'matter', a more balanced structure than the separate 'you also need' sentence at 6.5. It's close to the 7.5 version, which uses 'seem equally essential' instead of 'both matter as well'.

   Band 7.5

   Extends the metaphor to 'pressure dressed up as guidance' and closes with a semicolon-linked observation about the best advisers being quiet.

   The first quality, I'd argue, is the ability to listen longer than feels comfortable. My old studio director would ask questions for twenty minutes before offering a single opinion, and by the end you'd often solved the problem yourself, which was rather the point. Honesty matters too, obviously, including the courage to say something the person won't want to hear. Enough experience to know what usually happens, and enough humility to know it might not this time, seem equally essential. Detachment matters as well — advice from someone who needs you to take it is pressure dressed up as guidance, not advice at all. And a genuine respect for the other person's right to ignore you entirely rounds it off; the best advisers I know are surprisingly quiet.

   Why this band

   • FC“which was rather the point” — 'Rather the point' is a slightly more formal, understated way of making the same closing observation as the 7.0 band's 'really the whole point'. This kind of restrained phrasing, favouring understatement over intensifiers, is typical of the top band's register.
   • LR“pressure dressed up as guidance, not advice at all” — 'Dressed up as' is a vivid, idiomatic metaphor that neither lower band attempts; both stop at the plainer 'is pressure, not advice'. It gives the abstract idea of detachment a concrete, almost visual image.
   • GRA“a genuine respect for the other person's right to ignore you entirely rounds it off; the best advisers I know are surprisingly quiet” — This closing sentence uses a semicolon to attach a final observation onto the list of qualities, more layered than the plain 'And you need respect...' sentence at 6.5 or 7.0. The added clause gives the whole list a memorable, rounded conclusion.

6. 6. Do you agree or disagree that anyone can learn how to give advice effectively?

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

   Band 6.5

   Opens with a short qualified agreement and lists what the colleague learned as a plain colon-introduced list.

   Mostly I agree, though the personality behind it is harder to change. A very blunt colleague of mine took a mentoring course and really improved: he learned to ask before telling, to check what the person wanted, and to wait before speaking. He is still blunt, and his advice still feels strong, but now it is more useful instead of just honest. Listening, structuring and timing can be taught. What is harder to teach is caring more about the other person's result than about being right. So anyone can become competent, but only some people become the ones others actually go to.

   Why this band

   • FC“Mostly I agree, though the personality behind it is harder to change.” — This opening states the qualified agreement plainly. The higher bands replace 'personality' with 'temperament', a slightly more precise and formal word for the same underlying idea.
   • LR“his advice still feels strong” — This is plain, general phrasing for the colleague's manner. The higher bands upgrade this to 'his advice still lands hard', a more vivid, physical metaphor for the same quality.
   • GRA“So anyone can become competent, but only some people become the ones others actually go to.” — This closing sentence joins two ideas with 'but', accurate but plain. The higher bands replace the comma-'but' join with a semicolon, a more compact and formal way of linking the same contrast.

   Band 7.0

   Replaces 'personality' with 'temperament' and uses the semicolon in the closing sentence instead of a comma-plus-'but' join.

   Mostly agree, though the temperament behind it is harder to change. A famously blunt colleague of mine took a mentoring course and genuinely improved: he learned to ask before telling, to check what the person actually wanted, and to simply wait. He's still blunt, and his advice still lands hard, but honestly it's now useful rather than merely honest. Listening, framing and timing are all teachable skills. What's harder to teach is the patience to care more about someone else's outcome than about being right, and some people never quite get there. So anyone can become competent; only some become the people others actually seek out.

   Why this band

   • FC“Mostly agree, though the temperament behind it is harder to change.” — Dropping 'I' from 'Mostly I agree' creates a slightly more compact, spoken-sounding opening than the fuller 6.5 sentence. It's a small step toward the even more economical constructions typical of 7.5.
   • LR“his advice still lands hard” — 'Lands hard' is a vivid, physical metaphor for forceful, blunt advice, more precise than the plainer 'feels strong' used at 6.5. It is shared exactly with the 7.5 version, showing convergence in this figurative choice.
   • GRA“So anyone can become competent; only some become the people others actually seek out.” — The semicolon here joins two balanced clauses more compactly than the comma-'but' structure at 6.5. It's identical in structure to the 7.5 closing sentence, showing this particular upgrade is shared across the top two bands.

   Band 7.5

   Extends the opening contrast with 'considerably harder... than the skills themselves' and closes with a dash-marked final contrast.

   Mostly agree, though the underlying temperament is considerably harder to change than the skills themselves. A famously blunt colleague of mine took a mentoring course and genuinely improved: he learned to ask before telling, to check what the person actually wanted, and simply to wait. He's still blunt, and his advice still lands hard, but it's now useful rather than merely honest, which is no small shift. Listening, framing and timing are all teachable; what's harder to instil is the patience to care about someone else's outcome more than about being right, and plenty of people never quite arrive there. So anyone, I'd say, can become competent — but only a few become the person others actually seek out.

   Why this band

   • FC“the underlying temperament is considerably harder to change than the skills themselves” — This is a fuller, more explicitly comparative version of the opening claim than the plainer versions at 6.5 and 7.0, spelling out the 'skills vs temperament' contrast directly. It signals the whole argument's shape from the first sentence.
   • LR“which is no small shift” — This compact evaluative aside adds a judgement about the size of the colleague's improvement that neither lower band attempts. It shows the speaker weighing the change rather than simply reporting it.
   • GRA“So anyone, I'd say, can become competent — but only a few become the person others actually seek out.” — Inserting 'I'd say' as a mid-sentence aside, and using a dash instead of a semicolon for the final contrast, creates a more flexible, spoken-sounding structure than the plainer semicolon sentence at 7.0. The combination of hedge and dash marks confident control.

7. 7. In what situations is paying for advice preferable to getting advice from friends or relatives?

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

   Band 6.5

   States the main condition plainly ('Whenever being wrong costs money') and lists further cases in short, separate sentences.

   Whenever being wrong costs money. When my studio did its first tax return, a friend who said he "knew about tax" helped us, and the penalty we paid was three times what an accountant would have cost. That is the clearest case: technical questions with real consequences. Paid advice also comes with responsibility, because a professional answers for mistakes and a friend usually does not. It is also better when you need privacy, or when the question would feel awkward to ask friends, like a divorce or a will. Sometimes you pay simply to get an answer with no emotional interest in your choice.

   Why this band

   • FC“Whenever being wrong costs money.” — This short opening states the condition plainly. The higher bands intensify this to 'actually has a price' (7.0) and 'carries a real price tag' (7.5), each more vivid and specific than the plain 'costs money'.
   • LR“a friend who said he "knew about tax"” — This uses quotation marks around a plain reported phrase. The higher bands keep the quotation-mark device but adjust the surrounding grammar, as in 'a friend who 'knew about tax' helped us' at 7.0, showing the technique itself is stable across bands while the sentence around it changes.
   • GRA“Paid advice also comes with responsibility, because a professional answers for mistakes and a friend usually does not.” — This sentence joins two ideas with 'because', accurate but plain. The 7.5 version instead uses a semicolon to link the same contrast, a more compact and formal structure.

   Band 7.0

   Adds 'actually' to the opening condition and uses a dash to attach the general claim directly onto the tax-return story.

   Whenever being wrong actually has a price. When my studio did its first tax return, a friend who 'knew about tax' helped us, and the penalty we paid for that mistake was three times what an accountant would have cost — that's really the clearest case: technical questions with real consequences attached. Paid advice also comes with a kind of responsibility, since a professional answers for their mistakes in a way a friend simply doesn't. It's also preferable when you need confidentiality, because relatives tend to talk, and when the question is one friends would find genuinely awkward, like a will or a divorce. Sometimes you pay purely to get an answer with no emotional stake in your choice.

   Why this band

   • FC“Whenever being wrong actually has a price.” — Adding 'actually' intensifies the claim slightly beyond the plain '6.5' version. It's a step toward the 7.5 phrasing 'carries a real price tag', which replaces the verb entirely with a more vivid idiom.
   • LR“with real consequences attached” — 'Attached' adds a slightly more formal, precise finish to the phrase than the plainer 'real consequences' at 6.5. The 7.5 band pushes this further with 'genuine consequences', another small but real upgrade.
   • GRA“that's really the clearest case: technical questions with real consequences attached” — The colon here introduces the category directly, more compact than the separate sentence used at 6.5. It's close to the 7.5 version, which uses 'of all' to intensify the claim even further before the same colon structure.

   Band 7.5

   Opens with the idiom 'carries a real price tag' and closes with the dash-marked final contrast, 'for everything else, friends are cheaper and often kinder.'

   Whenever being wrong carries a real price tag. When my studio filed its first tax return, a friend who 'knew about tax' pitched in to help, and the penalty we paid for his mistake ended up three times what an accountant would have cost — that's the clearest case of all: technical questions with genuine consequences. Paid advice also comes bundled with responsibility; a professional answers for their mistakes, whereas a friend rarely does. It's preferable too whenever you need confidentiality, since relatives inevitably talk, and when the question is one friends would find awkward, like a will or a divorce. Sometimes, frankly, you pay simply to get an answer with no emotional interest in your choice at all — for everything else, friends are cheaper and often kinder.

   Why this band

   • FC“carries a real price tag” — This idiom is more vivid than the plainer 'costs money' at 6.5 and 'actually has a price' at 7.0. It turns an abstract condition into a concrete, physical image.
   • LR“comes bundled with responsibility” — 'Bundled with' is a more vivid, almost commercial metaphor than the plainer 'comes with' used at 6.5 and 7.0. It suggests responsibility as an inseparable part of the package, reinforcing the answer's central argument.
   • GRA“for everything else, friends are cheaper and often kinder” — This dash-marked final clause extends the closing sentence one step further than the equivalent endings at 6.5 and 7.0, both of which stop after the point about emotional interest. The added contrast rounds the whole answer off with a clear, balanced conclusion.

8. 8. Why is professional advice, such as from lawyers, often expensive?

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

   Band 6.5

   States the central idea as a vivid opening metaphor ('paying for the years behind the minutes') and lists the further reasons in short, separate sentences.

   Because you are paying for the years behind the minutes. The lawyer who checked our studio's contract answered our question in twenty minutes, but it took her twenty years of training, so the fee was really for those twenty years. Professionals also carry responsibility — if the advice is wrong, they pay for it, and insurance for that is expensive. There are also not many qualified people, because training takes so long, which keeps prices high. And the stakes are high, so clients are willing to pay, because a small amount of legal advice can prevent a very costly mistake.

   Why this band

   • FC“Because you are paying for the years behind the minutes.” — This opening states the central metaphor plainly. Both higher bands keep the exact same phrase but add 'really' or 'essentially' before it, small adverbs that give the claim a more considered, spoken tone.
   • LR“There are also not many qualified people, because training takes so long, which keeps prices high.” — This is plain, direct phrasing for the supply argument. The higher bands upgrade this to 'their supply is limited... which naturally keeps prices high' (7.0) and 'keeps prices high almost by design' (7.5), each more precise and economical.
   • GRA“And the stakes are high, so clients are willing to pay, because a small amount of legal advice can prevent a very costly mistake.” — This closing sentence chains three ideas with 'so... because', accurate but additive. The higher bands tighten this to a single dash-linked comparison — 'a thousand dollars of legal advice can save a million-dollar mistake' — a more compact and vivid structure.

   Band 7.0

   Adds 'really' to the opening claim and introduces the precise comparison 'a thousand dollars of legal advice can save a million-dollar mistake'.

   Because you're paying for the years behind the minutes, really. The lawyer who reviewed our studio's first big contract answered our question in about twenty minutes, and it took her twenty years of training and practice to be able to do that — so the fee was essentially for those twenty years. Professionals also carry liability: if the advice turns out wrong, they pay for it, and insuring against that is genuinely expensive. Their supply is limited too, since long qualification periods keep the numbers low, which naturally keeps prices high. And because the stakes are high, clients are willing to pay, since a thousand dollars of legal advice can save a million-dollar mistake.

   Why this band

   • FC“Because you're paying for the years behind the minutes, really.” — Adding 'really' at the end of the sentence gives it a more natural, spoken afterthought quality than the plain statement at 6.5. It's close to the 7.5 phrasing, which moves 'essentially' to a different position in the sentence for a similar effect.
   • LR“a thousand dollars of legal advice can save a million-dollar mistake” — This precise numerical comparison is more vivid and concrete than the vaguer 'a small amount of legal advice can prevent a very costly mistake' used at 6.5. It is shared exactly with the 7.5 version, showing convergence in this specific figurative choice.
   • GRA“Professionals also carry liability: if the advice turns out wrong, they pay for it, and insuring against that is genuinely expensive.” — This sentence uses a colon to introduce the liability point directly, more compact than the dash used for a similar purpose at 6.5. It's close to the 7.5 version, which uses the same colon structure but slightly different surrounding wording.

   Band 7.5

   Sharpens the timing detail to 'twenty minutes flat' and closes with the extended contrast 'fair in principle and considerably harder on those who simply can't afford it.'

   Because you're paying for the years behind the minutes, essentially. The lawyer who reviewed our studio's first big contract answered our question in twenty minutes flat, and it took her twenty years of training and practice to be able to — the fee, in effect, was for those twenty years, not the twenty minutes. Professionals also carry liability: if the advice is wrong, they pay, and insuring against that is expensive in itself. Their supply is limited by long qualification, which keeps prices high almost by design. And the stakes are high enough that clients will happily pay — a thousand dollars of legal advice can save a million-dollar mistake, which makes the system fair in principle and considerably harder on those who simply can't afford it.

   Why this band

   • FC“in twenty minutes flat” — 'Flat' after a time expression is a natural, idiomatic intensifier that neither lower band uses; both settle for the plainer 'in twenty minutes' or 'in about twenty minutes'. It adds a small but genuine note of precision.
   • LR“the fee, in effect, was for those twenty years, not the twenty minutes” — The explicit 'not the twenty minutes' contrast is a more precise, pointed way of making the central metaphor land than the plainer 'the fee was essentially for those twenty years' at 7.0. It states clearly what is being ruled out, not just what is being claimed.
   • GRA“which makes the system fair in principle and considerably harder on those who simply can't afford it” — This closing clause balances 'fair in principle' against 'harder on those who can't afford it' within one sentence, more ambitious than the simpler final sentence at 6.5 and 7.0. The balanced structure gives the ending a genuinely evaluative, two-sided conclusion.

9. 9. Do you agree or disagree that governments should use public funds to provide free advisory services?

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

   Band 6.5

   States agreement plainly and gives the grandmother example, then lists the categories of prevented problems in one sentence.

   I agree, and I have seen the benefit of it myself. A free legal clinic helped my grandmother keep her flat when a landlord tried to remove her, which was surely cheaper for the government than a homeless pensioner afterwards. Good advice prevents expensive problems, like bad contracts, untreated illness, debt, and failed small businesses, and the people who need it most are usually the ones who cannot pay for it. Free advice about health, law, tax and starting a business is really an investment, not charity. I would only be careful about quality, since underfunded advice can be worse than none.

   Why this band

   • FC“I agree, and I have seen the benefit of it myself.” — This opening states agreement and personal connection plainly. Both higher bands upgrade 'seen the benefit of it' to 'seen the return on it', a more precise, almost financial metaphor that suits the argument about advice as investment.
   • LR“Free advice about health, law, tax and starting a business is really an investment, not charity.” — This is plain, direct phrasing for the central claim. The 7.5 band extends this to 'is an investment, not charity, whichever way you frame it', adding a further clause that makes the claim feel more considered and final.
   • GRA“Good advice prevents expensive problems, like bad contracts, untreated illness, debt, and failed small businesses, and the people who need it most are usually the ones who cannot pay for it.” — This sentence lists four examples with commas before adding a further clause with 'and', accurate but long and additive. The higher bands restructure this with dashes around the list, making it read as a clearer aside within the sentence.

   Band 7.0

   Upgrades 'seen the benefit of it' to 'seen the return on it firsthand' and uses dashes to set off the list of prevented problems.

   I agree, and honestly I've seen the return on it firsthand. A free legal clinic helped my grandmother keep her flat when a landlord tried to remove her, and it was surely cheaper for the state than dealing with a homeless pensioner afterwards. Good advice prevents expensive problems — bad contracts, untreated illness, debt, failed small businesses — and the people who most need it are exactly those who can't afford to buy it. Free advice on health, law, tax and starting a business feels like an investment rather than charity. Where I'd be careful, though, is quality: underfunded advice can genuinely be worse than none at all.

   Why this band

   • FC“honestly I've seen the return on it firsthand” — 'The return on it' is a more precise, financially flavoured phrase than the plainer 'the benefit of it' at 6.5, fitting the later claim that advice is an investment. It is shared closely with the 7.5 version, showing convergence between the two higher bands.
   • LR“those who can't afford to buy it” — 'Afford to buy it' is a slightly more precise phrase than the plainer 'cannot pay for it' at 6.5, treating advice explicitly as a good that can be bought. This small shift reinforces the investment framing used throughout the answer.
   • GRA“Good advice prevents expensive problems — bad contracts, untreated illness, debt, failed small businesses — and the people who most need it are exactly those who can't afford to buy it.” — This sentence uses dashes to set off the list of examples as a clear aside, more controlled than the comma-heavy list at 6.5. It's close to the 7.5 structure, which restructures the verb to 'heads off... before they start' for extra precision.

   Band 7.5

   Upgrades the verb to 'heads off expensive problems before they start' and closes with a reflective sentence about the principle behind free advice.

   I agree, and I've seen the return on it firsthand. A free legal clinic helped my grandmother keep her flat when a landlord tried to remove her, and it was surely cheaper for the state than dealing with a homeless pensioner afterwards. Good advice heads off expensive problems before they start — bad contracts, untreated illness, debt, failed small businesses — and the people who most need it are precisely those who can't afford to buy it. Free advice on health, law, tax and starting a business is an investment, not charity, whichever way you frame it. Where I'd be careful is quality: underfunded advice can be worse than none at all. But the principle that knowing your rights shouldn't depend on your income strikes me as basic to a fair society.

   Why this band

   • FC“heads off expensive problems before they start” — 'Heads off... before they start' is a more precise, active verb phrase than the plainer 'prevents' used at 6.5 and 7.0. It emphasises timing — stopping a problem before it exists — rather than simply blocking an existing one.
   • LR“whichever way you frame it” — This is a compact, idiomatic closing tag that neither lower band attempts, adding a note of settled confidence to the claim about advice being an investment rather than charity. It signals the speaker has considered and dismissed alternative framings.
   • GRA“But the principle that knowing your rights shouldn't depend on your income strikes me as basic to a fair society.” — This closing sentence adds a further reflective generalisation that neither lower band reaches; both end after the point about quality. The added sentence, built around a 'that' clause as subject, gives the whole answer a more considered, rounded conclusion.