A Time When You Watched a Live Sports Event

Part 3 follow-up questions

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

1. 1. What types of sports competitions do people in your country like to watch?

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

   Band 6.5

   The 6.5 answer opens with a direct claim ("Football is definitely the most popular sport") and lists other sports afterwards using the plain connector "also", closing with a simple final sentence.

   Football is definitely the most popular sport, and it is not close. When the national team plays an important match, the streets in Da Nang become empty and every cafe turns its TV to the door. After football, people also like sports Vietnam is good at, like women's football, volleyball, badminton and martial arts. There are also traditional events like boat racing and wrestling at village festivals, which feel like community festivals too. The Olympics get attention when a Vietnamese athlete has a chance. Young people are also starting to follow basketball and esports.

   Why this band

   • FC“After football, people also like sports Vietnam is good at” — The plain additive connector "also" introducing the second group of sports is the most basic way of extending a list, typical of 6.5's straightforward, one-point-at-a-time structure.
   • LR“every cafe turns its TV to the door” — "Turns its TV to the door" is plain, functional description; a higher band would reach for a more vivid verb like "swivels", which the 7.5 version uses.
   • GRA“Young people are also starting to follow basketball and esports.” — This short, separate final sentence simply adds one more fact with "also", the plainest way of extending the answer, rather than folding it into a longer, more developed sentence.

   Band 7.0

   The 7.0 answer opens with the fronted phrase "Football, before anything else" and adds the spoken hedge "honestly" mid-sentence, a step beyond the flatter, more direct 6.5 opening.

   Football, before anything else, and it isn't really close. When the national team plays an important match, the streets of Da Nang more or less empty out, and every cafe turns its television toward the door. After football come the sports Vietnam does well: women's football, volleyball, badminton, and martial arts. Then there are the traditional events too — boat racing, wrestling at village festivals, even buffalo fighting in some regions — which honestly feel like community festivals as much as competitions. International tournaments like the Olympics get attention mainly when a Vietnamese athlete has a real chance.

   Why this band

   • FC“which honestly feel like community festivals as much as competitions” — The spoken filler "honestly" inserted before the comparison signals natural conversational ease, something the 6.5 answer's plainer statement doesn't include.
   • LR“the streets of Da Nang more or less empty out” — "More or less empty out" is a moderately natural, hedged phrasing, a step above the flat "become empty" used at 6.5.
   • GRA“After football come the sports Vietnam does well: women's football, volleyball, badminton, and martial arts.” — Inverting the subject and verb ("come the sports") after the fronted "After football" is a slightly more flexible structure than the plain "people also like" sentence used at 6.5.

   Band 7.5

   The 7.5 answer packs a whole scene into a participial phrase, "a win setting off a night of flags and motorbikes that rumbles on until the police simply give up", and closes with the compact "baffling their parents entirely" instead of a full clause.

   Football, before anything, and it isn't close. When the national team plays a match that matters, the streets of Da Nang empty out and every cafe swivels its television toward the door, a win setting off a night of flags and motorbikes that rumbles on until the police simply give up. After football come the sports Vietnam actually excels at — women's football, volleyball, badminton, martial arts — followed by the traditional events: boat racing, village-festival wrestling, buffalo fighting in some regions, which function as much as community festivals as genuine competitions. International tournaments like the Olympics get noticed mainly when a Vietnamese athlete has a shot. And increasingly, young people are drifting toward basketball and esports, baffling their parents entirely.

   Why this band

   • FC“And increasingly, young people are drifting toward basketball and esports, baffling their parents entirely” — Ending the answer with the participial fragment "baffling their parents entirely" instead of a full separate sentence is a more compact, essay-like closing move than the plain final sentence used at 6.5.
   • LR“every cafe swivels its television toward the door” — "Swivels" is a genuinely vivid, precise verb for the motion described, well beyond the plain "turns" used at the lower bands.
   • GRA“a win setting off a night of flags and motorbikes that rumbles on until the police simply give up” — This participial phrase ("a win setting off...") compresses an entire extra sentence's worth of detail into the main sentence, a far more economical construction than the separate, simpler sentences the 6.5 answer would use for the same idea.

2. 2. Is being at a sports match always better than watching it on TV or online?

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

   Band 6.5

   The 6.5 answer gives a direct balanced opinion ("better for... but not always for...") and closes with a simple, plain recommendation, "I think you should go".

   It is better for feeling the atmosphere, but not always for seeing everything clearly. At the riverbank, I felt the drums and the crowd leaning back as the boats came in, and no screen could give me that feeling. But I only understood how the fishing village team actually won when I watched the replay later and saw the last part of the race from above. Live events give atmosphere and a sense of being part of something, while TV gives a better view and explanation. For events that matter to you, I think you should go.

   Why this band

   • FC“For events that matter to you, I think you should go” — This short closing sentence, using the plain phrase "I think", delivers the final recommendation in the most direct way, typical of 6.5's unembellished coherence.
   • LR“no screen could give me that feeling” — "That feeling" is vague, general vocabulary; a higher band would name the sensation more specifically, such as with "no screen could hand me that", which the 7.5 version phrases more vividly.
   • GRA“Live events give atmosphere and a sense of being part of something, while TV gives a better view and explanation.” — This sentence uses a simple "while" contrast to compare live and TV viewing, a workable but basic structure compared to the more layered phrasing at higher bands.

   Band 7.0

   The 7.0 answer opens with a fronted comparative fragment, "Better for feeling it, not always for seeing it clearly", and closes with the clipped imperative "go", both a step beyond the fuller, plainer sentences of the 6.5 answer.

   Better for feeling it, not always for seeing it clearly, I'd say. On the riverbank I felt the drums in my chest and the crowd lean back as the boats came in, and no screen could really give me that. But I only understood how the fishing village crew actually won when I watched the replay that evening and saw the last hundred metres from above. Live gives atmosphere, company, and the sense of being part of an event; television gives the best seat and the explanation. Cost, weather and distance matter too, to be honest. For the events that matter to you, go.

   Why this band

   • FC“Cost, weather and distance matter too, to be honest” — The trailing spoken hedge "to be honest" is a natural conversational marker the 6.5 answer's flatter, unhedged sentences don't include.
   • LR“I felt the drums in my chest and the crowd lean back” — "The drums in my chest" is a more vivid, physical image than the vaguer "felt the drums" used at 6.5, showing a modest step up in descriptive precision.
   • GRA“Live gives atmosphere, company, and the sense of being part of an event; television gives the best seat and the explanation.” — The semicolon joining two parallel, balanced clauses is a moderately more sophisticated structure than the simpler "while" contrast sentence used at 6.5.

   Band 7.5

   The 7.5 answer closes on the balanced, idiomatic pairing "Go... for actually understanding the sport, the screen usually wins", and uses the vivid metaphor "no upgrade on a sofa" instead of a plain comparison.

   Better for feeling it, not necessarily for seeing it. On the riverbank the drums thudded in my chest and I watched the crowd lean back as the boats came in — no screen could hand me that. Yet it took the evening replay, and the last hundred metres shown from above, before I actually understood how the fishing-village crew had pulled off the win. Live delivers atmosphere, company, the sense of being folded into an event; television delivers the best seat in the house, the close-up, the explanation. Cost, weather and distance matter too — a wet afternoon stuck behind a tall man is no upgrade on a sofa. Go, for the events that genuinely matter to you; for actually understanding the sport, the screen usually wins.

   Why this band

   • FC“Go, for the events that genuinely matter to you; for actually understanding the sport, the screen usually wins” — This semicolon-joined, imperative-led closing sentence manages the final balanced judgment with more sophistication than the plain "I think you should go" sentence used at 6.5.
   • LR“a wet afternoon stuck behind a tall man is no upgrade on a sofa” — "No upgrade on" is a genuinely idiomatic, witty way of making a comparison, well beyond the plain "is not superior to" phrasing implied at the lower bands.
   • GRA“the sense of being folded into an event” — The participial phrase "being folded into an event" is a more compact, figurative construction than the plain "being part of an event" used at the lower bands.

3. 3. Does showing sports competitions on TV or online encourage more people to do sport?

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

   Band 6.5

   The 6.5 answer states a direct "Sometimes" opinion and contrasts two plain examples with "But", closing with a simple conditional sentence about "an easy way from watching to actually playing".

   Sometimes, and there is a clear pattern. After every National Day broadcast, the boat-racing clubs on the river get many new enquiries, mostly from children, because the sport looks fun and possible. But after the Olympics, badminton on TV did not really increase the number of people at the courts near me, because watching a world champion does not make ordinary people think they could do it too. I think broadcasts encourage people to try a sport when there is an easy way from watching to actually playing, like a nearby club.

   Why this band

   • FC“But after the Olympics, badminton on TV did not really increase the number of people at the courts near me” — The plain contrast connector "But" opening this sentence is the most basic way of shifting to the opposite example, typical of 6.5's straightforward, single-step contrasts.
   • LR“did not really increase the number of people at the courts near me” — "Did not really increase" is plain, functional phrasing; a higher band would reach for a more precise phrase like "produced no visible increase", which the 7.0/7.5 versions use.
   • GRA“because watching a world champion does not make ordinary people think they could do it too” — This is a fairly simple cause clause stated plainly, without the more vivid, quoted phrasing the higher bands use for the same idea.

   Band 7.0

   The 7.0 answer uses the semicolon to balance two contrasting examples in one sentence and adds the quoted thought "I could do that", a moderately more complex structure than the 6.5 answer's separate sentences.

   Sometimes, and the pattern is fairly instructive. After every National Day broadcast the boat-racing clubs on the river get a wave of enquiries, mostly from children, because the sport looks fun, local and possible; after the Olympics, badminton on television produced no visible increase at the courts near me, because watching a world champion doesn't make an ordinary person think 'I could do that'. Broadcasts encourage participation when there's an easy path from screen to pitch — a nearby club, low cost, a version for beginners. Without that path, they mostly just encourage more watching.

   Why this band

   • FC“the pattern is fairly instructive” — "Instructive" describing a pattern is a moderately more precise, reflective word than the plainer "clear" used at 6.5, showing a small step up in descriptive vocabulary.
   • LR“a wave of enquiries” — "A wave of enquiries" is a more vivid, natural collocation than the plain "many new enquiries" used at 6.5.
   • GRA“badminton on television produced no visible increase at the courts near me, because watching a world champion doesn't make an ordinary person think 'I could do that'” — Embedding the quoted internal thought "I could do that" inside the explanatory clause is a more developed, layered structure than the plainer cause clause used at 6.5.

   Band 7.5

   The 7.5 answer opens with the idiomatic "oddly instructive" and closes on the fronted "Absent that path..." construction, plus the sharp final generalisation about a "counter-effect", the kind of vivid, precise phrasing that marks the top band.

   Sometimes, and the pattern is oddly instructive. After every National Day broadcast, the boat-racing clubs along the river field a wave of enquiries, mostly from children, because the sport looks fun, local and within reach; after the Olympics, by contrast, badminton on television produced no visible bump at the courts near me, since watching a world champion rarely nudges an ordinary person into thinking 'I could do that'. Broadcasts translate into participation only when there's an easy path from screen to pitch — a nearby club, low cost, a beginner-friendly version. Absent that path, they mostly just manufacture more watching. And there's an honest counter-effect: an evening of televised football is an evening spent playing nothing at all.

   Why this band

   • FC“And there's an honest counter-effect: an evening of televised football is an evening spent playing nothing at all” — The colon introducing a compressed, aphoristic closing observation manages the answer's final turn with more sophistication than the plainer generalisation sentences used at the lower bands.
   • LR“boat-racing clubs along the river field a wave of enquiries” — "Field" used for receiving a stream of enquiries is a genuinely less-common, precise verb, well beyond the plain "get" used at the lower bands.
   • GRA“Absent that path, they mostly just manufacture more watching” — Fronting the adjective "Absent" in place of a full "Without that path" clause is a more formal, compact construction than the plainer version used at 7.0.

4. 4. What types of competitions do children often take part in?

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

   Band 6.5

   The 6.5 answer opens with one plain personal example ("My niece's school year") and lists categories one after another with "also" and "too", closing with a simple, general final statement.

   My niece's school year gives a good example: a running race, a maths competition, a painting contest, a spelling competition, and even an unofficial competition over who sits next to whom. Sports competitions are classic, like races, football tournaments and swimming galas, and schools here also like academic contests, from maths to storytelling. There are also music, art and science competitions, and increasingly coding and robotics events. Outside school, children compete in video games all the time too. Children compete about almost everything, and formal competitions just give it a shape.

   Why this band

   • FC“Outside school, children compete in video games all the time too” — The plain closing word "too" tacked onto this sentence is the most basic way of adding another point, typical of 6.5's straightforward, additive structure.
   • LR“Sports competitions are classic, like races, football tournaments and swimming galas” — "Are classic" is plain, workable phrasing; a higher band would reach for a more precise phrase like "are the classic staples", which the 7.0/7.5 versions use.
   • GRA“Children compete about almost everything, and formal competitions just give it a shape.” — This closing sentence links two ideas with the basic connector "and", a straightforward structure rather than the semicolon-based phrasing used at higher bands.

   Band 7.0

   The 7.0 answer uses the vivid adjective "ferocious" for a playground rivalry and closes with the semicolon-joined sentence "Children compete about everything; formal competitions just give it a shape and a prize", a step beyond the plainer 6.5 phrasing.

   My niece's year gives a fair list: a school running race, a maths olympiad, a painting contest, an English spelling competition, and a completely unofficial but ferocious competition over who sits next to whom. Sports competitions are the classic ones — races, football tournaments, swimming galas — and schools here also love academic contests, from maths to storytelling. There are music and art competitions, talent shows, science fairs and, increasingly, coding and robotics events. Outside school, children compete in games and video games constantly. Children compete about everything; formal competitions just give it a shape and a prize.

   Why this band

   • FC“a completely unofficial but ferocious competition over who sits next to whom” — The vivid adjective "ferocious" applied to a minor classroom rivalry shows a natural, expressive word choice the 6.5 answer's plainer "unofficial competition" doesn't attempt.
   • LR“Sports competitions are the classic ones” — "The classic ones" is a slightly more idiomatic phrasing than the plain "are classic" used at 6.5 for the same idea.
   • GRA“Children compete about everything; formal competitions just give it a shape and a prize.” — The semicolon joining two balanced clauses is a moderately more sophisticated structure than the simple "and"-linked sentence used at 6.5 for the same closing idea.

   Band 7.5

   The 7.5 answer uses the precise phrase "the obvious staples" and the idiomatic "barely register", closing on the same semicolon structure as 7.0 but with the more deliberate verb "lend" in place of "give".

   My niece's school year offers a fairly representative list: a running race, a maths olympiad, a painting contest, an English spelling bee, and a wholly unofficial yet ferocious ongoing battle over who sits next to whom. Sports competitions are the obvious staples — races, football tournaments, swimming galas — while schools here are equally fond of academic contests, from maths to storytelling. Then there are music and art competitions, talent shows, science fairs and, increasingly, coding and robotics events. Outside school, children compete over video games relentlessly, not to mention the informal kind adults barely register — who's fastest, tallest, bravest. Children compete about virtually everything; formal competitions just lend it a shape and a prize.

   Why this band

   • FC“not to mention the informal kind adults barely register — who's fastest, tallest, bravest” — The dash-marked aside "not to mention..." adding a whole extra category as an afterthought is a more sophisticated, essay-like move than the plainer, separately listed points at the lower bands.
   • LR“Sports competitions are the obvious staples” — "Staples" applied to a category of competitions is a genuinely precise, slightly less common word choice, well beyond the plain "classic ones" used at 7.0.
   • GRA“a wholly unofficial yet ferocious ongoing battle over who sits next to whom” — Compressing the idea into the noun phrase "ongoing battle" rather than a fuller "competition over" clause is a more economical, vivid construction than the equivalent phrasing at the lower bands.

5. 5. How important is competition to a young person's confidence and development?

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

   Band 6.5

   The 6.5 answer gives a direct opinion ("important in both directions") with one plain family example, using the basic connector "but" to show contrast throughout.

   I think it is important in both directions, and losing might even matter more. My nephew won a running race last year and was very proud of himself for a week, but two months later he lost badly, and after some tears he learned something about effort that winning had not taught him. Competition gives young people a way to measure themselves and experience pressure safely. It helps confidence when the challenge is fair and the child sometimes wins, but it can hurt confidence if the child always loses.

   Why this band

   • FC“It helps confidence when the challenge is fair and the child sometimes wins, but it can hurt confidence if the child always loses” — The plain contrast connector "but" linking two parallel clauses is the most basic way of showing the two-sided effect, typical of 6.5's direct, unembellished coherence.
   • LR“was very proud of himself for a week” — "Very proud of himself" is plain, workable phrasing; a higher band would reach for a more vivid word like "insufferable", which the 7.0/7.5 versions use for a more precise, humorous effect.
   • GRA“My nephew won a running race last year and was very proud of himself for a week, but two months later he lost badly, and after some tears he learned something about effort that winning had not taught him.” — This long sentence chains several ideas with repeated "and"/"but", a basic coordination pattern rather than the more varied, compressed structures used at higher bands.

   Band 7.0

   The 7.0 answer opens with the fronted evaluative phrase "Important in both directions" and uses the vivid word "insufferable", a step beyond the plainer, more literal 6.5 description.

   Important in both directions, I'd say, and the losses may actually matter more. My nephew won a running race last year and was insufferable for a week; two months later he lost one badly and, after the tears, learned something about effort and about other people that the win hadn't taught him. Competition gives young people a measure of themselves, a reason to practise, and the experience of pressure in a safe form. It builds confidence when the challenge is fair and the child sometimes wins, but damages it when the child always loses or adults care too much.

   Why this band

   • FC“Important in both directions, I'd say, and the losses may actually matter more” — The trailing hedge "I'd say" attached to a fronted evaluative fragment is a natural conversational marker the 6.5 answer's fuller, plainer opening sentence doesn't include.
   • LR“won a running race last year and was insufferable for a week” — "Insufferable" is a genuinely vivid, precise word for describing smugness, well beyond the plain "very proud of himself" used at 6.5.
   • GRA“two months later he lost one badly and, after the tears, learned something about effort and about other people that the win hadn't taught him” — Inserting the compressed aside "after the tears" inside the main clause, rather than as a separate "and after some tears" phrase, is a moderately more flexible construction than the version used at 6.5.

   Band 7.5

   The 7.5 answer uses the formal, idiomatic "tears notwithstanding" and closes with the compact metaphor "The right dose is regular, low-stakes and varied", the kind of precise, evaluative phrasing that marks the top band.

   Important in both directions, and arguably the losses matter more. My nephew won a running race last year and turned thoroughly insufferable for a week; two months on, he lost one badly and, tears notwithstanding, learned something about effort and about other people that the winning never quite managed to teach him. Competition hands young people a measure of themselves, a reason to practise, pressure experienced in a safe, contained form. It builds confidence when the contest is fair and the child sometimes wins; it erodes confidence when the child always loses, or when adults care too much. The right dose is regular, low-stakes and varied, so every child wins at something.

   Why this band

   • FC“The right dose is regular, low-stakes and varied, so every child wins at something” — The medical metaphor "the right dose" delivering the closing generalisation is a more sophisticated, essay-like touch than the plainer contrast sentence used at the lower bands.
   • LR“two months on, he lost one badly and, tears notwithstanding, learned something” — "Notwithstanding" is a genuinely formal, less-common connector for a concession, well beyond the plain "after the tears" phrasing used at 7.0.
   • GRA“It builds confidence when the contest is fair and the child sometimes wins; it erodes confidence when the child always loses, or when adults care too much” — The semicolon-joined, precisely parallel pair of clauses, using the more exact verb "erodes" instead of "hurt" or "damages", is a more polished construction than the equivalent sentence at the lower bands.

6. 6. Do the most competitive people always succeed in life?

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

   Band 6.5

   The 6.5 answer gives a direct "No" opinion with one plain contrasting example (the two classmates), closing with a simple final sentence linking cooperation and trust with "and".

   No, I do not think so, and I have seen proof of this. The most competitive designer in my class treated every colleague like a rival, won many prizes, but by the time he was thirty he had damaged every professional relationship he had. The calmer classmate, who shared her work and helped others, now runs a studio of twenty people. Being competitive can drive effort and ambition, which are real advantages. But most success depends on cooperation and trust, and overly competitive people can destroy that.

   Why this band

   • FC“No, I do not think so, and I have seen proof of this” — The plain opening "No, I do not think so" states the position directly, the simplest possible way of answering, typical of 6.5's straightforward, unembellished coherence.
   • LR“he had damaged every professional relationship he had” — "Damaged every professional relationship" is plain, functional phrasing; a higher band would reach for a more vivid verb like "burned" or "scorched", which the 7.0/7.5 versions use.
   • GRA“But most success depends on cooperation and trust, and overly competitive people can destroy that.” — This sentence links two ideas with the basic connector "and" in a single coordinated sentence, a straightforward structure rather than the more layered phrasing at higher bands.

   Band 7.0

   The 7.0 answer replaces the plain "No, I do not think so" with the more vivid "No, and I trained alongside the proof", and closes with the compact, parallel sentence "Competitive enough helps; most competitive tends to end alone".

   No, and I trained alongside the proof. The most competitive designer in my class treated every colleague as a rival, won most of the prizes, and by thirty had burned every professional relationship he had; the calm one, who shared her work and helped rivals, now runs a studio of twenty people. Competitiveness drives effort and ambition, which are real advantages, and some fields reward it directly. But most success depends on cooperation, trust and being someone others want to work with, and the fiercely competitive often destroy exactly that. Competitive enough helps; most competitive tends to end alone.

   Why this band

   • FC“No, and I trained alongside the proof” — This short, punchy opening links the answer to personal experience in one compact clause, a more confident and developed move than the flatter "No, I do not think so, and I have seen proof" sentence at 6.5.
   • LR“by thirty had burned every professional relationship he had” — "Burned" applied to relationships is a more vivid, figurative verb than the plain "damaged" used at 6.5 for the same idea.
   • GRA“Competitive enough helps; most competitive tends to end alone.” — The short, semicolon-joined, aphoristic closing sentence is a more sophisticated structure than the fuller, plainer closing sentence used at 6.5.

   Band 7.5

   The 7.5 answer uses the idiomatic "hoovered up" and "torch", and closes with an added reflective layer questioning what 'success' even means, the kind of evaluative touch that marks the top band.

   No, and I trained beside the proof of it. The most competitive designer in my class treated every colleague as a rival, hoovered up most of the prizes, and by thirty had scorched every professional relationship he'd ever had; the calm one, who shared her work freely and even helped rivals, now runs a studio of twenty people. Competitiveness drives effort and ambition, genuine advantages, and certain fields — sport, sales, law — reward it directly. But most success hinges on cooperation, trust, and simply being someone others want to work alongside, and the fiercely competitive tend to torch exactly that. There's also the question of what 'success' even means; the most competitive people I know are rarely the most content.

   Why this band

   • FC“There's also the question of what 'success' even means; the most competitive people I know are rarely the most content” — This extra reflective closing sentence, absent from the lower bands, questions the very premise of the question, a more sophisticated final move than the tidy "Competitive enough helps; most competitive tends to end alone" ending used at 7.0.
   • LR“hoovered up most of the prizes” — "Hoovered up" is a genuinely vivid, idiomatic verb for taking everything greedily, well beyond the plain "won" used at the lower bands.
   • GRA“most success hinges on cooperation, trust, and simply being someone others want to work alongside” — "Hinges on" is a more precise, slightly formal collocation than the plain "depends on" repeated at the lower bands, showing deliberate lexical variation.

7. 7. Do international events improve relations between countries?

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

   Band 6.5

   The 6.5 answer gives a direct "A little" opinion and one plain example about a football tournament, repeating the connector "But" twice to link its main points.

   A little, but mostly between ordinary people rather than governments. During a regional football tournament, the rivalry between Vietnam and a neighbouring country was strong on the pitch but friendly in the stands, with fans swapping shirts and taking photos together. But the same match caused ugly comments online. These events let people see each other as real people instead of just headlines, which is valuable. But they do not really change political interests, countries that argue over borders still argue after the tournament ends.

   Why this band

   • FC“But the same match caused ugly comments online” — Repeating the plain contrast connector "But" for a second time is typical of 6.5's basic, repetitive coherence devices, rather than varying the transition with a different phrase.
   • LR“caused ugly comments online” — "Ugly comments" is plain, workable phrasing; a higher band would reach for a more vivid phrase like "curdled into ugliness", which the 7.5 version uses.
   • GRA“But they do not really change political interests, countries that argue over borders still argue after the tournament ends.” — This sentence joins two ideas with a comma splice-like structure rather than a clear connector, a slightly loose but basic way of linking ideas typical of 6.5.

   Band 7.0

   The 7.0 answer uses the dash-marked aside "fans swapped shirts and photos" and the semicolon-joined closing sentence, a moderately more complex structure than the 6.5 answer's repeated "But" sentences.

   A little, and mostly among ordinary people rather than governments. During a regional football tournament, the rivalry between Vietnam and a neighbouring country was fierce on the pitch and warm in the stands — fans swapped shirts and photos — while the same match produced ugliness in the online comment sections. Events let people meet the other country as faces rather than headlines, and that's genuinely valuable. They also give governments a stage to be seen cooperating. But they don't really change interests; countries that argue over borders still argue after the closing ceremony.

   Why this band

   • FC“Events let people meet the other country as faces rather than headlines, and that's genuinely valuable” — The phrase "genuinely valuable" attached with "and that's" is a more natural, reflective way of adding an evaluation than the separate plain sentence "which is valuable" used at 6.5.
   • LR“produced ugliness in the online comment sections” — "Produced ugliness" is a more vivid, abstract phrase than the plainer "caused ugly comments" used at 6.5 for the same idea.
   • GRA“countries that argue over borders still argue after the closing ceremony” — The specific detail "the closing ceremony" replacing the vaguer "after the tournament ends" used at 6.5 gives this closing sentence a slightly more precise, developed image.

   Band 7.5

   The 7.5 answer uses the vivid verb "curdled" and the negative-fronted construction "What they don't do is shift underlying interests", closing with the balanced summary "help at the human level and stay roughly neutral at the political one".

   A little, and mostly at the human level rather than the political one. During a regional football tournament, the rivalry between Vietnam and a neighbouring country ran fierce on the pitch and unexpectedly warm in the stands — fans swapping shirts and photos — while that same match somehow curdled into ugliness in the online comment sections. Events let people encounter the other country as faces rather than headlines, which genuinely counts for something, and they hand governments a stage on which to be seen cooperating. What they don't do is shift underlying interests; nations still squabbling over borders keep squabbling long after the closing ceremony. On balance, they help at the human level and stay roughly neutral at the political one.

   Why this band

   • FC“What they don't do is shift underlying interests; nations still squabbling over borders keep squabbling long after the closing ceremony” — Fronting the negative clause "What they don't do is..." is a more sophisticated way of managing the contrast than the plainer "But they do not really change political interests" sentence used at 6.5.
   • LR“that same match somehow curdled into ugliness in the online comment sections” — "Curdled" is a genuinely vivid, unusual metaphor for something turning sour, well beyond the plain "caused ugly comments" or "produced ugliness" phrasing used at the lower bands.
   • GRA“On balance, they help at the human level and stay roughly neutral at the political one” — This closing sentence uses the fronted evaluative phrase "On balance" and a balanced parallel structure, a more compact, essay-like construction than the plainer closing sentences at the lower bands.

8. 8. Do neighbouring countries have a more intense rivalry than countries that are geographically further apart?

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

   Band 6.5

   The 6.5 answer opens with the direct "Usually, yes" and gives one plain riverside example, closing with a simple, general final sentence about distant countries.

   Usually, yes. On the river near me, two fishing villages facing each other across the water have had a strong racing rivalry for many years, while a team from a faraway province is treated politely but without much feeling. This is similar between countries too, neighbours share history, borders and sometimes old conflicts, so a match carries all of that meaning. They also compare themselves to each other often, because a neighbour is the natural comparison. A country far away feels more like an idea than a real rival.

   Why this band

   • FC“This is similar between countries too, neighbours share history, borders and sometimes old conflicts, so a match carries all of that meaning” — Linking the local example to the wider point with the plain phrase "This is similar" and the basic connector "so" is a straightforward, direct move typical of 6.5's coherence.
   • LR“a team from a faraway province is treated politely but without much feeling” — "Politely but without much feeling" is plain, workable phrasing; a higher band would reach for a more precise phrase like "polite indifference", which the 7.0/7.5 versions use.
   • GRA“A country far away feels more like an idea than a real rival.” — This is a fairly simple comparative sentence stated on its own, without the more vivid, abstract vocabulary the higher bands use for the same closing idea.

   Band 7.0

   The 7.0 answer uses the precise collocation "polite indifference" and the semicolon-joined sentence "Distant countries are abstractions; nobody has a grudge...", a moderately more sophisticated structure than the 6.5 answer.

   Usually, yes — on that river, the two fishing villages that face each other across the water have had a bitter racing rivalry for decades, while a crew from a distant province is greeted with polite indifference. The same holds between nations: neighbours share history, borders, migrants, disputed fishing grounds and old wars, so a match carries all of that. They also compare themselves constantly, because the neighbour is the natural measure. Distant countries are abstractions; nobody has a grudge against a place they've never thought about. There are exceptions, but the purely sporting rivalries are almost always next door.

   Why this band

   • FC“The same holds between nations: neighbours share history, borders, migrants, disputed fishing grounds and old wars” — The colon introducing a list of shared factors manages the transition to the wider point more elegantly than the plainer "This is similar between countries too" sentence used at 6.5.
   • LR“a crew from a distant province is greeted with polite indifference” — "Polite indifference" is a precise, moderately less common collocation, well beyond the vaguer "treated politely but without much feeling" phrase used at 6.5.
   • GRA“Distant countries are abstractions; nobody has a grudge against a place they've never thought about.” — The semicolon joining two balanced clauses is a more sophisticated structure than the simpler final sentence used at 6.5 for the same closing idea.

   Band 7.5

   The 7.5 answer uses the idiomatic "nursed a bitter rivalry" and "the obvious yardstick", compressing a whole clause into the phrase "a single match arrives already loaded with all of that baggage", the kind of vivid, economical grammar expected at the top band.

   Usually, yes — on that particular river, the two fishing villages facing each other across the water have nursed a bitter racing rivalry for decades, while a crew from some distant province gets greeted with nothing sharper than polite indifference. The same pattern plays out between nations: neighbours share history, borders, migrants, disputed fishing grounds and old wars, so a single match arrives already loaded with all of that baggage. They measure themselves against each other constantly too, since the neighbour is the obvious yardstick. Distant countries, by contrast, remain abstractions; nobody nurses a grudge against a place they've scarcely thought about. Exceptions exist, but the purely sporting rivalries are almost always the ones next door.

   Why this band

   • FC“a crew from some distant province gets greeted with nothing sharper than polite indifference” — The construction "nothing sharper than polite indifference" delivers the same idea as "polite indifference" at 7.0 but with an added layer of understatement, showing more sophisticated discourse control.
   • LR“the two fishing villages facing each other across the water have nursed a bitter racing rivalry for decades” — "Nursed" applied to a rivalry is a genuinely vivid, figurative verb, well beyond the plain "have had" used at the lower bands.
   • GRA“a single match arrives already loaded with all of that baggage” — The metaphor "loaded with... baggage" compresses the whole list of shared history into one vivid image, a more economical construction than the plain "a match carries all of that" phrasing used at 7.0.

9. 9. Is the only way to achieve world peace to eliminate competition?

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

   Band 6.5

   The 6.5 answer opens with a direct "I do not think so" and gives one plain example about the losing teams, closing with a simple "So" summary of the position.

   I do not think so. After the final, the losing teams were drinking beer with the winners, even though they had spent the whole morning trying to beat each other, which shows competition with rules can actually bring people together. Peace does not need the absence of rivalry, it needs rivalry to be controlled and not turn into violence. Sport, trade and science are good outlets for competitive feelings. What really threatens peace is competition without any limits, like fighting over land with weapons. So I think the goal is to keep competition within fair rules.

   Why this band

   • FC“So I think the goal is to keep competition within fair rules” — The plain "So" opener on this closing sentence delivers the final restatement in the simplest possible way, typical of 6.5's direct, unembellished coherence.
   • LR“Sport, trade and science are good outlets for competitive feelings” — "Good outlets for competitive feelings" is plain, workable phrasing; a higher band would reach for a more vivid phrase like "exactly those channels", which the 7.0/7.5 versions use.
   • GRA“After the final, the losing teams were drinking beer with the winners, even though they had spent the whole morning trying to beat each other, which shows competition with rules can actually bring people together.” — This long sentence chains ideas together with "even though" and "which", a workable but somewhat mechanical structure compared to the more varied phrasing at higher bands.

   Band 7.0

   The 7.0 answer opens with the reflective clause "and the riverbank suggested why" and uses a participial phrase, "having spent the whole morning trying to beat them", a step beyond the plainer, fuller clauses of the 6.5 answer.

   I don't think so, and the riverbank suggested why. An hour after the final, the losing crews were drinking beer with the winners, having spent the whole morning trying to beat them — competition with rules and respect brings people together rather than apart. Peace doesn't require the absence of rivalry; it requires that rivalry be channelled into things that don't kill anyone. Sport, trade and science are exactly those channels, and a world without them would still have ambition with nowhere to go. What actually threatens peace is competition without limits, for territory, for domination, with weapons.

   Why this band

   • FC“I don't think so, and the riverbank suggested why” — The reflective addition "and the riverbank suggested why" attached to the opening opinion is a more natural, developed move than the bare "I do not think so" statement used at 6.5.
   • LR“competition with rules and respect brings people together rather than apart” — "Brings people together rather than apart" is a more precise contrastive phrase than the vaguer "can actually bring people together" used at 6.5.
   • GRA“having spent the whole morning trying to beat them” — This participial phrase compresses the "even though they had spent..." clause used at 6.5 into a more economical construction, folding the concession directly into the sentence.

   Band 7.5

   The 7.5 answer closes with the wry, idiomatic final sentence "Eliminating it entirely would be both impossible and, I suspect, deadly boring", the kind of small evaluative closing touch expected at the top band.

   I don't think so, and the riverbank hinted at why. An hour after the final, the losing crews were sharing beer with the very people they'd spent the morning trying to beat — competition bound by rules and mutual respect draws people together rather than apart. Peace doesn't demand the absence of rivalry; it demands that rivalry be channelled somewhere that doesn't get anyone killed. Sport, trade and science are precisely those channels, and a world stripped of them would still harbour ambition and grievance with nowhere left to go. What genuinely threatens peace is competition without limits — over territory, over domination, fought with weapons. Eliminating it entirely would be both impossible and, I suspect, deadly boring.

   Why this band

   • FC“Eliminating it entirely would be both impossible and, I suspect, deadly boring” — This wry, understated closing sentence adds an evaluative touch entirely absent from the flatter, tidier endings of the lower bands, showing confident, almost essay-like command of tone.
   • LR“a world stripped of them would still harbour ambition and grievance with nowhere left to go” — "Harbour" applied to ambition and grievance is a genuinely vivid, less-common verb choice, well beyond the plain "have" used at the lower bands for the same idea.
   • GRA“the losing crews were sharing beer with the very people they'd spent the morning trying to beat” — The phrase "the very people they'd spent the morning trying to beat" compresses the concession into a single relative clause, a more flexible, economical construction than the separate participial phrase used at 7.0.