An Interesting Video That You Watched on the Internet

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 kinds of videos are popular in your country?

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

   Band 6.5

   The 6.5 answer lists concrete examples with plain connectors like 'and' and 'because', keeping every sentence short and direct.

   Many kinds of videos are popular in my country, and it really depends on the person. My mother watches cooking videos and health tips, and my niece watches dance videos on her phone. Almost everyone watches football highlights too, especially the morning after a big match, because football is extremely popular here. Comedy videos are also popular, and short videos are more common than long ones because they are quick and easy to watch.

   Why this band

   • FC“and it really depends on the person” — This is a simple linking clause joined with a plain 'and', typical of 6.5 coherence. A 7+ answer would more likely open with a reflective marker like 'honestly' or 'to be fair' instead of stating the point so flatly.
   • LR“extremely popular here” — 'Extremely popular' is a common, safe intensifier rather than a more precise or less common collocation. A higher band would reach for something like 'converges on' or 'enormous' to show wider lexical range.
   • GRA“Comedy videos are also popular, and short videos are more common than long ones because they are quick and easy to watch.” — This sentence strings two simple clauses together with 'and' and 'because' rather than subordinating them. A 7.5 answer would likely compress this into a single flexible sentence using a participial or fronted structure.

   Band 7.0

   The 7.0 answer opens with the natural spoken marker 'Honestly' and adds a mild qualifying remark ('even though longer, quieter content is slowly gaining a following'), showing reflection beyond a flat list.

   Honestly, it depends a lot on who you ask. My mother's feed is full of cooking videos and health advice, while my niece watches dance clips and people reacting to other videos. What unites the whole country, though, is football — the morning after a match, everyone seems to be watching the highlights. To be fair, comedy sketches about family life are huge too, and livestream selling has quietly become massive as well, with someone talking for hours while viewers buy things. If you look at what's actually watched most, short videos clearly dominate, even though longer, quieter content is slowly gaining a following.

   Why this band

   • FC“Honestly, it depends a lot on who you ask.” — Opening with 'Honestly' is a natural spoken discourse marker that signals genuine reflection, something a 6.5 answer rarely does because it tends to state the answer directly. It is more conversational than a 7.5 answer's more compact, less chatty opening.
   • LR“What unites the whole country” — 'Unites' is a moderately less common verb choice than the plainer 'everyone watches', showing a step up in lexical resource. A 6.5 answer would likely just say 'the whole country watches', while a 7.5 answer might reach for an even less common word like 'converges'.
   • GRA“even though longer, quieter content is slowly gaining a following” — This concessive clause with 'even though' adds a qualifying remark that a 6.5 answer would not attempt, since it only uses basic connectors like 'because' and 'and'. It is still a single clear clause rather than the more compressed, participial structures a 7.5 answer would use.

   Band 7.5

   The 7.5 answer uses the less common word 'converges' and a compact participial phrase ('devoured the morning after every match') to pack in more meaning per sentence than the other two bands.

   It really splits along generational lines. My mother's feed leans toward cooking and health advice of questionable reliability, my niece's toward dance clips and reaction videos, and yet there's one thing the entire country converges on: football highlights, devoured the morning after every match. Beyond that, comedy sketches about family life and regional accents are enormous, and livestream selling — someone talking for hours while viewers buy things — has become the newest giant. Short-form content dominates by sheer volume, though a quieter niche of slow, contemplative videos about village life is finding an audience among homesick city dwellers. And, if my own viewing habits are any indication, restoration videos quietly have a devoted following that nobody likes to admit to.

   Why this band

   • FC“It really splits along generational lines.” — This short, punchy opening statement immediately frames the whole answer around one idea, a more compact and confident coherence move than the 6.5 answer's flatter opening sentence. It sets up the contrast that follows without needing a discourse marker like 'honestly'.
   • LR“the entire country converges on” — 'Converges on' is a genuinely less common collocation than 'everyone watches' or even the 7.0 answer's 'unites', showing precise and slightly idiomatic lexical choice. A 6.5 answer would almost certainly use the plainer verb 'watches' instead.
   • GRA“football highlights, devoured the morning after every match” — This is a compressed participial phrase ('devoured...') standing in for a full relative clause like 'which people watch the morning after every match'. Neither the 6.5 nor the 7.0 answer attempts this kind of flexible, compact grammar.

2. 2. Do younger people and older people like the same kinds of videos?

   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 ('No, they usually like different videos') followed by one plain example joined with 'but' and 'while', typical of simple contrast structures at this band.

   No, they usually like different videos. Older people like longer videos with clear information, such as news, cooking, or history. Younger people prefer short, funny videos and they watch quickly. For example, my father and my four-year-old nephew both watched a long fishing video last month, but my father watched it to learn the technique, while my nephew just waited for the fish to splash. So sometimes they watch the same video, but for different reasons.

   Why this band

   • FC“No, they usually like different videos.” — This is a short, direct position statement placed right at the start, which is characteristic of 6.5 coherence. A 7.0 or 7.5 answer would more likely soften or qualify this opening rather than stating it so bluntly.
   • LR“Older people like longer videos with clear information” — 'Clear information' is plain, everyday vocabulary rather than a more precise collocation. A higher band would likely use something like 'clearly structured content' to show a wider lexical range.
   • GRA“but my father watched it to learn the technique, while my nephew just waited for the fish to splash” — This sentence joins two contrasting ideas with the simple connectors 'but' and 'while' rather than a more compact structure. A 7.5 answer would likely compress this into a colon-led list with participial phrases instead.

   Band 7.0

   The 7.0 answer opens with a mild qualifying remark ('although sometimes it overlaps more than you'd expect') and uses the natural spoken phrase 'I'd say', showing reflection beyond a flat yes/no answer.

   Not really, although sometimes it overlaps more than you'd expect. Older people tend to go for longer, clearer content — news, cooking, history — while younger people prefer short, fast clips and often watch for the personality rather than the topic. I'd say the clearest example was my father and my four-year-old nephew sitting through the same long fishing video last month: my father was studying the technique, while my nephew was simply waiting for the splash. Older viewers also trust television-style production, whereas younger viewers trust a phone held by someone they follow. Where the generations do meet is football and family comedy.

   Why this band

   • FC“although sometimes it overlaps more than you'd expect” — This concessive clause is a mild qualifying remark that softens the initial 'not really', showing the kind of natural hedging a 6.5 answer typically skips in favour of a flat statement. It stops short of the fully compressed structures a 7.5 answer would use.
   • LR“watch for the personality rather than the topic” — 'Watch for the personality' is a moderately less common phrase than simply saying they 'like funny videos', showing a step up in precision. It is not as idiomatic as the 7.5 answer's 'follow the person as much as the subject'.
   • GRA“my father was studying the technique, while my nephew was simply waiting for the splash” — The colon before this clause and the parallel 'while' construction show a slightly more controlled sentence than the 6.5 version's plain 'but...while' chain. It is still a fairly standard contrast structure rather than the fronted, comma-spliced list the 7.5 answer uses.

   Band 7.5

   The 7.5 answer uses the less common verb 'gravitate' and compresses the fishing-video example into a colon-led list with participial phrases ('one dissecting... the other simply waiting'), packing more contrast into fewer words.

   Rarely the same videos, and only occasionally the same video for entirely different reasons. Older viewers gravitate toward longer, clearly structured content — news, cooking, history, music from their youth — trusting something that looks like proper production, whereas younger viewers favour short, fast clips and follow the person as much as the subject. Take my father and my four-year-old nephew, both glued to a long fishing video last month: one dissecting the technique, the other simply waiting for the splash. Older viewers trust something resembling proper television production, whereas younger viewers trust a phone held by someone they already follow, which says as much about the medium as the content. Beyond that rare overlap, the formats diverge, the platforms diverge, and only football or family comedy reliably bridges the gap.

   Why this band

   • FC“Rarely the same videos, and only occasionally the same video for entirely different reasons.” — This fragment-style opening sentence, with no main verb, immediately signals a confident, compact style rare at lower bands. A 6.5 answer would instead open with a full, plain sentence like 'No, they usually like different videos.'
   • LR“Older viewers gravitate toward longer, clearly structured content” — 'Gravitate toward' is a genuinely less common and more precise collocation than the plainer 'like' or 'prefer' used at lower bands. It shows the kind of vivid, idiomatic word choice expected at 7.5.
   • GRA“one dissecting the technique, the other simply waiting for the splash” — This is a compressed, verbless parallel structure (participial phrases with no repeated subject or verb) replacing a fuller clause like 'one was studying...while the other was waiting'. Neither the 6.5 nor 7.0 answer attempts this level of grammatical compression.

3. 3. Why do some videos become very popular around the world?

   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 ('I think videos become popular... when everyone can understand them') plus one plain example, linked with simple connectors like 'because' and 'so'.

   I think videos become popular around the world when everyone can understand them without words. For example, a video of someone restoring an old rusty tool doesn't need any language, because people everywhere can understand what is happening. Videos with babies, animals, or amazing skills are also popular because they make people feel something quickly. And once a video becomes popular, more people share it, so it becomes even more popular.

   Why this band

   • FC“I think videos become popular around the world when everyone can understand them without words.” — This is a direct, plainly-worded opinion stated as the very first sentence, typical of 6.5 structure. A 7.0 answer would more likely open with a softer, reflective marker such as 'honestly' rather than a flat thesis statement.
   • LR“restoring an old rusty tool” — 'Restoring an old rusty tool' uses simple, common vocabulary rather than a more vivid or precise phrase. A 7.5 answer would likely use a more evocative description like 'rust and hands and a satisfying, gradual transformation'.
   • GRA“And once a video becomes popular, more people share it, so it becomes even more popular.” — This sentence chains two simple clauses with 'so', producing a slightly repetitive, circular structure typical of 6.5 grammar. A higher band would likely use a single verb like 'multiplying' to express the same idea more economically.

   Band 7.0

   The 7.0 answer adds the natural spoken hedge 'To be fair' before a secondary point, and uses one moderately complex sentence structure with a dash to add a contrasting clause about local jokes not travelling.

   Honestly, I think the videos that travel furthest are usually the ones that don't need translation. A silent restoration video, for instance, where someone cleans rust off an old typewriter, works in every language because the visuals speak for themselves — a joke about local family life just wouldn't cross borders the same way. To be fair, other things help too, like a strong emotional hook in the first few seconds, or a format people can easily copy. And once a video starts spreading, the algorithm tends to push it even further.

   Why this band

   • FC“Honestly, I think the videos that travel furthest” — Opening with 'Honestly' signals a personal, reflective stance rather than a flat statement of fact, which is more natural spoken English than the 6.5 answer's direct opinion sentence. It is less compact, though, than the 7.5 answer's fragment-style opening.
   • LR“the visuals speak for themselves” — This is a mild idiomatic collocation, a step up from the plain phrasing 'people everywhere can understand what is happening' used at 6.5. It is not yet as precise or unusual as the 7.5 answer's 'tap into something universal'.
   • GRA“a joke about local family life just wouldn't cross borders the same way” — This clause uses a conditional-feeling contrast ('wouldn't cross borders') built on a dash rather than a simple 'because' clause, showing slightly more complex grammar than the 6.5 answer. It stops short of the compressed, colon-led list structure used at 7.5.

   Band 7.5

   The 7.5 answer opens with a vivid, almost poetic image ('rust and hands and a satisfying, gradual transformation'), uses the less common phrase 'tap into something universal', and closes with a compact evaluative remark about luck.

   The ones that travel furthest usually don't need words at all. A silent restoration clip — rust and hands and a satisfying, gradual transformation — means roughly the same thing in every language, whereas a joke about in-laws simply stays home. Global videos tend to tap into something universal: a baby laughing, an animal doing something unexpected, extraordinary skill, a deeply satisfying process, and crucially, they hook you within the first few seconds. Music helps, and so does a format people can copy, which explains how dance trends spread so fast. After that, the algorithm takes over, multiplying whatever is already being shared — though luck plays its part too.

   Why this band

   • FC“The ones that travel furthest usually don't need words at all.” — This confident, slightly abstract opening sentence sets up the whole answer's argument in one compact line, more economical than the 6.5 answer's fuller 'I think... when everyone can understand them' construction. It reads as a considered claim rather than a simple direct opinion.
   • LR“tap into something universal” — 'Tap into something universal' is a genuinely less common, more idiomatic collocation than the plainer phrasing used at 6.5 and 7.0. It shows the kind of precise, slightly literary word choice expected at 7.5.
   • GRA“the algorithm takes over, multiplying whatever is already being shared” — The present participle 'multiplying' compresses what the 6.5 answer expressed as a full extra clause ('so it becomes even more popular') into a single flexible phrase attached to the main clause. This kind of participial compression is a hallmark of higher-band grammar.

4. 4. What skills can people learn by watching a video?

   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 statement ('People can learn many skills from videos'), lists a plain example, and adds one simple contrasting point with 'however' and 'so'.

   People can learn many skills from videos. This year, I fixed my washing machine, learned how to tie a proper knot, baked bread, and learned the first part of a song on guitar, all by watching videos. Videos are good for physical skills because you can copy exactly what the person does. However, I also tried to fix an old typewriter from a video and I still couldn't do it, so videos don't always work.

   Why this band

   • FC“People can learn many skills from videos.” — This flat, general opening statement is a typical 6.5 way of introducing the topic before listing examples. A 7.0 answer would more likely begin with a spoken hedge like 'quite a lot, actually' instead of this plain claim.
   • LR“Videos are good for physical skills because you can copy exactly what the person does.” — 'Good for' and 'copy exactly what the person does' are plain, common word choices. A higher band would likely use a more precise verb like 'excel at' and a tighter phrase like 'copy step by step'.
   • GRA“However, I also tried to fix an old typewriter from a video and I still couldn't do it, so videos don't always work.” — This long sentence chains three simple clauses together with 'and' and 'so' rather than subordinating the ideas. A 7.5 answer would likely compress this into a single dash-led counterexample instead.

   Band 7.0

   The 7.0 answer opens with the natural spoken phrase 'Quite a lot, actually' and adds the mild hedge 'That said' before its qualifying point about the typewriter, showing more reflection than a flat list.

   Quite a lot, actually — my own year is a fair example. I fixed a washing machine, learned a proper knot, baked passable bread, and picked up the first bar of a song on guitar, all from watching videos. Videos work particularly well for physical skills you can directly copy, like cooking or basic repairs, and they're also useful for software, since you can watch someone's screen. That said, I also tried fixing an old typewriter from a video and failed completely, which shows they're not equally effective for everything.

   Why this band

   • FC“Quite a lot, actually — my own year is a fair example.” — This spoken-style opening with 'actually' and a dash feels more natural and reflective than the 6.5 answer's plain declarative opening sentence. It previews the personal example rather than stating a general claim first.
   • LR“picked up the first bar of a song on guitar” — 'Picked up' is a mildly more natural collocation than the plainer 'learned' used in the 6.5 answer for the same idea. It is not yet as vivid as the 7.5 answer's more compact phrasing of the same list.
   • GRA“which shows they're not equally effective for everything” — This non-defining relative clause beginning with 'which' adds a reflective comment onto the end of the sentence, a moderately complex structure beyond the simple clause-chaining seen at 6.5. It is more measured than the 7.5 answer's fully compressed dash-led counterexample.

   Band 7.5

   The 7.5 answer opens with a fragment-style claim, uses the less common verb 'excel at', and compresses the typewriter counterexample into a dash-led phrase rather than a full separate sentence.

   A surprisingly wide range, and my own year makes a fair sample: a washing-machine repair, a proper knot, passable bread, and the first bar of a song on guitar, all picked up purely from watching videos — though a stubborn typewriter I still haven't managed to fix stands as the counterexample. Videos excel at anything physical you can copy step by step, from cooking to crafts to basic repairs, and they're equally strong for software, where you're essentially watching over someone's shoulder. Where they fall short is anything requiring real-time correction — a teacher spotting your mistake — or tasks where judgement matters more than steps, the kind of nuance no camera can fully transmit.

   Why this band

   • FC“A surprisingly wide range, and my own year makes a fair sample:” — This verbless fragment opening, followed by a colon introducing a list, is a compact coherence move rare at lower bands. A 6.5 answer would instead use a full sentence like 'People can learn many skills from videos.'
   • LR“Videos excel at anything physical you can copy step by step” — 'Excel at' is a more precise, less common verb than the plainer 'good for' used in the 6.5 answer. It shows the kind of stronger lexical choice expected at 7.5.
   • GRA“though a stubborn typewriter I still haven't managed to fix stands as the counterexample” — This fronted, dash-attached clause folds the whole typewriter anecdote into a single compact addition to the main sentence, rather than making it a separate sentence as the 6.5 and 7.0 answers do. This kind of compression is characteristic of higher-band grammar.

5. 5. Is watching a video a more effective way to learn than reading instructions?

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

   Band 6.5

   The 6.5 answer states a direct position ('I think it depends on the task'), gives one plain example with 'because' and 'but', and closes with a simple summary sentence.

   I think it depends on the task. For fixing my washing machine, the video was much better than the manual, because the manual just described a 'lower panel' and I couldn't find it, but the video showed exactly where it was in two seconds. So for physical tasks, video is more useful. But for cooking, I still prefer written recipes, because I can read at my own speed and quickly check the amount of an ingredient. So both have their uses.

   Why this band

   • FC“I think it depends on the task.” — This short, plain opinion sentence directly answers the question before any elaboration, typical of 6.5 coherence. A 7.0 answer would more likely soften this with a spoken hedge like 'to be honest' attached to the same idea.
   • LR“the video was much better than the manual” — 'Much better than' is a very plain comparative phrase. A higher band would likely use a more idiomatic expression such as 'seeing simply beats reading' to make the same comparison.
   • GRA“So both have their uses.” — This short closing sentence with 'so' gives a simple, separate summary rather than integrating the conclusion into a longer sentence. A 7.5 answer would likely fold this idea into a semicolon-joined or colon-led sentence instead.

   Band 7.0

   The 7.0 answer adds the spoken hedge 'to be honest' and 'That said' as a mild qualifying transition, and uses one more complex sentence joined with 'whereas' and 'while'.

   It really depends on the task, to be honest. The washing-machine manual just described a 'lower access panel' and I couldn't find it anywhere, whereas the video showed a hand opening it in two seconds — for anything spatial like that, seeing clearly beats reading. That said, I still cook from written recipes, because a video runs at its own pace while a page runs at mine, letting me glance back and check a quantity instantly. I'd say text wins for speed and searching, and video wins for the thing you didn't know you needed to see.

   Why this band

   • FC“to be honest” — This natural spoken hedge softens the direct opinion into something more conversational, which a 6.5 answer typically skips in favour of a flat statement. It is a lighter touch than the fuller reflective closing sentence used in the 7.5 answer.
   • LR“seeing clearly beats reading” — This is a slightly more vivid, compact comparison than the plain 'much better than' phrasing used at 6.5. It is close to, but slightly less polished than, the 7.5 answer's parallel phrase 'seeing simply beats reading'.
   • GRA“because a video runs at its own pace while a page runs at mine” — This sentence uses the subordinator 'while' to build a balanced contrast within one clause, a step up from the simple 'but' used at 6.5. It is still a single contrast rather than the three-part list structure the 7.5 answer builds with commas.

   Band 7.5

   The 7.5 answer uses a semicolon to join two balanced clauses, the less common verb 'excels at', and closes with a compact evaluative remark introduced by a colon.

   It depends heavily on the task at hand. The washing-machine manual merely described a 'lower access panel', which I never located, whereas the video showed a hand opening it in two seconds flat — for anything spatial or physical, seeing simply beats reading. Yet I still cook from written recipes, because a video runs at its own speed while a page runs at mine, letting me glance, check a quantity, and double back whenever I like. Text remains faster to search and easier to skim; video excels at revealing the thing you didn't even know you needed to see. Most effective, honestly, is combining both: watch once for the shape, then read for the details.

   Why this band

   • FC“It depends heavily on the task at hand.” — Adding 'heavily' and the slightly more formal phrase 'at hand' gives this opening more weight and precision than the plainer 6.5 opening 'I think it depends on the task.' It reads as a confident claim rather than a simple stated opinion.
   • LR“video excels at revealing the thing you didn't even know you needed to see” — 'Excels at revealing' is a more precise, less common verb choice than the plain comparative phrasing used at 6.5. It shows the kind of vivid, idiomatic lexical range expected at 7.5.
   • GRA“Text remains faster to search and easier to skim; video excels at revealing the thing you didn't even know you needed to see.” — This sentence uses a semicolon to join two balanced independent clauses into one flexible sentence, rather than splitting them into two separate simple sentences as the 6.5 answer does. This kind of controlled punctuation is characteristic of higher-band grammar.

6. 6. Can people master any skill by watching videos?

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

   Band 6.5

   The 6.5 answer gives a direct negative opinion ('I don't think so') followed by a plain example joined with 'and' and 'but', a straightforward structure typical of this band.

   I don't think so. Videos can teach the beginning of a skill, but not mastery. For example, I watched a master repair an old typewriter for forty minutes, and I understood every step. But my own typewriter is still in pieces on my table, because understanding the steps is different from actually having the skill in your hands. Videos are good for learning cooking or simple software, but they can't correct your mistakes like a real teacher can.

   Why this band

   • FC“I don't think so.” — This is a bare, direct two-word opinion opening the answer, the simplest possible way to state a position. A 7.0 answer would more likely soften this with 'honestly' before the same negative, and a 7.5 answer would add an evaluative clause right after it.
   • LR“Videos are good for learning cooking or simple software” — 'Good for learning' is plain, everyday phrasing. A higher band would likely use a more vivid description such as calling videos 'a magnificent first teacher' for the same idea.
   • GRA“I watched a master repair an old typewriter for forty minutes, and I understood every step” — This sentence joins two clauses with the simple connector 'and' rather than using a more compact participial structure. A 7.5 answer would likely compress this into 'following every step with total clarity' attached to the main clause.

   Band 7.0

   The 7.0 answer opens with 'Honestly' plus a dash-led qualifying clause ('but not all the way'), and uses a 'which' clause to reflect on what the example shows.

   Honestly, I don't think so — videos can take you a long way, but not all the way. I once watched a master restore a typewriter for forty minutes and understood every single step, yet my own typewriter is still sitting in pieces on my table, which tells you that understanding the steps and actually having the skill in your hands are two different things. Videos work well for skills with clear steps and quick feedback, like cooking, but they can't fix a wrong grip or a bad habit the way a real teacher could.

   Why this band

   • FC“videos can take you a long way, but not all the way” — This short, balanced contrast right after the opening opinion is a mild qualifying remark that a 6.5 answer typically skips. It is less elaborate than the 7.5 answer's fuller version of the same idea ('carry you a surprisingly long way... can't quite reach').
   • LR“understood every single step” — Adding 'single' to 'every step' is a small but natural intensifying collocation, a step up from the plainer 6.5 phrasing 'understood every step'. It shows slightly more idiomatic control of emphasis.
   • GRA“which tells you that understanding the steps and actually having the skill in your hands are two different things” — This non-defining relative clause beginning with 'which' adds a reflective comment onto the sentence, a moderately complex structure beyond the simple 'because' clause used at 6.5. It stops short of the fully compressed apposition ('proof that...') the 7.5 answer uses instead.

   Band 7.5

   The 7.5 answer opens with a compact 'Honestly, no' plus an evaluative clause, uses the vivid phrase 'a magnificent first teacher... a poor last one', and closes with a longer list joined by commas rather than separate sentences.

   Honestly, no — videos can carry you a surprisingly long way, but genuine mastery seems to live somewhere they can't quite reach. I once watched a master restore a typewriter for forty minutes, following every step with total clarity, and yet my own typewriter remains in pieces on my table, proof that understanding a process and possessing the skill in your hands are entirely different things. Videos are a magnificent first teacher for anything with clear steps and instant feedback, but a poor last one, since they can't correct a wrong grip, a bad habit, or the subtle misjudgements that only real practice, and a real teacher, can iron out.

   Why this band

   • FC“genuine mastery seems to live somewhere they can't quite reach” — This is a vivid, almost metaphorical evaluative clause attached directly to the opening negative, going beyond the simpler contrast used at 7.0. A 6.5 answer would not attempt this kind of figurative elaboration at all.
   • LR“Videos are a magnificent first teacher for anything with clear steps and instant feedback, but a poor last one” — 'A magnificent first teacher... a poor last one' is a vivid, slightly idiomatic figure of speech, a clear step up from the plain 'good for learning' phrasing used at 6.5. It shows the kind of precise, memorable word choice expected at 7.5.
   • GRA“they can't correct a wrong grip, a bad habit, or the subtle misjudgements that only real practice, and a real teacher, can iron out” — This sentence stacks a three-item list inside a relative clause with an embedded appositive ('and a real teacher'), a far more flexible and compressed structure than the simple sentences used at 6.5. This kind of layered grammar is characteristic of 7.5 writing.

7. 7. How might the news be influenced by videos that people record on their phones?

   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 ('Phone videos have changed the news a lot'), gives one plain example, and lists a benefit and a risk joined with the simple connectors 'but' and 'because'.

   Phone videos have changed the news a lot. During the last floods near my home, my neighbour recorded a video from her balcony, and it was on the national news within an hour, before any reporter could even get there. This means ordinary people can now become news sources very quickly. It's good because problems get recorded and shown to everyone, but it's also risky, because some videos don't have enough context or aren't checked properly before being shared.

   Why this band

   • FC“Phone videos have changed the news a lot.” — This flat, general opening statement directly answers the question before giving the example, a typical 6.5 structure. A 7.0 answer would more likely open with a spoken hedge like 'quite significantly, honestly' instead.
   • LR“ordinary people can now become news sources very quickly” — 'Ordinary people' and 'very quickly' are plain, common word choices. A higher band would likely use a more precise phrase such as 'turned every citizen into a potential source' to express the same idea.
   • GRA“It's good because problems get recorded and shown to everyone, but it's also risky, because some videos don't have enough context or aren't checked properly before being shared.” — This long sentence chains a benefit and a risk together with 'but' and repeats 'because' twice, producing a somewhat repetitive structure. A 7.5 answer would likely split this into a colon-led list and a separate dash-led list of risks instead.

   Band 7.0

   The 7.0 answer opens with 'Quite significantly, honestly' and adds the hedge 'To be fair' before balancing a benefit against a risk, showing more reflection than a flat statement.

   Quite significantly, honestly, and I've actually seen it happen on my own street. During the last floods, a neighbour's video filmed from her balcony was on the national news within an hour, well before any reporter could reach the area, which shows how phones have turned every citizen into a potential source. To be fair, this brings real benefits, since abuses get recorded and disasters get documented almost instantly, but it also means dramatic footage sometimes gets prioritised over more important, less visual stories. News has become faster and more democratic, if a little less reliable.

   Why this band

   • FC“Quite significantly, honestly, and I've actually seen it happen on my own street.” — This spoken-style opening combines a hedge ('honestly') with a personal anecdote lead-in, more natural and reflective than the 6.5 answer's flat opening claim. It previews the example rather than stating a general fact first.
   • LR“turned every citizen into a potential source” — This is a moderately more precise collocation than the plainer '"ordinary people can now become news sources"' phrasing used at 6.5. It is not quite as compact as the 7.5 answer's near-identical phrase embedded in a longer sentence.
   • GRA“if a little less reliable” — This short fronted concessive phrase tacked onto the end of the final sentence is a moderately complex structure, adding a qualifying remark in very few words. A 6.5 answer would instead state this as a separate full sentence with 'but'.

   Band 7.5

   The 7.5 answer builds one long, flexible sentence with a dash and 'so' to explain the shift in how news arrives, then uses a colon-led list and a dash-led list to separate gains from risks.

   Quite dramatically, and I've watched it unfold on my own street. During the last floods, a neighbour's footage filmed from her balcony was on the national news within the hour, well before any reporter could reach the district — phones have effectively turned every citizen into a potential source, so news now arrives from the middle of events rather than from outside them. That's a genuine gain: abuses get recorded, disasters get documented, official versions get checked against footage. It also reshapes what counts as newsworthy, since a dramatic clip often beats an important document, and it invites real risks — unverified footage, staged clips, and viewers who believe what they see before anyone checks it.

   Why this band

   • FC“news now arrives from the middle of events rather than from outside them” — This is a vivid, slightly abstract formulation of the idea that citizens are now sources, going beyond the more literal phrasing used at lower bands. It shows the kind of reflective, evaluative touch expected at 7.5.
   • LR“it invites real risks” — 'Invites real risks' is a more precise, slightly less common collocation than the plainer 'it's also risky' phrasing used at 6.5. It shows the kind of natural, idiomatic word choice expected at 7.5.
   • GRA“That's a genuine gain: abuses get recorded, disasters get documented, official versions get checked against footage.” — This sentence uses a colon to introduce a compressed three-item list with parallel, verbless structure, rather than the fuller 'because' clauses used at 6.5. This kind of compact, punctuation-led listing is characteristic of higher-band grammar.

8. 8. To what extent should people trust the news videos that they see?

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

   Band 6.5

   The 6.5 answer gives a direct opinion with one simple supporting reason, using plain connectors like 'because' and 'but', and a short example from the family group chat.

   I think people should trust news videos less than they usually do, because a video can look real but still be wrong. Last year, a video labelled 'flood in Da Nang' went around my family's group chat, and everyone believed it because we saw it with our own eyes. But it was actually three years old and from a different city. So now I try to check where a video comes from before I believe it.

   Why this band

   • FC“I think people should trust news videos less than they usually do” — This is a plain, direct opinion stated in the very first clause, typical 6.5 structure. A 7.0 answer would more likely open with a spoken hedge like 'honestly, probably less than most people instinctively do' instead of this flat statement.
   • LR“a video can look real but still be wrong” — 'Look real' and 'still be wrong' are very plain, everyday word choices. A higher band would likely use a more precise phrase such as 'carries a false sense of proof' to express the same idea.
   • GRA“So now I try to check where a video comes from before I believe it.” — This short closing sentence with 'so' gives a simple, separate conclusion. A 7.5 answer would likely fold this into a semicolon-joined aphorism instead of a plain standalone sentence.

   Band 7.0

   The 7.0 answer opens with 'Honestly' and the natural spoken phrase 'I'd say', and uses a dash to add a contrasting clause about the video's real age, showing more reflection than a flat statement.

   Honestly, probably less than most people instinctively do, simply because a video feels like proof even when it isn't. A clip labelled 'flood in Da Nang tonight' went round my family's group chat last year, and every one of us believed it instantly, since we'd seen it with our own eyes — except it turned out to be three years old and from an entirely different city. I'd say the sensible approach is to trust footage more when the source is known and the date can be checked, and to be suspicious of anything arriving with strong emotion and no clear origin.

   Why this band

   • FC“Honestly, probably less than most people instinctively do” — Opening with 'Honestly' and the hedge 'probably' softens the opinion into something more conversational and reflective, unlike the 6.5 answer's flat 'I think people should trust news videos less'. It is less elaborate than the 7.5 answer's fuller opening clause.
   • LR“a video feels like proof even when it isn't” — This is a moderately more reflective phrase than the plain 'a video can look real but still be wrong' used at 6.5. It is close to, but slightly less polished than, the 7.5 answer's related phrase 'carries a false sense of proof'.
   • GRA“I'd say the sensible approach is to trust footage more when the source is known and the date can be checked, and to be suspicious of anything arriving with strong emotion and no clear origin” — This long sentence balances two parallel infinitive clauses ('to trust... and to be suspicious') joined with 'and', a moderately complex structure beyond the simple sentences used at 6.5. It is less compressed than the 7.5 answer's closing aphorism with a semicolon.

   Band 7.5

   The 7.5 answer uses the fronted hedge 'if I'm honest', the less common phrase 'carries a false sense of proof', and closes with a semicolon-joined aphorism ('Seeing... is no longer believing; it's merely the starting point for checking').

   Considerably less than most people instinctively do, if I'm honest, because a video carries a false sense of proof simply by virtue of being seen. A clip labelled 'flood in Da Nang tonight' once swept through my family's group chat, and every single one of us believed it without question, having seen it with our own eyes — only for it to turn out to be three years old and filmed in an entirely different city. The sensible approach, I'd say, is to trust footage more when it comes from a verifiable source and less when it arrives wrapped in strong emotion and no discernible origin. Seeing, these days, is no longer believing; it's merely the starting point for checking.

   Why this band

   • FC“if I'm honest” — This fronted, comma-set-off hedge tucked mid-sentence is a more compact and natural way of softening an opinion than the fuller opening phrases used at 6.5 and 7.0. It shows confident control of spoken-style qualification.
   • LR“a video carries a false sense of proof simply by virtue of being seen” — 'Carries a false sense of proof' and 'by virtue of' are precise, slightly less common phrasings compared to the plainer 'a video can look real but still be wrong' used at 6.5. This shows the vivid, idiomatic lexical range expected at 7.5.
   • GRA“Seeing, these days, is no longer believing; it's merely the starting point for checking.” — This closing sentence uses a semicolon to join two balanced independent clauses into one compact aphorism, rather than the separate simple sentences used at 6.5. This kind of controlled, flexible punctuation is characteristic of higher-band grammar.

9. 9. Will the public's appetite for news videos lead to the end of print journalism?

   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 ('printed newspapers will probably disappear, but written journalism won't') with one plain example and a simple closing summary joined by 'but' and 'so'.

   I think printed newspapers will probably disappear, but written journalism won't. My father still buys a paper newspaper every morning, but he is one of the only people on our street who still does this. Last week, I read a long, detailed news report on my phone, and it was very well written, with much more detail than a video could give. So video is good for quick news, but writing is still better for deep, detailed stories.

   Why this band

   • FC“I think printed newspapers will probably disappear, but written journalism won't.” — This is a direct opinion sentence stated right at the start with the plain connector 'but', typical of 6.5 coherence. A 7.0 answer would more likely open with the spoken hedge 'honestly' attached to a similar claim.
   • LR“it was very well written, with much more detail than a video could give” — 'Very well written' is a plain, generic evaluation. A higher band would likely use a more precise phrase such as 'written journalism of the highest calibre' to express the same judgement.
   • GRA“So video is good for quick news, but writing is still better for deep, detailed stories.” — This closing sentence uses the simple connectors 'so' and 'but' to state two separate comparisons. A 7.5 answer would likely join these with a semicolon into one balanced sentence instead.

   Band 7.0

   The 7.0 answer opens with a qualifying structure ('Probably the paper itself, honestly, but not written journalism as a whole') and uses the reflective closing phrase 'I'd say', showing more nuance than a flat yes/no.

   Probably the paper itself, honestly, but not written journalism as a whole. My father still buys a physical newspaper every single morning, and he's about the last person on our street who does, yet the long investigative piece I read on my phone last week was written journalism of genuinely high quality, offering a level of detail no video could realistically match. Video clearly wins for immediacy and raw emotion, while writing still wins for depth, argument, and anything that needs to be checked or quoted. What's really ending, I'd say, is the printed object, not the practice of writing itself.

   Why this band

   • FC“Probably the paper itself, honestly, but not written journalism as a whole.” — This opening narrows the claim to a specific part of the question ('the paper itself') rather than answering with a flat general statement, showing more reflection than the 6.5 answer's blanket opinion. It is less compact than the 7.5 answer's near-identical but tighter phrasing.
   • LR“written journalism of genuinely high quality” — This is a moderately more precise evaluative phrase than the plain 'very well written' used at 6.5. It is not quite as vivid as the 7.5 answer's 'journalism of the highest calibre'.
   • GRA“What's really ending, I'd say, is the printed object, not the practice of writing itself” — This sentence uses a cleft structure ('What's really ending... is...') with an inserted hedge 'I'd say', a moderately complex construction beyond the simple sentences used at 6.5. It is less compressed than the 7.5 answer's closing sentence, which adds a semicolon and a further clause about reporters.

   Band 7.5

   The 7.5 answer uses the vivid phrase 'the last holdout on our street', a semicolon to balance video against writing, and closes with a compact evaluative remark about the business model propping up paper.

   Probably the printed object itself, but not written journalism as a practice. My father still buys a physical newspaper every morning, the last holdout on our street, and yet the long investigative piece I devoured on my phone last week was written journalism of the highest calibre, carrying a depth of detail no video could ever hope to match. Video wins hands-down for immediacy and raw emotion; writing wins for depth, argument, and anything demanding verification or precise quotation. What's genuinely ending, then, is paper and the business model propping it up — serious reporters will keep writing, and anyone wanting to understand rather than merely glimpse will keep reading them, on whatever screen survives.

   Why this band

   • FC“the last holdout on our street” — This vivid, slightly idiomatic appositive phrase replaces a fuller clause like 'he is one of the only people who still does this', giving the sentence a more compact, evaluative flavour. A 6.5 answer states the same idea in a plainer full clause instead.
   • LR“written journalism of the highest calibre” — 'Calibre' is a genuinely less common word than 'quality' or 'well written', showing precise and slightly formal lexical choice. A 6.5 answer would use the much plainer 'very well written' for the same idea.
   • GRA“Video wins hands-down for immediacy and raw emotion; writing wins for depth, argument, and anything demanding verification or precise quotation.” — This sentence uses a semicolon to join two balanced independent clauses in parallel structure, rather than splitting them into separate sentences with 'so' and 'but' as the 6.5 answer does. This kind of controlled, flexible punctuation is characteristic of higher-band grammar.