An Invention That Has Changed the World in a Good Way

Part 3 follow-up questions

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

1. 1. Will the computer one day completely replace the teacher?

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

   Band 6.5

   Uses two plain contrast sentences with 'but' rather than one flexible sentence, e.g. 'not the teacher completely'.

   I think computers will replace some parts of teaching, but not the teacher completely. For example, my niece's maths app knows exactly which problems she got wrong, but only her teacher knows why she was crying that morning, and that explains the mistakes better. Computers are already good at giving practice and feedback, better than a tired teacher with forty students. But they cannot notice a child's feelings or motivate them the way a real person can. The classroom will change a lot, but the teacher will still be needed.

   Why this band

   • FC“For example,” — The plain 'For example,' opener at 6.5 just introduces the fact with no elaboration; 7.0 keeps a similar signal but folds it into a longer sentence with a semicolon, and 7.5 removes the connector altogether, opening straight with the comparison itself.
   • LR“will replace some parts of teaching, but not the teacher completely” — This is plain, literal wording; 7.0 tightens it into 'Replace some of the job, perhaps, replace the teacher, no', and 7.5 compresses the same contrast further into the punchier 'Replace the lecture, perhaps; replace the teacher, no.'
   • GRA“But they cannot notice a child's feelings or motivate them the way a real person can.” — This is a simple 'but' sentence stating one idea; 7.0 extends it with a relative clause about relationships, and 7.5 compresses a similar idea into a single dash-linked sentence with 'the parts of teaching that are really about relationship'.

   Band 7.0

   Uses the natural hedge 'though,' mid-sentence and the reflective aside 'that's arguably what teaching actually is' for the moderate complexity expected at 7.0.

   Replace some of the job, perhaps, but replace the teacher, no - not any time soon. For instance, my niece's maths app knows exactly which problems she got wrong, but her teacher knows why she was crying that morning, and that fact explains the wrong answers far better than any data point. Computers already deliver content and practice better than a tired human managing forty students. What they can't really do, though, is notice, motivate, and hold a child to a standard the child doesn't yet want - and that's arguably what teaching actually is. A machine can teach a motivated adult almost anything; children simply aren't motivated adults yet.

   Why this band

   • FC“For instance,” — 'For instance,' functions the same as 6.5's 'For example,' but here it introduces a longer, more layered sentence with an embedded comparison; 7.5 drops any such connector and opens the example with 'My niece's maths app' directly.
   • LR“Replace some of the job, perhaps, but replace the teacher, no” — This parallel structure is more compact than 6.5's plain statement; 7.5 tightens it even further into 'Replace the lecture, perhaps; replace the teacher, no', using a semicolon instead of 'but' for a sharper rhythm.
   • GRA“What they can't really do, though, is notice, motivate, and hold a child to a standard the child doesn't yet want - and that's arguably what teaching actually is” — This long sentence strings together a triple verb list and a reflective dash clause, the one moderately complex sentence expected at 7.0; 7.5 restructures a similar idea even more tightly around 'the parts of teaching that are really about relationship'.

   Band 7.5

   Opens with a compact semicolon-linked contrast, 'Replace the lecture, perhaps; replace the teacher, no', rather than a full explanatory sentence.

   Replace the lecture, perhaps; replace the teacher, no. My niece's maths app knows exactly which problems she got wrong; her teacher knows why she was crying that morning, and which of those facts actually explains the wrong answers. Computers already deliver content, practice and feedback better than a tired human in a room of forty. What they can't do is notice, motivate, and hold a child to a standard the child doesn't yet want - the parts of teaching that are really about relationship. A machine can teach a motivated adult almost anything. Children aren't motivated adults, and turning them into people who can be is really the teacher's job.

   Why this band

   • FC“her teacher knows why she was crying that morning” — Moving straight from the app example into the teacher example with only a semicolon, no connector at all, creates a tighter, more fluent rhythm than 6.5's 'For example,' or 7.0's 'For instance,'.
   • LR“Replace the lecture, perhaps; replace the teacher, no.” — This semicolon-linked parallel phrase is a compact, idiomatic opening well beyond 6.5's plain sentence and slightly tighter than 7.0's comma-and-'but' version, showing real control of register.
   • GRA“the parts of teaching that are really about relationship” — This appositive noun phrase tacked onto the end of a dash compresses an entire idea into a few words, more flexible and economical than 6.5's separate 'but' sentence or 7.0's longer triple-verb construction.

2. 2. What types of technology are most important in schools today?

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

   Band 6.5

   States the contrast between the projector and the tablets as two separate simple sentences.

   I think the most useful technology in schools is the simple, reliable kind. For example, in my sister's classroom, there is a projector she uses every hour, but thirty tablets sit in a locked cupboard and are only used once a month. I think the most important technology is just internet access, a screen for the whole class, and simple software for sharing work. Apps that help with maths and language practice are useful too. Expensive equipment that nobody knows how to use just sits unused in many schools.

   Why this band

   • FC“For example,” — The bare 'For example,' opener introduces the classroom detail with no further shaping; 7.0 uses 'The honest answer from' as a more original frame, and 7.5 removes any connector and opens directly with a three-part list.
   • LR“the most useful technology in schools is the simple, reliable kind” — 'simple, reliable kind' is plain description; 7.0 keeps this phrase but adds 'boring' for a more idiomatic contrast, and 7.5 compresses the whole idea into 'the boring, reliable kind', reused with more evaluative punch.
   • GRA“thirty tablets sit in a locked cupboard and are only used once a month” — This is a simple compound sentence joined by 'and'; 7.0 restructures it as a list of three items separated by commas, and 7.5 compresses the same list even further into a single flowing sentence with an embedded aside.

   Band 7.0

   Lists three real classroom items in one flowing sentence rather than two separate ones, showing the moderate complexity expected at 7.0.

   The honest answer, from my sister's classroom, is a projector she uses every hour, thirty tablets in a locked cupboard she opens once a month, and the phone every student already owns, which the school mostly pretends doesn't exist. I'd say the most important technology is the boring, reliable kind: internet access, a screen the whole class can see, and simple software for sharing work and feedback. Adaptive learning apps genuinely help with practice in maths and languages. Beyond that, though, technology's value drops quickly, and expensive equipment nobody's trained to use just sits in cupboards, gathering dust in schools everywhere.

   Why this band

   • FC“The honest answer,” — 'The honest answer,' is a more natural, reflective opener than 6.5's flat 'I think', signalling a considered judgment; 7.5 goes further and drops any framing phrase, opening straight with the concrete image itself.
   • LR“the boring, reliable kind” — 'the boring, reliable kind' is a small idiomatic upgrade on 6.5's plain 'simple, reliable kind'; 7.5 reuses the same phrase but embeds it inside a punchier structure, 'the most important technology is whatever lets a good teacher reach more students more precisely'.
   • GRA“a projector she uses every hour, thirty tablets in a locked cupboard she opens once a month, and the phone every student already owns, which the school mostly pretends doesn't exist” — This three-part list with an added relative clause at the end is the one moderately complex sentence expected at 7.0; 7.5 keeps a similar list but tightens the final clause into 'which the school pretends doesn't exist', dropping 'mostly' for a sharper edge.

   Band 7.5

   Opens with a colon straight into a three-item list, skipping any framing sentence at all, for a more compact and vivid start.

   The honest answer, from my sister's classroom: a projector she uses every hour, thirty tablets in a locked cupboard she opens once a month, and the phone every student already owns, which the school pretends doesn't exist. The most important technology is the boring, reliable kind - internet access, a shared screen, and simple software for sharing work and feedback. Adaptive apps genuinely help with maths and language practice. Beyond that, technology's value drops off fast; expensive kit nobody's trained to use just sits gathering dust in cupboards everywhere. What matters most is whatever lets a good teacher reach more students more precisely, and that's rarely the newest thing.

   Why this band

   • FC“The honest answer, from my sister's classroom:” — Using a colon to move straight from the claim into the concrete list, with no connector like 'For example', is a more fluent, economical transition than 6.5's separate sentence or even 7.0's comma-linked version.
   • LR“reach more students more precisely” — This repeated-word phrase ('more... more') is a deliberate, idiomatic rhetorical device that goes beyond 6.5's plain listing and 7.0's straightforward description, giving the closing line real evaluative punch.
   • GRA“expensive kit nobody's trained to use just sits gathering dust in cupboards everywhere” — The participle phrase 'gathering dust' embedded mid-sentence is more compact and vivid than 6.5's separate statement or 7.0's plainer 'sits in cupboards, gathering dust in schools everywhere', showing tighter control.

3. 3. Have the most important inventions already been developed?

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

   Band 6.5

   Lists the foundational inventions plainly with commas, 'fire, the wheel, writing, and electricity', without further shaping.

   I think the basic inventions have already been made, but not the most important ones. For example, my bicycle is a design that is about 140 years old, and my phone is only about twenty years old, but both feel necessary now. Things like fire, the wheel, writing, and electricity are the real foundations, and nothing new is quite that basic. But we still do not have clean energy for everyone, a cure for most cancers, or a full understanding of the brain, and solving those will matter just as much as anything in history.

   Why this band

   • FC“For example,” — The bare 'For example,' opener at 6.5 introduces the bicycle-and-phone comparison flatly; 7.0 keeps a similar structure but adds 'and both feel indispensable' for more reflection, and 7.5 drops the connector, opening directly with the possessive 'My bicycle is'.
   • LR“have already been made, but not the most important ones” — This is plain, literal phrasing; 7.0 rewords it as 'perhaps; the important ones, I doubt it', and 7.5 compresses the same contrast into the same punchy semicolon structure, reused with slightly more confidence in tone.
   • GRA“Things like fire, the wheel, writing, and electricity are the real foundations, and nothing new is quite that basic.” — This is a simple listing sentence joined by 'and'; 7.0 restructures the list with colons and semicolons for more flow, and 7.5 extends the list further while keeping a tighter rhythm throughout.

   Band 7.0

   Uses the semicolon-linked opener 'The basic ones, perhaps; the important ones, I doubt it' for a more compact contrast than 6.5's plain sentence.

   The basic ones, perhaps; the important ones, I doubt it. My bicycle is essentially a 140-year-old design and my phone is barely twenty, and both feel indispensable - every generation probably thinks the great inventions are behind it. Fire, the wheel, writing, farming, electricity: those are foundations, and nothing recent is quite that basic. But we still have no clean, cheap energy for everyone, no cure for most cancers, and no real understanding of the brain. The inventions that solve those problems will be as important as anything in history. What's changed, I'd say, is that the next ones are simply harder to find.

   Why this band

   • FC“The basic ones, perhaps; the important ones, I doubt it.” — Opening directly with this semicolon-linked contrast, no 'I think' at all, is more assertive and natural than 6.5's plain lead-in; 7.5 reuses almost the same structure, showing this is already a near-7.5 pattern at 7.0.
   • LR“every generation probably thinks the great inventions are behind it” — This reflective aside is more evaluative than 6.5's plain listing; 7.5 extends the same idea further with 'and is then surprised', adding an extra layer of wry observation.
   • GRA“Fire, the wheel, writing, farming, electricity: those are foundations, and nothing recent is quite that basic.” — The colon introducing the list plus the following clause is the one moderately complex sentence expected at 7.0; 7.5 extends the same list with 'antibiotics' added and restructures the final clause slightly for extra rhythm.

   Band 7.5

   Adds the wry closing twist 'and is then surprised' rather than stopping at the plain observation.

   The basic ones, perhaps; the important ones, I doubt it. My bicycle is essentially a 140-year-old design and my phone barely twenty, and both feel indispensable - every generation thinks the great inventions are behind it, and is then surprised. Fire, the wheel, writing, farming, antibiotics, electricity: those are foundations, and nothing recent is quite that basic. But we still have no clean, cheap energy for everyone, no cure for most cancers, no way to store carbon at scale, no real understanding of the brain. The inventions that solve those will be as important as anything in history, only harder to build and less easy to hold in your hand.

   Why this band

   • FC“every generation thinks the great inventions are behind it, and is then surprised” — The extra clause 'and is then surprised' adds a wry, reflective beat that neither 6.5 nor 7.0 include, giving the sentence a more considered, essay-like flow rather than stopping at the bare observation.
   • LR“harder to build and less easy to hold in your hand” — This concrete, tactile image is more original than 6.5's plain 'harder to make' and 7.0's 'harder to find'; it closes the answer on a vivid, idiomatic note.
   • GRA“no way to store carbon at scale, no real understanding of the brain” — Extending the negative list with a fourth item, 'no way to store carbon at scale', packed alongside the others without a new verb each time, shows more flexible list-building than 6.5 or 7.0's shorter three-item lists.

4. 4. What makes some people want to invent new things?

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

   Band 6.5

   States each motive in its own short, separate sentence, e.g. 'Money is another reason'.

   I think it is usually irritation that makes people want to invent new things. For example, my neighbour Mr Quang built his own radio aerial because the shop version was, in his words, 'wrong in three ways', and he could not stop noticing the problem. Curiosity makes some people invent things too. Money is another reason for some. Necessity is also real - people in difficult situations often have to invent things because nobody else will help them. I think most people just accept how things are, but inventors do not.

   Why this band

   • FC“For example,” — The plain 'For example,' opener introduces Mr Quang's story with no elaboration; 7.0 uses the same connector but folds in a dash for the extra detail, and 7.5 removes the connector completely, starting directly with 'My neighbour Mr Quang'.
   • LR“irritation that makes people want to invent new things” — 'irritation' is used plainly here; 7.0 develops the same word with 'in my experience' for a more reflective tone, and 7.5 pairs it with the more vivid 'can't tolerate a thing being worse than it could be', a fuller idiomatic image.
   • GRA“I think most people just accept how things are, but inventors do not.” — This is a simple contrast joined by 'but'; 7.0 restructures the same idea with a colon-and-dash combination, and 7.5 compresses it into two short parallel sentences, 'Most of us accept things. Inventors argue with them.'

   Band 7.0

   Opens with the fragment 'Irritation, mostly, in my experience.' rather than a full sentence, a more natural spoken rhythm.

   Irritation, mostly, in my experience. My neighbour Mr Quang built his own radio aerial because the shop version was 'wrong in three ways', and he genuinely couldn't stop noticing it - inventors are often people who can't tolerate a thing being worse than it could be. Curiosity drives some: the simple need to know what would happen if. Money drives many too, since a fair amount of invention throughout history happened because someone spotted a market. Necessity is real as well - people in hard situations invent constantly because nobody else will. Most of us just accept things as they are; inventors, though, tend to argue with them.

   Why this band

   • FC“Irritation, mostly, in my experience.” — This sentence fragment as an opener is a more natural, spoken-sounding move than 6.5's full sentence 'I think it is usually irritation...'; 7.5 reuses almost the same fragment, showing this pattern already reaches near-7.5 fluency.
   • LR“can't tolerate a thing being worse than it could be” — This idiomatic phrase is more vivid than 6.5's plain description; 7.5 keeps the phrase nearly identical, showing that 7.0 has already reached a genuinely idiomatic register here, with 7.5 mainly tightening the surrounding sentences.
   • GRA“Curiosity drives some: the simple need to know what would happen if” — The colon introducing an incomplete final clause ('what would happen if') is a deliberately compact, moderately complex structure for 7.0; 7.5 keeps a similar construction but adds an extra sentence about the pleasure of making, extending the range further.

   Band 7.5

   Closes with two short parallel sentences, 'Most of us accept things. Inventors argue with them.', instead of one joined 'but' sentence.

   Irritation, mostly, in my experience. My neighbour Mr Quang built his own radio aerial because the shop version was 'wrong in three ways' and he couldn't stop noticing - inventors are often people who can't tolerate a thing being worse than it could be. Curiosity drives some: the need to know what would happen if. Money drives many, and a fair amount of history's invention happened because someone saw a market. Necessity is real too; people in hard places invent constantly because nobody else will. There's also the pleasure of making, which is its own reward. Most of us accept things. Inventors argue with them.

   Why this band

   • FC“There's also the pleasure of making, which is its own reward.” — Adding this extra motive as its own compact sentence, without a heavy connector, shows a wider range of linked ideas flowing naturally one after another, more than the shorter list in 6.5 or 7.0.
   • LR“people in hard places invent constantly because nobody else will” — 'hard places' is a compact, slightly poetic way of saying 'difficult situations', more original than 6.5's plain 'difficult situations' and closer to, but still marginally tighter than, 7.0's 'hard situations'.
   • GRA“Most of us accept things. Inventors argue with them.” — These two short parallel sentences at the very end are a deliberate rhetorical choice, more flexible and confident than 6.5's single 'but' sentence or 7.0's semicolon version, giving the answer a memorable closing rhythm.

5. 5. Does using equipment in the home make people lazy?

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

   Band 6.5

   States the washing machine and delivery-app examples as two separate 'but' sentences rather than one balanced sentence.

   I think it depends on what people do with the free time. The washing machine gave my mother her evenings back, and she used that time for a night class. But delivery apps took away my daily walk to the market, and I just used the time to sit more. Equipment removes effort, but effort was never really the point of housework. The question is whether people use the free time for something better, or for nothing. Some equipment makes people more capable, and other equipment just removes reasons to move. I think it is up to the person.

   Why this band

   • FC“The washing machine gave my mother her evenings back, and she used that time for a night class.” — This is presented as its own plain sentence; 7.0 links it directly against the second example with a semicolon in one sentence, and 7.5 keeps the same semicolon structure but tightens the wording further.
   • LR“it depends on what people do with the free time” — This is plain, functional phrasing; 7.0 reworks it into 'It depends what the freed time goes to', a slightly more idiomatic verb choice, which 7.5 keeps almost unchanged, showing it was already a strong phrase at 7.0.
   • GRA“Equipment removes effort, but effort was never really the point of housework.” — This is a simple 'but' sentence; 7.0 restructures it as 'effort was never the point - nobody was improved by scrubbing clothes by hand', using a dash for extra explanation, and 7.5 keeps a similar dash structure with tighter wording.

   Band 7.0

   Joins the two contrasting examples in one sentence with a semicolon, 'her evenings back... daily walk to the market', showing the moderate complexity expected at 7.0.

   It depends what the freed time goes to, I'd say. The washing machine gave my mother her evenings back, and she used them for a night class; the delivery apps took away my daily walk to the market, and I used the time to sit more instead. Equipment removes effort, and effort was never really the point - nobody was improved by scrubbing clothes by hand. The real question is whether people replace the physical work with something better or with nothing at all. Some equipment makes people more capable, like a good kitchen that makes cooking more likely; other equipment just removes reasons to move.

   Why this band

   • FC“It depends what the freed time goes to, I'd say.” — Placing 'I'd say' at the end of the opening sentence, rather than as a separate opener, is a more natural spoken rhythm than 6.5's front-loaded 'I think'; 7.5 removes the hedge from this sentence entirely, making it even more direct.
   • LR“nobody was improved by scrubbing clothes by hand” — This vivid, concrete image is more evaluative than 6.5's abstract 'effort was never really the point of housework'; 7.5 keeps an almost identical phrase, showing 7.0 had already reached idiomatic, image-based language here.
   • GRA“The washing machine gave my mother her evenings back, and she used them for a night class; the delivery apps took away my daily walk to the market, and I used the time to sit more instead” — Joining both examples into one sentence with a semicolon is the one moderately complex structure expected at 7.0; 7.5 keeps this same semicolon join, showing the structure was already strong, and instead tightens the surrounding sentences further.

   Band 7.5

   Closes with the compact, evaluative twist 'which is harder than it sounds' rather than ending on the plain statement 6.5 and 7.0 use.

   It depends what the freed time goes to. The washing machine gave my mother her evenings back, and she used them for a night class; the delivery apps took away my daily walk to the market, and I used the time to sit more. Equipment removes effort, and effort was never the point - nobody was improved by scrubbing clothes by hand. The question is whether people replace the physical work with something better or with nothing. Some equipment makes people more capable: a good kitchen makes cooking more likely, not less. Some simply removes reasons to move. Equipment doesn't make people lazy; it makes laziness possible, and then it's up to them, which is harder than it sounds.

   Why this band

   • FC“Equipment doesn't make people lazy; it makes laziness possible, and then it's up to them” — This semicolon-linked redefinition ('doesn't make... makes possible') is a more confident, essay-like conclusion than 6.5's plain 'I think it is up to the person' or 7.0's similar direct statement.
   • LR“which is harder than it sounds” — This understated, idiomatic closing tag adds a layer of wry reflection absent from 6.5 and 7.0, which both end on flatter, more literal statements.
   • GRA“a good kitchen makes cooking more likely, not less” — The compact 'more likely, not less' construction packs a contrast into a few words; 6.5 states this as a full separate clause and 7.0 nearly matches it, but 7.5 trims it to its sharpest, most economical form.

6. 6. Why do many people consider the wheel to be the most important invention ever?

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

   Band 6.5

   States the idea and the list as two separate plain sentences rather than folding one into the other.

   I think the wheel is the most important invention because almost everything else depends on it. In Da Nang, the wheel is under half of what moves on the street - carts, motorbikes, buses, my bicycle, and even inside every engine as gears. The wheel changed carrying into rolling, so one person or animal could move much more, and that made trade and cities possible. It is also a very old, simple idea, so it works well as a symbol of invention. Other things like fire or writing could also be important, but nothing else is so visible everywhere.

   Why this band

   • FC“In Da Nang,” — The plain locational opener 'In Da Nang,' introduces the list with no further framing; 7.0 turns this into an imperative invitation, 'Look down any street in Da Nang', and 7.5 keeps the same imperative but opens the whole answer with a causal clause before it.
   • LR“nothing else is so visible everywhere” — 'so visible everywhere' is plain description; 7.0 frames a similar closing thought as a debate, 'Whether it's actually the most important is debatable', and 7.5 extends this into a fuller concession with 'fire and writing have their own claims'.
   • GRA“The wheel changed carrying into rolling, so one person or animal could move much more, and that made trade and cities possible.” — This long sentence strings ideas together with simple 'so' and 'and'; 7.0 restructures it with a relative clause, 'which multiplied what a person or animal could move', and 7.5 extends the same clause further to include 'armies' for a fuller, more compact list.

   Band 7.0

   Uses the imperative 'Look down any street in Da Nang' to invite the listener into the scene rather than simply stating a location.

   I'd say the wheel gets called the most important invention because almost everything else sits on top of it. Look down any street in Da Nang and the wheel is under half of what moves - carts, motorbikes, buses, my bicycle, and, less visibly, inside every engine as gears and pulleys. The wheel turned carrying into rolling, which multiplied what a person or animal could move, and that's really what made trade and cities possible. It's also ancient and universal, so it works as a neat symbol for invention itself. Whether it's actually the most important is debatable - fire and writing have a claim too.

   Why this band

   • FC“Look down any street in Da Nang” — This imperative opening invites the listener to picture the scene directly, a more engaging move than 6.5's flat statement 'In Da Nang, the wheel is under half...'; 7.5 keeps this same imperative almost unchanged, showing it already works well at 7.0.
   • LR“multiplied what a person or animal could move” — 'multiplied' is a precise, almost mathematical verb choice beyond 6.5's vague 'move much more'; 7.5 keeps this word but extends the sentence further to include 'armies' as a consequence.
   • GRA“It's also ancient and universal, so it works as a neat symbol for invention itself.” — This is a single clear sentence joined by 'so'; 7.5 extends a similar idea into a longer sentence with three adjectives, 'ancient, simple and universal', making it more compact and layered.

   Band 7.5

   Opens with the reason before the claim, and tucks 'I'd argue' at the very end of the first sentence rather than at the front.

   Because almost everything else sits on it, I'd argue. Look down any street in Da Nang and the wheel is under half of what moves: the carts, the motorbikes, the buses, my bicycle, and, invisibly, inside every engine as gears and pulleys. The wheel turned carrying into rolling, which multiplied what one person or animal could move, and that made trade, cities and armies possible. It's ancient, simple and universal too, which makes it a natural symbol for invention itself. What's easy to forget is that it wasn't obvious - several great civilisations built pyramids without wheeled transport. Whether it's truly the most important is arguable; fire and writing have their own claims.

   Why this band

   • FC“Because almost everything else sits on it, I'd argue.” — Opening with the reason before the claim, and placing 'I'd argue' at the very end of the sentence, is a more confident, essay-like structure than the subject-first openers used at 6.5 and 7.0.
   • LR“several great civilisations built pyramids without wheeled transport” — This concrete, specific counter-example is far more original and precise than the generic hedge in 6.5 ('Other things like fire or writing could also be important') or 7.0's plain 'fire and writing have a claim too'.
   • GRA“What's easy to forget is that it wasn't obvious” — This cleft 'What's easy to forget is that...' construction is a more flexible, emphatic way to introduce a concession than the plain statements 6.5 and 7.0 use for similar ideas.

7. 7. Can watching television programmes in class be a good way of learning?

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

   Band 6.5

   Spells out the full hedge 'Yes, I think so, but' rather than trimming or dropping it.

   Yes, I think so, but only in small amounts and with a clear purpose. My sister showed her class a documentary about rice farming, and a year later they still remembered it, because she stopped it often to ask questions and connected it to the fields outside. She also remembers 'video days' from her own school time that were really just a rest for the teacher, and nobody learned much. Television can show things a classroom cannot, like other countries or the inside of the body. But watching alone is not learning - it needs discussion or activities afterwards.

   Why this band

   • FC“Yes, I think so, but” — The full hedge 'Yes, I think so, but' spells out the stance plainly; 7.0 trims it to 'Yes, I'd say, but', and 7.5 removes the verb phrase entirely, opening with the bare 'Yes, in small doses and with a purpose.' for maximum economy.
   • LR“a rest for the teacher” — 'a rest for the teacher' is used descriptively but plainly here; 7.0 keeps the same phrase nearly unchanged, and 7.5 extends it into the sharper closing image 'entertainment with a syllabus attached', a more idiomatic final touch.
   • GRA“But watching alone is not learning - it needs discussion or activities afterwards.” — This is a short, direct closing sentence; 7.0 extends the idea with 'a programme only works when it's followed by discussion or actual doing', and 7.5 splits a similar idea into two even shorter, punchier sentences, 'But watching is passive, and learning is not.'

   Band 7.0

   Trims the hedge to 'Yes, I'd say, but' instead of 6.5's fuller 'Yes, I think so, but'.

   Yes, I'd say, but only in small doses and with a real purpose behind it. My sister showed her class a documentary on rice farming, and a year later they still referred to it, because she paused it every few minutes to ask questions and linked it to the fields outside the window. She also remembers 'video days' from her own school days that were simply a rest for the teacher, where nobody really learned anything. Television can show what a classroom can't - other countries, the inside of a body, history with real faces. But watching is passive, and a programme only works when it's followed by discussion or actual doing.

   Why this band

   • FC“Yes, I'd say, but only in small doses” — Trimming the hedge to 'I'd say' rather than 6.5's fuller 'I think so' is a more economical, natural-sounding opener; 7.5 removes the hedge altogether, relying on tone alone to carry the same stance.
   • LR“history with real faces” — 'history with real faces' is a vivid, compact image; 7.5 keeps an almost identical phrase, 'history with faces', showing this idiomatic image was already effective at 7.0, with 7.5 trimming it even tighter.
   • GRA“because she paused it every few minutes to ask questions and linked it to the fields outside the window” — This clause chain joined by 'and' is the one moderately complex sentence expected at 7.0; 7.5 keeps a nearly identical structure but adds a semicolon-linked second clause about the 'video days' story for extra flow.

   Band 7.5

   Drops the hedging verb entirely and answers in a compact fragment, 'Yes, in small doses and with a purpose.'

   Yes, in small doses and with a purpose. My sister showed her class a documentary on rice farming, and a year later they still referred to it, because she stopped it every few minutes to ask questions and tied it back to the fields outside the window; she also remembers, from her own school days, 'video days' that were simply a rest for the teacher, and nobody learned anything. Television can show what a classroom can't - other countries, the inside of a body, history with faces - and it hands every student the same vivid starting point. But watching is passive, and learning is not. On its own, a programme is just entertainment with a syllabus attached.

   Why this band

   • FC“Yes, in small doses and with a purpose.” — Dropping any hedging verb entirely and answering in a compact fragment is more confident and native-like than the fuller 'Yes, I think so' / 'Yes, I'd say' openers at 6.5 and 7.0.
   • LR“entertainment with a syllabus attached” — This witty, idiomatic closing phrase is a genuinely original evaluative image, well beyond the plain descriptions in 6.5 and 7.0, and gives the answer a memorable final line.
   • GRA“it hands every student the same vivid starting point” — This compact clause, tacked onto a longer sentence with 'and', adds an extra idea in very few words - a more flexible, layered structure than the simpler standalone sentences in 6.5 and 7.0.

8. 8. What is the most useful invention that people have in their homes?

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

   Band 6.5

   Announces the opinion in a full 'I think' sentence rather than a shorter, more compact opener.

   I think the tap is the most useful invention in the home, more than any modern gadget. My grandmother had to walk to a well twice a day for the first thirty years of her life, but I just turn a handle and clean water comes out. This one change did more for health and free time than almost anything else at home. Running water stopped many diseases that used to kill children, and it saved many hours, mostly for women. The fridge would be my second choice, since it changed how people eat and shop. Phones and TVs are what people usually think of, but we could live without those.

   Why this band

   • FC“I think the tap is the most useful invention in the home, more than any modern gadget.” — Announcing the opinion in a full 'I think' sentence is the plain, direct 6.5 pattern; 7.0 compresses this into the fragment 'I'd defend the tap against every gadget in the house, honestly', and 7.5 removes the verb entirely, opening with the bare noun phrase 'The tap, and I'd defend it against every gadget in the house.'
   • LR“did more for health and free time than almost anything else at home” — This phrase is functional but slightly wordy; 7.0 tightens it to 'did more for health and free time than anything else in the home', and 7.5 trims the same idea to its sharpest form, 'did more for health and time than anything else in the home'.
   • GRA“This one change did more for health and free time than almost anything else at home.” — This is a plain declarative sentence; 7.0 embeds a similar idea into a longer sentence joined by 'and', and 7.5 keeps a nearly identical structure but opens the whole answer with a semicolon-linked contrast instead of a separate topic sentence.

   Band 7.0

   Places the hedge 'honestly' at the end of the opening sentence rather than the front, softening the claim more naturally.

   I'd defend the tap against every gadget in the house, honestly. My grandmother walked to a well twice a day for the first thirty years of her life; I just turn a handle and clean water arrives, and that single change probably did more for health and free time than anything else in the home. Running water and drainage ended most of the diseases that used to kill children, and it freed up hours a day, mostly women's hours. The fridge would be my second pick, since it changed what people could eat and how often they had to shop. Phones and televisions are what people would actually name, but they're the ones we'd survive without.

   Why this band

   • FC“I'd defend the tap against every gadget in the house, honestly.” — Placing 'honestly' at the very end of the sentence, after the claim, is a more natural spoken rhythm than 6.5's plain, unhedged opening statement; 7.5 removes the word 'honestly' altogether and relies on the blunt fragment 'The tap, and I'd defend it' to carry the same confidence.
   • LR“freed up hours a day, mostly women's hours” — 'freed up' is a precise phrasal verb; 7.5 tightens this to simply 'freed hours a day, mostly women's hours', dropping 'up' for an even more compact, idiomatic rhythm.
   • GRA“My grandmother walked to a well twice a day for the first thirty years of her life; I just turn a handle and clean water arrives, and that single change probably did more for health and free time than anything else in the home.” — This long semicolon-linked sentence is the one moderately complex structure expected at 7.0; 7.5 keeps an almost identical structure, showing this sentence was already working well at 7.0, with only 'just' and 'probably' trimmed for extra tightness.

   Band 7.5

   Opens with the bare noun phrase 'The tap,' before the claim rather than a full subject-verb sentence.

   The tap, and I'd defend it against every gadget in the house. My grandmother walked to a well twice a day for the first thirty years of her life; I turn a handle and clean water arrives, and that single change did more for health and time than anything else in the home. Running water and drainage ended most of the diseases that used to kill children, and freed hours a day, mostly women's hours. The refrigerator would be my second choice, since it changed what people could eat and how often they had to shop. Phones and televisions are what people would name if asked, and they're precisely the ones we'd survive without. Nobody, in the end, would give up the tap.

   Why this band

   • FC“The tap, and I'd defend it against every gadget in the house.” — Opening with the bare noun phrase 'The tap,' before the claim, rather than a full subject-verb sentence, is a more confident, essay-like opener than 6.5 and 7.0's fuller opening sentences.
   • LR“they're precisely the ones we'd survive without” — 'precisely' sharpens the claim into something more pointed and idiomatic than 6.5's plain 'but we could live without those' or 7.0's 'but they're the ones we'd survive without'.
   • GRA“Nobody, in the end, would give up the tap.” — This short final sentence, with 'in the end' inserted mid-clause, is a more flexible, deliberate closing device than the plainer, longer final sentences used at 6.5 and 7.0.

9. 9. What equipment might people like to have in the home in the future?

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

   Band 6.5

   Introduces the list plainly with a colon and two short 'like' examples.

   I asked my parents, and their answer was more sensible than any advertisement - not robots, but a bathroom that notices if someone falls, and a house that stays cool without a big electricity bill. I think this is where real demand will be: equipment for getting older at home, like monitoring and help with stairs, and equipment for energy, like solar panels and batteries. People will also want appliances that repair themselves or tell you what is wrong, and kitchens that reduce waste. Some people will want a home robot, but most people just want the house to need less from them.

   Why this band

   • FC“I asked my parents, and their answer was more sensible than any advertisement” — This full sentence, joined plainly with 'and', is repeated almost unchanged across all three bands, showing it already works well even at 6.5; the real differences at 7.0 and 7.5 show up in how the following list is built and punctuated, not in this opening line.
   • LR“getting older at home” — 'getting older at home' is plain, everyday phrasing; 7.0 upgrades this to the more precise 'ageing at home', a slightly more formal collocation that 7.5 keeps unchanged, extending it instead with a fuller supporting list.
   • GRA“I think this is where real demand will be: equipment for getting older at home, like monitoring and help with stairs, and equipment for energy, like solar panels and batteries.” — This colon-introduced list with two 'like' examples is fairly plain in structure; 7.0 extends the same list with a third item in each category, and 7.5 restructures the opening with a dash, 'That's where I think real demand will be -', for a slightly more flexible rhythm.

   Band 7.0

   Frames the claim with the cleft-like 'I think that's where the real demand will be' rather than 6.5's plainer version.

   I asked my parents, and their answer was more sensible than any advertisement - not robots, but a bathroom that notices a fall, and a house that stays cool without electricity bills they can't afford. I think that's where the real demand will be: equipment for ageing at home, like monitoring, help with stairs, and medicine that manages itself, plus equipment for energy, like solar panels, batteries, and cooling that doesn't rely on a power plant. Beyond that, people will want appliances that repair themselves or explain what's wrong, and kitchens designed to reduce waste. Some will want a domestic robot, but most people just want the house to ask less of them, not to entertain them more.

   Why this band

   • FC“I think that's where the real demand will be” — The cleft-like structure 'that's where the real demand will be' is a more considered, reflective framing than 6.5's plainer 'I think this is where real demand will be'; 7.5 restructures this further into a dash-led sentence, 'That's where I think real demand will be -', moving the hedge mid-clause.
   • LR“medicine that manages itself” — This is a precise, slightly technical image; 7.5 keeps the phrase almost identical, showing 7.0 had already found the right register here, with 7.5 mainly extending the surrounding list further.
   • GRA“equipment for ageing at home, like monitoring, help with stairs, and medicine that manages itself, plus equipment for energy, like solar panels, batteries, and cooling that doesn't rely on a power plant” — This long list with two parallel 'equipment for X, like...' branches is the one moderately complex sentence expected at 7.0; 7.5 extends a nearly identical structure with a further item, 'water systems that recycle', for an even fuller, more layered list.

   Band 7.5

   Places 'I think' inside the clause, 'That's where I think real demand will be', instead of at the sentence start.

   I asked my parents, and their answer was more sensible than any advertisement: not robots, but a bathroom that notices a fall, and a house that stays cool without electricity bills they can't afford. That's where I think real demand will be - equipment for ageing at home, from monitoring to help with stairs and medicine that manages itself, and equipment for energy, like solar on the roof, batteries, and cooling that doesn't need a power plant. Beyond that, people will want appliances that repair themselves or tell you what's wrong, water systems that recycle, and kitchens that reduce waste. Some will want a domestic robot, and some may get one. Most people, though, want the house to need less from them, not to entertain them more.

   Why this band

   • FC“That's where I think real demand will be” — Placing 'I think' inside the clause rather than at the sentence start, as in 6.5 and 7.0, is a more fluent, native-like way of embedding a hedge without breaking the sentence's momentum.
   • LR“water systems that recycle” — Adding this extra, more specific example - not present at 6.5 or 7.0 - shows a wider and more precise range of vocabulary drawn from the same semantic field of home sustainability.
   • GRA“Most people, though, want the house to need less from them, not to entertain them more.” — Inserting 'though' mid-sentence rather than starting with 'But' is a more compact, native-like way of signalling contrast than the plainer sentence-initial connectors 6.5 and 7.0 would use for the same idea.