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

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

What Part 3 questions follow this cue card?

After "An Item of Clothing Someone Gave You", examiners have asked 9 follow-up discussion questions, listed above. They move from your personal story to general opinions on the same theme.

Is this cue card still being used?

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

IELTS Speaking Part 2

An Item of Clothing Someone Gave You

Most recently asked in May–Aug 2026

The cue card

Describe an item of clothing that someone gave you

You should say:

what the item of clothing was and who gave it to you
what it looked like
when you wore it
and explain why this person gave you this item of clothing

Sample answers: Band 6.5, 7.0 & 7.5

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

Band 6.5

The 6.5 answer describes the cardigan with simple, concrete facts in sequence ('It's grey, with big wooden buttons...') and a single direct reason for the gift, typical of plain Band 6.5 organisation.

The item of clothing I want to describe is a grey wool cardigan that my grandmother in Hue knitted for me two years ago.

It looks quite simple. It's grey, with big wooden buttons down the front and long sleeves that are a little too long for me. The wool is thick and a bit rough, not soft like the sweaters you buy in shops, but very warm.

I wore it last winter on a trip up to Ba Na Hills with some friends. It gets much colder up there than in Da Nang, and I was the only one who didn't feel cold because of the cardigan. I've worn it a few more times since then, whenever the weather turns cool.

My grandmother gave it to me because she worries that Da Nang winters, even though they're mild, will make me sick since I don't have warm clothes here like I did in Hue. She knits something for everyone in the family every year, and this year it was my turn. It's not a fashionable piece of clothing at all, but every time I put it on, I think of her sitting by the window in Hue, knitting.

199 words · about 2 minutes

Why this band

LR“quite simple” — "Quite simple" is a vague, hedge-plus-adjective combination used to introduce the cardigan's appearance before the following sentences supply the actual concrete details (grey, wooden buttons, long sleeves). Rather than a more specific opening descriptor like "understated" or "plain-looking," the speaker chooses the most generic adjective available, letting the itemised details that follow do the real descriptive work — a pattern consistent with the everyday, high-frequency vocabulary ceiling of Band 6.5.
FC“I wore it last winter on a trip up to Ba Na Hills with some friends.” — This sentence moves directly through two of the cue-card's implicit requirements — when and where the item was worn — in a single, simply structured sentence with two prepositional phrases ("last winter," "on a trip... with some friends") stacked onto the main clause. There's no elaboration on the experience of the trip itself here (that comes in the next sentence about the cold), so the sentence functions purely as an organisational marker moving the story forward, typical of the straightforward, cue-card-following structure Band 6.5 answers use.
GRA“She knits something for everyone in the family every year, and this year it was my turn.” — The sentence states a general habit (knitting for everyone every year) and then a specific instance (this year, my turn) joined simply with "and," rather than subordinating the specific instance under the general habit with something like "and this year it happened to be my turn." This coordination pattern is accurate and clearly conveys both the general family tradition and its specific application to the speaker, but it's built from the most basic connective tool available, characteristic of Band 6.5 grammar.

Band 7.0

The 7.0 answer uses a natural spoken hedge ('if that makes sense') and moves from description to a short interpretive point about the father's intentions, showing the fluent-but-modest range expected at 7.0.

The item of clothing I'd like to describe is my father's old denim jacket, which he gave me the week before I moved from Hue to Da Nang for university.

It's a faded blue colour, quite heavy, and the cuffs are worn almost white from years of use. There's a small tear near one pocket that my mother sewed up so neatly you can barely see it. It was originally his jacket for riding his motorbike to work, so it still smells faintly of the countryside, if that makes sense.

At first I didn't wear it much, because it was a bit too big and, to be honest, I thought it looked old-fashioned next to what my new classmates were wearing. Then one evening it suddenly turned cold and I had nothing warmer with me, so I put it on without thinking. I've worn it every winter since then, probably six or seven years now, and it actually fits me properly these days.

My father gave it to me because he's not someone who says much. On the morning I left, instead of giving me advice like my mother did, he just handed me the jacket and said the weather in Da Nang could be unpredictable. That was basically his way of telling me to take care of myself. I didn't understand it at the time, but now, whenever I put the jacket on before a storm, I think about that morning and what he probably meant by it. It's not a fashionable jacket at all, but it's become one of the few things I'd genuinely be upset to lose.

270 words · about 2 minutes

Why this band

LR“if that makes sense” — 'If that makes sense' is a natural spoken hedge used exactly the way native speakers use it — to acknowledge that the preceding claim (a jacket smelling of the countryside) is slightly unusual or hard to justify, without derailing the sentence to explain it. Deploying a hedge at precisely the point where a claim needs softening, rather than scattering it randomly, shows the kind of comfortable, idiomatic-leaning control over spoken register the Band 7.0 descriptor targets.
GRA“Then one evening it suddenly turned cold and I had nothing warmer with me, so I put it on without thinking.” — The sentence chains a sudden change ('it suddenly turned cold'), a consequence ('I had nothing warmer with me'), and a result ('so I put it on without thinking') into one fluent sequence using ordinary connectors. Managing three linked ideas in a single sentence without losing accuracy is the comfortable mix of complex structures Band 7.0 grammar is calibrated for, distinct from the shorter, separated sentences a 6.5 retelling of the same moment would likely use.
FC“That was basically his way of telling me to take care of myself.” — Rather than staying with the physical description of the jacket, the speaker interprets the father's silent gesture — handing over the jacket instead of giving advice — as a specific, non-verbal message ('his way of telling me to take care of myself'). Moving from concrete narration to this kind of interpretive claim about someone else's unspoken intention is the reflective development the Band 7.0 descriptor calls for, beyond simply describing what happened.

Band 7.5

The 7.5 answer builds to a genuinely reflective payoff — 'Every time I zip it up in a downpour I hear the sentence he didn't say' — reading the father's silence as meaning, which is a more sophisticated evaluative move than either lower band attempts.

The item of clothing was a leather jacket, and the person who gave it to me was my father, on the morning I left Hue for Da Nang at eighteen to start college.

What it looked like: brown, heavy, cracked at the elbows, with a zip that had been replaced at least once and a lining that had been repaired by my mother in a different colour. It was his motorbike jacket, bought in the nineties when he first got a motorbike, and worn every rainy season for twenty years. It smelled of petrol and, faintly, of him. It was too big for me by a size and a half.

When I wore it: at first, never, because it was too big and too old, and I was eighteen and wanted to look like the city. Then, in my first rainy season in Da Nang, I got soaked to the skin on the way to a class and remembered the jacket in my cupboard. I've worn it every rainy season since — sixteen of them now. It's the thing I put on when the rain radar says a storm is coming. It fits now. I grew into it, which I suspect he expected.

Why he gave it to me is the part I understood only years later. My father is not a talker. On the morning I left, he didn't say be careful, or call your mother, or any of the things my mother said several times. He handed me the jacket, said 'the roads there are worse', and went to work. It was, I've realised, the whole speech: I've kept you dry and safe on a motorbike for eighteen years, and now this will have to do it. Every time I zip it up in a downpour I hear the sentence he didn't say. When I build the house in Hue, there'll be a hook for it by the door.

321 words · about 2 minutes

Why this band

GRA“He handed me the jacket, said 'the roads there are worse', and went to work.” — A tight three-part sentence delivered without extra commentary, mirroring the father's own economy of words, a sophisticated stylistic choice for Band 7.5.
LR“the whole speech” — Calling a single unspoken gesture "the whole speech" is a genuinely figurative use of the word "speech" — applying language for a formal spoken address to something that was never actually said aloud — rather than a literal word choice. This is exactly the kind of idiomatic, less-common lexical move the 7.5 tier rewards; a 7.0 answer would more likely state the idea literally, such as "that was his way of showing he cared, even though he didn't say much." The irony of calling silence "the whole speech" also reinforces the father's characterisation as "not a talker," tying the vocabulary choice directly back to the story's central detail.
FC“Every time I zip it up in a downpour I hear the sentence he didn't say.” — This closing line reframes the entire story retrospectively, turning a physical action (zipping up a jacket) into an ongoing emotional ritual that reveals what the father's silence actually meant — a genuinely reflective insight rather than a description of an event. Ending on this kind of poetic, evaluative reframing is what the 7.5 tier means by development that goes "beyond description into genuine evaluation"; a 7.0 answer would more likely close with a simpler statement like "I still think about that moment whenever I wear the jacket." The paradox of "hearing" an unsaid sentence also ties back neatly to the earlier idea of the jacket being "the whole speech."

How this card was asked, by exam period

Describe an item of clothing that someone gave youMay–Aug 2026

Part 3 follow-up questions

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

1. What are the advantages and disadvantages for a country of promoting its fashion industry?
May–Aug 2026
Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question
Band 6.5
Uses the plain signpost 'On the good side,' / 'On the bad side,' to organise the two halves of the answer.
I think promoting fashion has both good and bad sides for a country. On the good side, it creates jobs, exports, and a better image - Vietnam already makes clothes for many world brands, and factories employ millions of people. Some young designers in Saigon are now trying to build Vietnam's own fashion name, not just make clothes for others. Fashion also helps other industries like textiles and tourism. On the bad side, the industry often has low wages, long hours, and a lot of waste. It also makes people buy things they do not need. I think a country should support fashion, but with rules about labour and waste.
Why this band
FC“On the good side,” — 'On the good side,' is a plain, formulaic signpost for the first half of the answer; 7.0 varies this slightly to 'On the plus side,', and 7.5 removes the signpost entirely, opening instead with a semicolon-linked contrast, 'The advantages are jobs, exports and image; the disadvantages... are just as concrete.'
LR“good and bad sides” — 'good and bad sides' is basic, everyday vocabulary for a balanced argument; 7.0 keeps a similar idea but as 'real advantages but real costs too', and 7.5 compresses this into the tighter noun-based opening 'The advantages are jobs, exports and image'.
GRA“On the bad side, the industry often has low wages, long hours, and a lot of waste.” — This is a simple listing sentence with commas; 7.0 restructures the same idea using 'and' three times in a row for more flow, and 7.5 extends the list further with a semicolon-linked final clause about fashion's fickleness.
Band 7.0
Varies the signpost to 'On the plus side,' rather than repeating 6.5's 'On the good side,'.
I'd say promoting fashion brings real advantages but real costs too. On the plus side, Vietnam already makes clothes for half the world's labels, and the factories employ millions; a home-grown fashion industry would keep more of that value here and give the country an image beyond cheap manufacturing, which is what a few young designers in Saigon are trying to build. Fashion also supports textiles, retail and tourism. The disadvantages are just as real - the industry runs on low wages and long hours, produces enormous waste, and encourages people to buy things they don't need. Honestly, a country should promote fashion the way it promotes any industry, with rules about labour and waste attached.
Why this band
FC“On the plus side,” — 'On the plus side,' is only a small lexical variation on 6.5's 'On the good side,'; 7.5 removes such signposting altogether and relies on sentence structure alone - a semicolon contrast - to organise the two halves of the answer.
LR“give the country an image beyond cheap manufacturing” — 'an image beyond cheap manufacturing' is a fairly precise, evaluative phrase; 7.5 extends this into the more vivid 'give the country a face abroad beyond cheap manufacturing', using 'face' as a livelier, more idiomatic metaphor.
GRA“a home-grown fashion industry would keep more of that value here and give the country an image beyond cheap manufacturing, which is what a few young designers in Saigon are trying to build” — This long sentence with an embedded relative clause is the one moderately complex structure expected at 7.0; 7.5 keeps a near-identical structure but inserts 'precisely' for extra emphasis and restructures the surrounding sentences with more semicolons.
Band 7.5
Opens with a semicolon-linked contrast, 'jobs, exports and image; the disadvantages... just as concrete', with no explicit signpost at all.
The advantages are jobs, exports and image; the disadvantages, unfortunately, are just as concrete. Vietnam already makes clothes for half the world's labels, and the factories employ millions - a home-grown fashion industry would keep more of that value here and give the country a face abroad beyond cheap manufacturing, which is precisely what a few young designers in Saigon are trying to build. Fashion also props up textiles, photography, retail and tourism along the way. But the industry runs on low wages and long hours, generates enormous waste, and nudges people to buy things they don't need and discard just as fast; it's fickle too, and a fashion reputation can vanish in a single season. A country should promote its fashion the way it promotes any industry - with rules on labour and waste firmly attached.
Why this band
FC“The advantages are jobs, exports and image; the disadvantages, unfortunately, are just as concrete.” — Opening with a semicolon-linked contrast and no explicit signpost like 'On the good side' is a more compact, essay-like structure than 6.5 and 7.0's formulaic list-openers.
LR“give the country a face abroad beyond cheap manufacturing” — 'a face abroad' is a vivid, idiomatic metaphor beyond 6.5's plain 'a better image' and 7.0's 'an image beyond cheap manufacturing', giving the sentence more personality.
GRA“it's fickle too, and a fashion reputation can vanish in a single season” — This extra clause, tacked on with 'too, and', adds a further nuanced point not present at 6.5 or 7.0, showing a wider range of linked ideas within a single flowing sentence.
2. How much influence does the fashion industry have on different age groups?
May–Aug 2026
Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question
Band 6.5
Spells the opening claim out in full with 'I think... and less with every generation' rather than a shorter fragment.
I think fashion has the strongest influence on young people, and less with every generation. My niece wants new clothes almost every month because of what she sees online, but I only own about three kinds of shirt and buy the same ones again when they wear out. My father has worn the same style of trousers for thirty years and would be surprised to hear it was even a choice. Teenagers and people in their twenties are the industry's main market, because clothes show who they are. Middle-aged people follow fashion a little, but older people mostly ignore it.
Why this band
FC“I think fashion has the strongest influence on young people, and less with every generation.” — The full opening sentence spells the claim out plainly with 'I think... and less with every generation'; 7.0 tightens this into 'I'd say fashion's influence is strongest on the young and fades with every decade after that', and 7.5 drops the verb entirely, opening with the bare fragment 'Strongest on the young, and fading with every decade after that.'
LR“would be surprised to hear it was even a choice” — 'would be surprised to hear it was even a choice' is plain; 7.0 and 7.5 both upgrade 'surprised' to the more vivid 'baffled', a stronger, more idiomatic reaction word.
GRA“My niece wants new clothes almost every month because of what she sees online, but I only own about three kinds of shirt and buy the same ones again when they wear out.” — This is a two-part 'but' sentence; 7.0 restructures the same comparison across three semicolon-linked clauses instead of two, adding the father example into the same sentence, and 7.5 keeps this same three-part structure nearly unchanged.
Band 7.0
Tightens the opener into one clear sentence, 'strongest on the young and fades with every decade after that', instead of 6.5's looser phrasing.
I'd say fashion's influence is strongest on the young and fades with every decade after that. My niece's wardrobe demands change monthly with whatever she sees online; I own roughly three kinds of shirt and just buy the same ones when they wear out; my father has worn the same style of trousers for thirty years and would be baffled to learn it was ever a choice. Teenagers and people in their twenties are the industry's real market, because clothes are how they signal who they are and who they're with. Middle-aged people follow fashion loosely, mainly to avoid looking old, while older people mostly ignore it, though the industry increasingly targets them too.
Why this band
FC“I'd say fashion's influence is strongest on the young and fades with every decade after that.” — This full sentence states the claim clearly with a hedge at the front; 7.5 strips the hedge and subject away entirely, reducing the same idea to the fragment 'Strongest on the young, and fading with every decade after that.'
LR“would be baffled to learn it was ever a choice” — 'baffled' is a stronger, more idiomatic reaction word than 6.5's plain 'surprised'; 7.5 keeps this word nearly unchanged, showing 7.0 had already reached the right register here.
GRA“My niece's wardrobe demands change monthly with whatever she sees online; I own roughly three kinds of shirt and just buy the same ones when they wear out; my father has worn the same style of trousers for thirty years and would be baffled to learn it was ever a choice.” — This triple semicolon-linked sentence is the one moderately complex structure expected at 7.0; 7.5 keeps an almost identical structure, showing it already reaches near-7.5 fluency, and instead adds a further reflective sentence at the very end.
Band 7.5
Drops the subject and main verb for a compact opening fragment, 'Strongest on the young, and fading with every decade after that.'
Strongest on the young, and fading with every decade after that. My niece's wardrobe demands change monthly with what she sees online; I own roughly three kinds of shirt and buy the same ones when they wear out; my father has worn the same style of trousers for thirty years and would be baffled to learn it was a choice at all. Teenagers and people in their twenties are the industry's real market, because clothes are how they signal who they are and who they're with. Middle-aged people follow fashion loosely, mainly to avoid looking old; older people mostly ignore it, though the industry now targets them too. The influence isn't really about age at all - it's about how much a person is still deciding their identity through what they wear.
Why this band
FC“Strongest on the young, and fading with every decade after that.” — Dropping the subject and main verb entirely for a compact sentence fragment is a more confident, native-like opener than the fuller subject-verb sentences used at 6.5 and 7.0.
LR“it's about how much a person is still deciding their identity through what they wear” — This closing reflection reframes the whole answer around 'deciding their identity', a more abstract and evaluative idea than the plainer age-based statements in 6.5 and 7.0.
GRA“The influence isn't really about age at all - it's about how much a person is still deciding their identity through what they wear.” — This dash-linked redefinition ('isn't about X - it's about Y') is a more flexible, rhetorically confident closing structure than the simpler final sentences 6.5 and 7.0 use.
3. Why do people in different parts of the world wear different types of clothes?
May–Aug 2026
Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question
Band 6.5
Spells out the opener in a full sentence, 'I think climate is the main reason, and I learned this the hard way'.
I think climate is the main reason, and I learned this the hard way with just one jumper in the cold of Hà Giang. In Da Nang, a light cotton shirt is the only sensible choice for most of the year, but in the mountains people wear layers and wool. The materials people use often come from what grows locally, like silk or cotton, so traditional clothes show local farming. Religion and culture also affect how much of the body is covered. Work matters too - farmers and fishermen dress for their jobs. Global fashion has changed some of this, but the weather still shapes what people wear.
Why this band
FC“I think climate is the main reason, and I learned this the hard way with just one jumper in the cold of Hà Giang.” — This full sentence spells the claim and the personal story out together plainly; 7.0 compresses the opener into the fragment 'Climate first, I'd say,', and 7.5 removes the hedge entirely, opening with the even barer 'Climate first, and I learned that the hard way...'
LR“the only sensible choice” — 'sensible' is a fairly plain evaluative adjective; 7.0 and 7.5 both use the more idiomatic collocation 'the only sane option', a slightly more vivid, spoken-sounding phrase.
GRA“In Da Nang, a light cotton shirt is the only sensible choice for most of the year, but in the mountains people wear layers and wool.” — This two-part 'but' sentence covers only two climates; 7.0 extends the same list to three climates joined by semicolons, adding deserts, and 7.5 keeps this same three-part list nearly unchanged.
Band 7.0
Compresses the opener into the fragment 'Climate first, I'd say,' before the personal story, tighter than 6.5's full sentence.
Climate first, I'd say, and I learned that with just one jumper in the cold of Hà Giang. In Da Nang, a light cotton shirt is the only sane option for most of the year; in the mountains, people wear layers and wool, and in deserts, loose cloth that covers everything. Materials follow what grows locally - silk, cotton, wool, leather - so traditional dress is really a map of local agriculture. Religion and custom decide how much of the body gets covered, and work shapes clothes too, since farmers, herders and fishermen dress for their tasks. Global fashion has flattened some of this, but step off a plane and the weather still tells you what people will be wearing.
Why this band
FC“Climate first, I'd say, and I learned that with just one jumper in the cold of Hà Giang.” — Trimming the opener to the fragment 'Climate first, I'd say,' before the personal story is more compact than 6.5's fuller sentence; 7.5 removes the hedge 'I'd say' entirely, relying on the bare claim 'Climate first, and I learned that the hard way...' instead.
LR“the only sane option” — 'sane' is a livelier, more idiomatic choice than 6.5's plain 'sensible'; 7.5 keeps the same word, showing 7.0 had already found the right register here, and instead extends the surrounding clause with 'for nine months of the year'.
GRA“in the mountains, people wear layers and wool, and in deserts, loose cloth that covers everything” — This three-part list joined with commas and 'and' is the one moderately complex structure expected at 7.0; 7.5 restructures the same list using semicolons throughout for a tighter, more deliberate rhythm.
Band 7.5
Removes the hedge 'I'd say' entirely, opening with the bare causal claim 'Climate first, and I learned that the hard way...'
Climate first, and I learned that the hard way with one jumper in the cold of Hà Giang. In Da Nang, a light cotton shirt is the only sane option for nine months of the year; in the mountains, people wear layers and wool; in deserts, loose cloth that covers everything. Materials follow what grows locally - silk, cotton, wool, leather - so traditional dress amounts to a map of local agriculture. Religion and custom decide how much of the body is covered and what colours mean, while work shapes clothes further: farmers, herders and fishermen dress for their tasks, not for looks. History and status leave their own marks too, down to the cut of a collar. Global fashion has flattened some of this, but step off a plane and the weather still tells you what people will be wearing.
Why this band
FC“Climate first, and I learned that the hard way with one jumper in the cold of Hà Giang.” — Removing the hedge 'I'd say' entirely and asserting the claim directly is more confident and native-like than 6.5 and 7.0's hedged openers.
LR“not for looks” — This terse contrastive tag, added after the list of workers' clothing, is a more original, idiomatic touch than the plainer statements in 6.5 and 7.0, which stop short of this extra evaluative beat.
GRA“History and status leave their own marks too, down to the cut of a collar.” — This extra sentence, absent from 6.5 and 7.0, adds a further layered idea with a compact 'down to' phrase, showing a wider range of supporting points within the same length constraint.
4. On what occasions do people wear traditional national costumes?
May–Aug 2026
Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question
Band 6.5
States the claim in a plain full sentence rather than a tightened idiomatic phrase.
In Vietnam, the áo dài appears on almost every important occasion. Women wear it on the first day of Tết, at weddings, and at graduation - my mother wore hers on her graduation day. My sister's school makes female teachers wear it every Monday, and many schools still ask girls to wear it once a week. Men's traditional dress is rarer and mostly seen at weddings. The áo dài has also become fashionable again, worn for photos in old streets like Hội An. I think traditional dress marks a day as different from normal days.
Why this band
FC“In Vietnam, the áo dài appears on almost every important occasion.” — This plain opening sentence states the claim directly with no embedded detail; 7.0 folds in the idiomatic 'pretty much every moment that matters', and 7.5 tightens this further to the even more compact 'every moment that matters', dropping the hedge 'pretty much' entirely.
LR“almost every important occasion” — 'almost every important occasion' is plain, general wording; 7.0 and 7.5 both upgrade this to the more idiomatic 'every moment that matters', a punchier, more evaluative phrase.
GRA“Women wear it on the first day of Tết, at weddings, and at graduation - my mother wore hers on her graduation day.” — This list of three occasions is fairly plain, with the personal detail tacked on afterwards as a separate clause; 7.0 and 7.5 both insert extra detail about the wedding ('the bride in red, the mothers in gold and blue') directly inside the list itself, making it denser and more vivid.
Band 7.0
Adds the phrasal verb 'turns up' and hedge 'pretty much' for a natural, slightly casual spoken rhythm.
In Vietnam the áo dài turns up at pretty much every moment that matters. Women wear it on the first day of Tết, at weddings - the bride in red, the mothers in gold and blue - and at graduation, where my mother wore hers. My sister's school requires it for female teachers every Monday, and plenty of schools still have girls wear it once a week. Men's traditional dress is rarer, mostly kept for weddings and ceremonies. Beyond formal occasions, the áo dài has become fashionable again, worn for photographs in the old streets of Hội An and reworked by young designers. The pattern, I'd say, is that the more important the day, the more likely it appears.
Why this band
FC“In Vietnam the áo dài turns up at pretty much every moment that matters.” — The phrasal verb 'turns up' plus the hedge 'pretty much' gives this a natural, slightly casual spoken rhythm beyond 6.5's plainer 'appears... almost every'; 7.5 tightens the same sentence further, dropping 'turns up' and 'pretty much' for the leaner 'appears at every moment that matters'.
LR“reworked by young designers” — 'reworked' is a fairly precise verb for how the áo dài has changed; 7.5 varies this slightly to 'reimagined by young designers', a marginally more evaluative, idiomatic choice.
GRA“Women wear it on the first day of Tết, at weddings - the bride in red, the mothers in gold and blue - and at graduation, where my mother wore hers.” — This dash-interrupted list embedding extra colour mid-sentence is the one moderately complex structure expected at 7.0; 7.5 extends the same list with a fourth item, 'and at temples on festival days', for an even fuller structure.
Band 7.5
Drops both 'turns up' and 'pretty much' for the leaner verb 'appears', a more economical, confident opener.
In Vietnam the áo dài appears at every moment that matters. Women wear it on the first day of Tết, at weddings - the bride in red, the mothers in gold and blue - at graduation, where my mother wore hers, and at temples on festival days. My sister's school requires it for female teachers every Monday, and many schools still have girls wear it once a week. Men's traditional dress is rarer and mostly seen at weddings and ceremonies. Beyond formal occasions, the áo dài has become fashion again, worn for photographs in the old streets of Hội An and reimagined by young designers. Traditional dress, in short, marks a day as different from ordinary ones, and the more important the day, the more likely it appears.
Why this band
FC“In Vietnam the áo dài appears at every moment that matters.” — Dropping both 'turns up' and the hedge 'pretty much' for the leaner verb 'appears' shows a more economical, confident opening than the fuller phrasing at 6.5 and 7.0.
LR“reimagined by young designers” — 'reimagined' is a slightly more evaluative, idiomatic verb than 7.0's 'reworked' and well beyond 6.5's plain 'become fashionable again', adding a touch more creative weight to the same idea.
GRA“Traditional dress, in short, marks a day as different from ordinary ones, and the more important the day, the more likely it appears.” — The inserted 'in short' plus the repeated 'more... more' construction at the close is a more flexible, rhetorically confident final sentence than the plainer closing statements in 6.5 and 7.0.
5. Do you think everyone will wear the same types of clothes in the future?
May–Aug 2026
Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question
Band 6.5
States both halves of the claim in one full sentence joined by 'but' rather than a compressed fragment.
I think everyday clothes are already becoming similar everywhere, but special clothes will probably stay different. On any street in Da Nang, the jeans, T-shirts, and sneakers could be from anywhere in the world - the same brands and styles. But the conical hat, the áo dài, and the pyjama sets that older women wear to the market are still common. Global brands and media have created a kind of worldwide uniform for everyday life, and I think that will continue. But clothes are also about identity, so people keep special clothes for important moments. Climate will also keep some difference.
Why this band
FC“I think everyday clothes are already becoming similar everywhere, but special clothes will probably stay different.” — This full opening sentence states both halves of the claim plainly with 'but'; 7.0 compresses this into two short clauses linked by 'and I think', and 7.5 keeps the same compact structure nearly unchanged, showing 7.0 had already found an efficient opener here.
LR“becoming similar everywhere” — 'becoming similar everywhere' is plain; 7.0 and 7.5 both upgrade this to the more precise verb 'converging', a single word doing the work of a longer phrase.
GRA“On any street in Da Nang, the jeans, T-shirts, and sneakers could be from anywhere in the world - the same brands and styles.” — This dash-extended sentence covers the point in one step; 7.0 and 7.5 both extend the same sentence further with a second dash-linked contrast about local items ('and yet the conical hat... refuse to leave'), building a longer, more balanced structure.
Band 7.0
Places the hedge 'I'd say' mid-sentence between two linked clauses, more fluent than 6.5's sentence-initial 'I think'.
The everyday clothes are already converging, I'd say, and I think the special ones will hold out. On any Da Nang street, the jeans, T-shirts and sneakers could be anywhere on earth - the same brands, the same cuts - and yet the conical hat, the áo dài and the pyjama sets that older women wear to the market refuse to leave. Global brands, global media and global work have produced a kind of worldwide uniform for ordinary life, and that will probably continue. But clothes are also identity, and people keep the garments that say where they're from for the moments that matter. Climate will keep some difference too - nobody in the tropics is adopting a Nordic winter coat.
Why this band
FC“The everyday clothes are already converging, I'd say, and I think the special ones will hold out.” — Placing the hedge 'I'd say' mid-sentence, between two linked clauses, is more fluent than 6.5's sentence-initial 'I think'; 7.5 removes the hedge entirely, relying on the bare claim to carry the same confidence.
LR“refuse to leave” — 'refuse to leave', used to personify the conical hat and áo dài, is a vivid, idiomatic choice well beyond 6.5's plain 'are still common'; 7.5 keeps this exact phrase, showing 7.0 had already reached this level of vividness here.
GRA“Global brands, global media and global work have produced a kind of worldwide uniform for ordinary life, and that will probably continue.” — The triple repetition of 'global' is a deliberate rhetorical device beyond 6.5's plainer 'Global brands and media'; 7.5 keeps the same triple repetition but drops 'kind of' and 'probably' for a slightly tighter, more assertive version.
Band 7.5
Removes 7.0's extra mid-sentence hedge, keeping only one 'I think', for a marginally leaner opener.
The everyday clothes are already converging, and I think the special ones will hold out. On any Da Nang street, the jeans, T-shirts and sneakers could be anywhere on earth - the same brands, the same cuts - and yet the conical hat, the áo dài and the pyjama sets that older women wear to the market refuse to leave. Global brands, global media and global work have produced a worldwide uniform for ordinary life, and that will continue. But clothes are also identity, and people keep the garments that say where they're from for the moments that matter. Climate will keep some difference too; nobody in the tropics is adopting the Nordic winter coat. Same on weekdays, in other words, different on the days that count.
Why this band
FC“The everyday clothes are already converging, and I think the special ones will hold out.” — Removing the extra hedge 'I'd say' that 7.0 includes mid-sentence, while keeping 'I think' once, is a marginally leaner, more confident version of the same opening idea.
LR“Same on weekdays, in other words, different on the days that count.” — This closing aphorism-like sentence, absent from 6.5 and 7.0, condenses the whole argument into a punchy parallel structure, showing a more original, memorable final touch.
GRA“nobody in the tropics is adopting the Nordic winter coat” — This semicolon-linked closing example is kept almost identical to 7.0's version but is followed by the extra aphoristic sentence 'Same on weekdays... different on the days that count', giving 7.5 one further layer of compact, flexible structure that 7.0 lacks.
6. What impact does today's celebrity culture have on the fashion industry?
May–Aug 2026
Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question
Band 6.5
Uses the subordinate 'even though' clause plainly, trailing after the main claim.
I think celebrity culture has become the biggest force in fashion today. For example, a famous singer wore a certain jacket at a concert here last year, and it sold out across Da Nang within a week - even though it is almost never cold enough to wear it in this city. Fashion brands now pay stars to wear their clothes, and social media has turned every celebrity into a shop window that updates all the time. This makes trends faster and shorter, which is good for sales but bad for waste. The bad side is that fashion is now more about who is wearing something than what it actually is.
Why this band
FC“For example,” — The bare 'For example,' opener introduces the story with no elaboration; 7.0 removes the connector and adds the hedge 'honestly' after the claim instead, and 7.5 drops any connector or hedge at all, opening flatly with 'It has become the industry's engine.'
LR“the biggest force in fashion today” — 'the biggest force in fashion today' is a fairly plain superlative; 7.0 and 7.5 both replace it with the more original metaphor 'the industry's engine', a single vivid noun doing more evaluative work.
GRA“even though it is almost never cold enough to wear it in this city” — This subordinate 'even though' clause states the irony plainly; 7.0 and 7.5 both compress the same idea into a dash-linked relative clause, 'in a city where it's almost never cold enough to wear it', tucked inside the main sentence instead of trailing after it.
Band 7.0
Places the hedge 'honestly' at the end of the opening sentence, softer than 6.5's connector-first approach.
I'd say it has become the industry's engine, honestly. A famous singer wore a particular jacket at a concert here last year, and it sold out across Da Nang within a week, in a city where it's almost never cold enough to wear it - celebrities now seem to decide what sells faster than any designer or magazine could. Fashion houses pay stars to wear their clothes, and social media has turned every celebrity into a shop window that updates hourly. This makes trends faster and shorter, which is good for sales and pretty terrible for waste. The upside is that celebrities from outside the old fashion capitals have made the industry a bit less narrow.
Why this band
FC“I'd say it has become the industry's engine, honestly.” — Placing 'honestly' at the end of the sentence, after the claim, is a more natural spoken rhythm than 6.5's connector-led opener; 7.5 drops the hedge 'honestly' entirely, stating the claim as a flat, confident fact instead.
LR“celebrities now seem to decide what sells faster than any designer or magazine could” — The hedge 'seem to' softens the claim slightly; 7.5 removes it for the more assertive 'celebrities now decide what sells faster than any designer or magazine', a small but telling shift toward confident, native-like assertion.
GRA“in a city where it's almost never cold enough to wear it - celebrities now seem to decide what sells faster than any designer or magazine could” — This dash-linked sentence packs the irony and the main claim into one flowing structure, the one moderately complex sentence expected at 7.0; 7.5 keeps a near-identical structure, trimming only the hedges, showing the underlying grammar was already strong at 7.0.
Band 7.5
Opens with the bare claim, no connector and no hedge, the most compact of the three options.
It has become the industry's engine. A famous singer wore a particular jacket at a concert here last year and it sold out across Da Nang within a week, in a city where it's never cold enough to wear it - celebrities now decide what sells faster than any designer or magazine. Fashion houses pay stars to wear their clothes, and social media has turned every celebrity into a shop window that updates hourly. This makes trends faster and shorter, which is good for sales and terrible for waste; it also flattens taste toward whatever a few very visible people happen to be wearing. The upside is that celebrities from outside the old fashion capitals have made the industry less narrow. The downside is that it's now about who's wearing it rather than what it is.
Why this band
FC“It has become the industry's engine.” — Opening with the bare claim, no connector and no hedge at all, is the most compact and confident option of the three bands, letting the sentence itself carry the emphasis that 6.5's 'For example,' and 7.0's 'honestly' need extra words to achieve.
LR“it also flattens taste toward whatever a few very visible people happen to be wearing” — This extra clause, absent from 6.5 and 7.0, adds a further critical observation using the vivid verb 'flattens', broadening the evaluative range beyond the simpler good/bad contrast in the lower bands.
GRA“The upside is that celebrities from outside the old fashion capitals have made the industry less narrow. The downside is that it's now about who's wearing it rather than what it is.” — These two short parallel 'upside... downside' sentences at the close are a more flexible, essay-like structure than 6.5's single 'bad side' sentence or 7.0's single 'upside' sentence without a matching downside statement.
7. What can people learn about someone from the clothes he or she wears?
May–Aug 2026
Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question
Band 6.5
States the claim in full with 'I think... than they expect' rather than a shorter opening fragment.
I think people can learn less than they expect from someone's clothes. For example, my father's old jacket tells a stranger that I ride a motorbike in the rain and do not care much about fashion, and both of those things are true. But it tells them nothing about my job, my family, or why I actually wear it. Clothes usually show a person's group, their money, or their job sometimes. What they hide is character, which is why judging someone by their clothes often fails. Clothes are only a first sentence about a person, not the whole story.
Why this band
FC“I think people can learn less than they expect from someone's clothes.” — This full sentence spells the claim out with 'I think... than they expect'; 7.0 compresses this into the fragment 'Less than people think, I'd say, and something they wouldn't expect.', and 7.5 removes the hedge 'I'd say' entirely for the even leaner 'Less than they think, and something they don't expect.'
LR“both of those things are true” — 'both of those things are true' is plain; 7.0 and 7.5 both tighten this to the more compact 'both of which are true' / 'both true', trimming the sentence to its essentials.
GRA“But it tells them nothing about my job, my family, or why I actually wear it.” — This is a short, separate 'but' sentence; 7.0 and 7.5 both fold the same idea into the previous sentence with a semicolon, adding the extra evaluative clause 'which is really everything' / 'which is everything' at the end for more punch.
Band 7.0
Trims the opener to a fragment plus a mid-placed hedge, 'Less than people think, I'd say,'.
Less than people think, I'd say, and something they wouldn't expect. My father's jacket tells a stranger that I ride a motorbike in the rain and don't care much about fashion, both of which are true; it tells them nothing about my job, my family, or why I actually wear it, which is really everything. Clothes show what a person wants to signal - their group, their money or their indifference to money, their profession sometimes, their care for detail. They show climate and occasion, and occasionally mood. What they hide is character, which is why judging by clothes fails so often. Clothes are a first sentence about a person. They're rarely the whole story.
Why this band
FC“Less than people think, I'd say, and something they wouldn't expect.” — Trimming the opener to a fragment plus a mid-placed hedge 'I'd say' is more compact than 6.5's full sentence; 7.5 removes the hedge entirely, relying on the bare fragment 'Less than they think, and something they don't expect.' for maximum economy.
LR“their indifference to money” — This precise, slightly abstract phrase is more evaluative than 6.5's plain listing of what clothes 'show'; 7.5 keeps the phrase unchanged, showing 7.0 had already reached this level of precision, with 7.5 mainly tightening the surrounding sentences.
GRA“it tells them nothing about my job, my family, or why I actually wear it, which is really everything” — This semicolon-linked clause with a trailing evaluative tag is the one moderately complex structure expected at 7.0; 7.5 keeps a nearly identical structure, trimming only 'really' for a slightly sharper final beat.
Band 7.5
Removes the hedge 'I'd say' that 7.0 keeps, for the marginally leaner fragment 'Less than they think, and something they don't expect.'
Less than they think, and something they don't expect. My father's jacket tells a stranger that I ride a motorbike in the rain and don't care much about fashion, both true; it tells them nothing about my job, my family or why I wear it, which is everything. Clothes show what a person wants to signal: their group, their money or their indifference to money, their profession sometimes, their care for detail. They show climate and occasion, and occasionally mood. What they hide is character, which is why judging by clothes fails so often, in both directions - the scruffy man may own the building, the sharp suit may be borrowed. Clothes are a first sentence about a person. They're rarely the whole story.
Why this band
FC“Less than they think, and something they don't expect.” — Removing the hedge 'I'd say' that 7.0 places mid-sentence, while retaining the same compact fragment structure, makes this opener marginally leaner and more assertive.
LR“the scruffy man may own the building, the sharp suit may be borrowed” — This vivid, concrete pair of counter-examples is a genuinely original addition not present at 6.5 or 7.0, giving the abstract point about judging by clothes a memorable, idiomatic illustration.
GRA“which is why judging by clothes fails so often, in both directions” — The added phrase 'in both directions', setting up the two contrasting examples that follow, is a more flexible, signposted structure than the plainer single-direction statements in 6.5 and 7.0.
8. What are the advantages and disadvantages of wearing uniforms at work and school?
May–Aug 2026
Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question
Band 6.5
States the opening claim in full with the hedge 'I think' at the very front.
I think the advantages of uniforms are equality and recognition. My school uniform in Hue hid whose parents had money, which mattered a lot in a class where some families had very little. In a hospital I know, staff uniforms let a confused patient find help quickly. Uniforms also remove a daily decision and save money. But there are disadvantages too - they can stop children from expressing themselves at an age when this matters, and they can be uncomfortable in hot weather. Uniforms also cost families money at the start. Overall, I would keep them for schools and jobs where the public needs to recognise staff.
Why this band
FC“I think the advantages of uniforms are equality and recognition.” — This is a full, plainly hedged opening sentence; 7.0 compresses it to 'The advantages, I'd say, are equality and recognition.', moving the hedge mid-sentence, and 7.5 removes the hedge entirely for the bare claim 'The advantages are equality and recognition.'
LR“find help quickly” — 'find help quickly' is plain; 7.0 and 7.5 both sharpen this to the more vivid 'find help in seconds', a more precise, concrete measure of time.
GRA“But there are disadvantages too - they can stop children from expressing themselves at an age when this matters, and they can be uncomfortable in hot weather.” — This two-item list joined with 'and' is fairly plain; 7.0 extends the list to three items using commas throughout, and 7.5 extends it further still with a fourth item about hierarchy at work.
Band 7.0
Moves the hedge to mid-sentence, 'The advantages, I'd say, are equality and recognition.', rather than 6.5's front-loaded 'I think'.
The advantages, I'd say, are equality and recognition. My school uniform in Hue hid whose parents had money, which mattered a great deal in a class where some families had very little; the hospital staff uniforms on a project I know let a confused patient find help in seconds. Uniforms remove a daily decision, save money, and build a sense of belonging. The disadvantages are real too - they suppress individuality at exactly the age when children are finding it, they can be uncomfortable or badly designed for the climate, and they cost families money up front. On balance, I'd keep them for schools and jobs where the public needs to identify staff.
Why this band
FC“The advantages, I'd say, are equality and recognition.” — Placing the hedge 'I'd say' mid-sentence rather than at the very front, as in 6.5's 'I think', is a more natural, embedded way of signalling opinion; 7.5 removes the hedge altogether for an even more direct opening.
LR“build a sense of belonging” — This abstract, precise phrase adds a third distinct benefit beyond 6.5's simpler two-item list; 7.5 keeps the same phrase unchanged, showing 7.0 had already reached the right level of precision here.
GRA“they suppress individuality at exactly the age when children are finding it, they can be uncomfortable or badly designed for the climate, and they cost families money up front” — This three-item list is the one moderately complex structure expected at 7.0; 7.5 extends the list to four items, inserting an extra clause about uniforms signalling hierarchy at work, for a fuller, more layered structure.
Band 7.5
Removes the hedge 'I'd say' that 7.0 still includes, stating the claim as a flat fact.
The advantages are equality and recognition. My school uniform in Hue hid whose parents had money, which mattered a great deal in a class where some families had very little; the hospital staff uniforms on our project let a confused patient find help in seconds. Uniforms remove a daily decision, save money, and build a sense of belonging. The disadvantages are also real: they suppress individuality at exactly the age when children are finding it, they can be uncomfortable or badly designed for the climate, and at work they can signal hierarchy in ways that feel demeaning. And they cost families money up front. On balance I'd keep them for schools and for jobs where the public needs to identify staff, and drop them where they're only about control.
Why this band
FC“The advantages are equality and recognition.” — Removing the hedge 'I'd say' that 7.0 still includes mid-sentence, and stating the claim as a flat fact, is the most direct and confident of the three openers.
LR“they can signal hierarchy in ways that feel demeaning” — This is a genuinely new, more critical point absent from both 6.5 and 7.0, using the precise evaluative word 'demeaning' to add a layer of social critique the lower bands don't reach.
GRA“On balance I'd keep them for schools and for jobs where the public needs to identify staff, and drop them where they're only about control.” — This final sentence balances two parallel clauses ('keep them... and drop them...') in one flowing structure, more flexible and conclusive than 6.5's single 'Overall' statement or 7.0's similar but shorter 'On balance' sentence.
9. Why do some people wear different kinds of clothes for leisure and for work?
May–Aug 2026
Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question
Band 6.5
States cause and effect plainly with 'I think... because' rather than leading with the reason.
I think people dress differently for leisure and work because clothes are meant for different audiences. I wear a proper shirt to meet clients, but something old and comfortable to the beach - the difference is not really about comfort, but about who is looking. A client needs to see someone careful, but the beach does not need to see anything at all. Work clothes also help with the job itself, like safety gear or uniforms that survive difficult conditions. Changing clothes also tells the mind that the day has changed. Leisure clothes are where personality can finally show after a day of holding it back.
Why this band
FC“I think people dress differently for leisure and work because clothes are meant for different audiences.” — This full sentence states cause and effect plainly with 'because'; 7.0 restructures the same idea to lead with the reason, 'Because clothes are addressed to an audience... I'd say', and 7.5 removes the hedge 'I'd say' entirely, opening with the bare causal clause.
LR“something old and comfortable” — 'old and comfortable' is plain, descriptive vocabulary; 7.0 and 7.5 both replace it with the more evocative single word 'faded', doing the same descriptive work more economically.
GRA“A client needs to see someone careful, but the beach does not need to see anything at all.” — This is a simple 'but' sentence; 7.0 and 7.5 both fold the same contrast into the previous sentence with a colon or dash instead of a separate sentence, producing a longer, more integrated structure.
Band 7.0
Leads with the causal clause and places the hedge 'I'd say' at the very end of the sentence.
Because clothes are addressed to an audience, and the audience changes, I'd say. I wear a proper shirt to client meetings and something faded to the beach, and the difference isn't really comfort so much as who's looking - the client needs to see someone careful, and the beach doesn't need to see anything. Work clothes also serve the work itself: safety gear, uniforms, things that survive a kitchen or a site. Some of it is mental, too, since changing clothes tells the mind that the day has changed, which is why people working from home often still dress for it. Leisure clothes are where personality goes when it's been held back all day.
Why this band
FC“Because clothes are addressed to an audience, and the audience changes, I'd say.” — Leading with the causal clause and placing the hedge 'I'd say' at the very end is a more sophisticated structure than 6.5's plain 'I think... because'; 7.5 removes the hedge entirely, stating the same causal claim with full confidence.
LR“things that survive a kitchen or a site” — This concrete, specific phrase is more vivid than 6.5's vaguer 'difficult conditions'; 7.5 keeps the phrase unchanged, showing 7.0 had already found the right concrete image here.
GRA“which is why people working from home often still dress for it” — This relative clause tacked onto the 'mental' point is the one moderately complex addition expected at 7.0; 7.5 extends a nearly identical clause with 'anyway' for a slightly more casual, confident final word.
Band 7.5
Drops the hedge 'I'd say' that 7.0 places at the end of the same sentence, for a marginally more assertive opener.
Because clothes are addressed to an audience, and the audience changes. I wear a proper shirt to client meetings and something faded to the beach, and the difference isn't comfort so much as who's looking: the client needs to see someone careful, and the beach doesn't need to see anything. Work clothes also serve the work - safety gear, uniforms, things that survive a kitchen or a site. Some of it is mental: changing clothes tells the mind that the day has changed, which is why people who work from home often dress for it anyway. And leisure clothes are where personality goes when it's been held back all day. In my studio the line has blurred almost completely, and I sometimes miss the signal that the day is over.
Why this band
FC“Because clothes are addressed to an audience, and the audience changes.” — Dropping the hedge 'I'd say' that 7.0 places at the end of the same sentence makes this opener marginally more assertive and economical, letting the causal logic stand on its own.
LR“I sometimes miss the signal that the day is over” — This personal, reflective closing observation is entirely new at 7.5, absent from both 6.5 and 7.0, and adds a genuinely evaluative final touch that goes beyond simply describing the phenomenon.
GRA“In my studio the line has blurred almost completely, and I sometimes miss the signal that the day is over.” — This extra closing sentence, built from two linked clauses, extends the answer with a further personal reflection not present in 6.5 or 7.0, showing the fuller range of connected ideas expected at 7.5.

Frequently asked questions

How long should my answer to this Part 2 cue card be?: Speak for 1 to 2 minutes. The examiner will stop you at 2 minutes, so aim for roughly 220-300 words that cover every bullet on the card and end with how you feel about it.
What Part 3 questions follow this cue card?: After "An Item of Clothing Someone Gave You", examiners have asked 9 follow-up discussion questions, listed above. They move from your personal story to general opinions on the same theme.
Is this cue card still being used?: It was most recently reported by test-takers in May–Aug 2026. Cue cards rotate every four months, and many topics return in later seasons with slightly different wording.