Some Local News That People in Your Town or City Were Very Interested In

Part 3 follow-up questions

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

1. 1. Do many people read local newspapers in your area?

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

   Band 6.5

   The 6.5 answer gives a direct opinion with a simple example, using plain connectors like 'but' and 'so' to link ideas.

   Not really, I think, especially young people. My father still reads the local newspaper every morning at his café in Da Nang, so it is a habit for him. But at my studio, nobody buys a paper, because we get local news from our phones instead. For example, when there was big news about a new cable car, we saw it first as a screenshot in our group chat, not in the newspaper. So the newspaper is still there, but fewer people actually read it now.

   Why this band

   • FC“So the newspaper is still there, but fewer people actually read it now.” — This closing sentence sums up the whole answer with a single plain contrast joined by 'but'. A 7.5 answer would instead fold this kind of reflection into the body of the argument with a more evaluative remark, rather than tacking on a flat summary at the end.
   • LR“we get local news from our phones instead” — This is a plain, functional way of describing the habit shift, using common verbs like 'get' and 'instead'. A higher band would reach for a more specific collocation, such as news 'arriving pre-digested' as a screenshot, to convey the same idea more vividly.
   • GRA“so it is a habit for him” — This is a simple clause joined to the previous one with 'so', showing basic coordination rather than subordination. A 7.5 answer would instead compress this into a participial phrase, such as attaching 'reading the same local paper every morning' directly onto the noun it describes.

   Band 7.0

   The 7.0 answer opens with the spoken hedge 'Honestly' and includes one conditional sentence, showing natural reflection beyond the plainest 6.5 style.

   Honestly, not as many as before, and the split is mostly generational. My father still reads the local paper every morning at his café in Da Nang, discussing it with the same friends, whereas at my studio almost nobody would buy one. If something local happens now, like the recent cable car news, we usually see it as a screenshot shared in a group chat before the paper even prints it. I'd say the paper hasn't disappeared, but the habit of physically reading one has, because a phone gives you the same story faster, even if it's a little less reliable.

   Why this band

   • FC“Honestly, not as many as before” — The spoken discourse marker 'Honestly' signals a natural, reflective opening typical of band 7.0. A 6.5 answer would simply state the opinion flatly, as in 'Not really, I think', without this conversational framing device.
   • LR“the split is mostly generational” — This is a moderately less common collocation than plain vocabulary, using 'split' and 'generational' together. It is less vivid than the 7.5 phrase 'the divide runs almost exactly along age lines', but clearly above the plainest wording of the 6.5 answer.
   • GRA“If something local happens now, like the recent cable car news, we usually see it as a screenshot shared in a group chat before the paper even prints it.” — This is the one moderately complex sentence expected at 7.0, built around a conditional 'If... we usually...' structure with an embedded example. A 6.5 answer would break this into two short simple sentences instead of combining them.

   Band 7.5

   The 7.5 answer uses a fronted participial phrase and an idiomatic collocation, closing with a compact evaluative remark about the paper's fading habit but persisting need.

   Fewer with every passing year, I'd say, and the divide runs almost exactly along age lines. My father, reading the same local paper every morning at his café in Da Nang, treats it as a small ritual with his regulars; at my studio, though, nobody has held a printed edition in years. Local news there arrives pre-digested, as a screenshot dropped into a group chat long before any paper could print it — the cable car story, for instance, spread that way overnight. What's interesting is that the paper hasn't become irrelevant, just invisible: most of what circulates online still traces back to a journalist's original reporting. The habit is dying; the underlying need for it, oddly, isn't.

   Why this band

   • FC“What's interesting is that the paper hasn't become irrelevant, just invisible” — This evaluative aside reflects on the situation rather than just stating a fact, showing the kind of interpretive coherence expected at 7.5. A 6.5 or 7.0 answer would more likely state a plain conclusion without this reflective framing.
   • LR“arrives pre-digested” — This is a vivid, slightly unusual collocation applied to news rather than food, showing precise and less common word choice. A 6.5 answer would use a much plainer phrase like 'we get local news from our phones instead' to express the same idea.
   • GRA“My father, reading the same local paper every morning at his café in Da Nang, treats it as a small ritual with his regulars” — The participial phrase 'reading the same local paper every morning' is inserted mid-sentence, showing compact and flexible grammar. A 6.5 answer would instead use two separate simple sentences joined with 'and' or 'so' rather than embedding the clause this way.

2. 2. How useful is the internet for getting local news?

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

   Band 6.5

   The 6.5 answer gives a direct two-sided opinion with a plain example and simple connectors like 'but' and 'so'.

   I think the internet is very useful, but not always accurate. Last year, a leaked drawing of the new cable car spread to almost every phone in the city in one night, which is very fast. But there were also three fake versions of the drawing, and some people believed the wrong information. So the internet is good because it is quick, but bad because it is not always true. I usually check the newspaper website too, to make sure the news is correct.

   Why this band

   • FC“So the internet is good because it is quick, but bad because it is not always true.” — This is a simple listing structure that states both sides directly using 'but', typical of 6.5 coherence. A 7.5 answer would instead blend the contrast into one image, such as speed and unreliability 'travelling together'.
   • LR“very fast” — This is the plainest possible adjective phrase to describe speed. A higher band would reach for a more precise or vivid word choice, such as 'remarkably useful for speed', instead of this basic wording.
   • GRA“But there were also three fake versions of the drawing, and some people believed the wrong information.” — This is a simple compound sentence joined by 'and', showing basic coordination rather than subordination. A 7.0 or 7.5 answer would link this idea to the main clause with a relative or participial structure instead of a separate coordinated sentence.

   Band 7.0

   The 7.0 answer opens with the spoken hedge 'if I'm honest' and uses a conditional sentence to add a reflective qualifying point about verification.

   Very useful for speed, though less useful for accuracy, if I'm honest. When a leaked drawing of the new cable car appeared, it reached almost every phone in the city overnight, which no traditional newspaper could ever manage. The problem was that three false versions circulated alongside it, and plenty of people believed one of them before anyone corrected it. I'd say the internet is best treated as an early warning system rather than a final source, because if you wait for the official report, you usually get the full picture, just a day or two later.

   Why this band

   • FC“if I'm honest” — This spoken hedge softens the opinion and signals natural reflection, which is typical of band 7.0 fluency. A 6.5 answer would state the same opinion more flatly without this conversational qualifier.
   • LR“an early warning system rather than a final source” — This is a moderately sophisticated collocation that reframes the internet's role rather than just describing it as 'fast' or 'good'. It sits above the plain vocabulary of 6.5 but is less vivid than the 7.5 image of an 'alarm rather than a verdict'.
   • GRA“because if you wait for the official report, you usually get the full picture, just a day or two later” — This embeds a conditional clause inside a 'because' clause, giving the one moderately complex sentence expected at 7.0. A 6.5 answer would keep these as two short separate sentences instead of nesting the clauses together.

   Band 7.5

   The 7.5 answer opens with a fronted participial clause and uses the vivid collocation 'sort truth from rumour', closing with a compact metaphorical distinction between an alarm and a verdict.

   Remarkably useful for speed, and correspondingly unreliable for accuracy — the two seem to travel together. A leaked drawing of the new cable car once reached practically every phone in the city overnight, arriving alongside three fabricated versions that were just convincing enough to spread. What the internet does brilliantly is surface things nobody official wants aired; what it does poorly is sort truth from rumour once the panic sets in. Having watched that particular story unfold, I'd say the internet works best as an alarm rather than a verdict: it tells you something's happening long before it tells you what actually happened.

   Why this band

   • FC“Having watched that particular story unfold, I'd say the internet works best as an alarm rather than a verdict” — This fronted participial opening leads into an evaluative closing metaphor, showing the reflective, well-organised coherence expected at 7.5. A 6.5 or 7.0 answer would state this conclusion as a plain separate sentence instead of building it into a fronted clause.
   • LR“sort truth from rumour” — This is a precise, slightly less common collocation compared to plainer phrasing like 'not always true' at 6.5. It shows more careful and specific word choice than the functional vocabulary used at lower bands.
   • GRA“arriving alongside three fabricated versions that were just convincing enough to spread” — This participial phrase attached to the main clause, followed by a relative clause, shows compact and flexible grammar. A 6.5 answer would instead express this as a separate coordinated sentence joined with 'and'.

3. 3. Are people more interested in local news than national news?

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

   Band 6.5

   The 6.5 answer gives a direct yes with one plain reason and a simple example, using basic connectors like 'because' and 'so'.

   Yes, I think so, at least for things close to them. Last month there was a public meeting about a local plan, and so many people came that it overflowed into the car park outside. In the same week, there was also a national budget debate, but nobody I know even mentioned it. This is because local news is about places we know, like our own street or park. National news can feel far away and hard to change. So people often care more about local stories that affect their daily life.

   Why this band

   • FC“So people often care more about local stories that affect their daily life.” — This is a flat concluding sentence added with 'so', typical of the simple linear structure at 6.5. A 7.5 answer would instead weave this conclusion into a longer sentence with an evaluative contrast rather than stating it separately.
   • LR“close to them” — This is a very plain, general phrase for describing relevance. A higher band would use a more specific image, such as news that 'touches their own street' or 'reaches their doorstep', instead of this generic wording.
   • GRA“so many people came that it overflowed into the car park outside” — This uses a simple 'so...that' result clause, a common but basic structure. A 7.5 answer would compress this idea into a shorter, more flexible construction rather than the full 'so...that' pattern.

   Band 7.0

   The 7.0 answer includes the spoken hedge 'honestly' inside a clause and one moderately complex sentence linked with 'whereas' to contrast local and national news.

   In things that touch their own lives, yes, and I noticed this clearly when a local public meeting got so crowded it spilled into the car park, the same week as a national budget debate that, honestly, none of my friends even brought up. I think local news feels more real because it's about a place you can actually picture, or a decision you might still influence, whereas national news can feel like something that just happens to you. That said, people do switch on for the big national moments, like elections or football, so it's not that local always wins, just that it wins more often than you'd expect.

   Why this band

   • FC“honestly, none of my friends even brought up” — This spoken hedge is inserted mid-sentence rather than just at the start, showing more natural conversational fluency than a 6.5 answer, which would likely place a simpler opinion marker only at the beginning of a sentence.
   • LR“it wins more often than you'd expect” — This is a moderately natural spoken collocation that adds nuance to the claim. It is more conversational than the plain vocabulary of 6.5, though less vivid than the 7.5 image of news 'landing like weather'.
   • GRA“whereas national news can feel like something that just happens to you” — This uses a linking clause with 'whereas' to build a contrast within one sentence, the moderately complex structure expected at 7.0. A 6.5 answer would instead place this contrast in two separate short sentences.

   Band 7.5

   The 7.5 answer uses the vivid collocation 'tends to land like weather' and a compact semicolon-linked construction, closing with an evaluative comparison to parliament.

   Where it touches their own street, absolutely — and the clearest evidence I've seen was a public meeting that overflowed into the car park the same week a national budget debate went by without a single friend of mine mentioning it. Local news deals in places you can walk to and decisions you might still shape; national news, by contrast, tends to land like weather, something that happens regardless of what you think. That's not to say people ignore the national stage entirely — elections and football still pull in far bigger crowds than any local issue could — but given a story that actually reaches their doorstep, most people will care about it more than they'll ever care about parliament.

   Why this band

   • FC“That's not to say people ignore the national stage entirely” — This qualifying aside anticipates a counterargument before addressing it, showing the sophisticated coherence management typical of 7.5. A 6.5 answer would be unlikely to pre-empt a counterpoint like this within the same sentence.
   • LR“tends to land like weather” — This is a vivid, idiomatic image applied to news, showing precise and less common word choice. A 6.5 answer would instead use a plain description like national news feeling 'far away and hard to change'.
   • GRA“Local news deals in places you can walk to and decisions you might still shape” — This sentence uses a semicolon-linked construction with parallel noun phrases, showing compact and flexible grammar. A 6.5 answer would instead break this into two separate simple sentences joined loosely with 'and' or 'so'.

4. 4. Why do some people want to be very involved in their local community?

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

   Band 6.5

   The 6.5 answer gives a direct reason with a simple example and lists other reasons using plain connectors like 'so' and 'and'.

   I think it is usually because they care about a place or the people there. For example, in my city, a retired forester became the leader of a campaign to save a mountain, because he had walked there for thirty years and loved it. Some people also want to make new friends, so joining community activities helps them meet neighbours. Others have more free time after they retire and want to use their skills. So people get involved when something matters to them personally.

   Why this band

   • FC“So people get involved when something matters to them personally.” — This is a flat closing sentence attached with 'so', typical of the simple linear structure at 6.5. A 7.5 answer would fold this idea into the body of the argument rather than adding it as a separate final sentence.
   • LR“loved it” — This is extremely plain vocabulary to describe attachment to a place. A higher band would use a more vivid or specific phrase, such as finding it 'unthinkable' to stay silent, instead of this basic verb.
   • GRA“because he had walked there for thirty years and loved it” — This is a simple clause using past perfect joined with 'and', showing basic coordination. A 7.5 answer would instead compress this into a fronted noun phrase like 'thirty years of walking those same trails' rather than a full clause.

   Band 7.0

   The 7.0 answer includes the spoken hedge 'To be fair' and a moderately complex linking clause explaining the forester's motivation.

   Often it comes down to loving a particular place or person, I'd say. There was a retired forester in my city who ended up leading a whole campaign to save a mountain, simply because he'd spent thirty years walking its trails and couldn't bear to watch it disappear. For some people it's more about belonging, since getting involved is a quick way to actually know your neighbours rather than just live near them. Others get involved because they're angry about a decision and the feeling doesn't fade once the meeting ends. To be fair, a few probably enjoy the recognition too, but most people I've met get involved because it's the one scale where their effort clearly changes something.

   Why this band

   • FC“To be fair, a few probably enjoy the recognition too” — This spoken hedge concedes a less flattering point before returning to the main argument, showing natural reflective fluency. A 6.5 answer would be unlikely to include this kind of balancing aside.
   • LR“couldn't bear to watch it disappear” — This is a moderately vivid collocation expressing emotional attachment, stronger than the plain 'loved it' of the 6.5 answer. It sits below the more compact and unusual phrasing of the 7.5 answer, such as finding something 'simply unthinkable'.
   • GRA“simply because he'd spent thirty years walking its trails and couldn't bear to watch it disappear” — This links two ideas with a contracted 'he'd' and a coordinated verb phrase, giving the one moderately complex sentence expected at 7.0. A 6.5 answer would split this into two shorter, simpler sentences.

   Band 7.5

   The 7.5 answer opens with a fronted evaluative phrase and uses a compressed noun-phrase construction, closing with a compact remark about community as a scale of visible effort.

   Nine times out of ten, it starts with something specific they love, a place or a person, rather than a general sense of duty. Take the retired forester who ended up as the face of the campaign to save a mountain near my city: thirty years of walking those same trails made staying silent, once they were threatened, simply unthinkable. Others get involved chasing belonging, since community work is the fastest route to actually knowing your neighbours rather than merely living beside them; some arrive angry at a decision and stay long after the anger has cooled. A handful, admittedly, enjoy the status. But for most, a community is simply the one scale at which their effort visibly counts, when national life feels too vast to touch.

   Why this band

   • FC“A handful, admittedly, enjoy the status.” — This short, compact aside concedes a point in a compressed way, showing efficient coherence management. A 6.5 answer would likely need a fuller sentence, such as 'Some people also want to make new friends', to convey a similar concession.
   • LR“simply unthinkable” — This is a precise, less common word choice compared to plainer phrasing like 'couldn't bear to watch it disappear' at 7.0. It shows more compact and idiomatic vocabulary than the functional language of lower bands.
   • GRA“thirty years of walking those same trails made staying silent, once they were threatened, simply unthinkable” — This sentence uses a fronted noun phrase as the subject and an embedded parenthetical clause, showing compressed and flexible grammar. A 6.5 answer would instead use a straightforward 'because' clause rather than this compact construction.

5. 5. Were local communities stronger in the past than they are today?

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

   Band 6.5

   The 6.5 answer gives a balanced direct opinion with a plain example on each side, linked by simple connectors like 'but' and 'so'.

   In some ways yes, but in other ways no. My parents' street could organise a whole funeral in just one hour, because everyone there knew each other well. My apartment building today is different — most neighbours don't really know each other. But last year, my building still managed to organise a petition against a new project in just one night, using a group chat. So old communities were closer every day, but new communities can still act fast when something big happens.

   Why this band

   • FC“So old communities were closer every day, but new communities can still act fast when something big happens.” — This flat concluding sentence sums up the whole answer using 'but', typical of the simple linear structure at 6.5. A 7.5 answer would instead compress this comparison into a single evaluative closing clause rather than a plain summary sentence.
   • LR“closer every day” — This is a plain, general phrase describing daily closeness. A higher band would reach for a more specific image, such as 'the small routines of daily life', instead of this basic wording.
   • GRA“because everyone there knew each other well” — This is a simple clause joined with 'because', showing basic subordination. A 7.5 answer would instead use a participial phrase, such as 'everyone simply slotting into a role', rather than this plain clause.

   Band 7.0

   The 7.0 answer opens with the reflective hedge 'I'd say' and uses a longer sentence linked with 'while' to contrast the thinning of old closeness with the speed of modern mobilisation.

   Stronger in daily life, I'd say, but not necessarily in a crisis. My parents' street used to organise an entire funeral in about an hour, simply because everyone knew their role without being told. My building, by contrast, barely knows itself day to day, and yet it still managed to organise a petition against a new development in a single night, entirely through a group chat. So while the old closeness has thinned out as people work further from home and stay behind locked doors, modern communities can apparently gather just as fast when there's a clear cause to rally around.

   Why this band

   • FC“I'd say” — This spoken hedge softens the opening opinion, showing natural reflective fluency. A 6.5 answer would state the same idea more flatly without this conversational marker.
   • LR“the old closeness has thinned out” — This is a moderately natural collocation describing social change, above the plain vocabulary of 6.5. It is less vivid than the 7.5 image of a community that 'grew out of shared need'.
   • GRA“So while the old closeness has thinned out as people work further from home and stay behind locked doors, modern communities can apparently gather just as fast when there's a clear cause to rally around.” — This single sentence links several clauses with 'while' and 'when', giving the one moderately complex sentence expected at 7.0. A 6.5 answer would break this into several shorter, separate sentences instead.

   Band 7.5

   The 7.5 answer uses a semicolon-linked participial construction and a vivid metaphor of igniting, closing with an evaluative remark about what 'weaker' actually depends on.

   Stronger in the small routines of daily life, honestly, but not necessarily when something urgent actually happens. My parents' street could pull together an entire funeral within the hour, everyone simply slotting into a role nobody had to assign; my own building, by contrast, barely recognises itself from one week to the next, yet it still organised a petition against a new development in a single night, entirely through a group chat. Traditional closeness grew out of shared need — a shared well meant a shared life — and that has thinned as people scatter for work and retreat behind locked doors. What's replaced it is quicker to ignite, if a little less steady, and whether that counts as weaker probably depends on whether you need a funeral organised or a campaign launched.

   Why this band

   • FC“whether that counts as weaker probably depends on whether you need a funeral organised or a campaign launched” — This closing remark reframes the whole question rather than just answering it directly, showing the sophisticated evaluative coherence typical of 7.5. A 6.5 answer would end with a flatter, more direct summary instead.
   • LR“quicker to ignite” — This is a vivid, idiomatic word choice applying fire imagery to community mobilisation. A 6.5 answer would use a plainer phrase like communities that 'can still act fast' instead of this more precise collocation.
   • GRA“everyone simply slotting into a role nobody had to assign” — This participial phrase is attached to the main clause without a separate verb, showing compact and flexible grammar. A 6.5 answer would instead use a full clause such as 'because everyone there knew each other well'.

6. 6. What is the impact on communities of not providing enough facilities for local people?

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

   Band 6.5

   The 6.5 answer gives a direct opinion with a plain cause-effect chain and a simple example, using basic connectors like 'so' and 'because'.

   I think it can cause real problems. In a district near my home, there is no park, so teenagers just gather in a supermarket car park instead, and people complain about this. At the same time, older people in that area often stay inside their flats all day, because there is nowhere nice for them to go. Without good facilities, neighbours do not meet each other, so the community becomes weaker. This can also make people unhealthy, because they have no place to walk or exercise.

   Why this band

   • FC“Without good facilities, neighbours do not meet each other, so the community becomes weaker.” — This is a simple cause-effect chain linked with 'so', typical of plain coherence at 6.5. A 7.5 answer would instead compress this same idea into a semicolon-linked sentence with parallel clauses.
   • LR“real problems” — This is a very general, plain phrase. A higher band would use a more specific and vivid word, such as frictions that 'calcify into real ones', instead of this basic wording.
   • GRA“because there is nowhere nice for them to go” — This is a simple subordinate clause joined with 'because', showing basic sentence structure. A 7.5 answer would instead use a fronted participial phrase to open the sentence rather than this plain clause.

   Band 7.0

   The 7.0 answer opens with the spoken hedge 'Honestly' and uses a conditional sentence with several linked clauses to explain why communities stop functioning.

   Honestly, it tends to push people either indoors or into places they shouldn't really need to use. There's a district near me with no park at all, so the teenagers end up gathering in a supermarket car park, which then gets treated as some sort of problem, while the older residents just stop leaving their flats, which strangely nobody comments on. If there's nowhere for a community to actually meet, it gradually stops behaving like one, because neighbours become strangers and small disagreements grow bigger simply because nothing absorbs them. Health probably suffers too, since there's nowhere left to walk or play.

   Why this band

   • FC“Honestly, it tends to push people either indoors or into places they shouldn't really need to use.” — This spoken hedge opens the answer with a reflective framing rather than a flat statement, showing natural fluency typical of 7.0. A 6.5 answer would begin more simply, such as 'I think it can cause real problems.'
   • LR“gradually stops behaving like one” — This is a moderately natural collocation personifying the community, above the plain vocabulary of 6.5. It is less vivid than the 7.5 image of a neighbourhood having 'nowhere left to be a neighbourhood'.
   • GRA“If there's nowhere for a community to actually meet, it gradually stops behaving like one, because neighbours become strangers and small disagreements grow bigger simply because nothing absorbs them.” — This sentence combines a conditional clause with two further 'because' clauses, giving the one moderately complex sentence expected at 7.0. A 6.5 answer would instead break these ideas into several short, separate sentences.

   Band 7.5

   The 7.5 answer opens with a fronted participial phrase and uses the vivid verb 'calcify', closing with a compact remark about people taking their energy elsewhere.

   Lacking anywhere to gather, a community tends to fracture quietly, and I've seen exactly this play out. A district near me has no park and no sports ground, so the teenagers end up in a supermarket car park, promptly labelled a problem, while the older residents simply stop leaving their flats — a fact nobody bothers to label anything. Without shared facilities, a neighbourhood has nowhere left to be a neighbourhood; strangers replace neighbours, children go idle, and minor frictions calcify into real ones because nothing exists to absorb them. Health quietens too, with nowhere left to walk or play, and the people who can afford to leave usually do, taking whatever energy remained along with them.

   Why this band

   • FC“a fact nobody bothers to label anything” — This ironic aside contrasts with the earlier point about teenagers being labelled a problem, showing sophisticated evaluative coherence. A 6.5 answer would state this contrast more plainly, without the ironic parallel structure.
   • LR“minor frictions calcify into real ones” — This uses the unusual, precise verb 'calcify' as a metaphor for hardening tension, well above the plain vocabulary of 6.5. It is more specific than the 7.0 phrase 'small disagreements grow bigger'.
   • GRA“Lacking anywhere to gather, a community tends to fracture quietly” — This sentence opens with a fronted participial phrase before the main clause, showing compact and flexible grammar. A 6.5 answer would instead open with a plain statement like 'I think it can cause real problems.'

7. 7. How can a sense of national identity be developed?

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

   Band 6.5

   The 6.5 answer gives a direct opinion with a plain personal example and a simple list of national factors, using basic connectors like 'and' and 'so'.

   I think it comes from things people share together, not just from being told to feel proud. For example, when my city fought to protect a mountain from development, people who had never met before all wanted the same thing, and this made them feel more connected as a city. On a national level, identity can grow from the same language, school lessons about history, festivals, food, and sports events. Big moments, like winning a football match, also make the whole country feel the same emotion together. So identity grows best from real shared experiences, not from flags alone.

   Why this band

   • FC“So identity grows best from real shared experiences, not from flags alone.” — This is a flat summarising sentence added at the end with 'so', typical of the simple linear structure at 6.5. A 7.5 answer would instead weave this conclusion into the body of the argument through a reflective aside.
   • LR“feel proud” — This is very plain, basic vocabulary for describing national feeling. A higher band would use a more specific collocation, such as 'prop it up with flags and anthems', instead of this simple phrase.
   • GRA“when my city fought to protect a mountain from development, people who had never met before all wanted the same thing” — This is a simple complex sentence using a 'when' clause followed by a plain main clause. A 7.5 answer would compress this into a colon-linked construction rather than this straightforward subordination.

   Band 7.0

   The 7.0 answer includes the reflective aside 'honestly' mid-sentence and uses a conditional clause about governments needing something genuine underneath.

   I'd say it grows from things people actually share, rather than from being instructed to feel a certain way. When my city fought to protect a nearby mountain from development, people who'd never even met discovered they wanted exactly the same outcome, and that's honestly how identity tends to form, from the ground up rather than the top down. Nationally, it comes from a common language, from history taught as a story you can recognise yourself in, and from festivals, food and sport, plus the rare moments when a whole country feels one thing at once, like a football win. Governments can push it with flags and anthems, but that only really works if there's something genuine underneath.

   Why this band

   • FC“that's honestly how identity tends to form, from the ground up rather than the top down” — The spoken hedge 'honestly' inserted mid-sentence shows natural reflective fluency beyond a flat statement. A 6.5 answer would place a simpler opinion marker only at the very start of a sentence, if at all.
   • LR“from the ground up rather than the top down” — This is a moderately idiomatic collocation contrasting two directions of development. It sits above the plain vocabulary of 6.5, though it is less vivid than the 7.5 image of identity being 'built from the bottom up'.
   • GRA“Governments can push it with flags and anthems, but that only really works if there's something genuine underneath.” — This sentence combines a contrastive 'but' clause with an embedded conditional 'if' clause, giving the one moderately complex sentence expected at 7.0. A 6.5 answer would split this into two separate, simpler sentences.

   Band 7.5

   The 7.5 answer uses a parallel evaluative reflection about defending a place versus defending an idea, and a dash-based appositive listing national identity's sources.

   Built from the bottom up, I'd argue, out of things people genuinely share rather than things they're instructed to feel. My own city discovered this while fighting to protect a nearby mountain from development: strangers who'd never met found themselves wanting exactly the same thing, and in defending a place, they ended up defending an idea of themselves. Nationally, identity draws on a common language, on history told as a story people can see themselves inside, and on festivals, food, sport, and the rare moments — a football win, a shared disaster survived — when an entire country feels one thing at once. Governments can prop it up with flags and anthems, but that only holds when something real sits underneath.

   Why this band

   • FC“in defending a place, they ended up defending an idea of themselves” — This parallel, reflective structure draws out a deeper meaning from the example rather than just describing it, showing the interpretive coherence typical of 7.5. A 6.5 answer would state the same event more plainly without this reflective turn.
   • LR“prop it up” — This is an idiomatic phrasal verb choice, more precise and less common than a plain verb like 'push' used at 7.0. It shows the kind of natural, less predictable vocabulary expected at the higher band.
   • GRA“on festivals, food, sport, and the rare moments — a football win, a shared disaster survived — when an entire country feels one thing at once” — This uses a dash-set appositive to insert examples directly into the list, a compressed construction. A 6.5 answer would instead list these items in a plain separate sentence rather than embedding them with dashes.

8. 8. How important is national identity to a country's economy, for example buying locally produced goods?

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

   Band 6.5

   The 6.5 answer gives a direct balanced opinion with a plain example and a simple contrast, using basic connectors like 'but' and 'so'.

   I think it helps a little, but quality is still more important. In Vietnam, there is a campaign called 'Vietnamese people use Vietnamese goods', and it has changed some habits, like buying local coffee or clothes. But at my studio, clients still ask for imported products when they need something technical, because they trust the quality more. So national pride can help a business at first, but people usually choose the better product in the end. National feeling is also good for tourism, because visitors like to see local culture.

   Why this band

   • FC“So national pride can help a business at first, but people usually choose the better product in the end.” — This is a flat summarising sentence joined with 'but', typical of the simple linear coherence at 6.5. A 7.5 answer would instead compress this contrast into a single closing clause like 'identity buys the first purchase and quality buys the second'.
   • LR“trust the quality more” — This is plain, functional vocabulary describing a preference. A higher band would use a more specific collocation, such as quality 'buying the second' purchase, instead of this basic phrase.
   • GRA“because they trust the quality more” — This is a simple subordinate clause joined with 'because', showing basic sentence structure. A 7.5 answer would instead compress a similar idea into a parallel construction like 'identity buys the first purchase and quality buys the second'.

   Band 7.0

   The 7.0 answer uses the natural connector 'That said' to introduce a qualifying point and a conditional clause about protectionism.

   It helps around the edges, I'd say, but it's no real substitute for quality. Vietnam has run a 'Vietnamese people use Vietnamese goods' campaign for years, and it has genuinely shifted some habits, with people now reaching for local coffee or clothing with a bit of pride. That said, at my studio, clients still ask for the imported version of anything technical, because identity might win the first purchase, but quality is what wins the second one. National feeling also matters for tourism, since it's part of what draws visitors in, though if it tips into pure protectionism, it can end up shielding products that honestly aren't good enough.

   Why this band

   • FC“That said, at my studio, clients still ask for the imported version of anything technical” — The connector 'That said' signals a natural qualifying shift in the argument, showing reflective fluency typical of 7.0. A 6.5 answer would introduce the same contrast more simply with 'but'.
   • LR“identity might win the first purchase, but quality is what wins the second one” — This is a moderately developed parallel phrase describing the two stages of a purchase decision. It is more specific than the plain 6.5 wording 'people usually choose the better product', though less compact than the 7.5 version of the same idea.
   • GRA“though if it tips into pure protectionism, it can end up shielding products that honestly aren't good enough” — This sentence embeds a conditional 'if' clause within a concessive 'though' clause, giving the one moderately complex sentence expected at 7.0. A 6.5 answer would instead state this risk as a separate, simpler sentence.

   Band 7.5

   The 7.5 answer uses the vivid verb 'curdles' and a dash-set parenthetical example, closing with an evaluative remark about protectionism sheltering weak products.

   Helpful at the margins, I'd say, but no substitute whatsoever for quality. Vietnam's long-running 'Vietnamese people use Vietnamese goods' campaign has genuinely nudged some habits — people now reach for local coffee, milk and clothing with a small flicker of pride — yet my own studio's clients still ask for the imported version of anything technical, because identity buys the first purchase and quality buys the second. National feeling clearly matters for tourism, being part of what draws visitors in the first place, and it helps local brands hold their ground against global advertising budgets. Taken too far, though, it curdles into protectionism, sheltering products that were never good enough to begin with.

   Why this band

   • FC“Taken too far, though, it curdles into protectionism, sheltering products that were never good enough to begin with.” — This fronted evaluative closing sentence reframes the earlier point about risk into a sharper warning, showing the sophisticated coherence typical of 7.5. A 6.5 answer would state this risk much more plainly, if at all.
   • LR“curdles into protectionism” — This is a vivid, unusual verb choice borrowed from describing spoiled milk, applied metaphorically to economic policy. A 6.5 answer would use a much plainer verb, such as national feeling simply 'helping' a business.
   • GRA“people now reach for local coffee, milk and clothing with a small flicker of pride” — This clause is inserted between dashes as a parenthetical aside within a longer sentence, showing compact and flexible grammar. A 6.5 answer would instead state this as its own separate, simple sentence.

9. 9. Will national identities ever be replaced by a single global identity?

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

   Band 6.5

   The 6.5 answer gives a direct no with a plain example and a simple contrast, using basic connectors like 'but' and 'so'.

   No, I do not think so. For example, when people argued about a mountain in my city, they were using the same phones and wearing the same shoes as people anywhere else in the world. But their anger was completely local, about one small place. So global things like technology and brands exist everywhere, but people's feelings still stay local or national. I think a global identity is too big and too general, because people need a real place to feel connected to, not the whole planet.

   Why this band

   • FC“So global things like technology and brands exist everywhere, but people's feelings still stay local or national.” — This is a flat summarising sentence linked with 'but', typical of the simple linear coherence at 6.5. A 7.5 answer would instead compress this contrast into an image like global habits sitting 'on top of' local feeling.
   • LR“wearing the same shoes” — This is plain, basic vocabulary for describing shared global habits. A higher band would use a more specific or idiomatic word, such as 'sneakers', or a vivid phrase like a 'shared global layer', instead of this simple wording.
   • GRA“when people argued about a mountain in my city, they were using the same phones and wearing the same shoes as people anywhere else in the world” — This is a simple complex sentence with a 'when' clause and a comparative 'as' clause. A 7.5 answer would compress a similar idea into a shorter clause set off by a dash rather than this fuller subordinate structure.

   Band 7.0

   The 7.0 answer opens with the spoken hedge 'Honestly' and uses a dash-set parenthetical list within one longer, moderately complex sentence.

   Honestly, I don't think so, and that mountain argument is a good example of why. The people arguing over it were carrying the same phones and wearing the same sneakers you'd see in any city on earth, yet their anger was entirely local, about one forest and one view. There is a shared global layer now, I'd admit — the same media, the same brands, similar worries about climate — but it seems to sit on top of local and national feeling rather than replacing it. Nations might matter a bit less as borders soften, but I'd say local loyalty survives underneath, mostly because people love what they can actually see from their own window.

   Why this band

   • FC“Honestly, I don't think so, and that mountain argument is a good example of why.” — This spoken hedge frames the opinion with a personal, reflective tone from the very start. A 6.5 answer would state the same opinion more flatly as 'No, I do not think so' without this conversational framing.
   • LR“sit on top of local and national feeling rather than replacing it” — This is a moderately developed collocation describing how global and local identity coexist. It is more specific than the plain 6.5 phrase 'exist everywhere', though less vivid than the 7.5 phrase about habits that never 'quite dissolve' local feeling.
   • GRA“There is a shared global layer now, I'd admit — the same media, the same brands, similar worries about climate — but it seems to sit on top of local and national feeling rather than replacing it.” — This sentence uses a dash-set parenthetical list embedded within a longer contrastive structure, giving the one moderately complex sentence expected at 7.0. A 6.5 answer would instead list these examples in a separate, simpler sentence.

   Band 7.5

   The 7.5 answer opens with a compact evaluative framing and uses the less common verb 'furnish', closing with a balanced remark about nobody seeing the whole planet from their window.

   No, and that small mountain is more or less my whole argument. The people arguing over it carried the same phones and wore the same sneakers you'd find in any airport on earth, yet their fury was stubbornly local, about one forest and one view — global habits, it turns out, sit on top of national and local feeling without ever quite dissolving it. A shared global layer is real enough and growing: identical media, identical brands, a shared unease about climate. But identity needs a place and a story, and 'the world' is simply too vast to furnish either. Local and national loyalties will likely persist underneath, because people love what they can see from their own window, and nobody can see the whole planet from theirs.

   Why this band

   • FC“and that small mountain is more or less my whole argument” — This compact, almost aphoristic framing opens the answer with an evaluative stance rather than a plain statement, showing the distinctive coherence style typical of 7.5. A 6.5 answer would instead open with a flat 'No, I do not think so.'
   • LR“furnish either” — This is a less common, precise verb choice used metaphorically in place of a plainer word like 'provide'. A 6.5 answer would use much simpler vocabulary, such as identity needing a place that is 'real', instead of this word.
   • GRA“global habits, it turns out, sit on top of national and local feeling without ever quite dissolving it” — This sentence inserts the parenthetical 'it turns out' mid-clause and ends with a compressed negative construction, showing flexible grammar. A 6.5 answer would instead state this idea in two separate, plainer sentences.