Something That Surprised You and Made You Happy

Part 3 follow-up questions

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

1. 1. Should governments focus more on happiness than economics?

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

   Band 6.5

   The closing two sentences state the priority as a simple sequence: 'Economics should come first, and happiness should be the goal after that.'

   I think governments should focus on both, not just economics. For example, a small riverside park in my district cost the city very little, but it changed how thousands of people spend their evenings. This was good for happiness, and it was also good economics, because healthier and calmer people cost less and work better. I think governments should measure what people actually need, not just economic growth. But in poorer countries, growth is still needed first, so people have enough to live on. Economics should come first, and happiness should be the goal after that.

   Why this band

   • FC“This was good for happiness, and it was also good economics, because healthier and calmer people cost less and work better.” — The two claims (happiness, economics) are joined with 'and... also', a basic additive link. The 7.5 answer instead fuses them with a semicolon and 'since', letting one claim justify the other more tightly.
   • LR“governments should measure what people actually need” — Plain, generic phrasing. The 7.5 answer's 'governments should measure what they're actually for' is a more compact and slightly abstract reformulation of the same idea.
   • GRA“Economics should come first, and happiness should be the goal after that.” — A simple coordinated sentence with 'and' — plain and safe. The 7.5 answer condenses the identical idea into a semicolon-joined aphorism, a far more compact structure.

   Band 7.0

   'I don't think they're as separate as the question suggests' reframes the question itself rather than just answering it.

   Honestly, I'd say governments should focus on both, and I don't think they're as separate as the question suggests. A small riverside park in my district, for example, cost the city almost nothing, and it changed how thousands of people spend their evenings — that was a happiness policy, but it was also good economics, since healthier, calmer people cost less and work better. To be fair, people don't really want growth for its own sake; they want secure, connected lives, which growth is supposed to provide. The caution, though, is that happiness is hard to measure, and poorer countries genuinely need growth before anything else.

   Why this band

   • FC“To be fair, people don't really want growth for its own sake; they want secure, connected lives, which growth is supposed to provide.” — 'To be fair' pivots from the policy example to a broader claim about what people want, a more developed transition than the flat 'I think' statements at 6.5.
   • LR“that was a happiness policy, but it was also good economics” — 'A happiness policy' is a compact, slightly technical noun phrase. The 6.5 answer instead states the same idea as two separate plain clauses without this label.
   • GRA“A small riverside park in my district, for example, cost the city almost nothing, and it changed how thousands of people spend their evenings” — Two coordinated clauses joined by 'and' carry the example in one sentence, a standard structure, less compact than the semicolon version used at 7.5 for the same content.

   Band 7.5

   The closing semicolon-joined aphorism 'Economics first while people are hungry; happiness as the test once they aren't' compresses the whole argument into one balanced sentence.

   On both, I'd argue, and I'd say they're less separate than the question suggests. A small riverside park in my district cost the city almost nothing and changed how thousands of people spend their evenings; that was a happiness policy, and it was also good economics, since healthier and calmer people cost less and work better. Governments should measure what they're actually for — people don't want growth for its own sake, they want secure, healthy, connected lives, which growth is supposed to buy. A country chasing numbers while people grow lonelier has confused the means with the end. The caution is that happiness is hard to measure and easy to manipulate, and poor countries need growth before anything else. Economics first while people are hungry; happiness as the test once they aren't.

   Why this band

   • FC“A country chasing numbers while people grow lonelier has confused the means with the end.” — This sentence draws a general conclusion using a compact metaphor ('confused the means with the end') rather than a plain restatement, doing more cohesive work than the simpler concluding sentences at 6.5 and 7.0.
   • LR“Governments should measure what they're actually for” — This abstract, slightly philosophical phrasing is more precise and compact than the plainer 'measure what people actually need' at 6.5.
   • GRA“Economics first while people are hungry; happiness as the test once they aren't.” — A semicolon joins two elliptical fragments (no repeated verb) into a tight, aphoristic final sentence, a considerably higher-risk structure than the coordinated 'and' sentence used to close the 6.5 answer.

2. 2. Can people learn to be happy?

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

   Band 6.5

   'he has built a life of small, repeated pleasures, like fixing a fan or eating with people he loves' is the most developed sentence here, using a simple 'like' list.

   I think people can partly learn to be happy, but not by taking a course. My father has never read anything about happiness, and he is one of the most content people I know, because he has built a life of small, repeated pleasures, like fixing a fan or eating with people he loves. Some of happiness depends on personality and situation, which cannot really be changed. But things like gratitude, sleep, exercise and good friendships can be practised, and they do help. I think happiness usually comes while you are doing something else, not while chasing it directly.

   Why this band

   • FC“I think happiness usually comes while you are doing something else, not while chasing it directly.” — A plain closing sentence states the paradox directly. The 7.5 answer instead extends the same idea into a final image tying it back to the father example, giving the conclusion more texture.
   • LR“one of the most content people I know” — Plain, common vocabulary. The higher bands use 'contented', a slightly more precise adjective form specifically associated with settled happiness.
   • GRA“Some of happiness depends on personality and situation, which cannot really be changed.” — A single relative clause attached to the main sentence — safe and clear. The 7.5 answer instead uses two parallel short clauses ('Some of happiness is temperament and some is circumstance') for the same idea.

   Band 7.0

   'that's a habit rather than a discovery' reframes the father's contentment with a compact abstract contrast.

   Honestly, I'd say partly, and the learning looks nothing like a course. My father has never read a word about happiness and is one of the most contented people I know, because he's built a life of small, repeated satisfactions — a tree staked, a fan fixed, a meal eaten with people he loves — and that's a habit rather than a discovery. To be fair, some of happiness is temperament and circumstance, and no amount of learning changes those. But the rest is practice: attention to what's good, gratitude, movement, sleep, and the refusal to compare yourself with strangers online. I'd say it arrives sideways, while you're doing something else entirely.

   Why this band

   • FC“To be fair, some of happiness is temperament and circumstance, and no amount of learning changes those.” — 'To be fair' concedes the limits of learning before the answer turns to what can be practised, a clearer two-part argument than the single flat sentence at 6.5.
   • LR“a tree staked, a fan fixed, a meal eaten with people he loves” — This three-item asyndetic list is more vivid and rhythmic than the 6.5 answer's plainer 'like fixing a fan or eating with people he loves', though it's identical to the list used at 7.5.
   • GRA“he's built a life of small, repeated satisfactions — a tree staked, a fan fixed, a meal eaten with people he loves — and that's a habit rather than a discovery” — A dash-set appositive list sits inside a longer sentence before the final contrastive clause, a more layered structure than the simple 'like' list at 6.5.

   Band 7.5

   'the people who chase it directly tend to be the least happy of all' closes with an ironic twist that neither lower band reaches.

   Partly, I'd say, and the learning looks nothing like a course. My father has never read a word about happiness and is one of the most contented people I know, because he's built a life of small, repeated satisfactions — a tree staked, a fan fixed, a meal eaten with people he loves — and that's a habit, not a discovery. Some of happiness is temperament and some is circumstance, and no amount of learning changes those. But the rest is practice: attention to what's good, gratitude, movement, sleep, friendships kept, and the refusal to compare yourself with strangers online. What can't be learned is happiness as a goal; the people who chase it directly tend to be the least happy of all. It arrives sideways, usually while you're busy planting something else.

   Why this band

   • FC“What can't be learned is happiness as a goal; the people who chase it directly tend to be the least happy of all.” — A semicolon links a general claim to its ironic consequence in one sentence, a tighter and more pointed piece of cohesion than the plain closing sentence at 6.5.
   • LR“It arrives sideways, usually while you're busy planting something else.” — 'Arrives sideways' is a genuinely idiomatic, image-based phrase, considerably more figurative than the plain 'comes while you are doing something else' at 6.5.
   • GRA“Some of happiness is temperament and some is circumstance, and no amount of learning changes those.” — Two parallel short clauses ('is temperament... is circumstance') are joined before the main point, a more balanced structure than the single relative clause used for the same idea at 6.5.

3. 3. Is happiness good for a person's health?

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

   Band 6.5

   The two-directional claim ('it seems to work both ways') is stated plainly, then supported with one example.

   Yes, I think happiness is good for health, and it seems to work both ways. My grandmother's doctor once told her, half joking, that her blood pressure dropped the month her great-grandson was born. Happy people usually sleep better, have less stress, and recover from illness faster. Happiness also affects behaviour, because content people often exercise more and drink less. At the same time, good health makes happiness easier, and being in pain makes it very hard. I wouldn't say happiness cures illness, but I think doctors should pay attention to whether a patient is lonely or content.

   Why this band

   • FC“At the same time, good health makes happiness easier, and being in pain makes it very hard.” — 'At the same time' signals the reverse direction of the claim, a basic but clear transition. The 7.5 answer instead uses 'And the reverse is equally true', a slightly more confident and integrated version of the same pivot.
   • LR“her blood pressure dropped the month her great-grandson was born” — Plain, literal reporting. The 7.5 answer adds 'and he wasn't entirely joking', extending the same fact with an evaluative aside that sharpens its credibility.
   • GRA“Happy people usually sleep better, have less stress, and recover from illness faster.” — A simple three-item coordinated list — clear and safe. The 7.5 answer extends this to four items with more precise phrasing ('carry less stress hormone') inside a single longer sentence.

   Band 7.0

   'he probably wasn't entirely joking' hedges the claim about the doctor's remark rather than stating it as fact.

   Honestly, I'd say it seems to be, and the direction runs both ways. My grandmother's doctor told her, half joking, that her blood pressure had dropped the month her great-grandson was born, and he probably wasn't entirely joking — happy people tend to sleep better, carry less stress hormone, and recover from illness faster. To be fair, happiness also drives behaviour, since contented people exercise more and drink less, so some of the effect is indirect. And the reverse holds too: health makes happiness easier, while chronic pain makes it very hard. I'd stop short of saying happiness cures anything, but a doctor who ignores it is probably missing something.

   Why this band

   • FC“To be fair, happiness also drives behaviour, since contented people exercise more and drink less, so some of the effect is indirect.” — 'To be fair' introduces a qualification about indirect causation, a more developed move than the flat listing of effects at 6.5.
   • LR“carry less stress hormone” — 'Stress hormone' is a more precise, semi-technical term than the plain 'less stress' at 6.5, showing a slightly wider register.
   • GRA“the reverse holds too: health makes happiness easier, while chronic pain makes it very hard” — A colon introduces the reverse claim, followed by a 'while' clause balancing two contrasting ideas — a more integrated structure than the 'At the same time... and' sentence used at 6.5.

   Band 7.5

   'a doctor who never asks whether a patient is lonely or content is missing something the body already knows' closes with a compact, layered final clause.

   It seems to be, and the direction runs both ways. My grandmother's doctor told her, half joking, that her blood pressure had dropped the month her great-grandson was born, and he wasn't entirely joking; happy people sleep better, carry less stress hormone, recover from illness faster and, in the studies I've seen, tend to live longer. Happiness also drives behaviour — contented people exercise more and drink less — so some of the effect is indirect rather than magical. And the reverse is equally true: health makes happiness easier, and chronic pain makes it very hard indeed. I'd stop short of claiming happiness cures anything. But a doctor who never asks whether a patient is lonely or content is missing something the body already knows.

   Why this band

   • FC“And the reverse is equally true: health makes happiness easier, and chronic pain makes it very hard indeed.” — 'And the reverse is equally true' pivots the argument with more confidence and compression than the plainer 'At the same time' used at 6.5, doing the same job in fewer words.
   • LR“carry less stress hormone, recover from illness faster and, in the studies I've seen, tend to live longer” — This four-part list, ending with the precise hedge 'in the studies I've seen', is more developed and evidence-based than the plain three-item list at 6.5.
   • GRA“a doctor who never asks whether a patient is lonely or content is missing something the body already knows” — This final sentence nests a 'whether' clause inside a relative clause ('who never asks...') ending in 'the body already knows', a considerably more complex closing structure than the simpler final sentences at 6.5 and 7.0.

4. 4. Can shopping make people happy?

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

   Band 6.5

   'but then it just became a normal bicycle' states the fading of excitement in a short, plain clause.

   I think shopping can make people happy, but only for a short time. I was happy for about two weeks after buying a new bicycle, but then it just became a normal bicycle. My father's small tree, which cost nothing, actually makes him happier every year because it keeps growing. Shopping gives a quick feeling of excitement, like choosing something new, but this feeling fades fast. People who shop to feel better often need to shop again soon, which can cause debt. I think spending on experiences or other people usually makes people happier for longer.

   Why this band

   • FC“Shopping gives a quick feeling of excitement, like choosing something new, but this feeling fades fast.” — 'But' signals the turn from pleasure to fading directly, a basic contrast. The 7.5 answer instead builds a list of three specific pleasures before the same contrast, giving the fading more to be measured against.
   • LR“it just became a normal bicycle” — Plain and literal. The 7.5 answer's 'it became a bicycle' (without 'normal') implies the same flattening more economically, and pairs with a far more vivid closing image.
   • GRA“My father's small tree, which cost nothing, actually makes him happier every year because it keeps growing.” — A single relative clause ('which cost nothing') plus a 'because' clause — safe and clear. The 7.5 answer instead separates the bicycle and sapling examples with a semicolon, a tighter contrastive structure.

   Band 7.0

   'and then it simply became a bicycle' echoes the plain fact but frames it with the hedge 'simply'.

   Honestly, briefly, and then the thing just arrives and sits there. I was genuinely happy for about a fortnight after buying a new bicycle, and then it simply became a bicycle, whereas my father's little sapling, which cost nothing, seems to make him happier every year, because it keeps growing. To be fair, shopping does produce a real lift — the anticipation, the pleasure of choosing, the small thrill of something new — and for some people even the browsing is relaxing. But the happiness from objects fades quickly, and people who shop to feel better tend to need to shop again soon, which is often how debt and clutter happen.

   Why this band

   • FC“To be fair, shopping does produce a real lift — the anticipation, the pleasure of choosing, the small thrill of something new — and for some people even the browsing is relaxing.” — 'To be fair' introduces a genuine concession about shopping's real pleasures before the answer returns to its limits, a more balanced structure than the single contrast sentence at 6.5.
   • LR“the small thrill of something new” — 'Thrill' is a more vivid noun than the plain 'excitement' at 6.5, and it's part of a three-item list rather than a single phrase.
   • GRA“I was genuinely happy for about a fortnight after buying a new bicycle, and then it simply became a bicycle, whereas my father's little sapling, which cost nothing, seems to make him happier every year, because it keeps growing.” — A 'whereas' clause links the bicycle and sapling examples within one long sentence, more ambitious than the two separate sentences at 6.5, though not as compact as the semicolon fusion at 7.5.

   Band 7.5

   The closing simile 'the way sugar can make them full: reliably, briefly, and not in a way you'd want to live on' extends a single image across the whole final sentence.

   Briefly, and then the thing arrives. I was genuinely happy for about a fortnight after buying a new bicycle, and then it became a bicycle; my father's sapling, which cost nothing, makes him happier every year, because it keeps growing. Shopping produces a real lift — anticipation, the pleasure of choosing, the small thrill of newness — and for some people the browsing itself is a kind of rest. But the happiness from objects fades fast, and people who shop to feel better tend to need to shop again soon, which is how debt and clutter quietly accumulate. Spending on experiences and on other people seems to last longer. So shopping can make people happy the way sugar can make them full: reliably, briefly, and not in a way you'd want to live on.

   Why this band

   • FC“So shopping can make people happy the way sugar can make them full: reliably, briefly, and not in a way you'd want to live on.” — This closing sentence uses an extended simile with a colon-introduced three-part list, a considerably more developed piece of cohesion than the plain contrast sentences used to close the 6.5 and 7.0 answers.
   • LR“how debt and clutter quietly accumulate” — 'Quietly accumulate' is a more precise, almost literary verb choice than the plainer 'can cause debt' at 6.5.
   • GRA“I was genuinely happy for about a fortnight after buying a new bicycle, and then it became a bicycle; my father's sapling, which cost nothing, makes him happier every year, because it keeps growing.” — A semicolon fuses the bicycle and sapling examples into one sentence without a connecting word like 'whereas', a tighter structure than the equivalent 7.0 sentence.

5. 5. Will advances in science and technology make society happier in the future?

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

   Band 6.5

   'So science gives us tools, but whether they make life better depends on how we use them' draws the conclusion with a plain 'so... but' structure.

   I think science will make society healthier, but happier only if we choose the right things. My grandmother's generation often had toothache as a normal part of life, but modern dentistry removed that kind of daily pain completely. That is technology making people happier in a simple way. But my nephew's phone screen is also technology, and it seems to create wanting instead of removing it. So science gives us tools, but whether they make life better depends on how we use them. In the past, living standards rose a lot without happiness rising as much, because people get used to things.

   Why this band

   • FC“So science gives us tools, but whether they make life better depends on how we use them.” — 'So' introduces the conclusion directly. The 7.5 answer instead states this same idea as two short separate sentences without any connector at all, letting the contrast speak for itself.
   • LR“it seems to create wanting instead of removing it” — Plain, functional phrasing. The 7.5 answer's 'manufacture wanting as efficiently as dentistry removes pain' is a far more precise and pointed comparison.
   • GRA“That is technology making people happier in a simple way.” — A short simple sentence restates the point. The 7.5 answer instead uses 'in the plainest way there is', a slightly more idiomatic superlative construction embedded in a longer sentence.

   Band 7.0

   'it seems to manufacture wanting almost as efficiently as dentistry removes pain' borrows a vivid comparison but softens it with 'almost'.

   Honestly, healthier, certainly; happier, only if we choose the right advances. My grandmother's generation lived with toothache as a normal condition, and modern dentistry removed a whole category of daily misery — that's technology making people happier in the plainest way possible, and medicine will probably keep doing it. But my nephew's screen is technology too, and it seems to manufacture wanting almost as efficiently as dentistry removes pain. To be fair, science just gives us tools; whether they make life better depends entirely on what we point them at. Past advances raised living standards enormously without raising reported happiness much, mostly because people adapt and compare themselves to others.

   Why this band

   • FC“To be fair, science just gives us tools; whether they make life better depends entirely on what we point them at.” — 'To be fair' introduces the balancing claim, and the semicolon links two independent clauses directly — a more developed cohesive device than the 'so... but' sentence used at 6.5.
   • LR“it seems to manufacture wanting almost as efficiently as dentistry removes pain” — 'Manufacture wanting' is a precise, almost industrial metaphor, far more vivid than the plain 'create wanting' at 6.5, though softened here with 'almost' compared to the unhedged 7.5 version.
   • GRA“modern dentistry removed a whole category of daily misery — that's technology making people happier in the plainest way possible, and medicine will probably keep doing it” — A dash introduces an evaluative clause followed by a coordinated prediction, a more layered structure than the two short separate sentences used at 6.5.

   Band 7.5

   The closing sentence pairs two parallel verb phrases — removing the causes of unhappiness and failing to supply the causes of happiness — in one balanced structure.

   Healthier, certainly; happier, only if we choose the right advances. My grandmother's generation lived with toothache as a normal condition, and modern dentistry removed a whole category of daily misery — that's technology making people happier in the plainest way there is, and medicine will keep doing it. But my nephew's screen is also technology, and it seems to manufacture wanting as efficiently as dentistry removes pain. Science gives us tools; whether they make life better depends on what we point them at. Past advances raised living standards enormously without raising reported happiness much, because people adapt and compare. My guess is that technology will keep removing the causes of unhappiness — disease, hunger, drudgery — and keep failing to supply the causes of happiness, which were never technical in the first place.

   Why this band

   • FC“Science gives us tools; whether they make life better depends on what we point them at.” — A semicolon joins two independent clauses without a connector, more economical than the 'so... but' sentence at 6.5 and slightly tighter than the equivalent 7.0 sentence, which needs 'just... entirely' to make the same point.
   • LR“it seems to manufacture wanting as efficiently as dentistry removes pain” — The unhedged comparison (no 'almost') makes this a more confident, precise claim than the 7.0 version, and 'manufacture wanting' is a considerably sharper metaphor than the plain 'create wanting' at 6.5.
   • GRA“technology will keep removing the causes of unhappiness — disease, hunger, drudgery — and keep failing to supply the causes of happiness, which were never technical in the first place” — Two parallel verb phrases ('keep removing... and keep failing to supply') are joined around a dash-set list, a considerably more balanced and complex structure than the simple 'so... but' sentence used to close the 6.5 answer.

6. 6. Can periods of unhappiness have positive results for some people?

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

   Band 6.5

   'But this only works if the period ends and the person has some support' states the condition plainly at the end.

   Yes, I think a period of unhappiness can have good results, although I would never recommend one. The year after my plan to start a studio failed was miserable, but it was also the year I learned what I really wanted from work, because the disappointment removed everything I had been pretending to want. Unhappiness makes people re-examine their lives, and it often comes before the biggest changes people make. Getting through it also gives a kind of confidence nothing else does. But this only works if the period ends and the person has some support.

   Why this band

   • FC“Unhappiness makes people re-examine their lives, and it often comes before the biggest changes people make.” — Two ideas are joined with 'and', a basic additive link. The 7.5 answer instead separates similar ideas into short independent sentences, giving each its own weight.
   • LR“the disappointment removed everything I had been pretending to want” — 'Removed' is a plain, literal verb. The 7.5 and 7.0 answers use 'stripped away', a more vivid, almost physical verb for the same idea.
   • GRA“But this only works if the period ends and the person has some support.” — A single 'if' clause states the condition directly — safe and clear. The 7.5 answer instead expands this into two separate conditions joined by 'and that', embedded in a longer sentence.

   Band 7.0

   'The condition, though, is that the period actually ends' isolates the qualification into its own short sentence for emphasis.

   Honestly, they can, though I'd never recommend one on purpose. The year after my plan to start a studio collapsed was genuinely miserable, and it was also the year I found out what I actually wanted from work, because the disappointment stripped away everything I'd been pretending to want. To be fair, unhappiness forces attention — people tend to re-examine their lives only once the current one starts to hurt — and it builds empathy, since anyone who's been low understands others who are too. It often precedes the biggest changes people make. The condition, though, is that the period actually ends and the person has some support through it.

   Why this band

   • FC“To be fair, unhappiness forces attention — people tend to re-examine their lives only once the current one starts to hurt — and it builds empathy” — 'To be fair' introduces a two-part claim (forcing attention, building empathy) joined by 'and' within one sentence, a more developed structure than the separate short sentences at 6.5.
   • LR“the disappointment stripped away everything I'd been pretending to want” — 'Stripped away' is a more vivid, physical verb than the plain 'removed' at 6.5, matching the identical phrase used at 7.5.
   • GRA“The condition, though, is that the period actually ends and the person has some support through it.” — The inserted 'though' and the intensifier 'actually' add emphasis to a fairly standard 'that' clause, a small step up in control from the plain 'if' clause at 6.5.

   Band 7.5

   The closing pair of short sentences 'A hard season can be useful. A hard decade rarely is.' uses ellipsis for a sharp final contrast.

   They can, though I'd never recommend one. The year after my plan to start a studio collapsed was miserable, and it was also the year I found out what I actually wanted from work, because the disappointment stripped away everything I'd been pretending to want. Unhappiness forces attention: people re-examine their lives only when the current one hurts. It builds empathy, since anyone who's been low understands others who are. It often precedes the biggest changes people make, and getting through it gives a kind of confidence nothing else does. The condition is that the period ends, and that the person has some support through it; unhappiness that goes on too long, or alone, just wears people down. A hard season can be useful. A hard decade rarely is.

   Why this band

   • FC“A hard season can be useful. A hard decade rarely is.” — Two short parallel sentences, the second using ellipsis to drop repeated words, create a punchy final contrast that neither lower band attempts, instead spelling their conditions out in full sentences.
   • LR“the disappointment stripped away everything I'd been pretending to want” — This shares the vivid verb 'stripped away' with the 7.0 answer, but it sits inside a longer, more integrated sentence introducing the whole example, showing the same precise vocabulary used with more surrounding control.
   • GRA“The condition is that the period ends, and that the person has some support through it; unhappiness that goes on too long, or alone, just wears people down.” — A repeated 'that' clause ('is that... and that...') is followed by a semicolon introducing a further independent clause, a denser three-part structure than the single 'if' clause at 6.5 or the isolated short sentence at 7.0.

7. 7. What are some ways people show that they are happy in your culture?

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

   Band 6.5

   The list of ways people show happiness (smiling, food, hugs, gifts) is presented as a simple sequence of short sentences.

   In my culture, I think people show happiness quietly, often through food. My mother's happiness about the tree showed as a small smile at the wall, and my father just said 'it's nothing' without looking up. Vietnamese people of their generation usually show joy through actions, like cooking, rather than saying it directly. Feeding people is a common sign of happiness, because anyone who feels good ends up cooking too much food. Younger people are louder, with hugs, photos and messages full of exclamation marks. At Tết, gifts and small envelopes of money also show shared happiness.

   Why this band

   • FC“Younger people are louder, with hugs, photos and messages full of exclamation marks.” — 'Younger people are louder' opens a new sentence rather than being linked to the previous point about older generations, a fairly basic sequential structure. The 7.5 answer instead marks the contrast with 'though' inside the flow of the paragraph.
   • LR“a small smile at the wall” — Plain, literal description. The 7.5 answer's 'a smile aimed at the wall' uses a more precise verb ('aimed') that implies deliberate avoidance rather than just location.
   • GRA“My mother's happiness about the tree showed as a small smile at the wall, and my father just said 'it's nothing' without looking up.” — Two ideas are joined with a simple 'and' — clear and safe. The 7.5 answer instead uses a semicolon to fuse the same two examples into one tighter, more literary sentence.

   Band 7.0

   'Vietnamese people of their generation tend to express joy sideways' reflects on the examples with an abstract summary phrase.

   Honestly, I'd say quietly, mostly, and often through food. My mother's happiness about the tree showed as a smile aimed at the wall, and my father's showed as 'it's nothing' and refusing to look up — Vietnamese people of their generation tend to express joy sideways, by doing something for you rather than saying anything directly. To be fair, feeding people is close to a universal sign here: anyone pleased about anything seems to cook more than can possibly be eaten. Younger people, though, are louder, with hugs, photos and messages full of exclamation marks. Karaoke is where happiness goes properly public, and a football win puts the whole country out on the street.

   Why this band

   • FC“To be fair, feeding people is close to a universal sign here: anyone pleased about anything seems to cook more than can possibly be eaten.” — 'To be fair' introduces the food example as a considered generalisation with a colon, a more developed transition than the plain sequential sentences at 6.5.
   • LR“Vietnamese people of their generation tend to express joy sideways” — 'Express joy sideways' is a precise, slightly abstract metaphor for indirect emotional display, more developed than the plain literal description at 6.5, and shared closely with the 7.5 version.
   • GRA“My mother's happiness about the tree showed as a smile aimed at the wall, and my father's showed as 'it's nothing' and refusing to look up” — Two parallel 'showed as' clauses are joined by 'and', creating a balanced structure, though the 7.5 answer tightens the same parallel with a semicolon instead of 'and'.

   Band 7.5

   The closing line 'The words 'I'm happy' are rarer here than the evidence of it' condenses the entire answer's argument into one compact final sentence.

   Quietly, mostly, and often through food. My mother's happiness about the tree showed as a smile aimed at the wall; my father's showed as 'it's nothing' and refusing to look up — Vietnamese people of their generation express joy sideways, by doing something for you rather than saying anything. Feeding people is the universal sign: anyone pleased about anything cooks more than can possibly be eaten. Younger people are louder, with hugs, photographs and a great many messages full of exclamation marks. Karaoke is where happiness goes properly public, and a football win puts the whole country on the street with flags. Gifts and small envelopes of money mark shared happiness at Tết. The words 'I'm happy' are rarer here than the evidence of it.

   Why this band

   • FC“My mother's happiness about the tree showed as a smile aimed at the wall; my father's showed as 'it's nothing' and refusing to look up” — A semicolon joins the two parallel examples without a connecting word, a tighter structure than the 'and' used to link the same two examples at 7.0, and considerably more compact than the two separate sentences at 6.5.
   • LR“The words 'I'm happy' are rarer here than the evidence of it.” — This closing sentence plays 'words' against 'evidence' as a precise, almost aphoristic contrast, well beyond the plain vocabulary used to close the 6.5 and 7.0 answers.
   • GRA“Younger people are louder, with hugs, photographs and a great many messages full of exclamation marks.” — 'A great many' is a more formal quantifier than the plain 'messages full of' at 6.5, showing a wider, slightly more literary register for the same list.

8. 8. How can a person's attitude to life affect how happy they are?

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

   Band 6.5

   The comparison of the two neighbours is told as a simple sequence: same damage, then two different results, stated plainly.

   I think a person's attitude affects their happiness a lot. After the floods, two neighbours of mine had the same damage to their homes in the same week. Three years later, one of them is still angry about it, blaming the government and the weather. The other one repainted her house and opened a small café in the flooded ground floor, and now she talks about the flood as the start of something new. The same event happened to both, but their lives became completely different. I think attitude decides what a person notices, and whether they act or just wait.

   Why this band

   • FC“The same event happened to both, but their lives became completely different.” — A short summarising sentence draws the contrast directly after the story. The 7.5 answer instead compresses the identical idea into the two-word fragment 'Same event, opposite lives', a far more economical piece of cohesion.
   • LR“she talks about the flood as the start of something new” — Plain and functional. The 7.5 answer's phrase 'the start of something good' pairs with a more analytical follow-up about what attitude actually decides, giving the same idea more consequence.
   • GRA“Three years later, one of them is still angry about it, blaming the government and the weather.” — A single sentence with one participle clause ('blaming...') — clear and controlled. The 7.5 answer instead lists three objects of anger with commas inside a much longer semicolon-joined sentence.

   Band 7.0

   'the floods gave me something close to a controlled experiment' reframes the neighbours' story with a scientific metaphor.

   Honestly, enormously, and the floods gave me something close to a controlled experiment. Two neighbours had the same water damage in the same week; three years later, one is still furious about it — at the government, the weather, the insurer — while the other repainted, opened a small café in the ruined ground floor, and now talks about the flood as the start of something good. To be fair, attitude isn't everything; the neighbour with the café also had savings and a family who helped. But between people in fairly similar circumstances, I'd say the way they hold their circumstances is most of the difference, and it's the part they actually control.

   Why this band

   • FC“To be fair, attitude isn't everything; the neighbour with the café also had savings and a family who helped.” — 'To be fair' introduces a genuine qualification with a semicolon-joined clause, a more developed concession than the plain listing style at 6.5.
   • LR“something close to a controlled experiment” — 'A controlled experiment' is a precise, almost scientific metaphor for the coincidence of two neighbours' identical damage, considerably more developed than the plain narrative opening at 6.5.
   • GRA“one is still furious about it — at the government, the weather, the insurer — while the other repainted, opened a small café in the ruined ground floor, and now talks about the flood as the start of something good” — A dash-set list of three objects of anger sits inside a 'while' clause contrasting two long parallel actions, a considerably more complex sentence than the two separate short sentences used at 6.5.

   Band 7.5

   'Same event, opposite lives.' is a two-word-pair fragment that compresses the whole comparison into a single beat.

   Enormously, and the floods gave me a controlled experiment of sorts. Two neighbours had the same water damage in the same week; three years later one is still furious about it, at the government, the weather and the insurer, and the other repainted, opened a small café in the ruined ground floor, and talks about the flood as the start of something good. Same event, opposite lives. Attitude decides what a person notices — problems or possibilities — how long they stay angry, and whether they act or wait to be rescued. It isn't everything; the neighbour with the café also had savings and a family who helped. But between people in similar circumstances, the way they hold their circumstances is most of the difference, and it's the part they control.

   Why this band

   • FC“Same event, opposite lives.” — This two-phrase fragment, with no verb at all, condenses the entire neighbour comparison into a single beat — a far more economical piece of cohesion than the full sentence used to draw the same conclusion at 6.5.
   • LR“one is still furious about it, at the government, the weather and the insurer” — The asyndetic three-item list (no dashes, just commas) reads more fluidly than the dash-set version at 7.0, showing the same content handled with slightly more natural rhythm.
   • GRA“Attitude decides what a person notices — problems or possibilities — how long they stay angry, and whether they act or wait to be rescued.” — A dash-set appositive interrupts the main clause before it continues with two further coordinated elements, a considerably more layered structure than the single sentence used to state a similar idea at 6.5.

9. 9. Is a richer society always a happier society?

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

   Band 6.5

   The final two sentences state the income-happiness pattern directly and plainly, without much elaboration.

   I don't think a richer society is always happier, but wealth does help up to a point. Vietnam is much richer than when I was a child, and this has made a real difference, with fewer people hungry and more people with clean water and a motorbike. But my parents' generation, after reaching that basic level, doesn't seem happier than before, and my own generation, which is richer still, feels more anxious. I think happiness rises quickly with income until people feel secure, and then it stops rising much. After that, things like trust and free time matter more than money.

   Why this band

   • FC“I think happiness rises quickly with income until people feel secure, and then it stops rising much.” — 'And then' signals the turning point directly, a clear but basic device. The 7.5 answer instead uses a single verb, 'flattens', to compress the same idea without needing 'and then' at all.
   • LR“my own generation, which is richer still, feels more anxious” — Plain, functional phrasing. The 7.5 answer's dash-set list 'comparison, pressure and long hours arrived with the money' names the actual causes, which this version leaves unstated.
   • GRA“Vietnam is much richer than when I was a child, and this has made a real difference, with fewer people hungry and more people with clean water and a motorbike.” — A single sentence with one coordinated 'and' clause and a prepositional phrase list — safe and clear. The 7.5 answer instead uses a colon to introduce the same list, a more flexible and confident structure.

   Band 7.0

   'That's wealth doing exactly what it should' reflects on the example with a short evaluative sentence rather than just reporting it.

   Honestly, up to a point, and then no. Vietnam is several times richer than it was in my childhood, and the difference in ordinary happiness is real — fewer people hungry, more people with clean water, a motorbike, and something like a future. That's wealth doing exactly what it should. But my parents' generation, past that basic level, doesn't seem any more content than they were, and my own generation, richer still, feels more anxious than either — comparison, pressure and long hours arrived along with the money. To be fair, studies say roughly the same thing: happiness rises steeply with income until people are secure, then flattens out almost completely.

   Why this band

   • FC“To be fair, studies say roughly the same thing: happiness rises steeply with income until people are secure, then flattens out almost completely.” — 'To be fair' introduces outside evidence to support the personal observation, a more developed move than the plain personal claim at 6.5.
   • LR“comparison, pressure and long hours arrived along with the money” — This three-item list names specific causes, a more precise and developed vocabulary choice than the vaguer 'feels more anxious' at 6.5.
   • GRA“my parents' generation, past that basic level, doesn't seem any more content than they were, and my own generation, richer still, feels more anxious than either” — Two parallel clauses about the parents' and the writer's generations are joined by 'and', a moderately complex structure, though the 7.5 version fuses similar content with a dash-set list for extra density.

   Band 7.5

   The closing two-sentence contrast 'A rich society with those is happy. A rich society without them is just rich.' repeats the same frame with one word changed.

   Up to a point, and then no. Vietnam is several times richer than it was in my childhood, and the difference in ordinary happiness is real: fewer people hungry, more people with clean water and a motorbike and a future. That's wealth doing what it should. But my parents' generation, past that basic level, doesn't seem more content than they were, and my own generation, richer still, is more anxious than either — comparison, pressure and long hours arrived with the money. Studies say roughly the same: happiness rises steeply with income until people are secure, then flattens. Beyond that, what matters is how wealth is shared, how much time it buys, and whether people trust each other. A rich society with those is happy. A rich society without them is just rich.

   Why this band

   • FC“A rich society with those is happy. A rich society without them is just rich.” — Repeating the identical sentence frame with only 'with'/'without' changed creates a tight rhetorical parallel, a far more economical piece of cohesion than the explanatory closing sentences used at 6.5 and 7.0.
   • LR“comparison, pressure and long hours arrived with the money” — This precise three-item list of causes is shared closely with the 7.0 answer, but here it's folded into a longer dash-set sentence rather than standing as its own clause, showing tighter integration.
   • GRA“Vietnam is several times richer than it was in my childhood, and the difference in ordinary happiness is real: fewer people hungry, more people with clean water and a motorbike and a future.” — A colon introduces a list without repeating 'people' each time after the first two items, a more compact structure than the fuller coordinated sentence used at 6.5.