Something You Can't Live Without (Not a Phone or Computer)

Part 3 follow-up questions

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

1. 1. Why do some people buy things they do not really need?

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

   Band 6.5

   'Most unnecessary buying is emotional and quickly regretted' closes with a short, plain summary sentence.

   I think people often buy things they don't need to feel something, not to have something. I own four spare glasses cases in colours I will never use, which I bought on days when I wanted the small feeling of buying something. People buy for comfort, status, boredom, or just the pleasure of the moment of buying, and the object itself doesn't really matter much. Advertising is also good at turning wants into needs. Social pressure makes people buy what their friends have. And sales make people afraid of missing a good deal. Most unnecessary buying is emotional and quickly regretted.

   Why this band

   • FC“Most unnecessary buying is emotional and quickly regretted.” — A short final sentence restates the whole answer's point directly. The 7.5 answer instead extends the identical idea into a longer, more specific closing image involving a drawer, giving the conclusion more texture.
   • LR“the small feeling of buying something” — Plain, generic phrasing. The 7.5 answer's 'the small lift of a purchase' uses 'lift' as a more precise, almost physical metaphor for the same emotional boost.
   • GRA“I own four spare glasses cases in colours I will never use, which I bought on days when I wanted the small feeling of buying something.” — A single sentence with one relative clause — clear and controlled. The 7.5 answer instead uses a dash to attach a further explanatory clause about the case being 'the cheapest thing available', a more layered structure.

   Band 7.0

   'the case itself was almost incidental' reflects on the object's unimportance rather than just describing the purchase.

   Honestly, I'd say it's usually to feel something rather than to have something. I own four spare glasses cases in colours I'll never actually use, bought on days when I wanted the small lift of a purchase, and the case itself was almost incidental. To be fair, people buy for comfort, status, boredom, or simply the pleasure of the moment of buying — advertising is remarkably skilled at turning wants into needs, and social pressure makes people match what their friends and colleagues have. Sales create a fear of missing a bargain that didn't need to be caught in the first place. I'd say most unnecessary buying is emotional, brief, and regretted only later.

   Why this band

   • FC“To be fair, people buy for comfort, status, boredom, or simply the pleasure of the moment of buying” — 'To be fair' introduces the general list of motives as a considered claim, a more developed transition than the plain listing sentence at 6.5.
   • LR“advertising is remarkably skilled at turning wants into needs” — 'Remarkably skilled' adds an intensifier for emphasis, a step up from the plain 'good at' used at 6.5, though it's a shade less compact than the unadorned 7.5 phrase for the same idea.
   • GRA“bought on days when I wanted the small lift of a purchase, and the case itself was almost incidental” — A coordinated clause ('and the case itself was...') extends the main sentence with a reflective aside, a more integrated structure than the separate short sentence used for a similar idea at 6.5.

   Band 7.5

   The closing image 'regretted only when the drawer won't close' replaces an abstract statement with a concrete, slightly comic detail.

   Usually to feel something rather than to have something. I own four spare glasses cases in colours I'll never use, bought on days when I wanted the small lift of a purchase and a case was the cheapest thing available — people buy for comfort, status, boredom, or the pleasure of the moment of buying, and the object is almost incidental. Advertising is skilled at turning wants into needs; social pressure makes people match what friends and colleagues have; sales create the fear of missing a bargain that didn't need to be caught. And ease matters too: a purchase that takes one tap gets no thought at all. Most unnecessary buying is emotional, brief, and regretted only when the drawer won't close.

   Why this band

   • FC“Advertising is skilled at turning wants into needs; social pressure makes people match what friends and colleagues have; sales create the fear of missing a bargain that didn't need to be caught.” — Three parallel clauses are joined by semicolons without any connecting word, a considerably more economical structure than the separate sentences the lower bands use to list the same causes.
   • LR“regretted only when the drawer won't close” — This concrete, slightly comic image is far more vivid than the abstract 'quickly regretted' at 6.5 or 'regretted only later' at 7.0, turning an abstract claim into a physical, memorable detail.
   • GRA“a case was the cheapest thing available — people buy for comfort, status, boredom, or the pleasure of the moment of buying, and the object is almost incidental” — A dash introduces a four-item asyndetic list before the final reflective clause, a denser structure than the single relative clause used at 6.5 or the shorter coordinated clause at 7.0.

2. 2. Do you agree or disagree that people have too much choice when buying products today?

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

   Band 6.5

   'More choice sounds like freedom, but it often feels like extra work' states the paradox in one plain contrastive sentence.

   I agree that people have too much choice when buying things today. Choosing my last pair of glasses proved this — I spent forty minutes in front of three hundred frames, and I felt less sure with every pair I tried. My grandmother's optician in Hue used to offer just two choices, and she was happy with either. More choice sounds like freedom, but it often feels like extra work. It also raises our expectations, because with so many options, we think the perfect one must exist somewhere. I think most people would prefer five good choices to a hundred confusing ones.

   Why this band

   • FC“More choice sounds like freedom, but it often feels like extra work.” — 'But' signals the paradox directly, a clear and basic device. The 7.5 answer instead separates the same paradox into two short sentences with no connector, letting the contrast land more starkly.
   • LR“I felt less sure with every pair I tried” — Plain and literal. The 7.5 answer's 'growing less sure with each one' compresses the same idea into a participle phrase, a more economical and natural-sounding construction.
   • GRA“I think most people would prefer five good choices to a hundred confusing ones.” — A single comparative sentence closes the answer — clear and safe. The 7.5 answer instead extends a similar idea with 'someone honest to ask', adding a further, more specific element to the comparison.

   Band 7.0

   'the perfect one must apparently exist' inserts the hedge 'apparently' into an otherwise confident claim.

   Agree, and choosing my last pair of frames proved it: forty minutes in front of three hundred pairs, growing less sure with each one, while my grandmother's optician in Hue used to offer two and she was happy with either. Honestly, more choice sounds like freedom and often feels like work — it raises expectations, since with so many options the perfect one must apparently exist, and it creates regret, since whatever you chose, another was possible. To be fair, some choice is genuinely good, and nobody wants to go back to one kind of everything. But I'd say the market has confused variety with value.

   Why this band

   • FC“To be fair, some choice is genuinely good, and nobody wants to go back to one kind of everything.” — 'To be fair' introduces a genuine concession about the benefits of choice, a more balanced move than the single-direction argument at 6.5.
   • LR“it raises expectations, since with so many options the perfect one must apparently exist” — 'Apparently exist' softens the claim with a hedge, a more considered phrasing than the flatter 6.5 equivalent, though less confident than the unhedged 7.5 version of the same clause.
   • GRA“forty minutes in front of three hundred pairs, growing less sure with each one, while my grandmother's optician in Hue used to offer two and she was happy with either” — A 'while' clause links the writer's experience to the grandmother's directly within one sentence, a more integrated structure than a separate comparison sentence would be, matching the structure used at 7.5 almost exactly.

   Band 7.5

   'Research on this seems fairly clear' introduces outside evidence with a hedge before stating the finding directly.

   Agree, and choosing my last frames proved it: forty minutes in front of three hundred pairs, growing less sure with each one, while my grandmother's optician in Hue used to offer two and she was happy with either. More choice sounds like freedom and often feels like work. It raises expectations, since with so many options the perfect one must exist, and it creates regret, since whatever you chose, another was possible. Research on this seems fairly clear: past a modest number of options, satisfaction actually falls. Some choice is genuinely good, and nobody wants to go back to one kind of everything. But the market has confused variety with value, and most people would trade a hundred options for five good ones and someone honest to ask.

   Why this band

   • FC“It raises expectations, since with so many options the perfect one must exist, and it creates regret, since whatever you chose, another was possible.” — Two parallel 'it... since...' clauses are joined by 'and' into one balanced sentence, a tighter structure than the single sentence used for a similar idea at 6.5 or the hedged version at 7.0.
   • LR“past a modest number of options, satisfaction actually falls” — 'A modest number' and the intensifier 'actually' give this claim more precision and confidence than the plainer restatement at 6.5, drawing on the language of research rather than personal impression.
   • GRA“most people would trade a hundred options for five good ones and someone honest to ask” — This closing clause adds a third, unexpected element ('someone honest to ask') to what could have been a simple two-part comparison, a more ambitious structure than the plain comparative sentence used to close the 6.5 answer.

3. 3. Why do people value different things at different stages of their lives?

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

   Band 6.5

   The three life stages (twelve, twenty, thirty-four) are told as three separate simple sentences.

   I think people value different things because their needs change over time. At twelve, I hid my glasses because they made me look different. At twenty, I bought fashionable frames because they made me look interesting. Now, at thirty-four, I just value the pair that doesn't slip when I am cycling. Young people value things that show who they are, because they are still building their identity. In middle age, people value things that save time or help their family. Older people usually value comfort, health, and things connected to memory. Life stage and money also decide what people value most.

   Why this band

   • FC“At twelve, I hid my glasses because they made me look different. At twenty, I bought fashionable frames because they made me look interesting.” — Two nearly identical sentence patterns are repeated back to back, a basic but functional cohesive device. The 7.5 answer instead fuses all three life stages into one sentence using dashes, a considerably tighter structure.
   • LR“I just value the pair that doesn't slip when I am cycling” — Plain and literal. The 7.5 answer's 'the pair that doesn't slip when I'm sweating on a bicycle' adds the sensory detail 'sweating', making the same claim more vivid.
   • GRA“Life stage and money also decide what people value most.” — A short final sentence adds a new factor. The 7.5 answer instead expands this into two parallel clauses about a person with no money and no time, a more developed structure for the same idea.

   Band 7.0

   'same object, three completely different values, one person' compresses the three life stages into a three-part noun phrase.

   Honestly, I think it's because what people need from things changes at every stage. At twelve I hid my glasses because they made me look different; at twenty I bought fashionable frames because they made me look interesting; at thirty-four I just value the pair that doesn't slip when I'm sweating on a bicycle — same object, three completely different values, one person. To be fair, young people value what signals identity and belonging, since they're building both, while people in middle life value what saves time and serves the family. Older people, meanwhile, tend to value comfort and the things that hold memory. I'd say experience just teaches us what actually matters.

   Why this band

   • FC“same object, three completely different values, one person” — This three-part noun phrase, with no verb, summarises the whole preceding sentence in a single beat, a more economical device than the plain listing sentences used at 6.5.
   • LR“at thirty-four I just value the pair that doesn't slip when I'm sweating on a bicycle” — 'Sweating on a bicycle' adds a sensory detail beyond the plain 'cycling' at 6.5, though it's identical to the phrase used at 7.5, showing this specific image is accessible from 7.0 upward.
   • GRA“At twelve I hid my glasses because they made me look different; at twenty I bought fashionable frames because they made me look interesting; at thirty-four I just value the pair that doesn't slip when I'm sweating on a bicycle” — Three parallel clauses are joined by semicolons into one long sentence, a considerably more ambitious structure than the three separate sentences used at 6.5, matching the 7.5 structure almost exactly but with an added 'just'.

   Band 7.5

   'which is usually less than we thought and closer to home' closes with a reflective, slightly poetic final clause.

   Because what they need from things changes. At twelve I hid my glasses because they made me look different; at twenty I bought fashionable frames because they made me look interesting; at thirty-four I value the pair that doesn't slip when I'm sweating on a bicycle — the same object, three values, one person. Young people value what signals identity and belonging, because they're building both. In middle life people value what saves time and serves the family. Older people value comfort, health, and the things that hold memory. Circumstances drive it too: a person with no money values what's cheap, a person with no time values what's fast. And experience teaches what actually matters, which is usually less than we thought and closer to home.

   Why this band

   • FC“Circumstances drive it too: a person with no money values what's cheap, a person with no time values what's fast.” — A colon introduces a parallel two-part illustration of 'circumstances', a more integrated device than the short standalone final sentence used at 6.5 to introduce a similar idea.
   • LR“which is usually less than we thought and closer to home” — This reflective closing phrase is more abstract and evaluative than the plain factual closing sentences at 6.5 and 7.0, adding a personal, almost wistful judgement.
   • GRA“At twelve I hid my glasses because they made me look different; at twenty I bought fashionable frames because they made me look interesting; at thirty-four I value the pair that doesn't slip when I'm sweating on a bicycle — the same object, three values, one person.” — Three semicolon-joined clauses are capped with a dash-attached summary phrase, a denser structure than the three separate sentences at 6.5 and slightly tighter than the near-identical 7.0 version, which adds 'just' and 'completely different'.

4. 4. Do you agree or disagree that society today is becoming too materialistic?

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

   Band 6.5

   'I think the real change is how quickly we now want and throw things away' closes with a plain final judgement.

   I agree that society is becoming too materialistic, but people were always somewhat materialistic. A luxury eyewear shop has opened where my old optician used to be, and it sells frames by brand and price, not by whether you can actually see through them. This shows how objects are now valued for what they say about us, not what they do. Advertising and social media have turned buying things into a kind of identity for many people. My grandmother's generation was also materialistic, but they had fewer things and valued them more carefully. I think the real change is how quickly we now want and throw things away.

   Why this band

   • FC“I agree that society is becoming too materialistic, but people were always somewhat materialistic.” — The concession 'but people were always somewhat materialistic' opens right after the position statement, a fairly basic structure. The 7.5 answer instead delays this same concession to its own sentence beginning with 'The caveat is', giving it more standalone weight.
   • LR“This shows how objects are now valued for what they say about us, not what they do.” — Plain, functional phrasing. The 7.5 answer's version compresses the identical contrast into a shorter, more elegant parallel structure after a colon.
   • GRA“My grandmother's generation was also materialistic, but they had fewer things and valued them more carefully.” — A single 'but' clause states the contrast plainly. The 7.5 answer instead uses a dash before 'they just had less material, and valued it more carefully', a more flexible structure for the same content.

   Band 7.0

   'Agree, with a caveat about what came before' opens with a compact fragment stating both the position and its qualification at once.

   Agree, with a caveat about what came before. A luxury eyewear shop has opened where my old optician used to be, and it sells frames by brand and price rather than by whether you can see through them, which seems like a small picture of the larger change — objects valued for what they say rather than what they do. To be fair, advertising, social media and easy credit have turned consumption into identity for a lot of people, and possessions into a kind of scoreboard. The caveat is that my grandmother's generation was intensely material too — they just had less material, and valued it more carefully. I'd say what's new isn't wanting things; it's the speed of wanting and discarding them.

   Why this band

   • FC“The caveat is that my grandmother's generation was intensely material too — they just had less material, and valued it more carefully.” — 'The caveat is' clearly labels this as a qualification, a more developed cohesive marker than the plain 'but' used at 6.5 to introduce the same idea.
   • LR“possessions into a kind of scoreboard” — 'A kind of scoreboard' is a vivid, precise metaphor, more developed than the plain description at 6.5, though the hedge 'a kind of' makes it slightly less confident than the unhedged 7.5 version.
   • GRA“which seems like a small picture of the larger change — objects valued for what they say rather than what they do” — A dash introduces an appositive clause restating the point in parallel form, a more integrated structure than the separate sentence used for a similar idea at 6.5.

   Band 7.5

   The two-sentence closing 'Materialism is old. Disposable materialism is the modern version, and it's worse.' echoes the same noun in two short sentences for effect.

   Agree, with a caveat about what came before. A luxury eyewear shop has opened where my old optician used to be, and it sells frames by brand and price rather than by whether you can see through them, which seems like a small picture of the larger change: objects valued for what they say rather than what they do. Advertising, social media and easy credit have turned consumption into identity for a lot of people, and possessions into a scoreboard. The caveat is that my grandmother's generation was intensely material too — they just had less material, and valued it more carefully. What's new isn't wanting things; it's the speed of wanting and discarding them. Materialism is old. Disposable materialism is the modern version, and it's worse.

   Why this band

   • FC“Materialism is old. Disposable materialism is the modern version, and it's worse.” — Repeating 'materialism' across two short sentences creates a deliberate rhetorical echo, a more polished closing device than the single explanatory sentence used at 6.5 or 7.0.
   • LR“possessions into a scoreboard” — Dropping the hedge 'a kind of' used at 7.0 makes this metaphor land more directly and confidently, showing a small but real difference in precision between the two bands.
   • GRA“it sells frames by brand and price rather than by whether you can see through them, which seems like a small picture of the larger change: objects valued for what they say rather than what they do” — A colon introduces a compact parallel contrast as the climax of a long sentence, a more confident structure than the dash-appositive used for similar content at 7.0.

5. 5. How important is family in people's lives today compared with the past?

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

   Band 6.5

   'In a crisis, though, family still comes first' closes with a short final qualification.

   I think family is still important today, but the connection is looser than before. I keep a spare pair of glasses at my parents' house, because that house still feels like mine in some way, and I think most Vietnamese people feel similarly about family. But some of my colleagues only see their parents twice a year, which would have been unusual a generation ago, when three generations often shared one home. Family has become one important part of life instead of the whole of it, because work, friends and city life now compete for our time. In a crisis, though, family still comes first.

   Why this band

   • FC“In a crisis, though, family still comes first.” — A short final sentence adds the crisis exception directly. The 7.5 answer instead lists three specific crises in a dash-set aside before making the same point, giving the exception more concrete weight.
   • LR“that house still feels like mine in some way” — Plain and functional. The 7.5 answer's 'that house is still, in some sense, mine' uses the more formal 'in some sense' instead of 'in some way', a small but real register shift.
   • GRA“Family has become one important part of life instead of the whole of it, because work, friends and city life now compete for our time.” — A single 'because' clause explains the shift — clear and safe. The 7.5 answer instead adds a further short sentence, 'It's chosen more and imposed less', extending the idea with an additional independent clause.

   Band 7.0

   'it's the place things are kept, including you' extends the literal claim about storage into a wry, personal final clause.

   Honestly, I'd say still central here, and looser than it was. I keep a spare pair of glasses at my parents' house because that house is still, in some sense, mine, and that's roughly how most Vietnamese people feel about family — it's the place things are kept, including you. But colleagues of mine see their parents twice a year, and that would have been unthinkable a generation ago, when three generations shared a roof and every decision. To be fair, family has moved from being the whole of life to being one part of it, competing with work, friends and the city. In a crisis, though, it reappears instantly as the only thing that's really there.

   Why this band

   • FC“To be fair, family has moved from being the whole of life to being one part of it, competing with work, friends and the city.” — 'To be fair' introduces the generational shift as a considered claim, a more developed transition than the plain 'because' clause at 6.5.
   • LR“it's the place things are kept, including you” — This wry, slightly personifying phrase is more figurative than the plain description at 6.5, treating the person as another kept object — identical to the phrase used at 7.5.
   • GRA“that would have been unthinkable a generation ago, when three generations shared a roof and every decision” — An embedded 'when' clause extends the main claim with historical detail, a more layered structure than the simpler sentences used at 6.5 for the same contrast.

   Band 7.5

   The dash-set list 'illness, money, a flood' interrupts the final sentence to give the abstract word 'crisis' three concrete faces.

   Still central here, and looser than it was. I keep a spare pair of glasses at my parents' house because that house is still, in some sense, mine, and that's how most Vietnamese people feel about family — it's the place things are kept, including you. But colleagues of mine see their parents twice a year, and that would have been unthinkable a generation ago, when three generations shared a roof and every decision. Family has moved from being the whole of life to being one part of it, competing with work, friends and the city. It's chosen more and imposed less. In a crisis, though — illness, money, a flood — the family reappears instantly as the only thing that's really there. Less daily, and just as fundamental.

   Why this band

   • FC“In a crisis, though — illness, money, a flood — the family reappears instantly as the only thing that's really there.” — The dash-set list of concrete crises is inserted mid-sentence rather than following it, a more integrated device than the short separate sentence used to make a similar point at 6.5.
   • LR“it's the place things are kept, including you” — Shared with the 7.0 answer, this phrase appears here folded into a longer sentence with 'that's how most Vietnamese people feel about family' immediately before it, showing tighter surrounding integration.
   • GRA“Family has moved from being the whole of life to being one part of it, competing with work, friends and the city. It's chosen more and imposed less.” — A participle clause ('competing with...') is followed by a short, balanced two-verb sentence, a more varied pairing of structures than the single 'because' clause used at 6.5.

6. 6. Why do some people find it difficult to throw things away or give them to others?

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

   Band 6.5

   'I think people who let things go easily trust that the memory survives without the object' closes with a generalisation about other people.

   I think some people find it hard to throw things away because the object holds a memory for them. I have a box in my wardrobe with eight old pairs of glasses that are useless to anyone, but I can't get rid of them because each pair has a year of my life attached to it. Some people keep things because they are afraid they might need them later, especially if they grew up without much money. Some people keep things because of the money already spent, or because the object belonged to someone who has died. I think people who let things go easily trust that the memory survives without the object.

   Why this band

   • FC“I think people who let things go easily trust that the memory survives without the object.” — A single closing sentence generalises from the box example. The 7.5 answer instead adds a further short sentence turning the generalisation back onto the speaker, for a more personal close.
   • LR“each pair has a year of my life attached to it” — Plain and literal. The 7.5 answer's 'each has a year of my face attached' is a slightly stranger, more specific image, giving the same idea more particularity.
   • GRA“Some people keep things because they are afraid they might need them later, especially if they grew up without much money.” — A single 'because... especially if' sentence — clear and controlled. The 7.5 answer instead separates similar reasons into short standalone sentences, a more fragmented, rhetorical structure.

   Band 7.0

   'the object holds the memory, and throwing it away feels like throwing that away too' repeats 'throwing... away' deliberately for effect.

   Honestly, I'd say it's because the thing has become a container for something else. I have a box in my wardrobe holding eight old pairs of glasses that are useless to anyone, and I can't discard them because each one has a year of my face attached — the object holds the memory, and throwing it away feels like throwing that away too. To be fair, some people keep things out of fear, since it might be needed and their childhood taught them scarcity, as my grandmother's did. Others hold on because the object belonged to someone who's gone, or simply because they never learned to decide, so keeping becomes the default option.

   Why this band

   • FC“To be fair, some people keep things out of fear, since it might be needed and their childhood taught them scarcity, as my grandmother's did.” — 'To be fair' introduces a further reason as a considered addition, a more developed move than the plain 'because' sentence at 6.5.
   • LR“each one has a year of my face attached” — 'A year of my face attached' is a precise, slightly strange image shared with the 7.5 answer, more specific than the plainer 'a year of my life' at 6.5.
   • GRA“the object holds the memory, and throwing it away feels like throwing that away too” — The deliberate repetition of 'throwing... away' across the clause is a controlled rhetorical device, more ambitious than the plain vocabulary at 6.5, though the 7.5 version uses the identical construction without 'too', showing an even tighter economy.

   Band 7.5

   The short final sentence 'I don't yet, and the box knows it' personifies the box for a wry, understated close.

   Because the thing has become a container for something else. I have a box in my wardrobe holding eight old pairs of glasses that are useless to anyone, and I can't discard them because each has a year of my face attached — the object holds the memory, and throwing it away feels like throwing that away. Some people keep things from fear: it might be needed, and their childhood taught them scarcity, as my grandmother's did. Some feel the waste of money already spent. Some hold on because the object belonged to someone gone. And some simply never learned to decide, so keeping is the default. The people who let go easily usually trust that the memory survives without the object. I don't yet, and the box knows it.

   Why this band

   • FC“I don't yet, and the box knows it.” — This short personifying final sentence turns the whole answer's generalisation back onto the speaker in just six words, a far more economical and characterful close than the plain generalising sentence used at 6.5.
   • LR“each has a year of my face attached” — Shared closely with the 7.0 phrase, but here it closes the sentence directly rather than being followed by 'too', giving it slightly more weight as the sentence's final image.
   • GRA“Some people keep things from fear: it might be needed, and their childhood taught them scarcity, as my grandmother's did. Some feel the waste of money already spent. Some hold on because the object belonged to someone gone.” — Three short sentences, each opening with 'Some', build a list through repetition rather than coordination within one sentence, a more rhetorical, higher-risk structure than the single combined sentence used for similar content at 6.5.

7. 7. Why do many young people want to have the latest technology?

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

   Band 6.5

   'I think it is more about belonging than showing off' closes with a plain final judgement.

   I think young people want the latest technology because it is a way to belong to a group. Two juniors at my studio waited outside overnight for a new phone that only had one new feature, and when I asked why, they said everyone in their group would have it by Monday. For young people, technology is where a lot of their social life happens, so owning the newest one shows they are current. There is also real pleasure in trying new tools, and young people are quick to find new uses for them. Marketing also targets them directly. I think it is more about belonging than showing off.

   Why this band

   • FC“I think it is more about belonging than showing off.” — A short closing sentence states the conclusion plainly. The 7.5 answer instead closes with a more compact and slightly paradoxical version of the same idea about cost.
   • LR“everyone in their group would have it by Monday” — Plain and literal reporting. This phrase is nearly identical across all three bands, showing that the core content stays the same while the surrounding structure and register shift with the level.
   • GRA“For young people, technology is where a lot of their social life happens, so owning the newest one shows they are current.” — A single 'so' clause draws the conclusion directly — clear and safe. The 7.5 answer instead uses a dash to attach a parallel clause without needing 'so' at all.

   Band 7.0

   'the latest device works like a membership card' opens with a compact metaphor rather than a literal statement.

   Honestly, I'd say it's because the latest device works like a membership card. Two juniors at my studio queued overnight for a phone that does perhaps one thing the previous one didn't, and when I asked why, the honest answer was that everyone in their group would have it by Monday — for young people, technology is where their social life happens, and the newest version is a sign of being current. To be fair, there's also genuine pleasure in new tools, and young people are quickest to find uses for them. Status plays a part too, since a phone is the most visible thing a twenty-year-old owns. It's less vanity than belonging, though it costs the same.

   Why this band

   • FC“To be fair, there's also genuine pleasure in new tools, and young people are quickest to find uses for them.” — 'To be fair' introduces a genuine additional motive, a more developed move than the single-cause explanation implied at 6.5.
   • LR“the latest device works like a membership card” — This metaphor is more developed and figurative than the plain 'a way to belong to a group' at 6.5, capturing the exclusivity of ownership more precisely.
   • GRA“for young people, technology is where their social life happens, and the newest version is a sign of being current” — Two clauses are joined by 'and' within a longer sentence built around a dash, a more integrated structure than the separate 'so' sentence used at 6.5.

   Band 7.5

   The closing paradox 'It's less vanity than belonging, though it costs the same' balances two abstract nouns against each other.

   Because the latest device is a membership card. Two juniors at my studio queued overnight for a phone that does perhaps one thing the previous one didn't, and when I asked why, the honest answer was that everyone in their group would have it by Monday — for young people, technology is where their social life happens, and the newest version is a sign of being current. There's also genuine pleasure in new tools, and young people are quickest to find uses for them. Status plays a part; a phone is the most visible thing a twenty-year-old owns. Marketing aims squarely at them. And the technology itself ages fast, so 'latest' often means 'still works well'. It's less vanity than belonging, though it costs the same.

   Why this band

   • FC“Status plays a part; a phone is the most visible thing a twenty-year-old owns. Marketing aims squarely at them.” — Two short, punchy sentences follow each other without a connector, a more economical listing device than the fuller sentences with 'also' and 'too' used at 6.5 and 7.0 to add similar points.
   • LR“'latest' often means 'still works well'” — The scare-quoted near-pun on 'latest' is a genuinely idiomatic, witty observation that neither lower band attempts, adding a layer of dry humour to a fairly serious point.
   • GRA“It's less vanity than belonging, though it costs the same.” — This closing sentence balances two abstract nouns ('vanity', 'belonging') in a comparative structure, then undercuts it with 'though it costs the same' — a more sophisticated, ironic final move than the plain closing sentences at 6.5 and 7.0.

8. 8. Why do children often have a favourite toy that they take everywhere?

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

   Band 6.5

   'Most children stop needing it once they start school' closes with a plain factual final sentence.

   I think children have a favourite toy because it makes them feel safe when their parent is not there. My nephew's grey rabbit has been to three hospitals, a wedding and the sea, and it goes with him whenever the world feels strange. Small children are often in new situations they cannot control, so one familiar object gives them a piece of home to carry around. It helps them fall asleep away from their parents and calms them when they are scared. It is also something they own completely, in a life where they rarely get to decide anything. Most children stop needing it once they start school.

   Why this band

   • FC“Most children stop needing it once they start school.” — A short factual closing sentence. The 7.5 answer instead extends a similar idea with a wry final line about adults transferring the habit to a pair of glasses, giving the conclusion a more personal, reflective close.
   • LR“it goes with him whenever the world feels strange” — Plain and functional. The 7.5 answer's 'it goes wherever the world is strange' drops 'feels', making the claim sound more like a simple, established fact than a described impression.
   • GRA“Small children are often in new situations they cannot control, so one familiar object gives them a piece of home to carry around.” — A single 'so' clause draws the conclusion directly — clear and safe. The 7.5 answer instead inserts a dash-set list between the subject and the verb, a more layered structure for the same idea.

   Band 7.0

   'which is a fairly accurate description of what it's actually for' reflects on the rabbit's role rather than just describing it.

   Honestly, I'd say it's because the toy stands in for safety when a parent can't be there. My nephew's grey rabbit has been to three hospitals, a wedding and the sea, and it goes wherever the world feels strange, which is a fairly accurate description of what it's actually for. Small children are constantly in new situations they don't control, and one familiar object — with its smell, its softness, its history — becomes a piece of home they can carry. To be fair, it also helps them fall asleep away from a parent and calms them in fear, and it's something they own completely, in a life where almost nothing else is theirs to decide.

   Why this band

   • FC“To be fair, it also helps them fall asleep away from a parent and calms them in fear, and it's something they own completely” — 'To be fair' introduces a further function of the toy as a considered addition, a more developed move than the plain listing at 6.5.
   • LR“with its smell, its softness, its history” — This three-item asyndetic list is more vivid and sensory than the plain 6.5 description, identical to the phrase used at 7.5, showing this specific image is accessible from 7.0 upward.
   • GRA“one familiar object — with its smell, its softness, its history — becomes a piece of home they can carry” — A dash-set list interrupts the subject and verb, a more ambitious structure than the plain 'so' clause at 6.5, matching the 7.5 structure closely.

   Band 7.5

   The closing line 'Some of us just transfer it to a pair of glasses' connects the child's toy to the adult speaker in a single wry final sentence.

   Because the toy stands in for safety when the parent can't. My nephew's grey rabbit has been to three hospitals, a wedding and the sea, and it goes wherever the world is strange, which is a fair description of what it's for. Small children are constantly in new situations they don't control, and one familiar object — with its smell, its softness, its history — is a piece of home they can carry. It helps them fall asleep away from a parent and calms them in fear. It's also something they own completely, in a life where almost nothing is theirs to decide. Psychologists have a name for it, and most children give it up on their own around school age. Some of us just transfer it to a pair of glasses.

   Why this band

   • FC“Some of us just transfer it to a pair of glasses.” — This final sentence links the whole answer back to the speaker's own earlier glasses-related answers with a light, self-aware touch, a far more developed and personal close than the plain factual sentence used at 6.5.
   • LR“it goes wherever the world is strange, which is a fair description of what it's for” — Dropping the hedge word used at 7.0's 'fairly accurate' for the plainer 'a fair description' actually makes the claim feel more confident and settled, a subtle stylistic choice beyond the plain vocabulary at 6.5.
   • GRA“one familiar object — with its smell, its softness, its history — is a piece of home they can carry” — This dash-set list matches the structure used at 7.0 closely, but the main verb 'is' (rather than 'becomes') makes the claim more direct and less tentative, a small but genuine difference in confidence between the two bands.

9. 9. How does the media influence people's decisions about what they buy?

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

   Band 6.5

   'Almost nobody thinks they are influenced, but almost everyone buys what the season showed them' closes with a plain 'but' contrast.

   I think the media influences buying decisions more than people realise. An actor in a popular series wore thin round glasses one season, and within a month every optician's window in Da Nang was full of them, worn by people who would swear they chose the style themselves. The media shapes what looks normal and desirable, and people choose from inside that idea without noticing. Advertising does this directly, and films and social media do it more quietly, by showing a life and letting the objects in it become wants. Reviews also decide which options people even consider buying. Almost nobody thinks they are influenced, but almost everyone buys what the season showed them.

   Why this band

   • FC“Almost nobody thinks they are influenced, but almost everyone buys what the season showed them.” — 'But' signals the final contrast directly, a clear and basic device. The 7.5 answer instead states the identical contrast as two separate short sentences with no connector at all, letting the irony land more sharply.
   • LR“The media shapes what looks normal and desirable” — Plain and functional. The 7.5 answer adds a third adjective, 'current', extending the same claim with slightly more precision.
   • GRA“Advertising does this directly, and films and social media do it more quietly, by showing a life and letting the objects in it become wants.” — A single sentence coordinates two methods with 'and' — clear and safe. The 7.5 answer instead separates similar content into three short independent sentences, a more fragmented, rhetorical structure.

   Band 7.0

   'usually without their even noticing' inserts an intensifying 'even' into an otherwise plain claim.

   Honestly, more than people admit, and usually without their even noticing. An actor in a popular series wore thin round glasses one season, and within a month every optician's window in Da Nang was full of them, worn by people who'd swear they'd chosen the style themselves — the media shapes what looks normal, desirable and current, and people choose from inside that frame. To be fair, advertising does it directly, while films, series and influencers do it more sideways, by showing a life and letting the objects in it quietly become wants. Reviews and rankings decide which options people even consider. Almost nobody thinks they're influenced. Almost everyone, though, buys what the season showed them.

   Why this band

   • FC“To be fair, advertising does it directly, while films, series and influencers do it more sideways, by showing a life and letting the objects in it quietly become wants.” — 'To be fair' introduces the contrast between direct and indirect media influence as a considered claim, a more developed transition than the plain coordinated sentence at 6.5.
   • LR“the media shapes what looks normal, desirable and current” — A three-item list ('normal, desirable and current') is more precise than the plain two-item list at 6.5, matching the list used at 7.5 exactly.
   • GRA“worn by people who'd swear they'd chosen the style themselves — the media shapes what looks normal, desirable and current, and people choose from inside that frame” — A dash introduces a generalisation extending the specific example into an abstract claim within one sentence, a more integrated structure than the separate sentences used at 6.5 for example and generalisation.

   Band 7.5

   The four short parallel sentences 'Advertising does it directly. Films... News... Social media...' build a list through repetition rather than coordination.

   More than people admit and usually without their noticing. An actor in a popular series wore thin round glasses one season, and within a month every optician's window in Da Nang was full of them, worn by people who'd swear they chose the style themselves — the media shapes what looks normal, desirable and current, and people choose from inside that frame. Advertising does it directly. Films, series and influencers do it sideways, by showing a life and letting the objects in it become wants. Reviews and rankings decide which options people even consider. News creates panics and rushes. Social media adds the constant sight of what others have. Almost nobody thinks they're influenced. Almost everyone buys what the season showed them.

   Why this band

   • FC“Advertising does it directly. Films, series and influencers do it sideways, by showing a life and letting the objects in it become wants. Reviews and rankings decide which options people even consider. News creates panics and rushes. Social media adds the constant sight of what others have.” — Four short sentences, each naming a different channel, build the list through repeated sentence openings rather than coordination within one sentence, a considerably more rhetorical and confident structure than the single coordinated sentence used at 6.5.
   • LR“the media shapes what looks normal, desirable and current” — This three-item list matches the 7.0 version closely, but here it's followed immediately by four short illustrative sentences rather than a single further clause, showing the same vocabulary given more room to do its work.
   • GRA“Almost nobody thinks they're influenced. Almost everyone buys what the season showed them.” — Two short parallel sentences, both opening with 'Almost', replace the single 'but'-joined sentence used at 6.5, letting the irony of the contrast stand without any connecting word at all.