The Kind of House or Apartment You Would Like to Live In

Part 3 follow-up questions

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

1. 1. Do young people and older people prefer the same types of houses or apartments?

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

   Band 6.5

   The short opener "Not really — they want different things" and the separated final sentences keep each idea plain and self-contained.

   Not really — they want different things. My parents want one floor, an altar facing the street, and neighbours who can drop by. My colleagues in their twenties want a high floor, a nice view, a lift, and a locked door. Older people like space for family and tradition, often because they built the house themselves. Younger people like homes that are cheap, low-maintenance, and close to work and nightlife. Some of this is just age. Some of it is a real difference in taste between generations.

   Why this band

   • FC“Not really — they want different things.” — A plain, direct opening statement that answers the question immediately, without the reflective framing 7.0 and 7.5 both add before stating their position.
   • LR“close to work and nightlife” — Plain, everyday phrasing for the idea, compared with 7.5's more developed "near enough to work and nightlife to make either possible on a whim".
   • GRA“My parents want one floor, an altar facing the street, and neighbours who can drop by.” — A simple listing sentence joined with commas and "and" — correct and clear, but a more basic structure than the semicolon-and-dash parallel used at 7.5.

   Band 7.0

   The hedge "Honestly, not really" and the closing "To be fair" frame the comparison as considered personal judgement.

   Honestly, not really, and it comes down to what a home is for. My parents want a single floor, an altar facing the street, and neighbours who feel free to pop in, while my colleagues in their twenties want height, a view, a lift, and a door nobody knocks on. I'd say older people want space built around family and ritual, partly because they built or inherited the place and would feel a real loss leaving it. Younger people generally want something affordable and low-maintenance, close to work and nightlife. To be fair, part of the gap is simply age, and part is a genuine shift in taste.

   Why this band

   • FC“Honestly, not really, and it comes down to what a home is for.” — A hedge-opened reflection that reframes the question around purpose before answering it, more considered in tone than 6.5's flat "Not really".
   • LR“would feel a real loss leaving it” — A reflective, natural phrase for the emotional stake in ownership, more developed than 6.5's plainer account but less vivid than 7.5's closing image about towers and success.
   • GRA“My parents want a single floor, an altar facing the street, and neighbours who feel free to pop in, while my colleagues in their twenties want height, a view, a lift, and a door nobody knocks on.” — One long sentence built around a "while" contrast, more complex subordination than 6.5's two separate short sentences for the same comparison.

   Band 7.5

   The parallel imperative "picture a single floor... picture the opposite" and the closing idiom about "the calendar" give the comparison a vivid, evaluative shape.

   Not really, and the gap has less to do with money than with what people expect a home to do for them. My parents picture a single floor, an altar turned toward the street, neighbours who wander in unasked; my colleagues in their twenties picture the opposite — height, a view, a lift, a door that stays shut. Older residents gravitate toward houses built around family and ritual, often ones they raised themselves, which makes leaving feel like losing something. The young chase apartments that are cheap, low-maintenance, and near enough to work and nightlife to make either possible on a whim. Some of that divide is simply the calendar; some is a genuinely different generation's idea of success, towers included.

   Why this band

   • FC“Not really, and the gap has less to do with money than with what people expect a home to do for them.” — An evaluative reframing that rules out one explanation (money) before offering the real one, a more confident move than 7.0's hedge-led version of the same idea.
   • LR“a genuinely different generation's idea of success, towers included” — A vivid, idiomatic closing image that upgrades 7.0's plainer "a genuine shift in taste" and 6.5's bare "a real difference in taste between generations".
   • GRA“My parents picture a single floor, an altar turned toward the street, neighbours who wander in unasked; my colleagues in their twenties picture the opposite — height, a view, a lift, a door that stays shut.” — A semicolon-and-dash structure built on a repeated imperative ("picture... picture the opposite"), more flexible and compact than 7.0's single "while"-clause contrast.

2. 2. What are the most popular types of homes where you live?

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

   Band 6.5

   The plain label "a shophouse" for the third housing type keeps the description simple, without the compound term the higher bands invent instead.

   There are three main types, and they show the city's history. The tube house is narrow and deep, three or four floors on a small plot, and it's still the most common, built when land was cheap. The apartment tower is newer and growing fastest, mostly for young couples and people from other provinces. Between them is a shophouse — a shop below, family living above — common near the beach. Detached houses with gardens are rare, mostly for rich families or the countryside. Almost everyone wants their own front door, even in a tower.

   Why this band

   • FC“There are three main types, and they show the city's history.” — A plain, direct topic sentence stating the structure of the answer immediately, without the metaphorical framing 7.5 adds instead.
   • LR“a shophouse” — A simple, functional label for the shop-and-family housing type, compared with 7.0's "a hybrid" and 7.5's more precise "townhouse-with-shopfront".
   • GRA“The tube house is narrow and deep, three or four floors on a small plot, and it's still the most common, built when land was cheap.” — A sentence built from short clauses chained together with "and" — correct and clear, but a simpler pattern than the dash-set appositive used at 7.5.

   Band 7.0

   The hedge "Honestly" and the inserted "I'd say" frame the description of each housing type as personal observation rather than flat fact.

   Honestly, there are three shapes, and each tells you something about how the city grew. The tube house — narrow, deep, three or four storeys on a tiny plot — remains commonest, built back when land was cheap. The apartment tower, I'd say, is newest and fastest-growing, largely filled by young couples and arrivals from other provinces who can't afford land. Between the two sits a hybrid — shop downstairs, family above — which describes half the streets near the beach. Detached houses with gardens are rare in the city and mostly belong to the wealthy. What almost everyone still wants, to be fair, is a front door that's genuinely their own.

   Why this band

   • FC“Honestly, there are three shapes, and each tells you something about how the city grew.” — A hedge-opened statement that frames the list as a considered reading of the city, more reflective than 6.5's flat topic sentence and less rhetorically bold than 7.5's metaphor.
   • LR“a hybrid” — A moderately developed label for the mixed housing type, more precise than 6.5's plain "a shophouse" in framing but less compact than 7.5's compound term.
   • GRA“The apartment tower, I'd say, is newest and fastest-growing, largely filled by young couples and arrivals from other provinces who can't afford land.” — An inserted hedge ("I'd say") breaks up the main clause, a moderately complex structure distinct from 6.5's plain, unbroken listing sentences.

   Band 7.5

   The metaphor "a chapter of the city's history" and the compact invented label "townhouse-with-shopfront" give the description a more literary, evaluative edge.

   Three shapes, and each is a chapter of the city's history. The tube house — narrow, deep, three or four storeys squeezed onto a plot barely wider than a car — remains commonest, raised by families on land bought when it was still affordable. The apartment tower is newest and fastest-growing, filled largely by young couples priced out of land. Between them sits the townhouse-with-shopfront, a café below and the family above, which is how half the streets near the beach function. Detached houses with gardens are rare and mostly belong to the wealthy or the countryside. What almost everyone still wants is a front door of their own — something local architects, even in the towers, keep failing to provide.

   Why this band

   • FC“Three shapes, and each is a chapter of the city's history.” — A confident, metaphorical opening line that frames the list as a piece of urban history from the first sentence, going beyond 6.5's plain topic sentence and 7.0's hedge-led version.
   • LR“priced out of land” — A precise, economical idiom that upgrades 6.5 and 7.0's nearly identical plainer phrase "can't afford land".
   • GRA“Between them sits the townhouse-with-shopfront, a café below and the family above, which is how half the streets near the beach function.” — A compact, appositive-heavy sentence built around an invented compound noun, more flexible than 7.0's dash-set "a hybrid" description of the same housing type.

3. 3. In your country, do people generally rent their homes or buy them?

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

   Band 6.5

   The plain triad "safety, status, and security" states the reasons for buying directly, without the layered "rolled into one" phrasing the higher bands use instead.

   Buying, if people can manage it — you can see it on my parents' faces when I mention renting. Owning a home means safety, status, and security for the family's future, so renting for years, like I did, looks strange to them. Most families save everything, often with help from relatives, to buy land or a house. Renting is common among young people and migrants in cities, and it's growing as prices rise. But people still see it as temporary. When I bought land in Hue, my family was happier than about any promotion.

   Why this band

   • FC“Buying, if people can manage it — you can see it on my parents' faces when I mention renting.” — A direct opening statement paired with a concrete image, plainer than 7.0's hedge-opened version and 7.5's dash-punctuated one, though it makes the same basic move.
   • LR“Owning a home means safety, status, and security for the family's future” — A plain triad of nouns stating the idea directly, compared with 7.0 and 7.5's more compact "rolled into one" phrasing of the same list.
   • GRA“Most families save everything, often with help from relatives, to buy land or a house.” — A simple sentence with one inserted phrase — correct and clear, but plainer than the longer, more layered sentences used at 7.0 and 7.5 for the same idea.

   Band 7.0

   The hedge "Honestly" and the inserted "which I did" frame the renting-versus-buying contrast as lived, personal experience rather than general fact.

   Honestly, buying, whenever people can manage it, and my parents' reaction whenever I mention renting says everything. A home you own is treated as security, status and the family's future rolled into one, so a decade of renting, which I did, looks to the older generation like paying off somebody else's mortgage. Most families pour every spare resource into land or a house, often with relatives' help and years of sacrifice. Renting is common among the young and migrants in the cities, growing as prices outrun salaries. To be fair, though, it's still treated as a stage, not a life. My family greeted my small plot in Hue with more relief than any promotion.

   Why this band

   • FC“Honestly, buying, whenever people can manage it, and my parents' reaction whenever I mention renting says everything.” — A hedge-opened statement that closes with a confident evaluative clause, more reflective than 6.5's plainer version of the same opening move.
   • LR“looks to the older generation like paying off somebody else's mortgage” — A natural, developed idiom for the older generation's view of renting, more vivid than 6.5's plain "looks strange to them".
   • GRA“A home you own is treated as security, status and the family's future rolled into one, so a decade of renting, which I did, looks to the older generation like paying off somebody else's mortgage.” — A long sentence with an inserted aside ("which I did") feeding into a result clause ("so"), more complex than 6.5's separate, shorter sentences.

   Band 7.5

   The closing dash clause "which tells you where the real priority sits" turns the plot-of-land anecdote directly into the answer's final judgement.

   Buying, whenever people can possibly manage it — and my parents' faces every time I mention renting tell you exactly why. A home you own is treated as security, status and the family's future rolled into one, so a decade of renting, which is what I did, looks to the older generation like quietly funding somebody else's mortgage. Most families pour every spare resource into land or a house, propped up by relatives' help and years of sacrifice. Renting stays common among the young and migrants in the cities, growing simply because prices are outrunning ordinary salaries. But it's still read as a waiting room, never somewhere to settle. When I finally bought a modest plot in Hue, my family met the news with more relief than any promotion of mine — which tells you where the real priority sits.

   Why this band

   • FC“Buying, whenever people can possibly manage it — and my parents' faces every time I mention renting tell you exactly why.” — A dash-punctuated opener that promises an explanation and delivers it in the same breath, a sharper move than 7.0's softer hedge-led opening.
   • LR“read as a waiting room, never somewhere to settle” — A vivid metaphor for how renting is perceived, more idiomatic than 7.0's plainer "treated as a stage, not a life" and 6.5's bare "see it as temporary".
   • GRA“my family met the news with more relief than any promotion of mine — which tells you where the real priority sits” — A dash-linked closing clause that draws an explicit conclusion from the anecdote, more flexible and evaluative than 7.0's plainer closing sentence on the same story.

4. 4. Do you think homes in the future will use more technology in their design?

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

   Band 6.5

   The short opener "Yes, more technology, but I hope the right kind" states the position plainly, without the concessive hedge the higher bands add.

   Yes, more technology, but I hope the right kind. My parents love their robot vacuum, but turned off the smart lock after a week because it made them feel watched. I think future homes will use technology we don't really notice — solar panels, better insulation, water recycling, and sensors for falls or leaks. We probably need less technology that just talks to us, like a smart fridge. Homes should also let older people stay in them safely. Good technology should be invisible.

   Why this band

   • FC“Yes, more technology, but I hope the right kind.” — A short, direct statement of position joined by a simple "but", plainer than 7.0 and 7.5's hedge-opened versions of the same idea.
   • LR“made them feel watched” — Plain phrasing for the discomfort with the smart lock, compared with 7.5's more precise "made them feel monitored".
   • GRA“My parents love their robot vacuum, but turned off the smart lock after a week because it made them feel watched.” — A single sentence with "but" and "because" — correct and clear, but simpler coordination than the dash-linked generalising sentence built on the same anecdote at 7.0 and 7.5.

   Band 7.0

   The hedge "Honestly, yes" and the closing "To be fair" frame the prediction as personal judgement, and the dash-linked clause turns the anecdote into a general test.

   Honestly, yes, more technology, though I hope it's the right kind. My parents love their robot vacuum but disabled the smart lock within a week, because one does a job while the other made them feel watched — that's roughly the test future homes should pass. I'd say we'll see more invisible technology: solar panels, batteries, software-run insulation, water systems that recycle themselves, sensors quietly watching for a fall or a leak. Probably less of the fridge that wants to chat. Homes will be designed around ageing safely in place, with monitoring that still respects privacy. To be fair, the real skill will be making all of this vanish into the walls.

   Why this band

   • FC“Honestly, yes, more technology, though I hope it's the right kind.” — A hedge-and-concession opener that softens the claim into a considered opinion, more reflective than 6.5's flat statement of the same position.
   • LR“vanish into the walls” — A reflective, developed phrase for invisible design, more natural than 6.5's plain "invisible" but less vivid than 7.5's "disappears rather than announces itself".
   • GRA“My parents love their robot vacuum but disabled the smart lock within a week, because one does a job while the other made them feel watched — that's roughly the test future homes should pass.” — A dash-linked sentence turning the anecdote directly into a general rule, more complex than 6.5's plainer coordinated sentence on the same story.

   Band 7.5

   The contrast "the useful kind rather than the gimmicky kind" and the closing aphorism "a home that needs a manual has already failed" bracket the answer with evaluative judgement.

   More technology, yes, though I'd hope for the useful kind rather than the gimmicky kind. My parents adore their robot vacuum yet disabled the smart lock inside a week, simply because one quietly does its job while the other made them feel monitored — that, roughly, is the test future homes should be judged by. I'd expect growth in technology that disappears rather than announces itself: solar roofs, batteries, software-tuned insulation, water systems that recycle themselves, sensors that notice a fall before anyone has to ask. Less, hopefully, of the fridge that strikes up conversation. Homes will increasingly be built for ageing in place, with monitoring careful enough to respect privacy. A home that needs a manual has already failed.

   Why this band

   • FC“More technology, yes, though I'd hope for the useful kind rather than the gimmicky kind.” — A confident concessive opener that draws its own distinction (useful versus gimmicky) rather than just answering, a sharper move than 7.0's softer hedge.
   • LR“technology that disappears rather than announces itself” — A vivid, idiomatic personification of invisible design that upgrades 7.0's plainer "invisible technology" and 6.5's bare "we don't really notice".
   • GRA“A home that needs a manual has already failed.” — A short, punchy final clause acting as a stand-alone aphorism, a more flexible closing device than 7.0's longer explanatory sentence on the same point.

5. 5. How might changes in society, such as smaller families or an ageing population, affect the design of homes?

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

   Band 6.5

   The plain sentence "I'm actually living this question right now" states the personal connection directly, without the metaphor the higher bands use instead.

   I'm actually living this question right now. I'm designing a house for my parents with no stairs, wide doors, and a wheelchair-friendly bathroom, plus just one spare room instead of a whole floor for a big family. It's built for two older people, not three generations. Smaller families need smaller homes, with rooms that can change use. More people living alone means buildings need shared spaces so people aren't lonely. An older population needs no stairs, lifts, and good lighting. Old family houses full of stairs will become a real problem.

   Why this band

   • FC“I'm actually living this question right now.” — A plain, direct way of introducing the personal example, simpler than 7.0's hedge and 7.5's more literary framing of the same idea.
   • LR“no stairs, wide doors, and a wheelchair-friendly bathroom” — A plain, functional list of features, compared with 7.5's more developed "skips stairs entirely, widens every doorway, and gives them a bathroom a wheelchair could move through freely".
   • GRA“It's built for two older people, not three generations.” — A short, simple comparative sentence — correct and clear, but far less layered than the long dash-linked sentence built on the same contrast at 7.0 and 7.5.

   Band 7.0

   The hedge "Honestly, I'm working out the answer in real time" frames the design brief as live personal experience, and the dash-linked clause turns it into a general rule.

   Honestly, I'm working out the answer in real time. The house I'm drawing for my parents has no stairs, wide doorways, and a bathroom a wheelchair can actually get into, with one spare room for a visiting grandchild rather than a whole floor — it's designed for two ageing people, not the three generations old houses assumed. I'd say smaller families mean smaller, more flexible homes, and more people living alone pushes buildings toward shared spaces so nobody's cut off. An ageing population, to be fair, means single floors, lifts, better lighting, and homes that can adapt. The old family house, full of stairs, is going to become a problem for many families at once.

   Why this band

   • FC“Honestly, I'm working out the answer in real time.” — A hedge that frames the personal project as an unfolding, considered process, more reflective than 6.5's flat statement of the same fact.
   • LR“the three generations old houses assumed” — A reflective phrase pointing to an unspoken assumption in older design, more developed than 6.5's plain comparison but less vivid than 7.5's closing image of a house "built for a household that no longer exists".
   • GRA“The house I'm drawing for my parents has no stairs, wide doorways, and a bathroom a wheelchair can actually get into, with one spare room for a visiting grandchild rather than a whole floor — it's designed for two ageing people, not the three generations old houses assumed.” — A long dash-linked sentence turning a list of features into a general design principle, more complex than 6.5's short, separate sentences on the same project.

   Band 7.5

   The dash-bracketed appositive "oversized, stair-heavy" turns the closing sentence into a compact, evaluative verdict on the old family house.

   I'm effectively designing the answer as we speak. The house I'm drawing for my parents skips stairs entirely, widens every doorway, and gives them a bathroom a wheelchair could move through freely, with one spare room for a visiting grandchild rather than a floor built for three generations — it's a home for two ageing people, not the extended household the old layouts assumed. Smaller families point toward smaller, adaptable homes, and more people living alone is nudging buildings toward shared spaces so solitude doesn't tip into isolation. An ageing population calls for single-storey living, lifts, better lighting, and houses built to adapt rather than be rebuilt. The old family house — oversized, stair-heavy — is quietly becoming a crisis for millions of families at once.

   Why this band

   • FC“I'm effectively designing the answer as we speak.” — A confident, faintly witty framing of the personal project as a live demonstration, sharper than 7.0's more literal hedge on the same idea.
   • LR“solitude doesn't tip into isolation” — A precise, idiomatic distinction that upgrades 6.5's plain "so people aren't lonely" and 7.0's slightly fuller but plainer "so nobody's cut off".
   • GRA“The old family house — oversized, stair-heavy — is quietly becoming a crisis for millions of families at once.” — A dash-bracketed appositive inserted mid-sentence before the main verb, a more flexible, layered structure than 7.0's simpler comma-listed closing sentence.

6. 6. How does climate influence the design of homes in different countries?

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

   Band 6.5

   The plain opening claim "You can see the weather in a country's houses" states the whole idea directly, without the idiom the higher bands build the same claim around.

   You can see the weather in a country's houses. In central Vietnam, where typhoons happen, old houses are low with heavy roofs tied down against the wind. The new concrete houses get very hot by midday because they weren't designed for the sun. In the Mekong Delta, houses are on stilts because floods come every year, so water passes underneath. In the mountains, walls are thicker and windows smaller for the cold. In snowy places, roofs are steep so snow doesn't stay. Desert houses use shade and thick mud walls. Electricity bills are now teaching us air conditioning isn't a real substitute.

   Why this band

   • FC“You can see the weather in a country's houses.” — A short, plain claim stated as simple fact, without the reflective hedge 7.0 adds or the more idiomatic phrasing used at 7.5.
   • LR“get very hot by midday” — Plain, functional phrasing, compared with 7.5's more vivid "turn into ovens by noon" for the same idea.
   • GRA“In central Vietnam, where typhoons happen, old houses are low with heavy roofs tied down against the wind.” — A single sentence with one relative clause — correct and clear, but simpler than the "whereas... since" layered sentence built on the same contrast at 7.0.

   Band 7.0

   The hedge "Honestly, you can more or less read" opens the answer as personal observation, and the semicolon lets two regional contrasts sit side by side in one sentence.

   Honestly, you can more or less read the local weather in the shape of the houses. Along the typhoon-hit coast of central Vietnam, older homes sit low with heavy tiled roofs lashed against the wind, whereas the concrete boxes that replaced them turn into ovens by midday, since nobody designed them for the sun. In the Mekong Delta, houses stand on stilts because floods arrive like clockwork, so the design lets water pass beneath. Head north and walls thicken while windows shrink against the cold; go somewhere snowy and roofs steepen so nothing settles. Desert homes, I'd say, rely on shade and thick mud walls. The mistake of the last fifty years was assuming air conditioning made all this optional.

   Why this band

   • FC“Honestly, you can more or less read the local weather in the shape of the houses.” — A hedge-softened claim that frames the observation as personal reading rather than flat fact, more reflective than 6.5's bare statement of the same idea.
   • LR“turn into ovens by midday” — A vivid image for extreme heat, more developed than 6.5's plain "get very hot by midday", though slightly less compact than 7.5's "turn into ovens by noon".
   • GRA“Head north and walls thicken while windows shrink against the cold; go somewhere snowy and roofs steepen so nothing settles.” — A semicolon lets two parallel imperative-led clauses sit side by side, a more flexible structure than 6.5's separate short sentences for the same two regions.

   Band 7.5

   The verb choice "crouch low" and the closing dash-linked aside "rather bluntly" give the description of each climate a vivid, almost personified evaluative edge.

   You can more or less read the local weather straight off the shape of the houses. Along the typhoon-battered coast of central Vietnam, older homes crouch low under heavy tiled roofs lashed against the wind, while the concrete boxes that replaced them turn into ovens by noon, never designed with the sun in mind at all. In the Mekong Delta, houses stand on stilts because the flood arrives as reliably as the calendar, so the design lets water slide underneath instead of fighting it. Head north and walls thicken while windows shrink against the cold; go somewhere properly snowy and roofs steepen so nothing settles for long. Desert homes are organised entirely around shade and thick mud walls. Electricity bills, rather bluntly, are now teaching us that air conditioning never made any of this optional.

   Why this band

   • FC“You can more or less read the local weather straight off the shape of the houses.” — A confident, idiomatic opening claim ("read... straight off") that goes beyond 6.5's plain statement and 7.0's hedge-softened version of the same idea.
   • LR“crouch low under heavy tiled roofs lashed against the wind” — A vivid, almost personified verb choice ("crouch") that upgrades 6.5's plain "are low" and 7.0's near-identical "sit low".
   • GRA“Electricity bills, rather bluntly, are now teaching us that air conditioning never made any of this optional.” — A closing sentence with an inserted adverbial aside ("rather bluntly"), a more flexible structure than 7.0's plainer closing sentence on the same point.

7. 7. What are the advantages and disadvantages of owning a home?

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

   Band 6.5

   The plain topic sentence "The advantages are safety and a kind of freedom" states the point directly, without the hedge 7.0 adds or the idiom "boil down to" used at 7.5.

   The advantages are safety and a kind of freedom. My parents' house, fully paid off, is like a safety net — nobody can raise the rent or make them leave, and it will one day go to me and my sister. Owners can change their home however they want, and value usually goes up over time. The disadvantages are also clear — their roof leaks, and only they can pay to fix it. Owning ties you to one place, even if your job moves, and it uses up savings. For a settled family, owning is usually a good choice, but for someone young who moves around, renting has made more sense.

   Why this band

   • FC“The advantages are safety and a kind of freedom.” — A plain, direct topic sentence stating the answer's two-part structure immediately, without the hedge 7.0 adds or the idiom "boil down to" used at 7.5.
   • LR“a safety net” — A simple, familiar metaphor reused across all three bands, showing that the image itself doesn't need to change — only the sentence built around it does.
   • GRA“My parents' house, fully paid off, is like a safety net — nobody can raise the rent or make them leave, and it will one day go to me and my sister.” — A dash-linked list — correct and clear, but a simpler version of the same sentence pattern developed further at 7.0 and 7.5.

   Band 7.0

   The hedge "come down to" opens the answer as personal judgement, and the closing "honestly" reasserts that tone right before the final verdict.

   Honestly, the advantages come down to security and a kind of freedom. My parents' place, paid off years ago, works as the family's safety net — nobody can raise the rent on them, and it will eventually pass to me and my sister. Owners can change whatever they like, and property tends to hold or grow in value. The disadvantages, though, are just as visible, starting with their roof, which leaks and is theirs alone to fix. Owning ties people to one location even when a job wants to move them, and it swallows savings that could have gone elsewhere. For someone settled with a family, I'd say it's usually the right call; for someone young and mobile, renting has honestly made more sense.

   Why this band

   • FC“Honestly, the advantages come down to security and a kind of freedom.” — A hedge-opened idiom ("come down to") that frames the summary as a considered judgement, more reflective than 6.5's flat topic sentence.
   • LR“swallows savings that could have gone elsewhere” — A natural, developed collocation for the financial cost of ownership, more vivid than 6.5's plain "uses up savings".
   • GRA“Owning ties people to one location even when a job wants to move them, and it swallows savings that could have gone elsewhere.” — A two-clause sentence joined by "and", more layered than 6.5's separate short sentences for the same two disadvantages.

   Band 7.5

   The idiom "boil down to" and the closing aside "frankly, the more sensible option" frame the whole comparison with a dry, evaluative edge.

   The advantages boil down to security and a particular kind of freedom. My parents' house, paid off years ago, functions as the family's safety net — nobody can raise the rent on them or turf them out, and it will eventually pass to my sister and me. Owners get to reshape the place however they like, and property, more often than not, holds or grows in value. The disadvantages are equally visible, starting with their roof, which leaks and is theirs alone to fix, on their own time and expense. Ownership ties people to one spot even when a job wants to pull them elsewhere, and it swallows savings that might have gone into something else entirely. For someone settled, it's usually the right call; for someone young and mobile, as I was for a decade, renting was, frankly, the more sensible option.

   Why this band

   • FC“The advantages boil down to security and a particular kind of freedom.” — A confident idiomatic opener ("boil down to") stated without a hedge, sharper than 7.0's version of the identical idiom softened by "Honestly".
   • LR“renting was, frankly, the more sensible option” — A vivid, evaluative closing phrase that upgrades 7.0's flatter "renting has honestly made more sense" with a dry final twist.
   • GRA“Ownership ties people to one spot even when a job wants to pull them elsewhere, and it swallows savings that might have gone into something else entirely.” — A more elaborated version of the same two-clause sentence used at 7.0, with fuller phrasing in each clause, giving it a more developed, layered rhythm.

8. 8. What are the disadvantages of living in an apartment compared with living in a house?

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

   Band 6.5

   The plain phrase "small but constant" sums up the disadvantages directly, compared with the more developed contrast the higher bands draw between one disaster and many small ones.

   I lived in an apartment tower for three years, and the problems were small but constant. I rode a lift full of strangers instead of a street full of neighbours, the landlord said we couldn't use the roof, and I couldn't leave my door open on a warm evening. There was nowhere to grow a plant in real soil either. Apartments depend on the management company for everything, and a bad one is hard to escape. Noise travels through the walls. Children have nowhere to play except a corridor. Fees usually rise. A house gives you ground, your own door, and more control — I wanted the ground.

   Why this band

   • FC“I lived in an apartment tower for three years, and the problems were small but constant.” — A plain, direct topic sentence that states the answer's shape immediately, simpler than 7.0's hedge-opened version and 7.5's more reflective framing.
   • LR“small but constant” — A plain adjective pair summing up the disadvantages, compared with 7.5's more developed "small, accumulating ones rather than any single disaster".
   • GRA“I rode a lift full of strangers instead of a street full of neighbours, the landlord said we couldn't use the roof, and I couldn't leave my door open on a warm evening.” — A triple-clause sentence joined with commas and "and" — correct and clear, but a simpler pattern than the semicolon-chained fragment list used at 7.5 for the same details.

   Band 7.0

   The hedge "Honestly" opens and closes the answer, framing the whole list of disadvantages as lived, personal reflection rather than a generic complaint.

   Honestly, I lived in a tower for three years, and the disadvantages turned out to be the small, everyday ones. A lift full of strangers instead of a street full of neighbours, a landlord's rule putting the roof off limits, no door I could leave open on a warm evening, and nowhere for a plant to actually grow. Apartments depend on the management company for everything, from water to the lifts, and a bad one becomes a permanent condition of your life. Noise travels easily through the walls, there's no outdoor space that's genuinely yours, and children end up with a corridor to run in. Fees only move in one direction. A house gives you ground, a door, and real control — and honestly, I wanted the ground.

   Why this band

   • FC“Honestly, I lived in a tower for three years, and the disadvantages turned out to be the small, everyday ones.” — A hedge-opened topic sentence that reflects on the pattern behind the disadvantages, more considered than 6.5's flatter version of the same claim.
   • LR“becomes a permanent condition of your life” — A natural, developed phrase for chronic dependence on management, more vivid than 6.5's plain "hard to escape".
   • GRA“A lift full of strangers instead of a street full of neighbours, a landlord's rule putting the roof off limits, no door I could leave open on a warm evening, and nowhere for a plant to actually grow.” — A verb-less fragment list stacking four parallel details in one sentence, a moderately complex structure distinct from 6.5's fully verbed listing sentence.

   Band 7.5

   The evaluative opener "small, accumulating ones rather than any single disaster" frames the whole list as a pattern, not just a set of complaints, and the semicolon-chained fragments carry that pattern through the sentence.

   I spent three years living in a tower, and the disadvantages turned out to be the small, accumulating ones rather than any single disaster. A lift crowded with strangers instead of a street full of familiar faces; a landlord's rule keeping the roof off limits; no door I could leave open on a warm evening; nowhere for a plant to put down real roots. Apartments leave you dependent on a management company for everything, and a poor one becomes a near-permanent condition of daily life. Noise seeps through walls as a matter of course, there's no outdoor space that's genuinely your own, and children are left with a corridor as the closest thing to somewhere to run. A house buys you ground, a door of your own, and real control — and in the end, it was the ground I wanted.

   Why this band

   • FC“the disadvantages turned out to be the small, accumulating ones rather than any single disaster” — An evaluative framing that names the pattern behind the list before giving it, a more analytical move than 7.0's plainer "the small, everyday ones".
   • LR“a corridor as the closest thing to somewhere to run” — A vivid, understated image for the lack of outdoor space, more precise than 7.0's plainer "a corridor to run in" and 6.5's bare "nowhere to play except a corridor".
   • GRA“A lift crowded with strangers instead of a street full of familiar faces; a landlord's rule keeping the roof off limits; no door I could leave open on a warm evening; nowhere for a plant to put down real roots.” — A semicolon-chained fragment list stacking four parallel details, a more flexible and compact structure than 7.0's comma-and-"and"-joined version of the same list.

9. 9. Do you think governments should be responsible for making sure there is enough housing for people to buy?

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

   Band 6.5

   The plain claim "the city has problems" states the consequence directly, without the more developed image the higher bands use for the same idea.

   Yes, governments should make sure there is enough housing, but not necessarily enough for everyone to own. Junior staff at my studio can't afford to buy anywhere near work, while along the beach there are whole buildings of flats bought only as investments and never lived in. This is a problem the government should fix, with taxes on empty homes and more land released for building. Housing is a basic need, and when teachers and nurses can't afford a city, the city has problems. Some countries manage well with safe, affordable renting instead. The government's real job is making homes affordable, whether people own them or not.

   Why this band

   • FC“Yes, governments should make sure there is enough housing, but not necessarily enough for everyone to own.” — A plain, direct statement of the two-part position, simpler than 7.0's hedge-opened version and 7.5's semicolon-balanced opening of the same idea.
   • LR“the city has problems” — Vague, general phrasing for the consequence of pricing out ordinary workers, compared with 7.5's more vivid "a city quietly stops functioning underneath its own success".
   • GRA“This is a problem the government should fix, with taxes on empty homes and more land released for building.” — A simple sentence with an inserted example — correct and clear, but a more basic structure than the long dash-linked sentence built on the same point at 7.0 and 7.5.

   Band 7.0

   The hedge "Honestly, yes" and the closing "to be fair" frame the two-part answer as a personal, considered position rather than a flat rule.

   Honestly, yes, for enough housing overall, though not necessarily for everyone owning one. Junior staff at my studio can't buy anything within an hour of work, while towers along the beach road sit bought purely as investments and never lived in — which looks like a market failure the government should correct, through taxes on empty homes and building for ordinary incomes rather than investors. Housing is a basic need, and once the market prices out teachers and nurses, the whole city starts to struggle. I'd be more careful, though, about pushing ownership as the goal for everyone; some countries manage well with secure, affordable renting. The state's job, to be fair, is enough decent homes at prices people can actually pay.

   Why this band

   • FC“Honestly, yes, for enough housing overall, though not necessarily for everyone owning one.” — A hedge-and-concession opener that states the two-part position in one breath, more reflective than 6.5's flatter two-sentence version of the same claim.
   • LR“the whole city starts to struggle” — A natural, compact phrase for the effect of pricing out workers, more developed than 6.5's vague "the city has problems", though plainer than 7.5's fuller metaphor.
   • GRA“Junior staff at my studio can't buy anything within an hour of work, while towers along the beach road sit bought purely as investments and never lived in — which looks like a market failure the government should correct, through taxes on empty homes and building for ordinary incomes rather than investors.” — One long sentence combining a "while" contrast with a dash-linked evaluative clause and a list of solutions, considerably more complex than 6.5's separate, shorter sentences.

   Band 7.5

   The semicolon-balanced opener "Responsible for enough housing, yes; responsible for everyone owning it, not necessarily" states the two-part position as a single, weighted judgement.

   Responsible for enough housing, yes; responsible for everyone owning it, not necessarily. Junior staff at my studio can't buy anything within an hour of the office, while whole towers along the beach road sit bought purely as investments and never lived in for a single night — that's a market failure a government ought to correct, through taxes on empty homes and building deliberately for ordinary incomes rather than for portfolios. Housing is a basic need, and once the market prices out teachers and nurses, a city quietly stops functioning underneath its own success. Where I'd be more cautious is the goal of ownership for everyone; plenty of countries manage well with secure, affordable renting. The state's real job is enough decent homes at prices people can pay — whether they own them matters far less than whether they can stay.

   Why this band

   • FC“Responsible for enough housing, yes; responsible for everyone owning it, not necessarily.” — A semicolon-balanced opener that states both halves of the position as a single confident judgement, more compact than 7.0's hedge-opened, fuller version of the same idea.
   • LR“a city quietly stops functioning underneath its own success” — A vivid, paradoxical metaphor for the consequence of pricing out ordinary workers, more developed than 7.0's plainer "the whole city starts to struggle" and 6.5's bare "the city has problems".
   • GRA“never lived in for a single night — that's a market failure a government ought to correct, through taxes on empty homes and building deliberately for ordinary incomes rather than for portfolios” — A dash-linked clause naming the market failure directly, then listing solutions with the pointed contrast "rather than for portfolios", more compact and pointed than 7.0's longer version of the same sentence.