Band 7 Example

Question: What can you do with a laptop?

Idea 1

Educational Purposes
Model Answer
These days, I use my laptop for everything, especially for online courses I've started. I'm doing a computer programming course. It's self-paced, so I study when I can. There are also live webinars that are quite interesting. My laptop is more important to me now, as it's my main way to learn online.
Nowadays, I use my laptop for everything but something I’ve started doing recently is online courses. I joined a computer programming course and it’s self-access so I do it when I have the time, but there are also webinars that I can attend and they are really interesting. My laptop has become increasingly important to me as it’s like a gateway to learning online now.
Grammar Analysis
Present continuous: "something I've started doing recently" The present continuous is used to indicate an activity that started recently and is still ongoing. Present perfect: "I've started" This expression uses the present perfect tense to show an action that started in the past and continues to the present. Adjective phrase: "self-access" This adjective phrase serves as an attributive for the course, expressing the characteristics of the course, enhancing the descriptiveness and accuracy of language. Comparative form: "increasingly important" Using the comparative form to express the increasing importance of computers over time, demonstrating the complexity of spoken expression.
Vocabulary
  • programming course
  • self-access
  • webinars
  • laptop
  • a gateway

Idea 2

Work-Related Activities
Model Answer
I think many people are like me because I use my laptop for work. Everything I do is on my laptop. I have virtual meetings with my team almost every day and we often have teleconferences with customers from different countries, so now, I can’t do much if I don’t have my laptop with me, and I always take it wherever I go.
I imagine a lot of people are in the same boat as me as I use my laptop for work, as in everything I do now is on my laptop. I join virtual meetings nearly every day with my team and we have teleconferences with customers in different countries pretty regularly, so I’ve got to the point where I can’t do much without my laptop with me, and I take it everywhere.
Grammar Analysis
Present perfect tense: "I’ve got to the point" using the present perfect tense, indicates that the speaker’s reliance on the laptop has been a gradual process. Simple present and present continuous: The use of "I use my laptop for work" and "I join virtual meetings" displays the speaker's daily routine activities, while also showcasing the diversity of sentence structures. Object clause: "that I can't do much without my laptop" uses an object clause, adding complexity to the sentence and highlighting the importance of the laptop for the speaker's work.
Vocabulary
  • in the same boat
  • virtual meetings
  • teleconferences
  • pretty regularly