Topic:Giving advice to a friend about choosing a university major When it was I’d like to talk about a time when I gave advice to my close friend about two years ago, just after we graduated from high school. It was a really important period in our lives because we both had to decide what to study at university, which would have a huge impact on our future careers. To whom you gave the advice The person I gave advice to was my best friend, Lily. We had been classmates for many years and shared a lot of interests, but when it came to choosing a university major, she was really confused and stressed out. She wasn’t sure whether to follow her parents’ wishes and study finance, or to pursue her own passion for literature. What the advice was The advice I gave her was to listen to her heart and consider what would make her happy in the long run. I told her that while it’s important to think about job prospects and financial stability, it’s equally crucial to choose something that she genuinely enjoys and feels passionate about. I suggested that she talk to people who worked in both fields, maybe even do some internships or attend lectures, so she could get a better understanding of what each path involved. I also encouraged her to have an honest conversation with her parents about her feelings and ambitions. And explain why you gave the advice The reason I gave her this advice was because I had seen other friends regret their choices after being pressured into studying something they didn’t like. I didn’t want Lily to end up unhappy or unmotivated in her studies. I believed that if she followed her interests, she would be more likely to succeed and find fulfillment in her career. In the end, she decided to major in literature, and she’s been thriving ever since. Looking back, I’m really glad I could help her make such an important decision, and it also made our friendship even stronger. This experience taught me the value of giving thoughtful advice and supporting the people I care about.

- **Complex Sentences & Subordination:** The answer uses a variety of complex sentences and subordinate clauses, which is characteristic of a Band 7.0 response. For example: “It was a really important period in our lives because we both had to decide what to study at university, which would have a huge impact on our future careers.” The use of “because” and “which” to connect ideas shows grammatical flexibility. - **Accurate Use of Tenses:** The past simple is used to narrate the event (“I gave advice,” “she was confused”), while present perfect and present simple are used to describe ongoing effects (“she’s been thriving ever since,” “it also made our friendship even stronger”). - **Reported Speech:** The answer demonstrates the ability to use reported speech correctly: “I told her that while it’s important to think about job prospects…” - **Conditional Sentences:** The use of conditionals adds depth: “if she followed her interests, she would be more likely to succeed…” - **Pronoun Reference & Cohesion:** Pronouns are used effectively to maintain cohesion and avoid repetition, e.g., “she,” “her,” “we,” “it.” - **Passive Voice:** Passive constructions are used appropriately, e.g., “she wasn’t sure whether to follow her parents’ wishes…”