Band 7 Example

Question: Should the director pay a lot of money to famous actors?

Idea 1

Yes
Model Answer
Yes, I think directors should pay a lot of money to famous actors. The reason is that well-known actors can attract more people to watch the movie, which means higher ticket sales and more profit for the film. Also, famous actors are usually very experienced, so their acting is better and can make the movie more interesting. Their names can also help with advertising and getting sponsors, so I think it’s worth paying them more.
Yes, I believe it’s reasonable for directors to pay high salaries to famous actors. Well-known actors have a proven ability to draw large audiences, which can significantly boost box office sales and overall profits. Their reputation not only helps in promoting the film but also attracts media attention and potential investors. Moreover, established actors often bring a wealth of experience and professionalism to a project, which can enhance the quality of the film. In many cases, having a big name attached to a movie can even help secure funding or sponsorship, making it a smart investment for the director.
Grammar Analysis
1. Modal verbs for expressing opinion: "I believe it’s reasonable for directors to pay..." uses "believe" to introduce a personal opinion, which is a common and effective structure in IELTS Speaking Part 3. 2. Relative clauses: "Well-known actors have a proven ability to draw large audiences, which can significantly boost box office sales..." uses a relative clause ("which can...") to add extra information and complexity. 3. Parallel structure: "promoting the film but also attracts media attention and potential investors" uses parallelism to list multiple benefits, improving coherence and fluency. 4. Present participle phrase: "having a big name attached to a movie" uses a present participle phrase as the subject of the clause, showing advanced grammatical range.
Vocabulary
  • pay high salaries
  • famous actors
  • proven ability
  • draw large audiences
  • boost box office sales
  • overall profits
  • reputation
  • promoting the film
  • attracts media attention
  • potential investors
  • wealth of experience
  • professionalism
  • enhance the quality
  • big name attached to a movie
  • secure funding
  • sponsorship
  • smart investment

Idea 2

No
Model Answer
No, I don’t think directors should always pay so much money to famous actors. Sometimes, it makes the movie too expensive, and there are many good actors who are not famous but can do a great job. If all the money goes to one actor, there might not be enough left for other things like special effects or a good script. Also, it can make other actors and workers feel bad if they are paid much less.
On the other hand, I don’t think it’s always justified to pay huge sums to famous actors. Excessive salaries can make film production extremely costly and risky, especially if the movie doesn’t perform well at the box office. There are plenty of talented but lesser-known actors who deserve opportunities and can deliver outstanding performances. Overpaying stars can also lead to budget cuts in other crucial areas, such as special effects or script development, potentially lowering the overall quality of the film. Additionally, it may create resentment among the cast and crew, and there are many examples, like “Slumdog Millionaire,” where movies with unknown actors have become huge successes.
Grammar Analysis
1.Conditional clause: "especially if the movie doesn’t perform well at the box office" uses a conditional clause to show possible negative outcomes, adding complexity to the argument. 2.Passive voice: "it’s always justified to pay huge sums" uses passive voice to focus on the action rather than the doer, which is common in formal and academic English. 3.Relative clause: "who deserve opportunities and can deliver outstanding performances" uses a relative clause to add extra information about lesser-known actors, making the sentence richer and more detailed. 4.Gerund as subject: "Overpaying stars can also lead to budget cuts" uses a gerund ("overpaying") as the subject of the sentence, demonstrating advanced grammar usage.
Vocabulary
  • pay huge sums
  • excessive salaries
  • extremely costly and risky
  • plenty of talented but lesser-known actors
  • deliver outstanding performances
  • overpaying stars
  • budget cuts
  • crucial areas
  • lowering the overall quality
  • create resentment
  • unknown actors
  • huge successes