Band 7 Example

Question: Do people in your country usually obey the law?

Idea 1

Mostly Yes
Model Answer
Yes, I think most people in my country do obey the law. People are taught from a young age by their parents and teachers to follow rules and respect the law. Also, there are strict punishments if you break the law, so most people are careful and want to avoid getting into trouble. Being a good citizen is important to many people here.
Generally speaking, most people in my country do follow the law. From childhood, we're taught by parents and teachers to respect rules and behave properly. Plus, the penalties for breaking the law can be quite severe, so people tend to be cautious. Obeying the law is also seen as a sign of being a responsible citizen, so there's a kind of social pressure to do the right thing.
Grammar Analysis
1. Present simple tense: Used throughout the answer (e.g., "most people...do follow the law," "we're taught," "people tend to be cautious") to express general truths and habits. 2. Passive voice: "We're taught by parents and teachers" uses the passive structure, which is a good way to vary sentence types and focus on the action rather than the doer. 3. Modal verbs: "can be quite severe" and "tend to be cautious" use modal verbs to express possibility and tendency, which adds nuance to the answer. 4. Complex sentences: The answer uses linking words like "plus" and "so" to connect ideas smoothly, showing good control of complex sentence structures.
Vocabulary
  • generally speaking
  • follow the law
  • respect rules
  • behave properly
  • penalties
  • breaking the law
  • quite severe
  • responsible citizen
  • social pressure
  • do the right thing

Idea 2

Sometimes No
Model Answer
But of course, not everyone always obeys the law. Some people break small rules, like crossing the street when the light is red or not wearing a helmet on a bike. In busy cities, people sometimes ignore the rules to save time, especially if they think no one is watching. Also, some people think certain laws are too strict or not necessary, so they don't always follow them.
However, it's not uncommon for people to break minor laws from time to time. For example, jaywalking or riding a bike without a helmet are pretty common, especially in big cities where people are always in a rush. Sometimes, people feel that certain laws are overly strict or unnecessary, so they might choose to ignore them if they believe they won't get caught. It's more about convenience than a lack of respect for the law itself.
Grammar Analysis
1. Use of hedging language: Phrases like "it's not uncommon" and "from time to time" soften the statement, making it less absolute and more nuanced, which is a good feature in spoken English. 2. Present continuous tense: "where people are always in a rush" uses the present continuous to describe a habitual action, which is natural in spoken English. 3. Conditional clause: "if they believe they won't get caught" is a first conditional, showing the cause and effect relationship and adding complexity to the sentence. 4. Comparative structure: "It's more about convenience than a lack of respect for the law itself" uses a comparative structure to clarify the main reason for the behavior, which is a sophisticated way to explain ideas.
Vocabulary
  • break minor laws
  • jaywalking
  • riding a bike without a helmet
  • overly strict
  • unnecessary
  • ignore them
  • won't get caught
  • convenience
  • lack of respect for the law