Band 7 Example

Question: Will you continue doing something when you are aware that it's a waste of time?

Idea 1

No, I would stop
Model Answer
No, I wouldn't keep doing something if I knew it was a waste of time. I like to use my time well, especially because I'm a student and have a lot to study. If I realise something is pointless, I'd rather do something useful or fun. I don't like feeling bored or like I'm not achieving anything.
No, I don't think I would continue doing something once I realised it was a waste of time. I try to use my time as efficiently as possible, especially since, as a student, my schedule is already packed. If something feels pointless, I'd much rather switch to an activity that's either productive or genuinely enjoyable. I really dislike the feeling of wasting time or being unproductive.
Grammar Analysis
1. Conditional clause: "once I realised it was a waste of time" uses a time clause to show under what condition the action would stop, demonstrating complex sentence structure. 2. Modal verb: "I don't think I would continue..." uses the modal verb "would" to express a hypothetical situation, which is appropriate for this type of question. 3. Comparative structure: "as efficiently as possible" uses a comparative structure to emphasize the effort to maximize efficiency. 4. Infinitive of purpose: "switch to an activity that's either productive or genuinely enjoyable" uses the infinitive "to" to show purpose, and the parallel structure "productive or genuinely enjoyable" adds fluency and clarity.
Vocabulary
  • waste of time
  • efficiently as possible
  • packed schedule
  • pointless
  • switch to an activity
  • productive
  • genuinely enjoyable
  • wasting time
  • unproductive

Idea 2

Sometimes, yes
Model Answer
Sometimes I still do things that aren't useful, even if I know they're a waste of time. For example, I watch funny videos online just to relax. It's hard to stop these habits right away, and sometimes I just want to take a break from studying. Everyone needs some downtime, even if it's not productive.
To be honest, sometimes I do continue with activities that I know are a bit of a time-waster, like scrolling through social media or watching silly videos. Even though they're not productive, they help me unwind and take my mind off things. It's not always easy to break these habits immediately, and I think everyone needs a bit of downtime now and then, even if it's not the most efficient use of time.
Grammar Analysis
1. Present simple and present continuous: The answer uses present simple ("I do continue", "they help me unwind") to talk about general habits, and present continuous (implied in "scrolling through social media") to describe ongoing actions, showing a good range of tenses. 2. Relative clause: "activities that I know are a bit of a time-waster" uses a relative clause to add detail, making the sentence more complex and natural. 3. Concessive clause: "Even though they're not productive, they help me unwind..." uses a concessive clause to contrast two ideas, which is a strong feature in spoken English. 4. Infinitive of purpose: "to break these habits immediately" uses the infinitive to express purpose, which is a natural way to explain reasons in English.
Vocabulary
  • time-waster
  • scrolling through social media
  • watching silly videos
  • help me unwind
  • take my mind off things
  • break these habits
  • downtime now and then
  • efficient use of time