Band 7 Example

Question: Is there a difference between where you meet friends now and where you used to meet them in the past?

Idea 1

Yes, there is a difference
Model Answer
Yes, there is a difference. Now, I usually meet my friends in cafes or shopping malls because it’s more comfortable and convenient. When I was younger, I used to meet friends at school or in parks, since we didn’t have much money.
Yes, there’s definitely a difference between where I meet friends now and in the past. These days, I usually meet up with friends in cafes, restaurants, or shopping malls because they’re more comfortable and convenient. When I was younger, we mostly met at school, in parks, or at each other’s homes, mainly because we didn’t have much money or freedom to go elsewhere.
Grammar Analysis
1. Comparative structure: The answer clearly contrasts the present and the past by using phrases like "these days" and "when I was younger," showing the ability to compare different time periods. 2. Use of adverbial clauses: "mainly because we didn’t have much money or freedom to go elsewhere" is an adverbial clause of reason, providing clear justification for the difference. 3. Present and past tense: The answer switches appropriately between present simple ("I usually meet up") and past simple ("we mostly met"), demonstrating good control of verb tenses.
Vocabulary
  • meet up with friends
  • comfortable and convenient
  • mainly because
  • didn’t have much money or freedom
  • go elsewhere

Idea 2

No, not much difference
Model Answer
No, there isn’t much difference. I still like meeting my friends at home or in parks, just like before. I feel comfortable in these places and my friends like them too.
Actually, there hasn’t been much change for me. I still prefer meeting my friends at home or in parks, just like I did in the past. My close friends and I have always enjoyed quiet places, so our meeting spots have stayed pretty much the same over the years.
Grammar Analysis
1. Present perfect tense: "there hasn’t been much change for me" uses the present perfect to describe a situation that started in the past and continues to the present. 2. Use of comparative structure: "just like I did in the past" compares the present with the past, showing the ability to make time comparisons. 3. Present perfect continuous idea: "have always enjoyed" shows a habit or preference that started in the past and continues up to now.
Vocabulary
  • at home or in parks
  • quiet places
  • stayed pretty much the same
  • over the years

Idea 3

It depends
Model Answer
It depends. If I meet old friends from school, we still go to the same places, but with new friends, we sometimes try new cafes or restaurants. Also, sometimes we just chat online now.
It really depends on the situation. For example, when I meet up with old school friends, we usually stick to the same places we used to go, like parks or each other’s homes. But with new friends, we often try trendy cafes or restaurants. Plus, sometimes we even meet online, which wasn’t possible in the past.
Grammar Analysis
1. Conditional structure: "It really depends on the situation." This shows flexibility in answering and introduces different scenarios. 2. Use of past and present tenses: The answer skillfully switches between present tense ("meet up with," "stick to," "try") for current habits and past tense ("wasn’t possible in the past") to compare with previous experiences. 3. Use of relative clause: "which wasn’t possible in the past" adds extra information about meeting online, showing complex sentence structure.
Vocabulary
  • meet up with
  • stick to the same places
  • trendy cafes or restaurants
  • meet online