Band 7 Example

Question: What's the difference between where you are living now and where you have lived in the past?

Idea 1

City vs. Countryside
Model Answer
Now I live in a big city, but I grew up in a small town. The city is much busier and noisier, and there are more things to do, like shopping and going to the cinema. In my hometown, life was slower and people knew each other better.
At the moment, I live in a big city, but I actually grew up in a small village. The main difference is that the city is much busier and noisier, with lots of job opportunities and entertainment options. In contrast, the countryside was peaceful and quiet, and people had closer relationships with their neighbors.
Grammar Analysis
1. Use of contrasting structures: The answer uses contrasting phrases like "At the moment" and "In contrast" to clearly show the differences between the two places. 2. Correct use of tenses: Present simple ("I live"), past simple ("I grew up"), and past simple again ("the countryside was peaceful and quiet") are used appropriately to describe current and past situations. 3. Use of comparative adjectives: Words like "busier" and "noisier" are used to compare the city and the countryside.
Vocabulary
  • grew up in a small village
  • busier and noisier
  • job opportunities
  • entertainment options
  • peaceful and quiet
  • closer relationships with their neighbors

Idea 2

Apartment vs. House
Model Answer
I live in an apartment now, but before I lived in a house with a garden. Apartments are more convenient because they're closer to public transport, but I miss having a garden and more privacy.
Currently, I live in an apartment, whereas before I lived in a house with a garden. Living in an apartment is definitely more convenient and it's closer to public transport, but I do miss the outdoor space and the privacy that came with having my own garden.
Grammar Analysis
1. Contrast structure: The use of "whereas" effectively contrasts the current and previous living situations, showing a good grasp of linking words for comparison. 2. Present simple and past simple: The answer correctly uses present simple ("I live") for the current situation and past simple ("I lived") for the past, demonstrating clear control of tenses. 3. Use of relative clause: "that came with having my own garden" adds detail and complexity to the sentence structure.
Vocabulary
  • whereas
  • convenient
  • public transport
  • outdoor space
  • privacy

Idea 3

Living Alone vs. With Family
Model Answer
Now I live alone, but before I lived with my parents. Living alone gives me more freedom, but sometimes it feels lonely. When I lived with my family, I didn't have to worry about cooking or cleaning so much.
These days, I live by myself, but in the past I lived with my parents. Living alone gives me a lot more independence and freedom, although it can get a bit lonely at times. When I was with my family, I didn't have to cook or clean as much, which was definitely easier.
Grammar Analysis
1. Contrast with time expressions: The answer uses clear time markers like "these days" and "in the past" to contrast current and previous living situations, showing good control of time references. 2. Use of gerund as subject: "Living alone gives me..." uses a gerund phrase as the subject, which is a more advanced grammatical structure. 3. Use of modal verbs: "can get a bit lonely" uses the modal verb "can" to talk about possibility, adding nuance to the answer.
Vocabulary
  • independence and freedom
  • lonely
  • cook or clean as much
  • easier

Idea 4

Different Cities or Countries
Model Answer
I moved from a small city to a big city last year. The culture and food are really different, and it took me some time to get used to the new place. But I like meeting new people and exploring the city.
I recently moved from a small city to a much bigger one. The culture, language, and food are all quite different, so it took me a while to adjust to the new environment. However, I really enjoy exploring new places and meeting people from different backgrounds.
Grammar Analysis
1. Use of past simple and present perfect: "I recently moved" uses the past simple to indicate a completed action in the recent past, which is appropriate for describing a recent change. 2. Use of contrast connector: "However" is used to introduce a contrasting idea, showing the ability to organize ideas logically. 3. Use of infinitive of purpose: "to adjust to the new environment" shows the purpose of the action, adding clarity to the explanation.
Vocabulary
  • small city
  • much bigger one
  • culture
  • language
  • food
  • adjust to the new environment
  • exploring new places
  • meeting people from different backgrounds
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