Band 7 Example

Question: How do building styles affect people's lives?

Idea 1

Psychological Effect
Model Answer
Right now, there's a big trend in making workspaces that help people be more productive and creative. Many new skyscrapers have open-plan offices designed with the employees in mind. They might have floors for relaxation and green areas on the roof, making them nicer places to work. People feel proud to work in these buildings and are less stressed when they go to the office.
There is a huge movement at the moment to create working spaces that make people more productive and creative. Some newly-built skyscrapers have office spaces that are open-plan and are set out with the workers in mind. There might be floors to relax and green spaces on the roof, and it means that they are much happier places to work. People are proud to work in these kinds of buildings and don't feel so stressed on their way into the office.
Grammar Analysis
- Present participle phrases acting as adverbial phrases: "to create working spaces that make people more productive and creative" uses the present participle "create" as an adverbial phrase, indicating the purpose of the action and adding complexity to the sentence. - Passive voice: "are set out with the workers in mind" uses the passive voice, emphasizing that the design of the office space is centered around the workers, not the designers, showcasing a user-centric perspective. - Conditional clause: "There might be floors to relax" uses a conditional clause to express possibilities and hypotheses, increasing the speculative nature of the sentence. - Comparative structures: "much happier places to work" uses the comparative form to emphasize the advantages of these office spaces compared to traditional ones, making the sentence more persuasive.
Vocabulary
  • a huge movement
  • open plan
  • set out with the workers in mind
  • floors to relax
  • green spaces on the roof
  • happier places to work
  • don't feel so stressed

Idea 2

Cultural Reflection
Model Answer
Building styles really shape the way we see our surroundings. Historical buildings remind us of our past and the cultural values that have shaped our society. And then, there are those iconic buildings that become symbols of a city or even a country. They kind of define the identity of a place and give us a sense of belonging.
The impact of building styles on people's lives is profound, serving as a mirror to historical and cultural values. Architectural designs encapsulate the essence of different eras, offering a tangible connection to our past. Moreover, iconic buildings often become synonymous with the cities or nations they reside in, playing a pivotal role in shaping the collective identity and pride of the inhabitants. These structures go beyond mere aesthetics, they are embodiments of heritage and symbols of communal values.
Grammar Analysis
Present participle as an attributive: In the sentence "serving as a mirror to historical and cultural values", "serving" is used as a present participle to modify the noun phrase before it, adding complexity and fluency to the sentence. Object complement structure: In "encapsulate the essence", "the essence" serves as the direct object, and "of different eras" as the object complement, forming a complex object complement structure. Compound sentence structure: The sentence "iconic buildings often become synonymous with the cities...and pride of the inhabitants" utilizes a compound sentence structure to connect multiple ideas, showcasing advanced grammar skills. Past participle as an attributive: In "embodiments of heritage", "embodiments" is a past participle used as an attributive to modify "heritage", demonstrating mastery of advanced grammar.
Vocabulary
  • mirror
  • encapsulate
  • essence
  • tangible connection
  • synonymous
  • pivotal role
  • collective identity
  • aesthetics
  • embodiment

Idea 3

Economic Considerations
Model Answer
Building styles have a big economic impact too. For example, buildings with unique or prestigious architecture can drive up property values in an area. This can make living in these places more expensive. Also, historic or unique buildings attract tourists, which can boost the local economy but also increase living costs for residents.
The influence of building styles on economic aspects is quite significant. Architectural prestige of a building can substantially elevate the property values in its vicinity, altering the real estate market dynamics. This can lead to higher costs of living for local residents. Additionally, areas with unique or historical architecture often become hotspots for tourism, injecting vitality into the local economy. However, this influx can also lead to increased expenses and changes in the neighborhood's character.
Grammar Analysis
- Participles as attributive: In the phrase "Architectural prestige of a building," "Architectural" is used as a participle to modify "prestige," enhancing the expressive power of the language. - Gerund phrase: In "injecting vitality into the local economy," "injecting" functions as a gerund, forming a gerund phrase to indicate continuous action and adding dynamism to the sentence. - Compound sentence structure: "However, this influx can also lead to increased expenses and changes in the neighborhood's character" utilizes a compound sentence structure, introducing contrast through the conjunction "however" to enhance the complexity of the sentence. - Noun phrase as subject: In "The influence of building styles on economic aspects," the entire noun phrase serves as the subject of the sentence, showcasing a complex grammatical structure and clear organization of information.
Vocabulary
  • prestige
  • elevate
  • alter
  • historical
  • hotspot
  • inject vitality
  • increased expenses
  • character