Band 7 Example

Question: Do you think cooking should be a compulsory or an elective course? Why?

Idea 1

Compulsory
Model Answer
Definitely necessary. Many young people don't know how to cook and often eat out. This leads to health issues because restaurant food is usually high in fat and salt. We're seeing more young people with diseases like diabetes and heart disease. If kids learned cooking, they'd be more willing to buy fresh ingredients and make healthier meals.
Compulsory, for sure. So many youngsters today have no idea how to cook anything and, instead, eat out all the time. This is having a terrible effect on their health as restaurant food is high in fat and salt, so we are seeing a huge increase in diseases like diabetes and heart disease in younger and younger people. If children learnt how to cook, then they wouldn't be so reticent to go to the supermarket, buy fresh ingredients and cook something that's healthier.
Grammar Analysis
Present participle as subject complement: "having a terrible effect on their health" The present participle "having" is used as a subject complement, emphasizing the negative impact of eating out on young people's health. Noun phrase: "a huge increase in diseases" The noun phrase is used to describe the increase in diseases, expressing an understanding of the seriousness of current health issues. Conditional adverbial clause: "If children learnt how to cook" The conditional adverbial clause proposes one method to solve the problem, that is, educating young people to learn how to cook, increasing the logicality of the sentence. Present participle phrases as adverbial: "buy fresh ingredients and cook something that's healthier" The present participles "buy" and "cook" are used as adverbials, demonstrating a healthier lifestyle choice and enhancing the expressiveness and persuasiveness of the language.
Vocabulary
  • Compulsory
  • have no idea how to cook anything
  • eat out all the time
  • having a terrible effect on their health
  • high in fat and salt
  • increase in diseases like diabetes and heart disease
  • wouldn't be so reticent to go to the supermarket, buy fresh ingredients and cook something that's healthier

Idea 2

Elective
Model Answer
I believe cooking should be an elective course. It's true that cooking is a valuable skill, but not everyone needs to cook for themselves. Some may choose to eat out or use meal services. Also, schools have limited time and resources, and there are other subjects that might be more essential for students' overall education.
I'm of the opinion that cooking should be offered as an elective in schools. While the ability to cook is undoubtedly beneficial, it's not a universal necessity. People have varied lifestyles and choices, and not everyone prioritizes cooking. Furthermore, academic curriculums are already crowded with critical subjects, which arguably deserve more focus than culinary skills in an educational setting.
Grammar Analysis
1. Passive voice: "cooking should be offered as an elective" uses the passive voice, emphasizing the object and action of the suggestion, adding formality and complexity to the sentence. 2. Present participle as an adjective: "with critical subjects," "critical" as a present participle, used as an adjective, adds description and complexity to the sentence. 3. Object clause: "it's not a universal necessity" with "universal necessity" as an object clause, explains the necessity of "cooking," enhancing the presentation of the viewpoint. 4. Comparative structure: "deserve more focus than culinary skills" uses a comparative structure to emphasize the importance of educational content, enhancing the complexity and depth of expression in the sentence.
Vocabulary
  • cooking as an elective
  • undoubtedly beneficial
  • universal necessity
  • varied lifestyles and choices
  • prioritize cooking
  • academic curriculums
  • be crowded with critical subjects
  • deserve more focus
  • educational setting