Part 1
Examinador
Did you have a bike when you were a child?
Candidato
When I was a child I didn't have a bike of my own, I just borrowed my friends bikes so it was harder to learn because I didn't get to practice regularly. But whenever we play together they lend me their bikes. So in time I just learned.
Examinador
Do you think bikes are popular in your country?
Candidato
Looking back when I was a kid, there were a lot of kids playing with bikes, so I would say that it was pretty popular, though I didn't have one.
Did you have a bike when you were a child?
Puntuación: 70.0Sugerencia: Answer directly, then explain how borrowing bikes affected your practice. Use the possessive form “friends’ bikes,” keep the past tense consistent (“played” and “lent”), and avoid joining several complete ideas with commas.
Ejemplo: No, I didn’t have a bike of my own as a child. I usually borrowed my friends’ bikes when we played together, so I didn’t get to practise regularly. Even so, I eventually learned to ride.
Do you think bikes are popular in your country?
Puntuación: 62.0Sugerencia: Give a clear answer about whether bikes are popular in your country now. Your response mainly describes your childhood, so add a present-day observation or a specific reason, such as their use for commuting or exercise. You can briefly compare the situation with the past.
Ejemplo: Yes, I think bikes are quite popular in my country, especially among children and people who live near their workplaces. They’re an affordable way to get around and are also useful for exercise. I remember seeing lots of children riding bikes when I was growing up, too.
× When I was a child I didn't have a bike of my own, I just borrowed my friends bikes so it was harder to learn because I didn't get to practice regularly.
✓ When I was a child, I didn't have a bike of my own; I just borrowed my friends' bikes, so it was harder to learn because I didn't get to practice regularly.
The original joins two independent clauses with only a comma, creating a comma splice. Use a semicolon or split the clauses into separate sentences. Add a comma after the introductory clause. The apostrophe in friends' shows that the bikes belonged to the friends.
× But whenever we play together they lend me their bikes.
✓ But whenever we played together, they lent me their bikes.
The speaker is describing a repeated situation in the past, so both verbs should be in the past tense: played and lent. Use the same tense consistently when describing past events.