Friends— Part 1 採点レポート

提案: Your answer is clear, direct, and well organized, with an effective comparison between the past and present. To sound more natural, say “in the library” rather than “in a library” when referring to a familiar place, and complete the final idea by explaining what makes cafés comfortable. You could also use a stronger contrast such as “whereas” to connect the two time periods more smoothly.

例: Yes, definitely. When I was at university, I usually met my friends on campus or in the library because those places were free and convenient. These days, I tend to meet them at cafés because they are more comfortable and give us a chance to relax and chat for longer.

提案: This is a strong, well-developed answer with a clear explanation and an effective contrast using “however.” For greater naturalness, use “suitable for meeting friends” instead of “suitable for meetings,” and add a specific example to make the answer more vivid. Remember to include a comma before “or” in the list: “noisy, crowded, or lacking privacy.”

例: I think certain places are suitable for meeting friends because they provide a quiet and comfortable environment, which makes conversation easier. For example, a quiet café is ideal for catching up. In contrast, busy shopping centres or loud bars can be uncomfortable because they are noisy, crowded, and lack privacy.

提案: You answer the question directly and give a useful comparison between personal conversations and social occasions. Correct the grammar in “a social events” to “a social event” or simply “social events.” The answer would sound more natural if you used “However” instead of beginning the final sentence with “But,” and you could add a brief example of a social event.

例: It really depends on the situation. When I want to discuss personal matters, I prefer spending time with one or two close friends because I can talk openly with them. However, for social events such as birthdays or dinners, I enjoy being in a small group because the atmosphere is more fun and lively.

提案: Your main idea and supporting details are appropriate, but the answer contains a noticeable fluency or transcription problem in “but MO mostly.” Say “but mostly for a few close friends.” Add a comma after “Yes,” and use a more natural phrase such as “stay as long as we like” instead of “worry about how long we stay.” Finish by specifying what you might do together at home.

例: Yes, I would, but mostly for a few close friends. I think meeting at home is more relaxed because we can stay as long as we like. I could prepare some simple food for them, and we could spend the evening chatting, watching a film, or playing board games.

提案: This is a focused and natural response with a clear opinion, a reason, and a relevant comparison. The vocabulary “emotional support” and “socializing in large groups” is appropriate and precise. For slightly more natural grammar, use “friends whom I can trust” in formal English, although “who” is also common in everyday speech; you could also provide one brief example of emotional support.

例: Friends are extremely important to me, especially those who provide emotional support when I am going through difficult times. I prefer having a few close friends whom I can trust and talk to openly rather than socializing in large groups. For example, a close friend might listen to me and give me practical advice when I am stressed.

提案: Your answer is direct and gives a clear frequency, preference, and example. To improve naturalness, say “at the weekend” or “on weekends,” and use “to have coffee” rather than “just having coffee.” The phrase “somewhere surrounded by nature” is understandable, but “somewhere surrounded by nature, such as a park” would sound more complete and specific.

例: Not very often. I prefer a quiet lifestyle, so I usually spend my free time at home. However, every now and then, I meet some close friends on weekends to have coffee or visit a peaceful place surrounded by nature, such as a park or a hiking trail.

提案: The answer has a clear structure and gives several relevant examples, but it ends with an incomplete phrase: “where we can enjoy the.” Complete it with “where we can enjoy the scenery” or “where we can enjoy nature.” Use “at cafés” consistently and add a linking word such as “especially” to make the contrast between short and longer meetings smoother.

例: I usually meet my friends at cafés because they are convenient and easy to get to. If I have more time, however, I prefer meeting them somewhere surrounded by nature, such as a park, the beach, or the countryside, where we can enjoy the scenery and have a more relaxing conversation.

提案: You provide relevant activities and a reason for taking day trips, but the sentence needs clearer punctuation and grammar. Add a connector before “every now and then,” such as “and,” and replace “get away from the household and bushel of the city,” which appears to be a speech or transcription error, with “get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.” Dividing the answer into two or three sentences will make it easier to understand.

例: We usually do simple things, such as having coffee or going out for dinner. Every now and then, we also go on day trips to the countryside to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. It is a good way to relax and spend quality time together.

提案: This answer is personal, specific, and well supported, with a clear time reference and explanation of why the friendship is valuable. Correct the repetition “we've we've” to “we've,” and add a comma after “Yes.” Instead of “I’ve had a close friend since high school,” say “I’ve been close friends with her since high school,” which is more natural when describing a relationship.

例: Yes, I do. I’ve been close friends with a girl from high school for over 20 years. Although she moved overseas a few years ago, we still keep in touch through social media and video calls. I really value our friendship because we understand each other and can talk honestly about our problems.

× But if I'm attending a social events, I enjoy being in a small group because it's more fun and lively.

✓ But if I'm attending a social event, I enjoy being in a small group because it's more fun and lively.

The singular article a must be used with a singular countable noun. Therefore, events must be changed to event. Alternatively, you could say some social events without using a.

× But if I'm attending a social events, I enjoy being in a small group because it's more fun and lively.

✓ But if I'm attending a social event, I enjoy being in a small group because it's more fun and lively.

The article a is used before a singular countable noun, so it cannot be followed by the plural noun events. Use a social event or omit a and say social events.

× Yes I would but MO mostly for a few close friends.

✓ Yes, I would, but mostly for a few close friends.

The sentence contains an unnecessary transcription fragment, MO, and needs punctuation to separate the contrasting parts. The corrected sentence has a clear structure: an affirmative answer followed by the limitation mostly for a few close friends.

× If I have more time, I might meet them somewhere surrounded by nature, such as a park, the beach or the countryside where we can enjoy the.

✓ If I have more time, I might meet them somewhere surrounded by nature, such as a park, the beach or the countryside, where we can enjoy the scenery.

The definite article the must be followed by a noun or noun phrase. In the original sentence, the appears without a following noun. Adding scenery completes the noun phrase the scenery. A comma before where also helps separate the descriptive clause.

× We usually do simple things like having coffee, going out for dinner every now and then we go on day trips in the countryside to get away from the household and bushel of the city.

✓ We usually do simple things like having coffee or going out for dinner. Every now and then, we go on day trips in the countryside to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

The original sentence joins two independent clauses without suitable punctuation or a conjunction, creating a run-on sentence. Divide it into two sentences and use or to connect the parallel activities. The phrase hustle and bustle is also the correct fixed expression for the busy activity of a city.

× Yes I do. I've had a close friend since high school and we've we've been friends for over 20 years.

✓ Yes, I do. I've had a close friend since high school, and we've been friends for over 20 years.

The word we've is repeated accidentally. Removing the repetition makes the sentence grammatically complete. A comma before and can be used to separate the two independent clauses.