Part 1
Giám khảo
Do you prefer to sit by the window when travelling?
Thí sinh
Yet I prefer to sit by the window rather than anyone anywhere else because I really enjoy washing the scenery, for instance, seeing the clouds and the constantly changing landscapes makes the journey more relaxing and interesting.
Giám khảo
Did you have a long journey with your family as a child?
Thí sinh
Well, when I was nine years old, I had a long journey with my family. We went to Ang Tong and to Ayutera and then stop by at Huhin.
Do you prefer to sit by the window when travelling?
Điểm: 72.0Gợi ý: Answer directly with “Yes” rather than “Yet.” Use the natural expression “watching the scenery” instead of “washing the scenery,” and avoid the awkward phrase “rather than anyone anywhere else.” Your reason and example are relevant, but the sentence is too long and contains a grammatical problem: “seeing the clouds and the constantly changing landscapes makes” should be “watching the clouds and the constantly changing landscape make.”
Ví dụ: Yes, I definitely prefer sitting by the window when I travel. I enjoy watching the clouds and the changing landscape outside, which makes the journey more relaxing. For example, I often take photos of interesting views during long train rides.
Did you have a long journey with your family as a child?
Điểm: 65.0Gợi ý: The answer responds directly and includes a specific childhood memory, but the verb tenses should be consistent. Change “then stop by” to “then stopped by,” and use the standard place names “Ang Thong,” “Ayutthaya,” and “Hua Hin.” Add one or two details, such as the length of the trip, how you travelled, or how you felt, and connect the events with linking words such as “after that” or “finally.”
Ví dụ: Yes, I did. When I was nine, my family took a long road trip to Ang Thong and Ayutthaya, and after that, we stopped in Hua Hin. The journey took several hours, but I enjoyed visiting historical sites and spending time with my family. I still remember it because it was one of our first family holidays.
× Yet I prefer to sit by the window rather than anyone anywhere else because I really enjoy washing the scenery, for instance, seeing the clouds and the constantly changing landscapes makes the journey more relaxing and interesting.
✓ Yet I prefer to sit by the window rather than sitting anywhere else because I really enjoy washing the scenery, for instance, seeing the clouds and the constantly changing landscapes makes the journey more relaxing and interesting.
The phrase rather than anyone compares sitting by the window with a person, so the comparison is grammatically and logically mismatched. Use rather than sitting anywhere else to compare two actions. The other wording is unchanged because it does not match any of the specified grammar problem types.
× Well, when I was nine years old, I had a long journey with my family. We went to Ang Tong and to Ayutera and then stop by at Huhin.
✓ Well, when I was nine years old, I had a long journey with my family. We went to Ang Tong and to Ayutera and then stopped by Huhin.
The sentence describes a completed journey in the past, so stop must be changed to its past-tense form, stopped. Keep all coordinated verbs in the same past-tense time frame: went and stopped.
× Well, when I was nine years old, I had a long journey with my family. We went to Ang Tong and to Ayutera and then stop by at Huhin.
✓ Well, when I was nine years old, I had a long journey with my family. We went to Ang Tong and to Ayutera and then stopped by Huhin.
The phrasal verb stop by is followed directly by a place, without the preposition at. Therefore, stopped by at Huhin should be changed to stopped by Huhin.