Part 1
Giám khảo
Did you have a bike when you were a child?
Thí sinh
When I was a child, I was living in a neighborhood full of children, so they were all having their bikes, but I didn't. But one day my dad came from a trip and surprised me with a fancy orange bike.
Giám khảo
Do you think bikes are popular in your country?
Thí sinh
Due to the change in people's lifestyle, people tend to use their private cars, so they don't tend to use bicycles. That's why I think bikes are not popular in my country.
Did you have a bike when you were a child?
Điểm: 76.0Gợi ý: Be more concise and natural: start with a clear topic sentence, then add one or two specific supporting details using linking words. Avoid repeating ideas (e.g., “they were all having their bikes” and “so they were all having their bikes” is redundant). Also watch tense consistency and choose smoother connectors (e.g., “however” or “then”).
Ví dụ: I didn’t have a bike at first, even though many children in my neighborhood did. However, one day my father surprised me with a bright orange bike when he returned from a trip, and I used to ride it around the block every afternoon.
Do you think bikes are popular in your country?
Điểm: 68.0Gợi ý: Try to give a clearer topic sentence and support it with a concise reason and a specific example or comparison. Avoid repeating words (e.g., ‘people’ and ‘tend’) and use linking words such as ‘because’ or ‘for example’ to make your answer more coherent.
Ví dụ: No, bicycles aren't very popular in my country because many people prefer private cars for convenience. For example, in cities with long commutes and limited bike lanes, most commuters choose cars or motorbikes instead of cycling.
× When I was a child, I was living in a neighborhood full of children, so they were all having their bikes, but I didn't.
✓ When I was a child, I lived in a neighborhood full of children, so they all had bikes, but I didn't.
The progressive past 'was living' and 'were having' are incorrect here because these describe habitual or state situations in the past; simple past ('lived', 'had') is appropriate. 'Have' when expressing possession uses the simple form in the past: 'they had bikes'. Use simple past for completed or habitual past actions to improve accuracy.
× But one day my dad came from a trip and surprised me with a fancy orange bike.
✓ But one day my dad came back from a trip and surprised me with a fancy orange bike.
The verb 'came' is fine in past tense, but the phrase 'came from a trip' is less natural than 'came back from a trip' to indicate returning. This is a word choice/usage issue within past tense context; use 'came back' to clearly show he returned and then surprised the speaker.
× Due to the change in people's lifestyle, people tend to use their private cars, so they don't tend to use bicycles.
✓ Due to changes in people's lifestyles, people tend to use their private cars, so they don't often use bicycles.
'Change in people's lifestyle' is uncountable and awkward; 'changes in people's lifestyles' is more natural. Also 'don't tend to use' is repetitive with 'tend to'; replace second occurrence with 'don't often use' to improve clarity. This corrects present tense phrasing and improves noun plurality and adverb use.
× That's why I think bikes are not popular in my country.
✓ That's why I think bikes are not popular in my country.
This sentence is grammatically correct. It uses present tense appropriately to state an opinion. No change is necessary.