Part 1
Giám khảo
Did you have a bike when you were a child?
Thí sinh
Yes, I did have a bike when I was a child. I remember on my 12th birthday my parents gifted me with a BMX bicycle and ever since that day I've been biking. I mean, I do have a mountain bike now.
Giám khảo
Do you think bikes are popular in your country?
Thí sinh
Yes, I think bikes are popular in my country because whenever I'm on the way to work, I always see people on bicycles, whether they're using their bicycles to commute to work or sometimes they're just biking for leisure.
Did you have a bike when you were a child?
Điểm: 78.0Gợi ý: Good content and clear story. To improve, make the answer more concise and structured: start with a direct topic sentence, then give one or two specific supporting details using linking words. Avoid filler phrases such as “I mean” and unnecessary tense shifts. Also keep within 3–4 sentences for naturalness.
Ví dụ: Yes — I had a bike as a child. For my 12th birthday my parents gave me a BMX, and I rode it every day around the neighborhood. As an adult I still enjoy cycling and now own a mountain bike for weekend rides.
Do you think bikes are popular in your country?
Điểm: 82.0Gợi ý: Answer is relevant and gives a personal observation. To improve, open with a clear topic sentence, then give one specific reason and an example or consequence using a linking word (e.g., “for example,” “because,” “so”). Try to replace repetitive phrases with varied vocabulary like “commuting” and “recreational cycling.” Keep it to 2–3 sentences.
Ví dụ: Yes, bikes are quite popular in my country. I often see people commuting by bike during rush hour, and many others cycle for recreation on weekends, which shows cycling is both practical and popular.
× Yes, I did have a bike when I was a child.
✓ Yes, I had a bike when I was a child.
The sentence uses the auxiliary 'did' with the past simple affirmative 'have', which is unnecessary and ungrammatical in statements. Use the past simple main verb alone: 'I had'. Suggestion: In affirmative past simple sentences, do not add 'did' before the main verb. Use 'did' only for questions or emphatic negatives (e.g., 'I did have one' for emphasis).
× I remember on my 12th birthday my parents gifted me with a BMX bicycle and ever since that day I've been biking.
✓ I remember that on my 12th birthday my parents gifted me a BMX bicycle, and ever since that day I've been biking.
This sentence mainly has punctuation/connector issues and a missing 'that' after 'remember' to link the clause; tense use 'I've been biking' (present perfect continuous) is acceptable to show continuous action from past to present. The original missed 'that' and had an unnecessary preposition 'with' after 'gifted me'. Use 'gifted me a BMX bicycle' or 'gave me a BMX bicycle'. Suggestion: Add a conjunction or comma to separate clauses and remove unnecessary prepositions.
× I mean, I do have a mountain bike now.
✓ I mean, I have a mountain bike now.
Using 'do' in positive present simple is unnecessary unless for emphasis. In neutral statements, use 'I have'. Suggestion: Remove the auxiliary 'do' unless you want to stress contrast (e.g., 'I do have one').
× Yes, I think bikes are popular in my country because whenever I'm on the way to work, I always see people on bicycles, whether they're using their bicycles to commute to work or sometimes they're just biking for leisure.
✓ Yes, I think bikes are popular in my country because whenever I'm on my way to work, I always see people on bicycles, whether they are commuting to work or just riding for leisure.
The phrase 'on the way to work' is grammatical but more natural with 'on my way to work' when referring to the speaker's routine. Repeating 'using their bicycles' is wordy; 'commuting to work' is sufficient. 'Biking for leisure' is acceptable but 'riding for leisure' avoids repetition of 'bike/bicycles'. Suggestion: Use 'on my way to work' and simplify parallel structures to avoid redundancy.