Part 1
Giám khảo
Did you have a bike when you were a child?
Thí sinh
Yes, I had a bike when maybe I was, umm, in elementary. I learned to hide it with like safety, umm, safety meals.
Giám khảo
Do you think bikes are popular in your country?
Thí sinh
Yes, I do think it's popular since there's like a lot of events for that, like cycling, not triathlon. And like, I think it's also in the trend right now. A lot of, umm, personalities and influencers are doing it. And yeah.
Did you have a bike when you were a child?
Điểm: 55.0Gợi ý: Answer the question directly and use accurate, natural expressions. Say “when I was in elementary school” rather than “when maybe I was in elementary.” Also, “hide it” and “safety meals” are incorrect in this context; you probably mean “ride it” and “training wheels.” Avoid fillers such as “umm” and “like,” and add one specific detail about where or how you learned to ride.
Ví dụ: Yes, I had a bike when I was in elementary school. I learned to ride it with training wheels in my neighborhood. After a few weeks, I became confident enough to ride without them.
Do you think bikes are popular in your country?
Điểm: 62.0Gợi ý: Give a clear topic sentence and avoid repeating fillers such as “like” and “umm.” Use the plural “bikes are popular” instead of “it’s popular,” and explain your reason more precisely. “Cycling events” is clearer than “events for that,” and “celebrities and influencers” is more natural than “personalities.” Organize the answer with a linking word such as “Moreover” or “As a result,” and finish with a concise conclusion instead of “And yeah.”
Ví dụ: Yes, bikes are quite popular in my country. There are many cycling events, and more people are taking up the activity as a way to stay fit. Moreover, celebrities and influencers often post about cycling, so it has become particularly trendy among young people.
× Yes, I had a bike when maybe I was, umm, in elementary.
✓ Yes, I had a bike when I was maybe in elementary school.
Elementary is normally used as an adjective before a noun, so the phrase needs school. The adverb maybe is also placed more naturally after the subject and verb phrase: I was maybe in elementary school.
× I learned to hide it with like safety, umm, safety meals.
✓ I learned to ride it safely.
Safely is the adverb needed to describe how you learned to ride the bike. Hide and safety meals do not express the intended meaning. Use ride for operating a bike and safely for describing the manner of riding.
× Yes, I do think it's popular since there's like a lot of events for that, like cycling, not triathlon.
✓ Yes, I do think bikes are popular because there are a lot of cycling events, not triathlon events.
The subject bikes is plural, so it should be referred to with the plural form rather than it. Repeat bikes in the answer when necessary to avoid unclear pronoun reference.
× Yes, I do think it's popular since there's like a lot of events for that, like cycling, not triathlon.
✓ Yes, I do think bikes are popular because there are a lot of cycling events, not triathlon events.
A lot of events is plural, so use there are, not there's. Use there is with singular or uncountable nouns and there are with plural nouns.
× Yes, I do think it's popular since there's like a lot of events for that, like cycling, not triathlon.
✓ Yes, I do think bikes are popular because there are a lot of cycling events, not triathlon events.
The plural noun events should be matched with the plural verb are. Also, events should be used consistently when comparing cycling events with triathlon events.
× And like, I think it's also in the trend right now.
✓ And, like, I think it's also on trend right now.
The natural preposition in this expression is on: something is on trend. In the trend is not the usual English expression.