Part 1
Giám khảo
Did you have a bike when you were a child?
Thí sinh
No, I never had a bike when I was a child, but I used to have a bicycle. I loved it a lot. I used to play with it a lot.
Giám khảo
Do you think bikes are popular in your country?
Thí sinh
Bikes are popular in my country, but only among the boys. Uh, for girls it's quite rare, uh, that umm, sorry for girls it's rare, It's rare riding bikes. But uh, as I said, in my childhood I had a bike so I used to rode it frequently.
Did you have a bike when you were a child?
Điểm: 62.0Gợi ý: Answer the question directly and avoid contradicting yourself: “bike” and “bicycle” have the same meaning, so saying you never had a bike but used to have a bicycle is confusing. Also, “play with a bicycle” is less natural than “ride my bicycle.” Add one specific detail, such as where or how often you rode it, and avoid repeating “a lot.”
Ví dụ: Yes, I had a bicycle when I was a child. I rode it around my neighborhood almost every day, especially during the summer. I really enjoyed cycling with my friends after school.
Do you think bikes are popular in your country?
Điểm: 55.0Gợi ý: State your opinion clearly and support it with a specific reason or example. Avoid repeated self-corrections, fillers such as “uh,” and the unsupported claim that cycling is only popular among boys; a more balanced comparison would sound natural. Use the correct form “used to ride,” not “used to rode,” and use a linking word such as “however” or “because” to connect your ideas.
Ví dụ: Yes, bikes are fairly popular in my country, especially among children and young adults. However, many people prefer cars or public transport because cycling can be unsafe on busy roads. I used to ride my bike frequently as a child, particularly in my neighborhood.
× It's rare riding bikes.
✓ It's rare for girls to ride bikes.
The structure 'It's rare riding bikes' is not grammatically natural. After the adjective 'rare' in this meaning, use the pattern 'It is rare for + person + to + base verb.' Therefore, 'for girls to ride' is the correct structure.
× I used to rode it frequently.
✓ I used to ride it frequently.
After 'used to,' use the base form of the verb, not the past-tense form. The base form is 'ride,' so the correct phrase is 'used to ride.'