Part 1
Giám khảo
Did you have a bike when you were a child?
Thí sinh
That's of course when I was about seven years old my mum bought me a pink bicycle and I felt very proud of my mom when I got this parent for my birthday after that
Giám khảo
Do you think bikes are popular in your country?
Thí sinh
I think it depends on the location in my hometown that is in a rural area there are so many pie especially for children to go to school, but in the city like Hanoi, I don't think there's too many
Did you have a bike when you were a child?
Điểm: 45.0Gợi ý: Answer the question directly and avoid a long run-on sentence. Use the correct expression “I got this present for my birthday,” rather than “I got this parent.” Also, “I felt very proud of my mom” is unnatural in this context; say “I was very happy” or “I felt proud to have it.” Organize the answer with linking words such as “When,” “because,” and “After that,” and add one specific detail about how you used the bike.
Ví dụ: Yes, I did. When I was about seven, my mum bought me a pink bicycle for my birthday, and I was delighted to receive it. After that, I often rode it around my neighborhood and used it to visit my friends.
Do you think bikes are popular in your country?
Điểm: 55.0Gợi ý: Give a clear overall answer first, then compare rural and urban areas. Use “bikes,” not “pie,” and say “there aren’t many” because “bikes” is plural. Improve the sentence structure by using linking words such as “whereas” or “while,” and provide a specific reason why bicycles are more or less popular in each location.
Ví dụ: Yes, I think bikes are quite popular, although it depends on the area. In my hometown, which is a rural area, many children ride bicycles to school because the roads are quieter and the distances are shorter. In big cities like Hanoi, however, fewer people cycle because the traffic is heavy and the roads are often crowded.
× That's of course when I was about seven years old my mum bought me a pink bicycle and I felt very proud of my mom when I got this parent for my birthday after that
✓ That was, of course, when I was about seven years old. My mum bought me a pink bicycle, and I felt very proud when I received it as a birthday present.
The question asks about a past experience, so use the past-tense form was instead of the present-tense form is in That's. Also, received is a more appropriate past-tense verb than got in this context.
× That's of course when I was about seven years old my mum bought me a pink bicycle and I felt very proud of my mom when I got this parent for my birthday after that
✓ That was, of course, when I was about seven years old. My mum bought me a pink bicycle, and I felt very proud when I received it as a birthday present.
The original response is a run-on sentence with several independent ideas joined without appropriate punctuation. Divide it into separate sentences and use a conjunction to connect related ideas. Parent is also incorrect in meaning; the intended word is present.
× I think it depends on the location in my hometown that is in a rural area there are so many pie especially for children to go to school, but in the city like Hanoi, I don't think there's too many
✓ I think it depends on the location. In my hometown, which is in a rural area, there are so many bikes, especially for children to go to school. However, in a city like Hanoi, I don't think there are too many bikes.
The noun must be plural because the phrase so many refers to more than one item. Use bikes, not the singular or incorrect form pie. The noun bikes should also be repeated after too many when the meaning might otherwise be unclear.
× I think it depends on the location in my hometown that is in a rural area there are so many pie especially for children to go to school, but in the city like Hanoi, I don't think there's too many
✓ I think it depends on the location. In my hometown, which is in a rural area, there are many bikes, especially for children to go to school. However, in a city like Hanoi, I don't think there are too many bikes.
With the plural noun bikes, use there are rather than there's. In the phrase I don't think there are too many bikes, the verb agrees with the plural noun and maintains the correct there-be structure.
× I think it depends on the location in my hometown that is in a rural area there are so many pie especially for children to go to school, but in the city like Hanoi, I don't think there's too many
✓ I think it depends on the location. In my hometown, which is in a rural area, there are many bikes, especially for children to go to school. However, in a city like Hanoi, I don't think there are too many bikes.
Use the indefinite article a before a singular countable noun when referring to one example of a general category. Therefore, say a city like Hanoi, not the city like Hanoi.
× I think it depends on the location in my hometown that is in a rural area there are so many pie especially for children to go to school, but in the city like Hanoi, I don't think there's too many
✓ I think it depends on the location. In my hometown, which is in a rural area, there are many bikes, especially for children to go to school. However, in a city like Hanoi, I don't think there are too many bikes.
The original sentence contains several clauses that are not properly connected. Use a full stop after location, commas around the nonessential relative clause which is in a rural area, and however to introduce the contrast clearly. Use complete, well-ordered clauses instead of one long run-on sentence.