Part 1
Giám khảo
Did you have a bike when you were a child?
Thí sinh
I had a bike when I was a child, but umm, it was not literally mine. It was my brother's bike because back then I wasn't allowed to have one.
Giám khảo
Do you think bikes are popular in your country?
Thí sinh
It is especially during the pandemic, the COVID-19 pandemic that happened late 20/19 were in people. People have limited access to transportation so bike was used to go going to work or school.
Did you have a bike when you were a child?
Điểm: 78.0Gợi ý: You answer the question directly and give a relevant explanation. To sound more natural, replace “not literally mine” with “not actually mine,” and avoid the filler “umm.” You could also add a specific detail, such as whether you were allowed to borrow your brother’s bike.
Ví dụ: Yes, I often rode a bike when I was a child, although it wasn’t actually mine. It belonged to my older brother, and he sometimes let me borrow it after school. I wasn’t allowed to have my own bike at the time.
Do you think bikes are popular in your country?
Điểm: 42.0Gợi ý: Answer the question clearly at the beginning, for example, “Yes, bikes are quite popular.” The rest of your response is difficult to follow because of inaccurate phrasing and grammar, such as “late 20/19 were in people” and “go going.” Explain that bicycle use increased during the COVID-19 pandemic because public transport was less accessible, and use linking words such as “because” or “as a result.”
Ví dụ: Yes, bikes are quite popular in my country, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Because public transport was less accessible, many people used bicycles to get to work or school. As a result, cycling became a convenient way to travel.
× It is especially during the pandemic, the COVID-19 pandemic that happened late 20/19 were in people.
✓ Bikes were especially popular during the COVID-19 pandemic, which began in late 2019.
The answer refers to a past period, so use the past-tense verb were rather than is. Keep the verbs describing the pandemic and bike use consistent with that past time.
× It is especially during the pandemic, the COVID-19 pandemic that happened late 20/19 were in people.
✓ Bikes were especially popular during the COVID-19 pandemic, which began in late 2019.
The original sentence does not have a clear grammatical structure: the opening It is especially during the pandemic does not connect correctly to were in people. State the subject and what was true of it directly: Bikes were popular.
× It is especially during the pandemic, the COVID-19 pandemic that happened late 20/19 were in people.
✓ Bikes were especially popular during the COVID-19 pandemic, which began in late 2019.
Were in people is not the correct expression for describing popularity. Use popular among people or, more naturally here, say that bikes were popular.
× People have limited access to transportation so bike was used to go going to work or school.
✓ People had limited access to transportation, so bikes were used to go to work or school.
The sentence describes the past pandemic period, so use had rather than have. The past-tense context should be maintained throughout the sentence.
× People have limited access to transportation so bike was used to go going to work or school.
✓ People had limited access to transportation, so bikes were used to go to work or school.
The statement refers to bikes generally, so use the plural noun bikes and the matching plural verb were.
× People have limited access to transportation so bike was used to go going to work or school.
✓ People had limited access to transportation, so bikes were used to go to work or school.
After used to in this passive construction, use the base form of the verb: to go. Do not combine go with going.