7.6. The Jump to Band 7
Fix the three things that hold a Band 6 writer back.
The short version
Development, not more ideas, is what is missing.
Precision of vocabulary, not rarity.
Error-free sentences need to be frequent.
The position in the last line is the position in the first.
What a Band 6 script does
It is relevant and readable. The ideas are there, but listed rather than explained, and the position can blur by the end.
Band 7 takes the same ideas further
Each claim gets a because and a result. The position in the last line is the position in the first. Error-free sentences become frequent.
What the descriptors say
A clear and developed position, main ideas that are extended and supported, and frequent error-free sentences.
Relevant ideas, listed, none explained. A position stated but never argued for.
Fewer ideas, each one followed through to a result. The reader is never left guessing what the writer thinks. Frequent error-free sentences.
Some people think city centres should ban private cars on weekdays. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
I agree only when the city can offer a reliable bus or tram in the same hour. A weekday ban on private cars can cut peak delays, because commuters then have one clear rule. If the same streets have no frequent bus, the ban just pushes the jam to the ring road.
- TaskThe why. A claim on its own is Band 6. The because is what extends it.
- TaskThe result. A concrete consequence, still about the same ban on the same streets.
Coloured text shows what the examiner is looking for.
Same idea, different band
I think banning cars is good. It is better for people. Also it is useful for cities. In my country some cities do this. Therefore it should happen.
I agree only when the city can offer a reliable bus or tram in the same hour. A weekday ban on private cars can cut peak delays, because commuters then have one clear rule. If the same streets have no frequent bus, the ban just pushes the jam to the ring road.
Quiz time2 questions
Check
Choose the Band 7 habit.
What usually moves a script from 6 to 7?
Do the Band 7 job
Take the second sentence of the Band 6 paragraph and develop it. Say who benefits, why, and what the result is. Two or three sentences.
It is better for people.
Set up your learning path at the top of this lesson to get band-specific feedback.
Recap
Develop fewer ideas further.
Choose the precise word over the impressive one.
Aim for frequent error-free sentences.
Next: the last marks on the table, and the habits that protect them.