7.6. The Jump to Band 7
Fix the three things that hold a Band 6 speaker back.
The short version
Part 3 answers that turn into personal stories do not develop a view.
Precise words count. Less common ones help when they fit.
Complex sentences need to survive to the full stop.
One clean repair is fine. A habit of them is not.
What changes at Band 7
At Band 6 the answer is relevant and keeps going. But the ideas are listed, one per sentence, and complex sentences often contain a slip.
At Band 7 one idea is developed with a reason and an example. The speaker rarely stops to hunt for a word. Error-free sentences are frequent rather than occasional.
Relevant, but listed: one sentence per cause and no example. Pauses to hunt for a rare word. Frequent grammar slips.
One cause → why it works → an example from a place you know. Sentences frequently finished cleanly.
Same Part 3 question: Why do small shops close?
Small shops close because of many reasons. Rent is one reason. Online shopping is another reason. It is a problem for towns.
I think small high-street shops close mainly because rent is too high for the turnover they can make. A bakery near me lasted twelve years and then the landlord doubled the rent; a chain chemist moved in. Online shopping is a factor, but I do not think it is the first cause on a street that still has a bus stop. In many towns the same pattern happens when a lease ends, not when people suddenly stop buying bread.
Quiz time2 questions
Check
Choose the Band 7 habit.
Both answers above name rent. What actually separates them?
One cause, developed
A different Part 3 question. Choose one reason only. Say why it works, then give one example from a place you know. Do not list a second or third reason.
Why do some people prefer to shop in small local shops rather than large supermarkets?
Record your answer (60s maximum)
0:00 / 1:00
Set up your learning path at the top of this lesson to get band-specific feedback.
Recap
Answer Part 3 with a view about people in general.
Choose the precise word over the impressive one.
Finish the complex sentences you start.
Next: the last marks on the table, and the habits that protect them.