Band 6+: How have festivals changed over time?

Your pronunciation is quite good. Working on consistency and tackling difficult sounds may enhance clarity.

The response addresses the question by identifying key drivers of change, such as technology and urbanization. It successfully moves away from personal anecdotes to discuss broader societal shifts. However, to achieve a higher score, the development of ideas could be more cohesive. The transition between the discussion of virtual celebrations and urbanization is somewhat abrupt. Additionally, the final example regarding Eid contains a word choice error ('instinct' instead of 'instant' or 'digital') which slightly obscures the intended meaning. To improve, ensure that each point is fully expanded with logical connections and that the vocabulary used to describe modern trends is precise.

The candidate provides a coherent response with a clear progression of ideas. However, there are issues with cohesive devices and sentence structure. The use of 'Besides' at the start of a sentence was grammatically awkward, and the transition to the example could be smoother. To improve, use a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'Furthermore', 'Consequently', 'In contrast') and ensure that each sentence flows logically into the next without abrupt jumps.

The candidate uses some good topic-specific vocabulary such as 'commercialized', 'globalized', and 'urbanization'. However, there is a significant error in word choice at the end of the response: 'they are now instinct'. The candidate likely meant 'extinct' or 'obsolete'. Using 'instinct' (a natural tendency) in this context is a lexical error that affects precision. Aim to use more precise collocations and double-check the meaning of high-level words before using them.

There are several grammatical inaccuracies that hinder the score. For instance, 'people likely to be shifted' is missing the auxiliary verb 'are', and 'old customs are evolved' should be 'are evolving' or 'have evolved'. The phrase 'a traditional monetary gift was used to be given' is a redundant construction of 'used to be given'. To reach a higher band, focus on mastering complex structures like the present perfect and passive voice, and ensure subject-verb agreement is consistent.