Speaking Practice Test 7

A strong answer names a specific cuisine or dish rather than a vague category like 'tasty food', and briefly explains why — a flavour, a texture, or a memory attached to it — rather than giving a bare one-word answer.

Give a direct preference first, then support it with a reason or brief example — e.g. that cooking at home is cheaper and healthier, or that eating out feels like more of an occasion — rather than a flat, unsupported statement.

Name the person specifically and add a small detail — how often, or what they tend to cook — using natural present-tense habitual language rather than a single flat sentence.

A Band 7+ answer gives a direct yes/no response and a specific childhood memory or detail — such as a food you refused to eat, or one you unexpectedly loved — using natural past-tense narrative language rather than a flat general statement.

A Band 8-9 answer names one specific meal and occasion (not food in general) and works through the bullets in a natural order: what was actually served, the setting it was eaten in, who was there, and finally a clear reason it stood out — the company, an unexpected dish, or the atmosphere — rather than simply saying the food was 'delicious'. Use past tense narrative throughout, with a couple of specific sensory or descriptive details, and close with a genuine personal reflection on why it has stayed in your memory. Example shape: 'One meal that really stands out for me was a seafood dinner I had at a small family-run restaurant on the coast, during a trip with my two closest friends. We'd been travelling all day and arrived starving, and I remember ordering a grilled fish dish with a lemon and herb sauce that the owner recommended himself. What made it so memorable wasn't really the food alone, though it was excellent — it was the setting, sitting right by the water as the sun was going down, and the fact that none of us had planned it; we'd just wandered in because we were hungry. We ended up staying there for nearly three hours, talking and laughing long after we'd finished eating, and the owner even brought us a free dessert because he said we seemed to be enjoying ourselves so much. It's the kind of meal that wasn't fancy or expensive, but the combination of good food, good company, and pure chance made it one I still think about.'

Extend beyond 'people eat differently now' by contrasting a specific past practice with a present one — e.g. home-cooked family meals versus food delivery apps — and consider one likely cause, such as busier lifestyles, to show developed thinking.

A well-developed answer commits to a view and explains the underlying reason — such as shared meals strengthening communication within a family — while acknowledging a practical obstacle, like conflicting work or school schedules, to show balanced thinking.

Name at least two distinct disadvantages — such as long-term health effects and the loss of an appreciation for freshly prepared food — and briefly justify one with a plausible consequence, rather than a single vague complaint.

State a clear position and support it with a concrete reason connected to convenience food or busy schedules, while briefly acknowledging a counterpoint — such as growing interest in cooking through social media — to show range of thought.

Speculate using appropriate future/modal language ('is likely to', 'could well') and describe one specific, plausible development — such as more automated ordering or a greater focus on sustainable ingredients — rather than a vague claim that 'restaurants will change a lot'.