Describe a piece of local news that people are interested in.
You should say:
- 1what the news is~30s
- 2where you heard or read it~30s
- 3who was involved~30s
- 4and explain why people are interested in it~30s
Reported in September 2026 News & Current Events
Plan it in one minute
What each point needs, about 30 seconds on each.
- 1What the news isSet the scene: a real time, place or person. Specific beats impressive.
- 2Where you heard or read itOne keyword and one example is enough.
- 3Who was involvedSay it in one line, then add one detail.
- 4Explain why people are interested in itThis is your ending. One clear reason or lesson, said with confidence.
Sample answers: Band 6, 7 and 8
One story told three ways. Tap a highlighted phrase to learn it.
Band 6
Um, a piece of local news that interested me was about the road beside the Han River in Da Nang becoming car-free at weekends. I first saw it in a local Facebook group, and then my cousin sent me the same link. I read the post and talked about it with my friends. The city wanted to try the plan for a few months - no, I mean for three months, as a trial. The people involved were city workers, nearby shop owners and student volunteers. Residents were involved too because they lived close to the river. The volunteers would help visitors and clean the road, and the shops could have more customers. A lot of people talked about it because it could change a familiar place1. Families liked it because they could walk there more safely, but some shop owners was worried about deliveries2. Some residents were also worried about noise and parking. The news were interesting to me because it could affect normal life3, not just tourists. You know, my friends and I wanted to visit when the trial started, so we could see what it was like. It was a small plan, but many people had an opinion about it.
Why it's a Band 6
A lot of people talked about it because it could change a familiar place
This gives a clear reason with a simple link using because.some shop owners was worried about deliveries
Was is a small agreement slip, although the meaning is clear.The news were interesting to me because it could affect normal life
This gives a longer reason, but news were is a small grammar slip.
What lifts it to Band 7 Change “some shop owners was” to “some shop owners were” and “The news were” to “The news was”, then “A lot of people talked about it” to “The story drew a lot of attention”.
Phrases to borrow
car-free
/ˌkɑː ˈfriː/
without cars allowed
The square becomes car-free every Sunday morning.
Band 7
The local news I found really interesting was a plan for the road along the Han River in Da Nang to become car-free at weekends. I think I first saw it in a Facebook group for people in the city, and later my cousin sent me a link about the same thing. From what I understood, the project had got the green light from the city as a trial. The road would be used by walkers instead of normal traffic1 during certain hours. The main people involved were city workers, nearby shop owners and student volunteers. The volunteers would help people find their way and keep the area clean. Businesses was expected to arrange deliveries at different times2, which could be a bit difficult. The story drew a lot of attention because it might change people’s normal routines. Families thought it was really nice to have a safer place to walk, and cafés could get more customers. But some residents raised concerns about noise, parking and traffic moving onto smaller roads. I mean, it wasn’t only a plan on paper. People could actually see the possible change, so they had strong opinions. My friends and I were already talking about visiting, and we were wondering if the road would feel more relaxed or just more crowded. I found it very interesting because the same plan could be good for shop owners but annoying for people living nearby3. So, yeah, it became quite a big topic in my group for a few days.
Why it's a Band 7
The road would be used by walkers instead of normal traffic
This uses a clear passive sentence to explain the plan.Businesses was expected to arrange deliveries at different times
This shows a longer structure, but businesses was is a small grammar slip.the same plan could be good for shop owners but annoying for people living nearby
This links two views with clear everyday contrast.
What lifts it to Band 8 Change “Businesses was expected to” to “Businesses were expected to”, and “Families thought it was really nice” to “Families loved the idea of having a safer place to walk”.
Phrases to borrow
car-free
/ˌkɑː ˈfriː/
without cars allowed
The square becomes car-free every Sunday morning.
get the green light
/ɡet ðə ɡriːn laɪt/
receive permission to proceed
The youth club got the green light for its summer project.
draw a lot of attention
/drɔː ə lɒt əv əˈtenʃən/
make many people notice something
The new café drew a lot of attention on social media.
raise concerns about
/reɪz kənˈsɜːnz əˈbaʊt/
say publicly that you are worried
Residents raised concerns about noise from the new stadium.
Band 8
A piece of local news that really caught my interest was a plan for the road along the Han River in Da Nang to become car-free at weekends. I think I first saw it shared in a local Facebook group, and my cousin sent me a link afterwards, so I looked into the proposal a little more. As far as I could tell, the project had got the green light from the city as a trial, with the aim of giving pedestrians more space along the riverside1 at certain times. The people directly involved were city workers, nearby shop owners and student volunteers who would help visitors and keep things orderly. The story drew a lot of attention because it could affect ordinary routines straight away. Families could enjoy the river without watching out for traffic, while cafés and food stalls might benefit from extra customers. At the same time, residents raised concerns about noise, parking and congestion on the nearby roads. Shop owners might get more passing trade, although deliveries might become awkward2, and people living right on the river would also have to put up with more noise3. What interested me was how quickly people took sides, even though the change sounded fairly small. I kept following the story, mostly because it’s a road I go along all the time, and suddenly everyone had an opinion about it.
Why it's a Band 8
with the aim of giving pedestrians more space along the riverside
This explains the purpose smoothly with precise vocabulary.although deliveries might become awkward
This adds a clear contrast inside an accurate complex sentence.people living right on the river would also have to put up with more noise
Would shows a likely result, and put up with means accepting something you don't like.
What would make it a 9 For Band 9, change “I kept following the story” to “I found myself checking the group for updates every evening”.
Phrases to borrow
car-free
/ˌkɑː ˈfriː/
without cars allowed
The square becomes car-free every Sunday morning.
get the green light
/ɡet ðə ɡriːn laɪt/
receive permission to proceed
The youth club got the green light for its summer project.
draw a lot of attention
/drɔː ə lɒt əv əˈtenʃən/
make many people notice something
The new café drew a lot of attention on social media.
raise concerns about
/reɪz kənˈsɜːnz əˈbaʊt/
say publicly that you are worried
Residents raised concerns about noise from the new stadium.
put up with something
/pʊt ʌp wɪð/
accept something unpleasant without complaining
We had to put up with heavy rain during the match.
Part 3: what the examiner asks next
Real follow-up questions candidates reported with this card.
- Why do people like to read local news?
- What are the different news sources today?
- How can we tell if news from the internet is reliable?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of getting news from social media?
- Will traditional media like newspapers and radio become obsolete? Why?
Your turn: talk through the card
Describe a piece of local news that people are interested in.
Talk for one to two minutes, one point at a time. Nothing is uploaded.
0:00 / 0:00
Answer it with the examiner
Sign in free, then speak for 1–2 minutes and get a band score with one thing to fix.
Which phrase means…
without cars allowed
“The square becomes car-free every Sunday morning.”
car-free
heytardy