Part 1 · Band 4

Is that a big city or a small place?

Source-reported band score · 50 words

Sample answer

I'd say it's about the area. I think it's a medium city. But if I talk about the people and population, I think it's a hilly city, and it's big enough. So, there are not many areas to build new houses, as the architecture is built outside of my city.

Answer analysis

Fluency & Coherence

Your answer moves from an uncertain opening (“I'd say it's about the area”) to a clear size label (“a medium city”), then adds hills, building space and construction outside the city. The details are relevant, but the link from “people and population” to “hilly” interrupts the progression. Practise a 20-second response: state the size first, give the hill-and-land reason, then finish with the construction detail; record it and check that sequence.

Lexical Resource

You use relevant words such as “medium city,” “hilly,” and “build new houses,” so the listener can understand the main description. However, “the architecture is built” is an imprecise word combination, and “about the area” does not clearly express city size. Practise a few direct collocations for this topic, such as “medium-sized city,” “limited space for housing,” and “new construction.”

Grammatical Range & Accuracy

You form several connected clauses, including “there are not many areas to build new houses,” and the overall meaning is understandable. The final clause, “as the architecture is built outside of my city,” has an unclear reference and awkward construction; “But if I talk about…” also makes the sentence longer than needed. Practise separating the size, reason, and result into short, clearly linked sentences.

Pronunciation

This is a text-only response, so pronunciation cannot be assessed, and this practice guide is not an assessment of a recording. Practise the word stress in “medium” (MED-ium) and “population” (pop-u-LA-tion), then say “build new houses” as one thought group. Record yourself reading the answer, listen for clear syllables and natural phrase breaks, and repeat any difficult section.

A transcript shows language and organisation. Fluency, delivery and pronunciation require an audio recording; the synthetic voice demonstrates the text, not the original speaker.

  • Answer the either-or question immediately with “It’s a medium-sized city,” rather than opening with the unclear phrase “about the area.”
  • Connect the hilly landscape to the limited space for new houses, then explain that construction happens outside the city.
  • Practise replacing “the architecture is built” with “new buildings are constructed,” and record a 20-second version to check that each idea follows clearly.

Plan your answer

Try your own response before reading the samples.

Ideas to explore

  • Contrast Hiva’s relatively small size with its historical importance.
  • Use Itchan Kala as the specific example of the city’s ancient architecture.
  • Explain that cultural heritage and monuments attract tourists.

Suggested structure

  1. Answer directly by describing the place as relatively small.
  2. Add a contrast showing that its size does not diminish its importance.
  3. Give Itchan Kala as a concrete example of its architecture.
  4. Finish with the reason tourists visit.
Useful vocabulary & examples
historically significant
important because of its history

Hiva is a historically significant city in Uzbekistan.

well-preserved
kept in good condition over time

Visitors come to see Hiva’s well-preserved ancient architecture.

cultural heritage
the traditions, places and history passed down through a community

Tourists explore Hiva’s rich cultural heritage.

attract tourists
draw visitors to a place

Its monuments attract tourists throughout the year.

Practise your answer →

Compare answers on this topic

Band 9

Well, this is indeed a large city rather than a small place. With a population of approximately a million residents, the urban area is buzzing with activity.

Band 8

Well, to be honest, Hiva is smaller compared to other cities, but it is a historically significant city in Uzbekistan. It is well known for its well-preserved ancient architectu...

Band 7

I think it is a relatively small city, and it contains five or six phases. I think it is a place to accommodate about 100,000 people.

Band 6

My hometown is called Toshkent and is located in the eastern part of Uzbekistan. I have lived here for 20 years. Its features include high-rise buildings, and the people of my c...

Band 5

Honestly, my hometown is in the middle of this difference. Also, there is more comfort. It has gorgeous places too.

Band 4

Well, my city is actually a small place. There are a number of these, um, this level of amenities. This is to read this situation, supermarkets, um, and also in a diverse popula...