Moving from "I" to society in Part 3

In Part 2, you talked about yourself. Your teacher. Your trip. Your favourite place. Then Part 3 begins, and the questions change. "What makes a good teacher?" "Why do people travel more these days?" Many students keep answering with "I" and "my". The examiner asked about society, but they get another personal story.

Why this matters

Part 3 questions are about people in general, society, and big ideas. Answering only from your own life makes your answers feel narrow. Moving to a wider, more general view shows you can handle abstract topics. That's a key difference between band 6 and band 7 speakers.

Part 2 vs Part 3: the same topic, different focus

Part 2	Part 3
Describe a teacher who influenced you.	What makes a good teacher? Should teachers be paid more?
Describe a trip you enjoyed.	Why do people travel more these days? How does tourism affect local communities?
Describe a gift you gave someone.	Do people give too many expensive gifts nowadays?

How to zoom out

Talk about groups of people, not just yourself. Useful groups:

young people / the older generation
people in cities / people in rural areas
parents / children
governments / companies / schools
people in countries like Bangladesh / people in richer countries

Useful phrases for general answers

"Generally speaking, ..."
"In most cases, ..."
"Many people tend to..."
"It varies a lot between... and..."
"In countries like Bangladesh, ..."
"From what I've seen, ..."

Personal examples are still useful

You can still use your own life, but as support, not as the whole answer.

Too personal:

"I travel to Cox's Bazar every year with my family. We stay in a hotel and go to the beach. It's very nice."

Better, with a general view supported by a personal example:

"I think people travel more now mainly because it's become more affordable and easier to plan. Low-cost airlines and online booking have made a big difference. Even in Bangladesh, middle-class families who never used to travel much now take trips to Cox's Bazar or Sylhet. My own family started doing that a few years ago, which would have been unthinkable when my parents were young."

Be careful with big claims

General answers can turn into over-general ones. "All young people are addicted to phones." That's too strong. Soften it:

all → many, most
always → often, usually, tend to
never → rarely, hardly ever
"It is" → "It seems", "It's likely"

Try it yourself

Rewrite these personal answers as general answers. Keep one personal detail as an example.

Why do people like social media? "I like Facebook because I can see my friends' photos."
Is it important to learn to cook? "I can't cook. My mother does everything."

Honest note

You don't need statistics or expert knowledge. Nobody expects that. Reasonable ideas, clearly explained, are enough. And if you use a number, it's fine to say "I'd guess" or "I think around".

Your task today

Choose one Part 2 card you've practised. Write three Part 3 questions that might follow it. Answer each one, moving from "I" to society.