Describe a person who is good at making things by hand

Band 6

I would like to talk about my neighbour, Seu Antonio, who is very good at making things from wood. He is a retired carpenter and he liveSubject-verb agreement error: should be “lives” next door to my family in Curitiba, in Brazil. I know him sinceTense error: should be “have known him since” I was a small child, because I use toForm error: should be “used to” sit outside his workshop and watch him work. He makes wooden chairs, small toys for the children in our street, and once he made a bookshelf for my mother, which we still have in our living room. He learned the work from his father when he was a teenager, and last Christmas he made a small wooden train for my little brother, who still sleeps with it. What I remember is the smell of the wood and the sound of his tools, and sometimes he let me hold the sandpaper, and he was, erNatural hesitation marker, minor filler, always very careful with every piece. He don’t useAuxiliary error: should be “doesn’t use” machines for the small parts, and he sands each toy until it is very smoothBasic vocabulary; limits Lexical Resource. I admire this skill for some reasons. First, it needs a lot of patience, and I am not a patient person, so I think it is very difficultBasic vocabulary; limits Lexical Resource. Second, the things he makes isSubject-verb agreement error: should be “are” strong and they last for many years, not like cheap things from a big shop. You knowFiller phrase used as a hesitation marker, he also teaches the children to make a small boat, and I think this is a good way to keep the old skill alive. Maybe one day I will learn it from him too.

Band 7

I’d like to talk about my neighbour, Seu Antonio, who’s extremely good at making things from wood. He’s a retired carpenter and he lives next door to my family in Curitiba, in Brazil. I’ve known him since I was a small child, because I used to sit outside his workshop and watch him work”Used to” for a repeated past habit, used accurately. He makes wooden chairs, small toys for the children in our street, and once he built a bookshelf for my mother, which we still have in our living room. He learned the work from his father when he was a teenager, and last Christmas he made a small wooden train for my little brother, who still sleeps with it. What I remember most is the smell of the wood and the sound of his tools, and sometimes he let me hold the sandpaper, and he was always meticulous about every piecePrecise adjective with a natural preposition. He doesn’t use machines for the small parts, and he sands each toy until it’s smooth like silkPreposition error: should be “smooth as silk”. I admire this skill for a few reasons. Firstly, it takes enormous patience, which I am lackingUnnatural phrasing: “I lack” or “I don’t have” is more idiomatic. Secondly, what he makes is built to lastNatural fixed phrase, unlike the cheap things you find in a big shop. What’s moreLinking phrase adds a point naturally, he teaches the local children to make a small boat, and I think that’s a good way of keeping the old skill alive. I’m hoping to learn it from him one day.

Band 8

I’d like to talk about my neighbour, Seu Antonio, who’s remarkably good at making things from wood. He’s a retired carpenter and lives next door to my family in Curitiba, in Brazil. I’ve known him since I was small, because I used to sit outside his workshop for hours, watching him work. He makes wooden chairs and small toys for the children in our street, and he once built a bookshelf for my mother that still stands in our living room. He learned the work from his father when he was a teenager, and last Christmas he made a small wooden train for my little brother, who still sleeps with it. What I remember most is the smell of fresh wood and the sound of his tools, and sometimes he let me hold the sandpaper, and he was always meticulous about every piecePrecise adjective with a natural preposition. He doesn’t use machines for the delicate parts, and he sands each toy until it’s smooth as silkNatural simile, used accurately. I admire the skill for several reasons. Firstly, it demands a kind of patience that I have yet to developNatural structure for something not yet achieved. Secondly, what he makes is built to lastNatural fixed phrase, whereas the things you buy in a big shop tend to wear out. Above all, he doesn’t keep the knowledge to himselfNegative with reflexive pronoun, used naturally: he teaches local children to make a small boat, which strikes me as the best way of keeping an old craft alive. I’m hoping to learn it from him one day.