Describe a special day out that did not cost much

Band 6

I want to talk about a day out I haveTense slip: should be “had” last June with my two friends, Aziza and Timur. It was just after our exams, and we wasSubject-verb agreement error: should be “were” very tired, so we decided to go to a lake in the hills, about two hours away by bus. We did not plan much. In the morning we packed our own lunch, bread and fruit and some boiled eggs, and we took the local bus. When we arrived, we walked around the lake, which took about one hour, and the view was really niceBasic vocabulary; limits Lexical Resource. The place was not famous, so there were not many people there. After that we sat on the grass, ate our lunch and played cards for a long time. The water was cold but Timur jumpTense slip: should be “jumped” in anyway, and we laughTense slip: should be “laughed” so much. I think this day was special because it was very simple and calm. We did not look at our phones, we just talked about our plans and our future, and I felt that the time was stoppedPassive form error: should be “time had stopped”. After a hard month it was exactly what I needed, and now I try to do something like this every summer.

Band 7

I’d like to talk about a day out I had last June with two close friends, Aziza and Timur. It was just after our exams and we were all exhausted, so we decided to head to a lake in the hills, about two hours away by bus. We didn’t plan much: in the morning we packed a simple lunch of bread, fruit and boiled eggsVerb phrase with a clear list of three items and caught the local bus. When we arrived we walked around the lake, which took about an hour, and the scenery was breathtakingStrong, precise adjective. The spot was a little off the beaten track, so it was almost empty. Afterwards we sat on the grass, ate our lunch and played cards for ages. The water was freezing, but Timur jumped in anyway, and we all laughingVerb form error: should be “laughed” or “were laughing” so much. What made the day special was how unhurried it feltCleft sentence gives the answer a clear focus: nobody looked at their phones, we just talked about our plans and our future, and I lost track of timeNatural, idiomatic phrase. After such a stressful month it was exactly what I needed, and I now try to repeat something similar every summer.

Band 8

I’d like to talk about a day out I had last June with two close friends, Aziza and Timur. It was just after our exams and we were all exhausted, so we decided to head to a lake in the hills, about two hours away by bus. We didn’t plan much: in the morning we packed a simple lunch of bread, fruit and boiled eggs and caught the local bus. When we arrived we walked around the lake, which took about an hour, and the scenery was breathtaking. The spot was a little off the beaten track, so we almost had it to ourselves. Afterwards we sat on the grass, ate our lunch and played cards for ages. The water was freezing, but Timur jumped in anyway and we all laughed until our sides hurt. What made the day special was how unhurried it feltCleft sentence gives the answer a clear focus: nobody looked at their phones, we simply talked about our plans, and I lost track of time completely. After such a stressful month it was exactly what I needed, a genuine breath of fresh airIdiomatic phrase used precisely, and I now try to repeat something similar every summer.