Lesson 9: Reasons & Examples
stop giving thin answers — support every opinion with a reason and a concrete example.
Why this matters
The fastest way to add length and coherence is the habit of "say it, then back it up." Examiners reward developed ideas; unsupported one-liners stay at band 5. Reasons and examples also give you something to say, killing hesitation.
The Tip/Trick
Answer → "because…" → "for example…". Train yourself to automatically attach a reason and an example to every opinion.
- Before: "I use social media a lot." (flat)
- After: "I use social media a lot, mainly because it's how I keep up with friends abroad — for example, I video-call my cousin in Australia every Sunday."
Grammar Focus — Linking cause and result (because / so / which means)
Rule: because + reason; so + result; which means (that) adds a consequence smoothly. Reference: the "Linking cause and result (because / so / which means)" section.
- "I follow news pages, so I'm always up to date."
- "I mute notifications because they distract me."
- "I work online, which means I'm on social media all day."
Vocabulary Cluster — Social media (Part 1)
Add to under "Social media (Part 1)".
- to keep up with — stay informed about — "I use it to keep up with friends."
- to scroll through my feed — browse posts — "I scroll through my feed at lunch."
- to post / share updates — put content online — "I rarely post updates myself."
- a follower / to follow — subscriber / subscribe — "I follow a few cooking accounts."
- to go viral — spread very quickly — "That clip went viral overnight."
- screen-free time — time away from devices — "I keep mealtimes screen-free."
- to lurk — read without posting — "I mostly lurk rather than post."
- a time sink — something that wastes time — "It can be a real time sink."
Drill these as flashcards — flip, then grade yourself.
Answer Outline
- Answer: "I'd say I use it ____."
- Because (reason): "mainly because ____."
- For example: "For instance, ____."
Model Answers: 5.0 vs 7.0
Question: Do you use social media a lot?
Band 5.0 answer: "Yes, a lot. I use Facebook and TikTok. It is fun and many information."
Band 7.0 answer: "Yeah, probably more than I should, to be honest. I mainly use it to keep up with friends and follow a few cooking accounts, which means I'm scrolling through my feed several times a day. That said, it can be a real time sink — for example, I'll open it for one message and lose half an hour."
What changed:
- Reason + example: "to keep up with friends… for example, I'll open it for one message and lose half an hour."
- Cause/result linker: "which means I'm scrolling…".
- Collocation: "keep up with", "scroll through my feed", "a time sink".
- Contrast: "That said,".
- "many information": information is uncountable → "a lot of information".
- No support: add "because…" and "for example…" to avoid one-line answers.
- Final -s on verbs/nouns: "follows", "accounts" — keep them audible.
Your Turn (Record)
Task: Answer in 3 sentences each (Answer + because + for example): (1) Do you use social media a lot? (2) What do you use it for? (3) Do you think you spend too much time on it? (4) Has it changed how you keep in touch with people? ⏱ ~4 min.
Your turn — record & get scored
Part 1- Do you use social media a lot?
- What do you use it for?
- Do you think you spend too much time on it?
- Has it changed how you keep in touch with people?
Self-Check + Spaced Review
Done when:
- Every answer had a reason (because/so/which means) and an example.
- I used ≥2 social-media collocations.
- No uncountable-noun errors ("informations", "many information").
Spaced review:
- From Lesson 07: check articles/plurals in your answers.
- From Lesson 05: open at least one answer with a discourse marker.