Elias took a deep breath. "The myriad dwellings in my metropolis are exceptionally ostentatious , creating a cacophony of architectural grandeur ," he recited, his brow sweating from the mental effort.
"Band 9 isn't about using the biggest words you can find," Henderson explained. "It’s about and collocation . You called a house 'ostentatious' when you probably meant 'luxurious.' You used 'cacophony'—which refers to sound—to describe buildings. The real secret to a Band 9 isn't obscurity; it’s appropriacy ."
When his results arrived, the number 9 stared back at him. The "secret" wasn't a list of words at all; it was the ability to make a second language feel like his first.
Henderson leaned forward. "A Band 9 candidate doesn't say 'I utilized a vessel to traverse the aquatic expanse.' They say, 'I took a boat across the lake,' but they might add that the water was 'remarkably calm' or the journey was 'surprisingly seamless.' They use and natural phrasing ."
The next morning, Elias sat for a mock speaking exam with Mr. Henderson, a retired examiner known for his sharp ears and blunt honesty.