Part 3 — Past vs. Present
"Used to" + past simple · "These days …" · trend language
1. Topic & Why It Matters
Past-vs-present questions are common in Part 3 because they push you beyond personal stories into social change. The examiner wants to hear clear comparison, trend language, and balanced reasoning, not just a simple statement that things are "more convenient now".
Where marks are commonly dropped:
- Fluency & Coherence — jumping between past and present without a clear contrast marker.
- Lexical Resource — repeating before, now, different, and developed.
- Grammar — confusing used to do, be used to doing, and present perfect trend forms.
- Pronunciation — reducing comparison phrases so much that words like used to and these days become unclear.
2. Knowledge Points
The Part 3 comparison structure
| Move | Purpose | Example sentence starter |
|---|---|---|
| Direct answer | Give your main comparison immediately | I think the biggest change is the speed of communication. |
| Past baseline | Describe what people did before | In the past, people tended to rely on face-to-face contact or phone calls. |
| Present contrast | Explain what is different now | These days, messaging apps make communication almost instant. |
| Reason | Explain why the change happened | That is mainly because smartphones have become part of everyday life. |
| Balanced evaluation | Show both benefit and drawback | It is more efficient, but it can also feel less personal. |
| Example | Anchor the abstract idea | For example, I rarely write long emails now; I just send quick voice messages. |
Tense choices for past-present answers
| Meaning | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Old habit or state | used to + verb | People used to shop mainly in local stores. |
| Single past fact | past simple | My parents bought most things from small shops. |
| Current habit or state | present simple | Most people now compare prices online before buying. |
| Change up to now | present perfect | Online shopping has changed the way people make decisions. |
| Ongoing trend | present perfect continuous | Cities have been becoming more dependent on delivery services. |
Do not over-romanticise the past
Strong Part 3 answers avoid the simple pattern of "the past was better" or "the present is better". A band-7+ comparison usually explains what has improved, what has been lost, and why different groups may feel differently about the change.
3. Vocabulary & Phrase Bank
| # | Expression | Meaning / use |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | compared with the past | use when making a direct contrast |
| 02 | these days | natural way to introduce the present |
| 03 | back then | informal phrase for a previous period |
| 04 | people used to... | old habit or common behaviour |
| 05 | there has been a shift towards... | a broad social change |
| 06 | a noticeable change | a change people can clearly see |
| 07 | become more widespread | be used or seen by more people |
| 08 | gradually replaced... | took the place of something over time |
| 09 | in recent decades | over the last 20-30 years |
| 10 | a double-edged sword | something with both advantages and disadvantages |
| 11 | lose the personal touch | become less warm or human |
| 12 | more convenient than ever | very convenient compared with before |
| 13 | at the click of a button | very quickly online |
| 14 | face-to-face interaction | communication in person |
| 15 | a generational difference | a difference between age groups |
| 16 | keep pace with change | adapt to new developments |
| 17 | from my parents' generation | useful personal comparison source |
| 18 | be taken for granted | be treated as normal and not valued |
| 19 | a slower pace of life | life with less speed and pressure |
| 20 | the best of both worlds | two advantages together |
4. Grammar Patterns
5. Pronunciation Focus
Contrastive stress
In past-present answers, stress the two time markers so the examiner can hear the comparison clearly. Do not say the whole sentence with equal stress.
| Phrase | Stress target | Delivery tip |
|---|---|---|
| In the past..., these days... | PAST / THESE days | Pause slightly after the past clause before moving to the present. |
| People used to... | USED to | Do not pronounce it as 'use to' with no /d/ sound. |
| Compared with before... | comPARED / beFORE | Stress the comparison words, not every noun. |
| The main difference is... | MAIN DIFference | Use a firm falling tone before giving your reason. |
Linking in comparison phrases
Link final consonants into following vowels: used_to,past_and present, more_often, and less_interaction.
6. Common Pitfalls
7. Practice Question
How has the way people communicate changed compared with the past?
Follow-up: "Do you think these changes are mostly positive?"
Target length: 45–60 seconds · Aim for one past baseline + one present contrast + one balanced evaluation
8. Model Answer (Band 7.5+)
"Well, I'd say the biggest change is that communication has become much faster and, in a way, much more casual. In the past, people used to rely on phone calls, letters, or face-to-face conversations, so they often put more thought into what they wanted to say. These days, though, we can send a message or a voice note at the click of a button, which is incredibly convenient.
I see this even in my own family. My parents still prefer calling when something is important, whereas my friends and I usually just send short messages throughout the day. So, to be honest, I think it is a bit of a double-edged sword. It has made it easier to stay in touch, especially with people who live far away, but we may have lost a little of the personal touch that came with slower, more deliberate communication."
9. Annotated Commentary
"whereas my friends and I usually just send..." creates a direct contrast, and "which is incredibly convenient" adds a relative clause.
"at the click of a button" and "a double-edged sword" are common, safe idioms for technology and social-change answers.
The comparison between parents calling and friends sending short messages gives the abstract answer a personal anchor.
"Well", "I'd say", "in a way", "though", and "to be honest" make the answer fluent without sounding scripted.
Stress the contrast markers: 'In the PAST' and 'THESE days'. Keep the final /d/ in 'used to' clear enough to show past habit.
10. Self-Drill
Shadow-reading line — say this 5 times aloud
"In the past, people used to rely on phone calls, whereas these days we can send a message at the click of a button."
Focus on: stress PAST and THESE days, link used_to, and pause before whereas.
Improv prompt — record yourself, no notes
"How has shopping changed compared with the past?"
Target: 45+ seconds · Use used to, one present perfect trend sentence, and one balanced evaluation.