You recently received a letter from a friend asking for advice about whether to go to college or to try to get a job. You think he/she should get a job. Write a letter to this friend. In your letter: - say why he/she would not enjoy going to college - explain why getting a job is a good idea for him/her - suggest types of job that would be suitable for him/her
Sample Response
Dear Diego,
I hope you’reHope you’re doing wellgood! I got your letter yesterday and am glad that you askedchose me to advise you about your future plansguide you with your further trajectory in life. I know the platform you are at right now in life has held you in utter confusion. I’ve been through the same situationphase and can guide you through the choice between continuing your education and seeking employmentthe decision of either going ahead with your higher education or trying to seek employment.
Diego, I’ve known you since childhood and know thatknow well that you won’t enjoy going to college as you’ve always been inclined to start workinginclined towards finding a job for yourself and that’s what I’d suggest for nowthat’s what I’ll suggest you go ahead with for now. DeleteHonestly, having practical workplace experiencework experience and industrial exposure gives you an edge, and you’ll be better prepared to selectmature enough in selecting which course to choosewhich course to opt for in the meantime.
For now, you should try to gettry getting a sales job as that’ll help you handle workplace pressurehandle the industrial pressure and get exposure. Best wishes, [Your name]get exposure.
Why this response received Band 7.0
The response is strongest in its warm, friendly voice and its clear recommendation that Diego gain work experience, with a sales role suggested and explained. Its main limitation is that the reasons are thin and sometimes expressed through unnatural collocations, while the letter ends abruptly. Develop why college would not suit him, add another suitable job option, and finish with a friendly closing.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The recommendation is clear and each bullet point is addressed, but the college rationale and job suggestions are only briefly developed.
Explain a specific reason college would frustrate Diego, offer at least one additional suitable role, and add a friendly sign-off.
Coherence and Cohesion
The response moves from acknowledging the dilemma to recommending work and then proposing sales, with clear paragraph-level progression.
Shorten the opening and separate the reasons for employment from the discussion of future study to sharpen focus.
Lexical Resource
The response shows useful range in discussing education and employment, but several ambitious collocations sound unnatural or imprecise.
Use natural phrases such as “next stage in life,” “uncertain about your options,” and “workplace experience.”
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A range of complex sentences is mostly controlled, and errors rarely interfere with the message.
Break up the longest sentences and ensure every clause has an explicit subject where standard written form requires one.
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
You recently received a letter from a friend asking for advice about whether to go to college or to try to get a job. You think he/she should get a job. Write a letter to this friend. In your letter:
- say why he/she would not enjoy going to college
- explain why getting a job is a good idea for him/her
- suggest types of job that would be suitable for him/her
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.