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 Victoria,
I'm so excited to receive your letter, and I hope you're doing great. In your letter, you asked for my advice on your next course of action, and I wanted to share my thoughts on your dilemma about whether to go to college or start working. As I know you very closely, I genuinely believe that getting a job would be the best option for you.
In relation to college life, I feel that you may not enjoy it as much as you expect. From our conversations, I know that you prefer hands-on experience rather than sitting in lectures all day. Studying for exams and writing long research papers might not be your cup of tea at the time, and I worry that you may find it frustrating rather than fulfilling.
On the other hand, starting a job right away could be a great way to gain real-world experience, develop new skills, and become financially independent. You've always been practical and eager to learn through doing, so working would allow you to progress faster in your career.
Given your strong communication skills and creativity, I think a role in marketing, sales, or event management would suit you perfectly.
Let me know what you decide - I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Warm wishes,
Emma
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use friendly wording Original: next course of action Suggested revision: what to do next Why it matters: The simpler phrase better suits a letter to a close friend.
- 2. Remove wordiness Original: thoughts on your dilemma about Suggested revision: thoughts on Why it matters: The shorter wording conveys the same meaning without an unnecessarily formal phrase.
- 3. Correct collocation Original: closely Suggested revision: well Why it matters: Well, rather than closely, is the natural adverb with know in this meaning.
- 4. Use natural transition Original: In relation to college life Suggested revision: As for college Why it matters: This concise transition suits the informal register and introduces the topic directly.
- 5. Fix comparison pattern Original: prefer hands-on experience rather than sitting in lectures all day Suggested revision: prefer gaining hands-on experience to sitting in lectures all day Why it matters: Prefer is correctly followed by parallel gerund forms joined with to.
- 6. Clarify present reference Original: at the time Suggested revision: at this stage Why it matters: At this stage clearly refers to the friend's current decision, whereas at the time usually refers to a past point.
- 7. Use standard expression Original: through Suggested revision: by Why it matters: Learn by doing is the established expression for gaining practical experience.
- 8. Correct dash punctuation Original: decide - I’d Suggested revision: decide—I’d Why it matters: An em dash correctly links these closely related independent clauses.
- 9. Develop job suggestions Suggested revision: Briefly connect each suggested field, or the strongest two, to the communication skills and creativity already identified. Why it matters: A little more explanation would make the job recommendations more specifically useful to the friend.
Suggested Rewrites
- next course of action what to do next
- thoughts on your dilemma about thoughts on
- closely well
- In relation to college life As for college
- prefer hands-on experience rather than sitting in lectures all day prefer gaining hands-on experience to sitting in lectures all day
- at the time at this stage
Why this response received Band 8.0
This is a warm, persuasive letter that covers every required point with well-chosen personal reasons, clear progression, and flexible language. The main limitations are very minor awkward phrases, particularly around knowing the friend well and the timing of college study. A final edit for idiomatic precision would make the otherwise fluent advice sound fully natural throughout.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The letter fully addresses why college may be unsuitable, why work is preferable, and which jobs fit the friend, using an appropriately friendly tone.
Develop the suitability of one suggested job slightly further to make the final recommendation as detailed as the earlier advice.
Coherence and Cohesion
Purposeful paragraphs and natural linking create a clear progression from the dilemma through reasons to the specific recommendation.
Make the transition into the final job suggestions a little more explicit so the conclusion feels fully integrated.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is varied, precise, and natural overall, with effective expressions such as hands-on experience and financially independent.
Replace the slightly awkward phrases know you very closely and at the time with more idiomatic alternatives.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of simple and complex structures is handled accurately, with only very minor lapses that do not affect communication.
Polish the few awkward comparative and time-reference constructions while retaining the current variety of sentence forms.
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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.