The road in front of your house was damaged a long time ago and nothing has been done about it. Write a letter to the municipal authority. In your letter: - introduce yourself - explain the condition of the road - suggest what the authority should do
Sample Response
Dear Sir or Madam, I am Cory Gardner, a local resident of Ipswich, Queensland, Australia, writing on behalf of the residents of the area to notify you about a dilapidated road which is causing unbearable misery for us. I work at a local school and teach mathematics to young students. This is the first time I am writing to the municipal office to complain about something. Park Street, the only road we use to get off and in, from the community, was damaged around three months ago when we had a heavy downpour for a week. The roads have many holes, and crumbly places, and are below usable condition with uneven flagstones. We expectantly waited for a month when a team of engineers inspected the road in July. But nothing has been done so far to alleviate our suffering. I would request you to send a team to probe the condition of the road and take immediate action to have it repaired. We already have had some minor accidents in the past months and would like you to prevent a major one. Yours faithfully, Cory Gardner
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use formal phrasing Original: to notify you about Suggested revision: to inform you of Why it matters: This collocation is more natural in a formal complaint.
- 2. Moderate the tone Original: unbearable misery Suggested revision: serious inconvenience Why it matters: This wording maintains a firm but appropriately measured tone for a municipal authority.
- 3. Clarify road access Original: get off and in, from the community Suggested revision: enter and leave the community Why it matters: The original phrase is not idiomatic and obscures how residents use the road.
- 4. Keep the noun singular Original: The roads have Suggested revision: The road has Why it matters: The letter identifies one road, so the noun and verb should remain singular.
- 5. Use the precise term Original: holes Suggested revision: potholes Why it matters: 'Potholes' precisely describes holes in a damaged road surface.
- 6. Describe damaged sections Original: crumbly places Suggested revision: crumbling sections Why it matters: This phrase describes deteriorating parts of a road more naturally.
- 7. Use natural phrasing Original: below usable condition Suggested revision: in an unusable condition Why it matters: The replacement uses the correct preposition and adjective for the road's condition.
- 8. Use an official action Original: probe Suggested revision: assess Why it matters: 'Assess' is the natural verb for an official inspection of road damage.
- 9. Place the adverb correctly Original: We already have had Suggested revision: We have already had Why it matters: 'Already' normally follows the auxiliary in the present perfect.
- 10. Use concise wording Original: residents of the area Suggested revision: local residents Why it matters: This replacement identifies the represented group more directly.
- 11. Name the recipient precisely Original: office Suggested revision: authority Why it matters: This term matches the formal recipient named in the task.
- 12. Use natural duration wording Original: a heavy downpour for a week Suggested revision: a week of heavy rain Why it matters: This phrase expresses the duration of the rainfall more naturally.
Suggested Rewrites
- to notify you about to inform you of
- unbearable misery serious inconvenience
- get off and in, from the community enter and leave the community
- The roads have The road has
- holes potholes
- crumbly places crumbling sections
Why this response received Band 7.0
The letter’s strongest feature is its direct fulfilment of the complaint purpose, with relevant detail about the damaged road, previous inaction, accidents, and the requested repair. Its main limitation is imprecise phrasing and several awkward collocations that make parts of the description less natural; the highest priority is to use clearer, idiomatic expressions when describing access, road damage, and the earlier inspection.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Detailed feedback by IELTS writing criterion after the annotated essay.
Task Achievement
The writer introduces himself, describes the road and its consequences clearly, and makes an appropriately urgent, specific request.
Strengthen the request further by stating a practical response deadline or asking when the repair work will begin.
Coherence and Cohesion
The ideas progress logically from the writer’s identity and the cause of the damage to official inaction and the requested solution.
Divide the introduction, road-condition details, and requested action into separate paragraphs to make the progression more visible.
Lexical Resource
There is a broad range of relevant vocabulary, but several unnatural combinations reduce precision and idiomatic control.
Replace awkward phrases such as “get off and in,” “crumbly places,” and “below usable condition” with clear, conventional wording.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
The response uses varied complex structures with generally good control, and the remaining errors rarely impede meaning.
Maintain singular reference to “the road” and revise awkward time clauses so the inspection sequence is grammatically clear.
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
The road in front of your house was damaged a long time ago and nothing has been done about it. Write a letter to the municipal authority. In your letter:
- introduce yourself
- explain the condition of the road
- suggest what the authority should do
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.