You have a pen pal and you are writing your first letter to that pen pal. In your letter: - describe your previous studies and/or work experience - describe your current activities, hobbies and interests - tell your pen pal that you will be visiting him/her
Sample Response
Dear John, I am Raj from Delhi, India, writing to introduce myself. As a pen pal, I want to let you know more about me. I would like to thank you for your letter and it was nice knowing so many things about you. I must say, you have a great way of writing. We both share many common interests and hobbies and it is indeed a great surprise. The subjects that we had opted in for our respective college and university education were coincidentally common. As a matter of fact, it is due to this reason both of our employment sector and job responsibilities are strikingly similar. Ironically, the respective companies in which we both are employed are archrivals in the industry of Finance and Banking. I would like to update you about some of the recent events. I have lately joined yoga and meditation classes. However, I still do not miss my age-old hobby of swimming. It is hard to recollect even a single day, barring the weekly off, when I miss a dip in the swimming pool. Apart from this, my weekends are generally devoted to spending time strictly with my family. The overall credit for my health, however, goes to the one and a half session of yoga classes in the morning. Thank you for inviting me to visit your city. I will certainly try to come and meet you. Let us catch up in the coming December and till then take care and keep in touch. Warm wishes, Neeraj Mehra
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use consistent name Original: Raj Suggested revision: Neeraj Why it matters: The introduction should match the name “Neeraj Mehra” in the sign-off.
- 2. Fix verb pattern Original: it was nice knowing Suggested revision: it was nice to learn Why it matters: The infinitive expresses the experience of learning information from the letter.
- 3. Use natural reaction Original: it is indeed a great surprise Suggested revision: this is a pleasant surprise Why it matters: The replacement sounds more natural in an informal personal letter.
- 4. Fix verb choice Original: had opted in for Suggested revision: had chosen Why it matters: “Opt in” is not used for choosing academic subjects in this construction.
- 5. Simplify study description Original: respective college and university education Suggested revision: college and university studies Why it matters: The original phrase is wordy and obscures the intended comparison.
- 6. Use natural comparison Original: were coincidentally common Suggested revision: were surprisingly similar Why it matters: Subjects shared by two people are described as similar rather than “coincidentally common.”
- 7. Fix reason phrase Original: it is due to this reason Suggested revision: for this reason Why it matters: The concise linking phrase avoids the faulty “due to this reason” construction.
- 8. Fix plural agreement Original: both of our employment sector Suggested revision: both our employment sectors Why it matters: Two people's sectors require the plural noun “sectors.”
- 9. Choose logical connector Original: Ironically Suggested revision: Interestingly Why it matters: Employment by rival companies is noteworthy here but not necessarily ironic.
- 10. Use natural sector name Original: industry of Finance and Banking Suggested revision: finance and banking industry Why it matters: The replacement is the conventional noun phrase and does not require capitals.
- 11. Use correct time adverb Original: lately Suggested revision: recently Why it matters: “Recently” is the natural adverb for a newly begun class.
- 12. Clarify continued hobby Original: do not miss my age-old hobby Suggested revision: still pursue my long-standing hobby Why it matters: A person pursues a hobby; “do not miss” suggests absence rather than continuation.
Suggested Rewrites
- Raj Neeraj
- it was nice knowing it was nice to learn
- it is indeed a great surprise this is a pleasant surprise
- had opted in for had chosen
- respective college and university education college and university studies
- were coincidentally common were surprisingly similar
Why this response received Band 6.5
The letter creates a warm connection with the pen pal and gives lively detail about current interests, especially yoga, swimming, and family time. However, the study and work background remains vague, and the proposed visit is expressed as an attempt rather than a definite plan, so two task requirements are only partly developed. Prioritise naming the field studied and current role, then provide a clear intended visit date in a more naturally informal style.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
All three bullet points are addressed, but previous study and work details are indirect and the December visit is not stated with sufficient certainty.
Specify the subject studied and current banking or finance role, then say directly that the visit is planned for December.
Coherence and Cohesion
The content moves logically from introduction to background, hobbies, and the visit, though the single dense block and some digressions weaken focus.
Divide the letter into short paragraphs matching the three bullet points and trim comments about the pen pal’s writing and rival companies.
Lexical Resource
The vocabulary range is broad and often engaging, but several choices are overly formal or unnatural for a friendly letter.
Replace expressions such as opted in for, weekly off, and the overall credit with studied, day off, and I stay healthy through.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Complex structures are used with reasonable control, but agreement, article, noun-phrase, and sentence-structure errors remain noticeable.
Correct forms such as our employment sectors, one-and-a-half-hour yoga sessions, and it is because of this that our roles are similar.
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
You have a pen pal and you are writing your first letter to that pen pal. In your letter:
- describe your previous studies and/or work experience
- describe your current activities, hobbies and interests
- tell your pen pal that you will be visiting him/her
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.