A friend from another country is coming to stay with you next month. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter: - tell your friend what you have arranged for the first day - explain how to get to your home from the airport - say what your friend should bring
Sample Response
Dear Emma,
I am really glad that you are coming to stay next month. I am writing to let you know what I have arranged for your first day and how to get to my flat from the airport.
Your flight lands at ten in the morning on Friday 12 June, so I have booked a table for lunch near my flat at one o'clock. In the afternoon we can walk around the old market, which is busiest on Fridays. My sister will join us for dinner in the evening.
To get here, take the number 12 bus from Exit B and get off at Green Park. It takes about forty minutes. My building is the grey one next to the post office, and I live on the second floor. If the bus is full, a taxi costs around twenty pounds.
The evenings here are cold even in June, so bring a warm jacket and a pair of shoes you can walk in. Just let me know if your flight time changes.
See you soon, Yumi
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Match friendly tone Original: I am really glad Suggested revision: I'm really glad Why it matters: The contraction creates a more natural informal tone for a letter to a friend.
- 2. Use natural contraction Original: I am writing Suggested revision: I'm writing Why it matters: A contraction sounds more conversational and suits the relationship with the recipient.
- 3. State time concisely Original: at ten in the morning Suggested revision: at 10 a.m. Why it matters: This expresses the arrival time more concisely while preserving the meaning.
- 4. Keep time style consistent Original: at one o'clock Suggested revision: at 1 p.m. Why it matters: Using the same compact time format makes the practical details easier to scan.
- 5. Add introductory comma Original: In the afternoon we Suggested revision: In the afternoon, we Why it matters: A comma clearly separates the introductory time phrase from the main clause.
- 6. Use livelier wording Original: which is busiest on Fridays Suggested revision: which is especially lively on Fridays Why it matters: “Lively” more naturally describes the atmosphere of a market than “busiest.”
- 7. Choose natural collocation Original: full Suggested revision: crowded Why it matters: “Crowded” is a more natural description when many passengers are on a bus.
- 8. Make advice concise Original: a pair of shoes you can walk in Suggested revision: comfortable walking shoes Why it matters: This compact phrase communicates the practical clothing advice more precisely.
Suggested Rewrites
- I am really glad I'm really glad
- I am writing I'm writing
- at ten in the morning at 10 a.m.
- at one o'clock at 1 p.m.
- In the afternoon we In the afternoon, we
- which is busiest on Fridays which is especially lively on Fridays
Why this response received Band 8.5
The letter’s strongest feature is its complete, practical coverage: the first-day plans, airport directions, and packing advice are all clear, specific, and easy for a friend to follow. Its main limitation is that some phrasing is slightly functional rather than warmly conversational. The highest-priority improvement is to vary sentence openings and add one or two more personal touches while preserving the concise organisation.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The purpose is immediately clear, all three bullet points are fully developed with useful specifics, and the friendly register is appropriate throughout.
Add a little more personal warmth to make the invitation feel even more naturally tailored to Emma.
Coherence and Cohesion
Information progresses logically through arrival plans, travel directions, and packing advice, with effective paragraphing and unobtrusive linking.
Vary the openings of adjacent sentences to make the progression feel slightly less list-like.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is precise and natural, especially in the practical directions and descriptions of the planned activities.
Use one or two more vivid informal expressions to strengthen the sense of a personal letter.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A good range of simple and complex structures is used accurately, with consistently clear punctuation and sentence control.
Refine the stylistic variety by occasionally combining shorter factual sentences without making the directions less clear.
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
A friend from another country is coming to stay with you next month. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter:
- tell your friend what you have arranged for the first day
- explain how to get to your home from the airport
- say what your friend should bring
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.