A friend you made while you were studying abroad has written to ask you for help in finding a job in your country. You have heard about a job in a local company that might be suitable for him/her. Write a letter to this friend. In your letter: - tell your friend about the job and what sort of work it involves - say why you think the job would be suitable for him/her - explain how to apply for the job
Same question Compare all 2 answers See different approaches and band scores for this IELTS task.Sample Response
Dear Chen,
I hope you and your parents are doing great! It’s been a while since we last caught up, and I was really glad to receive your letter. From your letter, I came to know that you’re looking for a job in the USA, and I might have found something that suits you perfectly.
You'd be glad to know that a software developer position is available at Innovatech Solutions, a growing tech company based in San Francisco, USA. The role involves designing and developing web applications, troubleshooting software issues, and collaborating with a dynamic team on innovative projects. Since you have a strong background in programming and problem-solving, I believe this job would be a great fit for you. Plus, the company offers excellent career growth opportunities and a competitive salary package.
If you’re interested, you should visit their website and submit an online application. They require a CV, a portfolio of previous projects, and a short cover letter explaining why you’re interested in the position. I’d be happy to help you refine your application if needed.
Let me know if you need any more details. I’d love to see you working here soon!
Best wishes,
Andrew
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use a standard expression Original: great Suggested revision: well Why it matters: “Doing well” is the more standard expression for asking about someone’s welfare.
- 2. Make the news direct Original: You'd Suggested revision: You’ll Why it matters: The future form presents the good news more directly in this context.
- 3. Reduce promotional wording Original: dynamic team on innovative projects Suggested revision: software team on a range of projects Why it matters: The revision is more concrete and informative while preserving the description of the work.
- 4. Use natural collocation Original: career growth opportunities Suggested revision: career-development opportunities Why it matters: This compound is a more natural modifier for professional opportunities.
- 5. Be more concise Original: a competitive salary package Suggested revision: a competitive salary Why it matters: “Salary” already conveys the payment package intended here.
- 6. Clarify the reference Original: their website Suggested revision: the company’s website Why it matters: Naming the company as the possessor makes the application instruction immediately clear.
- 7. Refine the wording Original: more Suggested revision: further Why it matters: “Further details” is a smoother expression for additional information.
- 8. Clarify the location Original: working here soon Suggested revision: working in San Francisco soon Why it matters: Replacing “here” with the stated city removes a potentially vague reference.
- 9. Sentence rewrite Original: From your letter, I came to know that you’re looking for a job in the USA, and I might have found something that suits you perfectly. Suggested revision: I understand from your letter that you’re looking for a job in the USA, and I may have found a position that suits you perfectly. Why it matters: The rewrite replaces an awkward opening and uses a more precise noun for the job.
Suggested Rewrites
- great well
- You'd You’ll
- dynamic team on innovative projects software team on a range of projects
- career growth opportunities career-development opportunities
- a competitive salary package a competitive salary
- their website the company’s website
Why this response received Band 8.5
The letter is highly effective: it adopts a natural friendly tone, describes the role and its duties clearly, connects the opportunity convincingly to the friend’s abilities, and gives practical application instructions. There is no substantial communicative weakness, though a few phrases are mildly formulaic; the best refinement would be to make every expression fully idiomatic while preserving the concise, well-organised development.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Detailed feedback by IELTS writing criterion after the annotated essay.
Task Achievement
The response fully satisfies every bullet point with relevant, specific detail and sustains an entirely appropriate informal tone.
For maximum personalisation, add one brief reference to a specific skill or experience the friend demonstrated while studying abroad.
Coherence and Cohesion
Information is sequenced naturally across well-focused paragraphs, and cohesive devices guide the reader without drawing attention to themselves.
The progression is already very strong; retain this paragraph structure while trimming any opening phrasing that does not advance the purpose.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is wide, precise, and natural for both the technical job description and the friendly relationship, with only slight formulaicity.
Replace mildly conventional wording such as "competitive salary package" with a more specific detail if one is genuinely available.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of sentence forms is used accurately and flexibly, with punctuation and contractions well suited to an informal letter.
Refine the slightly awkward phrase "I came to know" to the more natural "I learned" or "I understand" for complete idiomatic control.
Write this task while it is fresh
Try the same task now. It helps you remember the feedback and write better next time.
IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
A friend you made while you were studying abroad has written to ask you for help in finding a job in your country. You have heard about a job in a local company that might be suitable for him/her. Write a letter to this friend. In your letter:
- tell your friend about the job and what sort of work it involves
- say why you think the job would be suitable for him/her
- explain how to apply for the job
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.