A friend who is about to enter university wants your advice about whether to specialise in history, which interests him/her, or computer science, which offers better job prospects. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter: - recommend which subject your friend should specialise in - consider your friend's interest in history - consider the job prospects offered by computer science
Sample Response
Dear Charles, I got so delighted to receive your letter yesterday and it was a pleasant surprise to know that you've already completed high school and would get admitted to a university soon. How time does fly! You've asked my opinion on which subject to take as your major. I think you should follow your instinct and go for something you feel passionate about. I know you very closely and can advise that you do better when you feel connected to something. From your letter, I understand that your personal choice is history but your parents want you to follow your elder cousin Ryan's track who is earning a lot from his IT career. Who says you cannot have a great career if you take history? I can give you many examples of when someone from a more demanding subject is doing mediocrely while someone from a traditional subject is doing quite excellently. I guess you personally want to study history, I've got that impression from your letter, and that's why I would advise you to follow your own track and set an example for others instead of blindly walking through a street you do not want to be in. Warm wishes, Simmon
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use natural collocation Original: got so delighted to receive Suggested revision: was delighted to receive Why it matters: The verb 'get' does not combine naturally with 'delighted' in this context.
- 2. Correct future form Original: would get admitted to a university soon Suggested revision: will soon be admitted to university Why it matters: Use a future form for an admission that is expected to happen soon.
- 3. Add required preposition Original: asked my opinion Suggested revision: asked for my opinion Why it matters: The expression 'ask for someone's opinion' requires the preposition 'for'.
- 4. Choose accurate reporting verb Original: advise that Suggested revision: say that Why it matters: 'Advise' is not the appropriate verb for reporting this observation about the friend's behaviour.
- 5. Use concise wording Original: your personal choice is history Suggested revision: your preference is history Why it matters: 'Preference' expresses the intended contrast more naturally and concisely.
- 6. Correct the expression Original: follow your elder cousin Ryan's track Suggested revision: follow in your older cousin Ryan's footsteps Why it matters: The standard expression is 'follow in someone's footsteps', and 'older' is more natural for a cousin.
- 7. Use natural phrasing Original: it was a pleasant surprise to know that Suggested revision: I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Why it matters: The revised phrasing is more direct and uses the natural verb 'learn' for receiving news.
- 8. Use the usual form Original: How time does fly! Suggested revision: How time flies! Why it matters: The simple present is the more natural form of this exclamation in an informal letter.
- 9. Use precise verb Original: take as your major Suggested revision: choose as your major Why it matters: A student normally 'chooses' a subject as a major rather than 'takes' it as one.
- 10. Use natural plural Original: follow your instinct Suggested revision: follow your instincts Why it matters: The established expression for trusting one's judgement is 'follow your instincts'.
- 11. Name the choice clearly Original: go for something Suggested revision: choose a subject Why it matters: The revision identifies the academic choice more precisely while retaining the informal tone.
- 12. Correct the collocation Original: know you very closely Suggested revision: know you very well Why it matters: English uses 'know someone well', not 'know someone closely', for personal familiarity.
Suggested Rewrites
- got so delighted to receive was delighted to receive
- would get admitted to a university soon will soon be admitted to university
- asked my opinion asked for my opinion
- advise that say that
- your personal choice is history your preference is history
- follow your elder cousin Ryan's track follow in your older cousin Ryan's footsteps
Why this response received Band 7.0
The letter has a clear, warm purpose and gives confident, personally relevant advice in an appropriately friendly voice. Its main limitation is that the better job prospects in computer science are acknowledged only through the cousin's earnings and then dismissed, while the response is presented as one long paragraph. Develop that trade-off more directly and organise the recommendation, reasons, and conclusion into distinct paragraphs for a more balanced and readable answer.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Detailed feedback by IELTS writing criterion after the annotated essay.
Task Achievement
The response clearly recommends history, engages with the friend's interest, and maintains a suitable personal tone, but its consideration of computer science careers is brief and one-sided.
Explain the concrete career advantages of computer science before showing why the friend's motivation still makes history the better choice.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas progress logically from the friend's circumstances to the recommendation, although the entire letter body forms one dense paragraph and some sentences carry several points.
Use separate paragraphs for the opening context, the comparison of subjects, and the final recommendation.
Lexical Resource
The vocabulary is varied and expressive, but several choices are awkward or imprecise, including 'got so delighted,' 'demanding subject,' and 'mediocrely.'
Prefer natural collocations and precise comparison language, such as 'was delighted,' 'career-focused subject,' and 'performs only moderately.'
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A good range of complex structures is used with generally secure control, though there are occasional awkward forms and a comma splice near the end.
Separate the clauses in 'I guess you personally want to study history, I've got that impression' and review tense choices for greater accuracy.
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
A friend who is about to enter university wants your advice about whether to specialise in history, which interests him/her, or computer science, which offers better job prospects. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter:
- recommend which subject your friend should specialise in
- consider your friend's interest in history
- consider the job prospects offered by computer science
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.