Last month you had a holiday overseas where you stayed with some friends. They have just sent you some photos of your holiday. Write a letter to your friends. In your letter: - thank them for the photos and for the holiday - explain why you didn't - write earlier - invite them to come and stay with you Dear...............,
Sample Response
Dear Mark and Lucy, Hope you're doing great. I had a great time with you guys. Thank you so much both for the remarkable holiday in your city and for the lovely photos that you sent me yesterday. Canada is certainly a spectacular country with an extraordinary landscape, vibrant culture and wildlife, particularly up in the area where you are. The holiday is over, but I'll never forget the way you treated me - it was fabulous. Sorry, it has taken me so long to write back and thank you. Almost as soon as I landed back in Italy, I got extremely busy with my office work. Besides, a severe cold forced me to take a few days off from the office, and I struggled to regain momentum at work and at home. I would like to invite both of you to visit Italy. We'll be celebrating our parent's 40th marriage anniversary next month, and I expect you on this special occasion. I'll take you to some of the famous places in Italy including Rome. Best known for housing ancient Roman structures and the Vatican City, Rome has stunning cathedrals and Renaissance architecture. I am sure you'll enjoy your time here. I would love to see you both soon. Take care and write back. Warm wishes, Emily
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Correct word order Original: Thank you so much both Suggested revision: Thank you both so much Why it matters: The object pronoun should come before the intensifying phrase.
- 2. Complete the apology Original: Sorry, it has taken me so long Suggested revision: I'm sorry it has taken me so long Why it matters: The original apology is a sentence fragment because it lacks a subject and finite verb.
- 3. Fix possession and phrase Original: our parent's 40th marriage anniversary Suggested revision: our parents' 40th wedding anniversary Why it matters: Both parents possess the anniversary, and wedding anniversary is the standard expression.
- 4. Soften the invitation Original: I expect you on this special occasion Suggested revision: I hope you can join us for this special occasion Why it matters: The original sounds demanding rather than warmly inviting friends.
- 5. Separate the salutation Original: Dear Mark and Lucy, Suggested revision: Dear Mark and Lucy, Why it matters: Place the opening greeting on its own line to follow letter conventions.
- 6. Add the subject Original: Hope you're doing great. Suggested revision: I hope you're both doing well. Why it matters: Adding the subject makes this opening a complete sentence.
- 7. Use a warmer address Original: you guys Suggested revision: you both Why it matters: This is a more natural way to address the two named recipients.
- 8. Use natural collocation Original: remarkable holiday Suggested revision: wonderful holiday Why it matters: This adjective collocates more naturally with a pleasant holiday.
- 9. Use letter paragraphs Suggested revision: Separate the letter into an opening thank-you, an explanation for the delay, an invitation, and a closing. Why it matters: Clear paragraphs would make the response easier for the recipients to follow.
- 10. Offer accommodation clearly Suggested revision: State explicitly that Mark and Lucy are invited to stay at your home during their visit. Why it matters: The response invites them to Italy but does not clearly offer them a place to stay as the task requests.
Suggested Rewrites
- Thank you so much both Thank you both so much
- Sorry, it has taken me so long I'm sorry it has taken me so long
- our parent's 40th marriage anniversary our parents' 40th wedding anniversary
- I expect you on this special occasion I hope you can join us for this special occasion
- Dear Mark and Lucy, Dear Mark and Lucy,
- Hope you're doing great. I hope you're both doing well.
Why this response received Band 8.0
The letter fully addresses the three purposes with a warm, convincing tone, and its invitation is supported by appealing plans for the visit. Its main limitation is a small number of awkward expressions and grammatical slips that slightly reduce precision. The highest-priority improvement is to proofread possessives and refine less natural collocations while retaining the clear, personable detail.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Detailed feedback by IELTS writing criterion after the annotated essay.
Task Achievement
All bullet points are fully addressed with relevant detail and an appropriately friendly, persuasive tone.
Make the invitation even more practical by adding a possible date or accommodation detail.
Coherence and Cohesion
The letter progresses naturally from thanks through the explanation to a well-developed invitation, with clear linking throughout.
Use visible paragraph breaks to separate the three communicative purposes more distinctly.
Lexical Resource
A wide and generally precise vocabulary conveys gratitude, description, and invitation effectively, despite a few slightly strained collocations.
Replace less natural combinations such as "remarkable holiday" with more idiomatic phrasing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A broad range of complex structures is handled accurately, with only occasional non-impeding errors.
Proofread possessive forms, particularly "parent's 40th marriage anniversary," and polish minor sentence-level awkwardness.
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
Last month you had a holiday overseas where you stayed with some friends. They have just sent you some photos of your holiday. Write a letter to your friends. In your letter:
- thank them for the photos and for the holiday
- explain why you didn't
- write earlier
- invite them to come and stay with you Dear...............,
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.