Your former homestay family is coming to see you in your home country and stay from January 31st to February 10th. Write them a letter. In your letter: make plans to meet them at a convenient location specify a time and date suggest some activities you may all participate in during their visit
Sample Response
Dear Mr & Mrs Johnson, I trust you are doing fine and enjoying the season. I am surprised to hear that you are visiting the United Kingdom in a few days and I am really happy about it. I am sure you will enjoy your holiday here and the climate at this time of the year is bright and sunny. I cannot wait to meet you. As you have already said, you are going to stay in a hotel in London. My house is almost 10 hours driveway from London city centre. I hope you will be free on February 4th so that we can meet on that day. When you come to Belfast, give me a ring or send me an SMS two hours prior so that I can meet you there. Early morning (around 9:00 am) would be better but I can meet you anytime you want. We will have our lunch together in a restaurant where I went many times and I quite like their environment and food. There are many tourist spots in Belfast so I am sure you both will enjoy your time. I will be very glad if you agree to stay at our home for a couple of days as my parents are very eager to meet you. I have told them about you and they are expecting you. During your stay at our home, we can go to see popular historical museums, beaches, amusement parks and other attractive places near my hometown. We would love to give you a taste of our traditional food. Looking forward to seeing you both soon. Sincerely yours, Sonia Vincent
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Meaning nuance Original: I am surprised to hear Suggested revision: I am delighted to hear Why it matters: Surprised can sound less positive; delighted better matches the happy tone.
- 2. Wrong collocation Original: 10 hours driveway Suggested revision: a ten-hour drive Why it matters: Driveway means the short private road beside a house; drive refers to travel time.
- 3. Too vague Original: give me a ring or send me an SMS two hours prior Suggested revision: I will meet you at Belfast Central Station at 9:00 am on February 4th Why it matters: The task asks for a convenient location and time, so a fixed arrangement is stronger.
- 4. Tense choice Original: where I went many times Suggested revision: where I have been many times Why it matters: Use present perfect for repeated experience up to now.
- 5. Restaurant phrase Original: their environment and food Suggested revision: its atmosphere and food Why it matters: Atmosphere is more natural for a restaurant setting.
- 6. Natural phrase Original: There are many tourist spots Suggested revision: There are many tourist attractions Why it matters: Tourist attractions is more natural in this context.
- 7. Preposition choice Original: at our home Suggested revision: with us Why it matters: Stay with us is the usual phrase for being a guest in someone's home.
- 8. Word choice Original: attractive places Suggested revision: places of interest Why it matters: Places of interest is a more natural travel expression.
- 9. Confirm plan Original: I hope you will be free on February 4th Suggested revision: I suggest we meet on February 4th Why it matters: This sounds more like a clear plan than a hope.
- 10. Add comma Original: Early morning (around 9:00 am) would be better but I can meet you anytime you want. Suggested revision: Early morning (around 9:00 am) would be better, but I can meet you anytime you want. Why it matters: The comma separates two independent clauses joined by but.
- 11. Conditional form Original: I will be very glad if you agree Suggested revision: I would be very glad if you agreed Why it matters: Would plus past simple is more natural for a polite invitation.
- 12. Sentence rewrite Original: When you come to Belfast, give me a ring or send me an SMS two hours prior so that I can meet you there. Suggested revision: If it suits you, I can meet you at Belfast Central Station at 9:00 am on February 4th. Why it matters: This gives a clear place, date, and time instead of leaving the arrangement uncertain.
Suggested Rewrites
- I am surprised to hear I am delighted to hear
- 10 hours driveway a ten-hour drive
- give me a ring or send me an SMS two hours prior I will meet you at Belfast Central Station at 9:00 am on February 4th
- where I went many times where I have been many times
- their environment and food its atmosphere and food
- There are many tourist spots There are many tourist attractions
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Detailed feedback by IELTS writing criterion after the annotated essay.
Task Achievement
The letter makes plans to meet, gives a date and approximate time, and suggests several activities. The arrangement is somewhat loose because the exact meeting place depends on the visitors contacting the writer later.
Give one definite meeting location and time, then add flexibility as a backup.
Coherence and Cohesion
The message is friendly and generally well sequenced, moving from greeting to meeting plan and activities. One-paragraph formatting and some overlong sentences limit cohesion.
Use separate paragraphs for reaction, meeting arrangement, activities, and closing invitation.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is warm and mostly appropriate, but several collocations are unnatural, such as 10 hours driveway and environment and food.
Replace awkward travel and hospitality phrases with more idiomatic wording.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Meaning is clear, but there are tense, article, and verb-form errors in several sentences.
Check fixed forms such as have been to, a ten-hour drive, and stay with us.