You want to learn a language. A teacher who teaches this language lives near the area where you live. Write a letter to the teacher. In your letter: - say how you came to know about him/her - explain why you want to learn this language - ask what help he/she can offer
Sample Response
Dear Mrs Ichika,
DeleteMy name is Fiona Gilbert, and I am writing to youwriting this letter to you in the hope that you can help mewith the hope that I will be able to receive some help from you with learningwith regard to learning the Japanese language. For contextOh, in case you are wondering, a friend of mineone of my good friends, who helped you find a new place to livea new place for you to live a few months ago, gave me your contact detailsactually gave me the information about you.
I want to learn this language mainly because I am planning to move to Japan inafter a year to undertakedo an internship in industrial engineeringIndustrial Engineering so that I can get some first-hand experience in the advanced engineering processesprocess and technologies. In fact, doing this internship in Japan will offer me a clear advantage over other candidatesa definite edge over the others as far as securing a better jobgetting a better job opportunity in the engineering sector is concerned, especially inespecially, in my country.
Now, I am aware thataware of the fact that you are probably too busy to help me with the Japanese language, but I would really appreciate some of your time each weeksome of your precious time per week to learn this language. Also, please provide me with some specific instructions on how best to master the languagehow to best master this language easily.
I hope to receivehear a positive reply from you soon.
Yours sincerely,
Fiona Gilbert
Why this response received Band 7.0
The letter clearly explains how the writer learned about the teacher, develops a compelling internship and career reason for studying Japanese, and asks for weekly tuition and learning guidance. Its strongest feature is complete, relevant task coverage with a respectful overall tone. The main limitation is wordiness and occasional overly conversational or awkward phrasing; prioritise a concise request that specifies availability, lesson frequency, and the type of support sought.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
All three bullet points are fully developed with a clear purpose, relevant personal motivation, and specific requests for teaching and guidance.
Ask about the teacher's availability, lesson fees, and whether weekly conversation or structured lessons would best prepare the writer for Japan.
Coherence and Cohesion
Focused paragraphs create a logical progression from the referral to motivation, requested help, and courteous close.
Shorten the career explanation and move directly from the internship goal to the practical tuition request.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is varied and suitable for a polite enquiry, though several expressions are wordy or unnatural.
Use 'a friend recommended you', 'gain practical experience', 'improve my career prospects', and 'weekly lessons'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A range of complex structures is generally well controlled, with occasional article, punctuation, and noun-form issues.
Remove unnecessary commas and use concise forms such as 'advanced engineering processes and technologies' and 'an advantage in the job market'.
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
You want to learn a language. A teacher who teaches this language lives near the area where you live. Write a letter to the teacher. In your letter:
- say how you came to know about him/her
- explain why you want to learn this language
- ask what help he/she can offer
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.