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 Shawn, I must tell you how excited I am after learning the news that you will be visiting my country from January 31st to February 10th. In fact, right after reading your letter, I started to check the information on all the good hotels in my country in case if you are not too sure where to stay or what kind of hotels to choose. It seems like I have not seen you in ages, and so I do not like to waste any time meeting you as soon as you come to the airport. Just let me know the exact time when you would arrive at the airport, and I will pick you up from there. But, if you do not want me to receive you at the airport, I can meet you at the famous “Cherry Shopping Mall” in our capital city on the 10th of January at around 5:00 pm. By the way, I have already made some plans to take part in some activities, such as visiting the largest botanical garden in my country as well as enjoying the complete view of our capital city at night from the tallest tower. Have a safe flight. See you soon. Yours sincerely, Chris Reid
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Natural phrase Original: learning the news Suggested revision: hearing the news Why it matters: This is the more natural phrase in a friendly letter.
- 2. Conditional form Original: in case if you are not too sure Suggested revision: in case you are not sure Why it matters: Use either "in case" or "if", not both together.
- 3. Concise option Original: where to stay or what kind of hotels to choose Suggested revision: where to stay Why it matters: The second part repeats the same idea and can be removed.
- 4. Verb meaning Original: I do not like to waste any time meeting you Suggested revision: I do not want to waste any time before meeting you Why it matters: The original suggests the meeting itself is a waste of time.
- 5. Arrival verb Original: as soon as you come to the airport Suggested revision: as soon as you arrive at the airport Why it matters: Use "arrive at" for reaching an airport.
- 6. Future time Original: when you would arrive Suggested revision: when you will arrive Why it matters: Use "will" for a future arrival time in this request.
- 7. Natural phrasal verb Original: I will pick you up from there Suggested revision: I will pick you up there Why it matters: The phrasal verb does not need "from" here.
- 8. Wrong date Original: on the 10th of January Suggested revision: on 31 January Why it matters: The task says the family will visit from 31 January to 10 February, so 10 January is impossible.
- 9. Natural activity phrase Original: take part in some activities Suggested revision: do a few activities together Why it matters: This sounds more natural in a friendly letter.
- 10. Collocation Original: enjoying the complete view Suggested revision: enjoying a panoramic view Why it matters: "Panoramic view" is a natural collocation for seeing a city from a tower.
- 11. Smoother link Original: By the way, Suggested revision: During your stay, Why it matters: This transition better connects the activities to the visit.
- 12. Specify time Original: Just let me know the exact time Suggested revision: I will meet you at 5:00 pm on 31 January Why it matters: The task asks you to specify a time and date, not only ask the visitors to provide one.
Suggested Rewrites
- learning the news hearing the news
- in case if you are not too sure in case you are not sure
- where to stay or what kind of hotels to choose where to stay
- I do not like to waste any time meeting you I do not want to waste any time before meeting you
- as soon as you come to the airport as soon as you arrive at the airport
- when you would arrive when you will arrive
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Detailed feedback by IELTS writing criterion after the annotated essay.
Task Achievement
The letter is friendly and suggests a meeting place and activities, but there is a serious date problem: it suggests meeting on 10 January even though the visitors arrive from 31 January to 10 February. The airport pickup plan is also conditional rather than a clear specified time.
Give a definite meeting plan within the visit dates, for example 31 January at the airport, and keep the mall option consistent with those dates.
Coherence and Cohesion
The message is generally easy to follow, but it is one paragraph and includes unnecessary hotel information before the meeting arrangements. Some ideas are linked loosely rather than clearly sequenced.
Organise the letter into greeting, meeting plan, and activities, with the time and place easy to find.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is adequate and friendly, with some useful phrases about travel and activities. Several expressions are awkward, such as "in case if", "the information on all the good hotels", and "take part in some activities".
Use natural travel collocations such as "looked up hotels", "pick you up", and "visit" rather than heavier phrases.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Meaning is mostly clear, and there is some range in clauses and conditionals. Errors with tense, prepositions, conditionals, and date consistency reduce control.
Check conditionals and date references carefully, especially when the task provides fixed dates.