You have recently learned about an opening for an internship at a local company that you are interested in. Write a letter to the director of the company. In your letter: - introduce yourself - explain how you learned about the internship - explain why you would be suitable for the internship
Sample Response
Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing to you to express my sincere interest in the internship which you recently advertised. I am currently a graphic design student at Loyola University here in Chicago and am in my third year of study. I am from Chicago and have lived my entire life in the region and have also long been an admirer of your firm. I learned about the internship from an advertisement I saw last week in Crain’s Chicago Business newspaper. I am interested in finding an internship and frequently read this publication in search of suitable opportunities. The moment I saw your company’s advertisement, I knew the position was perfect for me. I would be a great addition to your team at Periscope because I am very passionate about graphic design, and also have an educational background that fits your firm’s criteria. I would love to explore this passion during an internship, and am also very familiar with your firm and the region. I look forward to hearing from you. Kind regards, Maria Maldonado
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use a defining relative Original: which Suggested revision: that Why it matters: “That” is a more natural choice for this defining relative clause.
- 2. Remove redundant wording Original: here in Chicago Suggested revision: in Chicago Why it matters: “Here” is unnecessary because the location is already stated clearly.
- 3. Avoid repeated wording Original: interested in finding an internship Suggested revision: seeking an internship Why it matters: This concise alternative avoids repeating “interested” and “internship” from the opening.
- 4. Use a formal claim Original: perfect for me Suggested revision: well suited to my skills Why it matters: This measured phrase is more appropriate in a formal application letter.
- 5. Remove weak intensifier Original: very passionate Suggested revision: passionate Why it matters: The adjective is already strong, so “very” adds little precision.
- 6. Fix compound predicate Original: , and also have Suggested revision: and have Why it matters: The shared subject does not require a comma, and “also” is redundant here.
- 7. Make familiarity precise Original: very familiar with your firm and the region Suggested revision: familiar with your firm’s work and the local area Why it matters: The revision states the two kinds of familiarity more precisely.
- 8. Sentence rewrite Original: I am from Chicago and have lived my entire life in the region and have also long been an admirer of your firm. Suggested revision: I am a lifelong Chicago resident and have long admired your firm. Why it matters: The rewrite removes repetitive coordination while preserving both ideas.
- 9. Evidence your suitability Suggested revision: Support your suitability with one concrete graphic-design skill, project, or relevant achievement. Why it matters: Passion and educational background are relevant, but a specific example would make the third bullet point more convincing.
Suggested Rewrites
- which that
- here in Chicago in Chicago
- interested in finding an internship seeking an internship
- perfect for me well suited to my skills
- very passionate passionate
- , and also have and have
Why this response received Band 7.0
The letter clearly establishes its purpose, maintains an appropriately formal tone, and demonstrates strong grammatical control while addressing each bullet point. Its main limitation is presentation and development: the entire response forms one dense paragraph, and the case for suitability relies on general claims about passion and education. Prioritise clear paragraph breaks and add one concrete design skill, project, or achievement that directly matches the internship.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The purpose is clear and all three bullet points are addressed in a suitably formal tone, though the suitability claim remains somewhat general.
Support suitability with a specific graphic-design skill, project, achievement, or software competency that meets the company’s needs.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas follow a clear sequence and connections are easy to understand, but the letter is presented as one dense paragraph.
Separate the introduction, source of the vacancy, suitability evidence, and closing into purposeful paragraphs.
Lexical Resource
The vocabulary is appropriately formal and sufficiently varied, with natural phrases for expressing interest and describing qualifications.
Reduce repetition of internship and firm by using precise alternatives and more specific vocabulary for design skills and experience.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of sentence structures is used with strong control, and nearly all sentences are accurate and easy to read.
Refine occasional coordination and comma placement so longer sentences remain as polished as the simpler ones.
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
You have recently learned about an opening for an internship at a local company that you are interested in. Write a letter to the director of the company. In your letter:
- introduce yourself
- explain how you learned about the internship
- explain why you would be suitable for the internship
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.