Recently you went to a local restaurant with your family and were very satisfied with the food and service. Write a letter to the editor of a local newspaper. In your letter: - tell the editor about the restaurant - describe the meal you and your family had - explain why you think the restaurant is worth visiting
Sample Response
Dear Sir or Madam, I am a regular reader of your daily newspaper “Times of India.” I am writing this letter to inform you about an authentic restaurant called “Step and Eat” which I have visited recently with my family. I reckon this is a worth visiting place for others and hoping that you would write a review on this eatery to let others know about this fabulous place. Located on Smith Street near the National Park, it is a multi-cuisine restaurant. I went there with my family last Sunday. As we are fond of Italian food, my husband ordered an Italian meal. The meal comprised of a delicious soup, a signature dish of the hotel known as mixed vegetable spaghetti and at the end we had a mouth savouring dessert called Green Marshmallows which had a perfect creamy texture. It was one of the memorable dinners I have ever had with my family. The restaurant is worth visiting for everyone in the town because it offers a wide range of varieties in food to satisfy the human palate. Moreover, it maintains proper cleanliness and hygiene. The staff members are so polite, co-operative and professional - which gives a diligent feeling to the customers. Hence, I request you to write an article or review on this restaurant so that more people could come to know and visit it. I look forward to hearing from you. Yours faithfully, Vishwa Vinutna
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use simple past Original: which I have visited recently Suggested revision: which I recently visited Why it matters: The simple past is appropriate for a completed visit at a specific recent time.
- 2. Correct verb pattern Original: comprised of Suggested revision: comprised Why it matters: In this active construction, 'comprise' takes its components directly without 'of'.
- 3. Name the venue accurately Original: hotel Suggested revision: restaurant Why it matters: The dish is described as belonging to the restaurant, not a hotel.
- 4. Use concise sequencing Original: at the end Suggested revision: finally Why it matters: 'Finally' provides a more concise transition to the dessert course.
- 5. Correct descriptive phrase Original: mouth savouring Suggested revision: mouth-watering Why it matters: 'Mouth-watering' is the established adjective for appetising food.
- 6. Add superlative form Original: one of the memorable dinners Suggested revision: one of the most memorable dinners Why it matters: The structure 'one of the' requires a superlative when comparing the dinner with all others.
- 7. Remove redundant wording Original: wide range of varieties in food Suggested revision: wide variety of food Why it matters: 'Range' and 'varieties' repeat the same meaning, and 'of food' is the natural phrase.
- 8. Use natural collocation Original: proper cleanliness and hygiene Suggested revision: high standards of cleanliness and hygiene Why it matters: This collocation expresses the restaurant's quality more naturally and precisely.
- 9. Place period correctly Original: “Times of India.” Suggested revision: “Times of India”. Why it matters: The period is not part of the newspaper title and should follow the closing quotation mark.
- 10. Choose precise praise Original: authentic Suggested revision: excellent Why it matters: 'Authentic' is unclear without naming a specific cuisine, whereas the letter is recommending the restaurant's quality.
- 11. Use natural description Original: multi-cuisine restaurant Suggested revision: restaurant offering several cuisines Why it matters: This wording expresses the variety of cuisines more naturally.
- 12. Include the whole family Original: my husband ordered Suggested revision: we ordered Why it matters: The task asks about the meal the writer and family had, so the shared subject is more appropriate.
Suggested Rewrites
- which I have visited recently which I recently visited
- comprised of comprised
- hotel restaurant
- at the end finally
- mouth savouring mouth-watering
- one of the memorable dinners one of the most memorable dinners
Why this response received Band 7.0
The response fully covers the restaurant, the family meal, and the reasons for recommending it, while maintaining an appropriate formal purpose throughout. Its main weakness is a pattern of awkward collocations and several incomplete or poorly controlled structures. Prioritise natural word combinations and complete sentence construction so the enthusiastic recommendation sounds polished and precise.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
All three bullet points are fully developed with specific information about the restaurant, meal, service, hygiene, and reasons to visit.
Make the recommendation even more convincing by briefly identifying what distinguishes this restaurant from other local options.
Coherence and Cohesion
The information follows a clear progression from introduction and location through the meal to the final recommendation and request.
Use distinct paragraphs for the restaurant description, meal, and recommendation, and reduce reliance on basic sequencing markers.
Lexical Resource
There is sufficient range for the topic, but several expressions are unnatural, including worth visiting place, mouth savouring dessert, and diligent feeling.
Replace forced or imprecise combinations with natural phrases such as a place worth visiting, mouth-watering dessert, and welcoming atmosphere.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
The response attempts varied complex sentences, but recurring faults in clause construction, articles, and modification reduce accuracy.
Ensure every coordinated clause has a complete verb structure, particularly in sentences such as I reckon this is a place worth visiting and hope that you will review it.
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
Recently you went to a local restaurant with your family and were very satisfied with the food and service. Write a letter to the editor of a local newspaper. In your letter:
- tell the editor about the restaurant
- describe the meal you and your family had
- explain why you think the restaurant is worth visiting
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.