You have just spent a week with a friend on holiday. When you got home, you realised you had left your wallet there. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter: - thank your friend for the holiday - explain that you left your wallet in their house - give them instructions on how to send it back to you
Sample Response
Dear Anthony, I would like to thank you again for your great hospitality during my stay at your place for a whole week on my holiday trip to your town. Anyway, I am getting back to you this time because it looks like I have left my wallet at your home, and I came to find about this only after returning to my home this afternoon. Of course, it is also possible that I might have lost it on our way when we went to buy some snacks and drinks. But, then I remembered clearly that you didn’t allow me to carry my wallet with me yesterday evening since you were so eager to take care of the bills on your own. So, I guess that my wallet is still hiding in one of the drawers of the TV stand inside your living room. You don’t really need to worry about giving my wallet back to me since, luckily, one of my neighbours drives by your town every weekend in order to see his elderly parents, and all you need to do is to hand him over my wallet whenever he visits you next weekend. Take care and stay fine. Warm wishes, Ron Bevan
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Natural thanks Original: during my stay at your place Suggested revision: while I was staying with you Why it matters: This sounds warmer and more natural in a letter to a friend.
- 2. Concise phrase Original: for a whole week on my holiday trip to your town Suggested revision: for the whole week of my holiday Why it matters: The original phrase is wordy.
- 3. Direct purpose Original: Anyway, I am getting back to you this time because Suggested revision: I am writing because Why it matters: This introduces the main reason more clearly.
- 4. Verb phrase Original: I came to find about this Suggested revision: I found out about this Why it matters: “Find out” is the correct phrasal verb.
- 5. Natural phrase Original: after returning to my home Suggested revision: after returning home Why it matters: “Returning home” is the more natural expression.
- 6. Avoid doubt Original: Of course, it is also possible Suggested revision: At first, I thought it was possible Why it matters: This keeps the uncertainty but makes the story clearer.
- 7. Preposition Original: I might have lost it on our way Suggested revision: I might have lost it on the way Why it matters: “On the way” is the standard phrase.
- 8. Smoother contrast Original: But, then I remembered clearly Suggested revision: Then I remembered Why it matters: The comma after “But” is unnecessary, and the sentence can be more direct.
- 9. Softer wording Original: you didn’t allow me to carry my wallet Suggested revision: you insisted that I leave my wallet behind Why it matters: “Didn’t allow me” sounds too forceful for this friendly situation.
- 10. Natural location Original: hiding in one of the drawers Suggested revision: in one of the drawers Why it matters: “Hiding” is playful but less precise for instructions.
- 11. Wrong object order Original: hand him over my wallet Suggested revision: hand my wallet to him Why it matters: You hand an item to a person; “hand him over” means surrender a person.
- 12. Name the collector Original: one of my neighbours drives by your town every weekend Suggested revision: one of my neighbours, Mr Harris, drives by your town every weekend Why it matters: Naming the neighbour would make the return instruction easier to follow.
Suggested Rewrites
- during my stay at your place while I was staying with you
- for a whole week on my holiday trip to your town for the whole week of my holiday
- Anyway, I am getting back to you this time because I am writing because
- I came to find about this I found out about this
- after returning to my home after returning home
- Of course, it is also possible At first, I thought it was possible
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Detailed feedback by IELTS writing criterion after the annotated essay.
Task Achievement
The letter thanks the friend, explains that the wallet was probably left at the house, and gives a way to return it. The task is achieved, though the return instructions depend on a neighbour without giving his name or exact timing.
Give the neighbour’s name and a clear instruction about when he will collect the wallet.
Coherence and Cohesion
The sequence is clear, moving from thanks to the missing wallet and return plan. The response is one long paragraph, and the explanation includes extra uncertainty that slightly delays the main request.
Use three short paragraphs and make the wallet location and return instruction more direct.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is friendly and sufficiently varied, with natural phrases such as “great hospitality” and “elderly parents”. Some expressions are wordy or awkward, including “getting back to you this time” and “hand him over my wallet”.
Use simpler informal wording and correct collocations around sending or handing over the wallet.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Grammar is mostly accurate and meaning is clear. Minor errors involve word order, prepositions, and unnecessary modal uncertainty in long sentences.
Tighten long sentences and check verb-preposition patterns such as “find out” and “hand the wallet to him”.