You have recently moved to a different house. Write a letter to an English-speaking friend. In your letter: - explain why you have moved - describe the new house - invite your friend to come and visit
Sample Response
Dear Friend,
I hope this letter finds you in good health. I am delighted to share that I have recently relocated to Sydney. It has been a week since I landed in the new city. I was anticipating moving here for a really long time, and finally, I received the employment offer with a great appraisal. I had to attend numerous interviews before I got this opportunity, and the expenses are entirely sponsored by the organization.
Furthermore, the company has provided an apartment to stay in as long as required. It is a gated community with nearly 200 houses. It consists of various amenities such as a gym, park, pool, and yoga centre. I prefer to rejuvenate myself after a busy day at the office by utilizing these facilities.
Moreover, it has been a long time since we met after our graduation. Hence I would like to invite you to my apartment on Sunday and have a small get together if possible. Eagerly waiting to meet you soon.
Best Regards,
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use an informal verb Original: relocated Suggested revision: moved Why it matters: 'Moved' sounds more natural in a personal letter to a friend.
- 2. Describe the move naturally Original: landed in the new city Suggested revision: arrived in the city Why it matters: 'Arrived' is the natural verb here, while 'landed' focuses narrowly on the journey.
- 3. Fix the time relationship Original: was anticipating moving here for a really long time Suggested revision: had been hoping to move here for a long time Why it matters: The past perfect progressive correctly shows a long-standing hope before the move.
- 4. Correct the job phrase Original: the employment offer with a great appraisal Suggested revision: a job offer with excellent terms Why it matters: An appraisal is a performance review, so it does not describe the conditions of a new offer.
- 5. Use the passive naturally Original: the expenses are entirely sponsored Suggested revision: my relocation expenses are fully covered Why it matters: Expenses are normally 'covered', and naming them clarifies which costs the employer pays.
- 6. Clarify the resident Original: an apartment to stay in Suggested revision: an apartment for me to live in Why it matters: The revised phrase explicitly links the accommodation to the writer.
- 7. Correct the time phrase Original: since we met after our graduation Suggested revision: since we met at graduation Why it matters: The original combines 'since' and 'after' in an unclear account of the last meeting.
- 8. Hyphenate the noun Original: get together Suggested revision: get-together Why it matters: The compound noun for an informal gathering is hyphenated.
- 9. Personalize the greeting Original: Dear Friend Suggested revision: Dear [friend's name] Why it matters: Addressing the friend by name would make this personal letter more natural.
- 10. Use natural interview phrasing Original: attend numerous interviews Suggested revision: go through numerous interviews Why it matters: 'Go through interviews' more naturally describes the process of seeking the position.
- 11. Name the outcome precisely Original: got this opportunity Suggested revision: secured this position Why it matters: This phrase connects the interview process directly to obtaining the new job.
- 12. Clarify the duration Original: as long as required Suggested revision: for as long as I need it Why it matters: The revised phrase makes clear who needs the apartment and what the duration depends on.
Suggested Rewrites
- relocated moved
- landed in the new city arrived in the city
- was anticipating moving here for a really long time had been hoping to move here for a long time
- the employment offer with a great appraisal a job offer with excellent terms
- the expenses are entirely sponsored my relocation expenses are fully covered
- an apartment to stay in an apartment for me to live in
Why this response received Band 7.0
The letter covers all three required points in a clear progression and supports the move and invitation with relevant details. Its main weakness is an overly formal, impersonal tone for a close friend, accompanied by several strained expressions about the job and accommodation. The best next step is to adopt warmer, more natural phrasing while describing the apartment itself more specifically.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
All bullet points are addressed with relevant detail, but the formal tone and generic salutation are not fully appropriate for a friend.
Use the friend's name, a warmer conversational style, and a little more detail about the apartment's rooms or location.
Coherence and Cohesion
The ideas are logically grouped into the reason for moving, the new home, and the invitation, with clear overall progression.
Replace some formal linking words with more natural connections so the friendly letter reads less like a report.
Lexical Resource
The response demonstrates a good range of vocabulary, although phrases such as 'employment offer with a great appraisal' are imprecise or unnatural.
Prioritize accurate everyday collocations, such as 'a well-paid job offer', 'moving costs', and 'company-provided apartment'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Complex and simple structures are used with generally good control, while a few awkward constructions and the final sentence fragment remain.
Revise incomplete or compressed structures into full natural sentences, for example 'I am really looking forward to seeing you soon'.
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
You have recently moved to a different house. Write a letter to an English-speaking friend. In your letter:
- explain why you have moved
- describe the new house
- invite your friend to come and visit
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.