Your mentor recommended you to learn a new language and gave you the contact details of a teacher. Following his advice, you need to write a letter to the teacher. In your letter say: - what your motivation is to learn a new language - how the teacher can help you - when you will be ready to start
Sample Response
Dear Mr Haruki, I hope this letter finds youHope this letter finds you in good health and spiritsspirit. I hope you do not mind my contacting you without a prior introductionFirst of all, please let me apologize to you because I am writing this letter to you without your prior permission, as I am following the recommendation ofbut I am writing on the advice of a respected mutual acquaintance,a well-respected person, whom you know personally, named Mr Jonathon Kyle. Mr KyleJonathon, my mentor, has spoken very highly of you. Now, please allow me to explain whyspell out why I am contacting youwriting a letter to you. I am planningActually, I am planning to learn Japaneselearn the Japanese language, and I was told that you could teach me Japanese in a short periodthis language within a short period of time. I have heard that your teaching method is highly effectiveteaching method is very proficient and it will certainly benefit meit will certainly be helpful to me. I would also love to learn how to communicate proficientlylearn about how to be proficient in Japanese business contextsin business communication in the Japanese language from you. Regarding my motivationAnyway, in case if you are wondering, I think that learning the Japanese language would provide me with some an advantage when seekingextra leverage in obtaining international employment opportunities, especially in Japanespecially, in Japan. Besides, I have a few friends in Japan with whom I would like to speakwith whom I would like to talk to in their native language. I am readyAnd, I am ready to take the language lesson as soon as you ask. So, please let me know when I can start, and what I need to do before you can be ready to provide the language lesson for me. Yours faithfully, Robin Singh
Why this response received Band 6.5
The letter clearly explains the motivation to learn Japanese for employment and personal communication, identifies a need for business-language instruction, and confirms immediate availability to begin. Its main limitation is an overly apologetic and repetitive opening, followed by several awkward expressions that make a straightforward request sound less natural. Prioritise stating the referral, learning goals, preferred lesson support, and start availability directly and concisely.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
All three bullet points are addressed with relevant motivations and a clear readiness to start, though the requested teaching support remains somewhat general.
Specify the preferred lesson format, frequency, and focus on business speaking so the teacher can respond practically.
Coherence and Cohesion
The letter progresses from referral to learning goals, motivations, and availability, but a long repetitive opening delays the main purpose.
Condense the apology and referral into one sentence, then use separate paragraphs for goals, support, and scheduling.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is sufficient for language learning and employment, but many collocations are overly formal, repetitive, or unnatural.
Use direct phrases such as ‘Mr Kyle recommended you’, ‘business Japanese’, ‘career opportunities’, and ‘begin lessons’.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A range of structures conveys the request, but recurring redundancy, preposition, clause, and punctuation errors reduce control.
Remove double forms such as ‘in case if’ and avoid ending relative constructions with unnecessary repeated prepositions.
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
Your mentor recommended you to learn a new language and gave you the contact details of a teacher. Following his advice, you need to write a letter to the teacher. In your letter say:
- what your motivation is to learn a new language
- how the teacher can help you
- when you will be ready to start
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.