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 Hopkins, I have got your contact details from my teacher, Mr Abel, from the University of Aldora, and I am writing to you regarding the Spanish tuition classes that you offer to non-native SpanishEnglish speakers. I am hoping that you would take me on as a studentaccept me as an apprentice. Last year, I applied for a visitorvisit visa to Chile, and I am glad to inform you that I have recently been granted my visa after waiting for six months6 long months. As a well-travelled person, who has facile command of the Spanish Language, I hope that you can assist me in learning this beautiful language. My mentor told me that you might be willing to provide an intensive coursedeliver a crash course in the Spanish Language to me so that I canwill be well equipped to hold conversations in Spanish before I embark on my South American adventure. Since my flight leaves on the 25 August 202525th of August 2025, I am hoping you could start tutoring me as soon as possibleas soon as practically possible. I await your kind response. Yours sincerely, Sam Duke
Why this response received Band 7.0
The letter clearly explains the motivation to learn Spanish, requests a focused conversational course and gives a firm deadline before the flight, so the communicative purpose is achieved in an appropriately formal tone. Its main weakness is precision of expression: 'apprentice' is unsuitable for a language student, and the sentence beginning 'As a well-travelled person' mistakenly attributes Spanish fluency to the writer. Prioritize unambiguous, natural wording for roles and abilities.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
All three bullet points are covered with relevant motivation, requested teaching support and a clear start window, while the tone remains suitable.
State the preferred lesson frequency or availability before 25 August to make the start request more practical.
Coherence and Cohesion
The letter follows a clear sequence from referral and motivation to course needs and timing, but the one-paragraph presentation reduces separation of functions.
Use one paragraph each for the travel motivation, requested course and preferred start arrangements.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is varied and often specific, but misused words such as 'apprentice' and overly ornate phrasing reduce naturalness.
Use direct terms such as 'student', 'intensive course' and 'conversational Spanish' instead of strained alternatives.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Complex sentences are generally controlled, though the dangling opening 'As a well-travelled person' and some tense choices create ambiguity.
Make the teacher the explicit subject of the experience clause and keep future course arrangements in consistent conditional forms.
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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.