You are going to visit New Zealand for an 'English and Homestay' program. You have just received details of your homestay host family. Write your first letter to the family. In your letter: - introduce yourself - ask the family some questions to get information that is important to you - tell the family about your arrival date and time
Sample Response
Dear Mr Albert, I am writing to thank you for agreeing to be my English and Homestay host. I would really appreciate some information from you and would like to inform you that I will arrive at your house in New Zealand in July. I am Jacques Gordon, a French by nationality, but currently pursuing my graduation in accounting at the London University in the UK. My parents and siblings live in Paris. I enrolled in the "English and Homestay program" a few months ago and my intention was to take the opportunity to learn the language efficiently. I would be glad to know about you - more specifically what you do and how many members do you have in your family and so on. I would also like to know about some traditions and formalities you respect in New Zealand. I will be travelling to New Zealand for the first time and hence your suggestion about the etiquette of being a guest would be highly appreciated. My expected arrival date is on 19th August 2025 and the flight is scheduled to reach Wellington Airport at 6.00 pm local time. It would be great if you could fetch me from the airport. If you have another schedule, I would take a taxi to your address. I am really looking forward to spending some quality time with you and your family. Please write to me at your convenience. Yours Sincerely, Jacques Gordon
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use host-friendly greeting Original: Dear Mr Albert Suggested revision: Dear Albert Why it matters: Using the host's first name without Mr creates a natural friendly greeting for a homestay letter.
- 2. Correct arrival month Original: in July Suggested revision: on 19 August 2025 Why it matters: The later arrival details specify 19 August, so July is internally inconsistent.
- 3. Use nationality adjective Original: a French by nationality Suggested revision: French Why it matters: French functions directly as the nationality adjective after the subject.
- 4. Use degree phrase Original: pursuing my graduation in accounting Suggested revision: studying for a degree in accounting Why it matters: Studying for a degree is the natural expression for current university education.
- 5. State purpose directly Original: my intention was to take the opportunity Suggested revision: I intended Why it matters: The direct subject and verb express the purpose of enrolling more clearly.
- 6. Name English goal Original: learn the language efficiently Suggested revision: improve my English Why it matters: The revision states the specific learning goal naturally and concisely.
- 7. Use natural inquiry phrase Original: I would be glad to know about you Suggested revision: I would be interested to learn more about you Why it matters: Learn more about you is the natural expression for requesting personal information.
- 8. Fix embedded question Original: how many members do you have in your family Suggested revision: how many members you have in your family Why it matters: An embedded question uses statement word order rather than auxiliary inversion.
- 9. Remove vague ending Original: and so on Suggested revision: Delete Why it matters: The phrase is vague and unnecessary after two specific questions.
- 10. Ask about household customs Original: traditions and formalities you respect Suggested revision: customs and household rules you follow Why it matters: The revision asks for practical information relevant to staying with the family.
- 11. Link advice request Original: and hence your suggestion about Suggested revision: , so your advice on Why it matters: The replacement creates a correctly linked request for advice.
- 12. Use direct arrival clause Original: My expected arrival date is on Suggested revision: I expect to arrive on Why it matters: The direct verb phrase avoids the awkward combination of date and on.
Suggested Rewrites
- Dear Mr Albert Dear Albert
- in July on 19 August 2025
- a French by nationality French
- pursuing my graduation in accounting studying for a degree in accounting
- my intention was to take the opportunity I intended
- learn the language efficiently improve my English
Why this response received Band 7.0
The letter is warm, purposeful, and develops all three required areas with relevant personal details, questions, and precise flight information. Its main limitation is the contradiction between arriving in July and the later date of 19 August, compounded by several unnatural expressions and grammatical slips. The highest priority is to make the travel details internally consistent and simplify the questions so they sound natural and accurate.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Detailed feedback by IELTS writing criterion after the annotated essay.
Task Achievement
All bullet points are well developed in a suitably polite letter, but the conflicting July and August arrival information weakens fulfilment of the task.
Give one consistent arrival date and retain the exact time and airport details.
Coherence and Cohesion
The content progresses sensibly from introduction through questions to travel arrangements and closing, despite being presented as one dense paragraph.
Divide the letter into clear paragraphs for personal background, host-family questions, and arrival arrangements.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is varied and polite, but several combinations such as pursuing my graduation and another schedule are unnatural.
Use idiomatic phrases such as studying for a degree, household customs, and other commitments.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
The writer attempts varied structures, but errors in embedded questions, articles, prepositions, and conditional forms recur.
Use statement word order in indirect questions and check prepositions in date and study expressions.
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
You are going to visit New Zealand for an 'English and Homestay' program. You have just received details of your homestay host family. Write your first letter to the family. In your letter:
- introduce yourself
- ask the family some questions to get information that is important to you
- tell the family about your arrival date and time
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.