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
Same question Compare 2 different answersSample Response
Dear Mr Johnson, I have just received details of my English Homestay programme at your family and writing to introduce myself and ask for some information. I would like to thank you for agreeing to host me. My name is Anna Ferra, I am 21 and live with my family in Lyon, France, which is my hometown. My native language is French and I am looking forward to improving my English during the trip to New Zealand. I will get enrolled in university soon and I am passionate about computer programming. I would be grateful if you could provide me with some information about your house and family. To begin with, I would prefer to live in a single room which has enough natural airflow. Besides, I am a vegetarian and hope that it would not be a big problem for you. Secondly, I would like to learn more about your family’s daily routines, like the games you like to play together, the type of TV programmes you watch and so on. This could help me to participate in all your routines like a relative. I am very eager to meet you in person. By the way, I have already bought the plane ticket and would be happy if you could meet me at the airport. This is my first time in New Zealand. I will hopefully arrive on September 18, at 10:00 am, Wellington time. I am looking forward to hearing from you soon. Sincerely yours, Anna Ferra
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Correct preposition Original: at Suggested revision: with Why it matters: A guest stays “with” a host family, not “at” a family.
- 2. Complete the verb phrase Original: and writing Suggested revision: and am writing Why it matters: The coordinated verb needs the auxiliary “am” to agree with “I”.
- 3. Use concise verb Original: get enrolled Suggested revision: enrol Why it matters: “Enrol” is the more direct and natural verb in this context.
- 4. Natural room description Original: enough natural airflow Suggested revision: good ventilation Why it matters: “Good ventilation” is the usual phrase for adequate airflow in a room.
- 5. Introduce examples formally Original: like the games Suggested revision: such as the games Why it matters: “Such as” introduces examples more precisely in this semi-formal letter.
- 6. Use natural phrasing Original: participate in all your routines like a relative Suggested revision: join in your daily routines as a member of the family Why it matters: This revision expresses participation and the intended relationship more idiomatically.
- 7. Use a focused transition Original: By the way Suggested revision: Regarding my arrival Why it matters: A specific transition clearly signals the move to travel arrangements.
- 8. State the schedule clearly Original: will hopefully arrive Suggested revision: am due to arrive Why it matters: “Am due to arrive” presents the booked arrival time more precisely.
- 9. Sentence rewrite Original: My name is Anna Ferra, I am 21 and live with my family in Lyon, France, which is my hometown. Suggested revision: My name is Anna Ferra; I am 21 and live with my family in my hometown of Lyon, France. Why it matters: A semicolon corrects the comma splice, while the reordered location phrase is more concise.
- 10. Ask explicit questions Suggested revision: Turn the room, diet, family-routine, and airport requests into polite direct questions so the information request is explicit. Why it matters: The task asks for questions, but the current letter mainly states preferences and wishes rather than asking them directly.
Suggested Rewrites
- at with
- and writing and am writing
- get enrolled enrol
- enough natural airflow good ventilation
- like the games such as the games
- participate in all your routines like a relative join in your daily routines as a member of the family
Why this response received Band 7.5
The letter establishes a warm, suitable relationship with the host family and addresses the introduction, personal needs, family routines, and arrival details with helpful specificity. Its main weakness is a cluster of awkward expressions and a few sentence-level grammatical lapses that reduce naturalness. The priority is to phrase requests as clear questions and edit collocations and clause structure for smoother, more idiomatic communication.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The letter has a clear purpose, covers all three bullet points with relevant personal detail, and maintains a friendly, respectful register.
Phrase the room, dietary, and airport-pickup needs as explicit questions so the requested information is completely unambiguous.
Coherence and Cohesion
The response follows a clear progression from self-introduction through practical questions to travel details and an appropriate closing.
Strengthen the transitions between accommodation, dietary needs, and family routines so each request forms a more distinct stage.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is sufficiently varied for personal background, accommodation, routines, and travel, but several word combinations sound unnatural.
Replace awkward phrases such as “at your family,” “get enrolled,” and “participate in all your routines like a relative” with idiomatic wording.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
The writer uses varied complex structures successfully, though the opening omission, a comma splice, and occasional awkward clause construction remain noticeable.
Proofread sentence openings and boundaries, especially adding the missing subject and verb after “and” and separating independent clauses correctly.
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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.