You want to sell your television. You think a friend of yours might like to buy it from you. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter: - Explain why you are selling the television - Describe the television - Suggest a date when your friend can come and see it
Sample Response
Dear John, 6 months ago I bought a brand new LG 42' LCD screen television since, at that time, I was moving to a new house and wanted all my stuff to be new: this TV was placed in my living room along with my new sound system. I had one TV and brought it with me, too, but I decided to put it in my room. That one is not so modern but it has wi-fi connection, so it suits my needs. It happens that all the expenses with my moving were beyond my plans and I ended up deciding to sell this new TV to make some extra money. When thinking about someone that could have it, you came to my mind. I remember that you were after a 4K TV with integrated wi-fi connection and lots of HDMI slots and mine does have all of that! Besides, it is so lightweight that even your little brother can carry it. I know you are around town this month, so why don’t you come over and have a look at it? I’ll be at home all day long on weekends. If you want to stop by on weekdays, just let me know. I can make it after 18PM if you wish. We can agree on a great price. Let me know what you think! Call me on my phone of text me. Mary.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Add missing article Original: wi-fi connection, so it suits Suggested revision: a Wi-Fi connection, so it suits Why it matters: The singular countable noun phrase requires an article.
- 2. Use natural phrasing Original: It happens that Suggested revision: The problem is that Why it matters: The original expression is unnatural for introducing a financial difficulty.
- 3. Fix the collocation Original: all the expenses with my moving Suggested revision: all my moving expenses Why it matters: Moving expenses is the natural collocation for these costs.
- 4. Clarify the comparison Original: were beyond my plans Suggested revision: were higher than I had planned Why it matters: The revision clearly expresses that the costs exceeded the expected amount.
- 5. Remove wordiness Original: ended up deciding to sell Suggested revision: decided to sell Why it matters: The shorter verb phrase communicates the same decision directly.
- 6. Use natural reference Original: someone that could have it Suggested revision: someone who might want it Why it matters: Who appropriately refers to a person, and might want conveys the intended possibility.
- 7. Use idiomatic wording Original: you came to my mind Suggested revision: I thought of you Why it matters: This is the idiomatic way to say that the friend seemed like a possible buyer.
- 8. Add article Original: integrated wi-fi connection Suggested revision: an integrated Wi-Fi connection Why it matters: The singular countable feature needs an article.
- 9. Use the correct term Original: slots Suggested revision: ports Why it matters: Ports is the standard term for HDMI connections on a television.
- 10. Use natural phrasing Original: around Suggested revision: in Why it matters: In town naturally expresses that the friend is locally available.
- 11. Make timing concise Original: all day long on weekends Suggested revision: at home all weekend Why it matters: This states the available period more directly.
- 12. Choose precise wording Original: great Suggested revision: fair Why it matters: Fair more naturally describes a mutually acceptable selling price.
Suggested Rewrites
- wi-fi connection, so it suits a Wi-Fi connection, so it suits
- It happens that The problem is that
- all the expenses with my moving all my moving expenses
- were beyond my plans were higher than I had planned
- ended up deciding to sell decided to sell
- someone that could have it someone who might want it
Why this response received Band 7.0
The friendly tone and specific television details make the offer convincing, and all three required areas are covered. The main limitation is that the response is presented as one long block and includes several awkward expressions and small errors, particularly around the proposed visiting time. Organise the reason, description, and invitation into separate paragraphs, then state one clear date and time while proofreading phrases such as “18PM” and “of text me.”
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The letter explains the sale, describes the television in useful detail, and informally invites the friend to inspect it.
Give one specific proposed date and time instead of offering only broad weekend and weekday availability.
Coherence and Cohesion
The content follows a sensible sequence, but the single-block format and lengthy opening reduce ease of navigation.
Divide the letter into clear paragraphs for the reason for selling, the television’s features, and the visit arrangements.
Lexical Resource
The response uses a good range of relevant and informal vocabulary, although a few collocations sound unnatural.
Replace awkward phrases such as “expenses with my moving” and “someone that could have it” with more idiomatic alternatives.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Complex structures are used with generally good control, while several local errors remain noticeable without obscuring meaning.
Proofread time expressions, prepositions, and slips such as “of text me,” and simplify sentences that carry too many clauses.
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
You want to sell your television. You think a friend of yours might like to buy it from you. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter:
- Explain why you are selling the television
- Describe the television
- Suggest a date when your friend can come and see it
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.