You own an old item that you think is valuable and would like to sell. Write a letter to the owner of an antique shop. In your letter: - Explain how you found the shop - Describe the item that you would like to sell - Say how much you would like to sell the item for
Sample Response
Dear Mr.Ram,
I am Vikas, and writing this letter to sell the valuable antique coins I have to belong to the 20th century. Recently, I saw your advertisement in a local newspaper named Ajit, wherein I read that you are intensively interested in buying such precious coins. Furthermore, from the same advert, I get your contact and shop address.
I possess hundreds of coins that were introduced in 1922, 1948 and 1950. Basically, there are 1, 2, 5, 10 and 20 paisa coins. From an Internet survey, I came to know that these rare currencies are in high demand nowadays. Moreover, it is clearly described that one coin is worthed more than ₹ 5000 based on the year in which it came.
Therefore, I would like to sell all the coins, and as per my estimation, altogether, it would cost more than ₹ 7,00,000, and I would like to negotiate the deal at the same price. Therefore, if you are interested in purchasing, call me directly at 888-9962, and we will fix an appointment as per the convenience of both.
Hope to hear from you soon.
Yours Faithfully,
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Correct formal salutation Original: Dear Mr.Ram, Suggested revision: Dear Mr Ram, Why it matters: A formal title and surname should be written without a full stop in this style and separated clearly.
- 2. Natural naming phrase Original: named Suggested revision: called Why it matters: “Called” is the natural word for giving a newspaper’s name.
- 3. Use natural relative word Original: wherein Suggested revision: where Why it matters: “Where” is clearer and more natural than the overly formal “wherein” here.
- 4. Correct interest collocation Original: intensively Suggested revision: particularly Why it matters: “Intensively interested” is not a natural English collocation.
- 5. Clarify information source Original: from Suggested revision: through Why it matters: “Through” more naturally indicates how the contact details were obtained.
- 6. Use past tense Original: get Suggested revision: obtained Why it matters: The action occurred when the advertisement was read, so it needs a past-tense verb.
- 7. Use complete noun phrase Original: contact and shop address Suggested revision: contact details and shop address Why it matters: “Contact” alone does not clearly mean the information needed to reach the shop.
- 8. Use correct coin verb Original: introduced Suggested revision: minted Why it matters: Coins are “minted” when they are manufactured and issued.
- 9. Use precise transition Original: Basically Suggested revision: Specifically Why it matters: The sentence provides exact denominations rather than a basic restatement.
- 10. Use natural research phrase Original: From an Internet survey Suggested revision: From online research Why it matters: This is a more idiomatic way to describe information gathered on the internet.
- 11. Name the items accurately Original: currencies Suggested revision: coins Why it matters: “Currencies” refers to monetary systems, whereas the writer is discussing individual coins.
- 12. Correct adjective form Original: worthed Suggested revision: worth Why it matters: “Worth” is the required adjective and does not take an -ed ending.
Suggested Rewrites
- Dear Mr.Ram, Dear Mr Ram,
- named called
- wherein where
- intensively particularly
- from through
- get obtained
Why this response received Band 6.5
The letter has a clear purpose and gives useful detail about how the shop was found, the coin collection, and the proposed selling price. Its main weakness is frequent awkward wording and grammatical inaccuracy, which sometimes makes otherwise relevant information difficult to process. The highest-priority improvement is to express the description and valuation in simpler, more idiomatic sentences.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
All three bullet points are clearly addressed and supported with specific details in an appropriately formal letter.
State the asking price more directly and consistently so the proposed terms of sale are immediately clear.
Coherence and Cohesion
Information is organised into logical paragraphs, though linking words are sometimes mechanical and therefore is repeated unnecessarily.
Use fewer formulaic connectors and let the sequence of finding, describing, and pricing the coins provide the progression.
Lexical Resource
The response shows adequate range for advertising, antiques, and negotiation, but frequent inaccurate collocations weaken precision.
Use natural choices such as are from the twentieth century, worth, and asking price instead of awkward invented or misapplied forms.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A mix of simple and complex structures communicates the main message, but errors in verb forms, articles, and sentence construction recur.
Build shorter complete clauses and check tense and agreement carefully, especially in the opening and price discussion.
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
You own an old item that you think is valuable and would like to sell. Write a letter to the owner of an antique shop. In your letter:
- Explain how you found the shop
- Describe the item that you would like to sell
- Say how much you would like to sell the item for
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.