You play a team sport with some friends. Last week a member of the team had an accident and wasn't able to play with you at the weekend. You decide to write to him in hospital, telling him about the match. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter: - tell him which team won - describe the conditions on the day - say how you felt about the match
Sample Response
Dear Frank, I was so sorry to hear about your accident! I hope you're feeling a lot better today and that it's not too boring in hospital. The match on Saturday was disappointing. The score was 2 all, probably because you weren't there to score that extra goal! The awful thing was that we were winning until 10 minutes before the end, when suddenly they scored another goal. I was so shocked when I saw the ball hit the back of the net. I think the weather was to blame. It was a really wet day and the pitch was very muddy. By the end of the game you could hardly see the grass and we were sliding around in the mud. Everyone was exhausted. Let us know when you're going home and we'll arrange for someone to bring you to watch the next game. The rest of the team send their regards and we all wish you a speedy recovery. Best wishes, Charlie
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Choose a precise adjective Original: awful Suggested revision: frustrating Why it matters: “Frustrating” describes the reaction to losing the lead more precisely.
- 2. Place the adverb naturally Original: when suddenly they scored another goal Suggested revision: when they suddenly scored another goal Why it matters: Placing “suddenly” after the subject gives the clause a more natural word order.
- 3. Use a sharper modifier Original: really Suggested revision: very Why it matters: “Very wet” is slightly more precise in this description of the conditions.
- 4. Keep the viewpoint consistent Original: you Suggested revision: we Why it matters: The friend was absent, so “we” correctly refers to the players who experienced the muddy pitch.
- 5. Use the natural direction Original: going Suggested revision: coming Why it matters: “Coming home” fits the writer's viewpoint when asking about the friend's return from hospital.
- 6. Use the right movement verb Original: bring Suggested revision: take Why it matters: “Take” is the natural verb for accompanying someone from hospital to the next game.
- 7. Sentence rewrite Original: The score was 2 all, probably because you weren't there to score that extra goal! Suggested revision: The match ended in a 2–2 draw, probably because you weren't there to score that extra goal! Why it matters: This states explicitly that neither team won and directly answers the first requested point.
- 8. Shape clear letter paragraphs Suggested revision: Separate the result, the playing conditions, and your reaction into short body paragraphs. Why it matters: Grouping the three requested points would make the match report easier to scan and follow.
Suggested Rewrites
- awful frustrating
- when suddenly they scored another goal when they suddenly scored another goal
- really very
- you we
- going coming
- bring take
Why this response received Band 8.0
This is an engaging, appropriately informal letter that vividly describes the wet conditions and communicates the writer's disappointment and concern for the injured friend. The only notable limitation is that the drawn result does not literally identify a winning team, although the outcome is clear. State explicitly that neither team won, and divide the match account into short paragraphs for maximum clarity.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The letter clearly conveys the match result, conditions and feelings while maintaining a warm, supportive tone throughout.
Explicitly say that neither team won because the match ended in a draw, directly resolving the wording of the first prompt.
Coherence and Cohesion
The account follows an easy chronological and thematic sequence, and references and linking expressions guide the reader smoothly.
Separate the opening, match details and closing arrangements into paragraphs to make the organisation more apparent.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is varied, natural and precise, with vivid choices such as 'muddy', 'sliding around' and 'speedy recovery'.
Keep refining the description with precise sporting language while avoiding any unnecessary repetition of general adjectives.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Complex and simple structures are combined accurately, with strong control of tense, subordination and punctuation.
Maintain this accuracy while experimenting with a slightly wider variety of sentence openings.
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
You play a team sport with some friends. Last week a member of the team had an accident and wasn't able to play with you at the weekend. You decide to write to him in hospital, telling him about the match. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter:
- tell him which team won
- describe the conditions on the day
- say how you felt about the match
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.