After being involved in an accident, you were looked after by a person you did not know before. Write a special thank you letter. In your letter: - Introduce yourself and let him/her know why you are writing to him/her - Express your gratitude - Offer him/her to visit your home with his/her family
Sample Response
Dear Emily Johnson,
My name is James Anderson, and I am writing to express my sincere gratitude for the exceptional care and compassion you provided during my stay at Amiens University Hospital. I understand that your profession demands a great deal of dedication, but I feel compelled to convey my appreciation for the unwavering support you extended to me during a challenging time.
As you may recall, I had the unfortunate experience of being involved in an accident while on a solo trip abroad. The situation was particularly distressing as I found myself in an unfamiliar place without any acquaintance s. However, your kindness and professionalism made a significant difference in my recovery process. Your nurturing approach and genuine concern for my well-being were akin to the care one would expect from a family member. I am profoundly grateful for the emotional support and the meticulous attention to my medical needs that you provided throughout my stay.
In light of your exceptional care, I would like to extend an invitation for you and your family to visit my home at your earliest convenience. Please allow me the privilege of reciprocating your kindness by arranging flight tickets for you and your family.
Once again, thank you for your outstanding care and for being a beacon of support during a difficult period. I look forward to the opportunity of hosting you and your family in the near future.
Yours sincerely,
James Anderson
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use a warmer greeting Original: Dear Emily Johnson, Suggested revision: Dear Emily, Why it matters: Using the first name alone creates a more natural personal tone for a thank-you letter.
- 2. Use natural wording Original: feel compelled to convey my appreciation Suggested revision: want to express my appreciation Why it matters: The simpler phrasing sounds more personal and sincere.
- 3. Remove wordiness Original: had the unfortunate experience of being involved in an accident Suggested revision: was involved in an accident Why it matters: This concise wording communicates the same event without unnecessary abstraction.
- 4. Correct the noun phrase Original: without any acquaintance s Suggested revision: without knowing anyone Why it matters: The replacement fixes the malformed noun phrase and expresses the intended meaning naturally.
- 5. Improve the collocation Original: made a significant difference in my recovery process Suggested revision: made a significant difference to my recovery Why it matters: ‘Difference to my recovery’ is a more natural and concise collocation in this context.
- 6. Use a friendlier tone Original: at your earliest convenience Suggested revision: whenever it suits you Why it matters: This wording keeps the invitation flexible while sounding warmer and less formal.
- 7. Avoid a stock metaphor Original: a beacon of support Suggested revision: such a source of support Why it matters: The revision sounds more personal and less formulaic in a letter of thanks.
- 8. Correct the verb pattern Original: the opportunity of hosting you Suggested revision: the opportunity to host you Why it matters: ‘Opportunity’ is naturally followed by an infinitive in this construction.
- 9. Make the invitation concrete Suggested revision: Suggest a possible time for the visit and briefly mention what you would like to do together. Why it matters: A little practical detail would develop the invitation beyond the offer of flight tickets.
Suggested Rewrites
- Dear Emily Johnson, Dear Emily,
- feel compelled to convey my appreciation want to express my appreciation
- had the unfortunate experience of being involved in an accident was involved in an accident
- without any acquaintance s without knowing anyone
- made a significant difference in my recovery process made a significant difference to my recovery
- at your earliest convenience whenever it suits you
Why this response received Band 8.0
The letter fully achieves its purpose through a warm, respectful expression of thanks, well-developed supporting details, and an explicit invitation for the recipient's family. Its main limitation is occasional repetition and slightly elevated wording, which makes the message less personal and concise than it could be. Prioritise natural, direct expressions of gratitude and remove repeated references to exceptional care and support.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
All three bullet points are fully developed, the reason for writing is unmistakable, and the respectful tone is appropriate for thanking a previously unknown caregiver.
Make the invitation more personal by suggesting a possible time or activity for the family visit.
Coherence and Cohesion
The response is organised into purposeful paragraphs and progresses smoothly from introduction through gratitude to the invitation and closing.
Reduce repetition of the recipient's care and support in the final paragraph to make the conclusion more concise.
Lexical Resource
The vocabulary is wide, precise, and flexible, with effective expressions such as unwavering support, meticulous attention, and reciprocating your kindness.
Use a few simpler, more personal expressions in place of highly formal phrases such as being a beacon of support.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A broad range of complex structures is used accurately, and the isolated spacing error in acquaintance s does not affect communication.
Proofread carefully for minor typographical slips while preserving the strong control of complex sentences.
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
After being involved in an accident, you were looked after by a person you did not know before. Write a special thank you letter. In your letter:
- Introduce yourself and let him/her know why you are writing to him/her
- Express your gratitude
- Offer him/her to visit your home with his/her family
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.