You have recently been to stay with an old friend for a few days. You haven't seen each other for a long time and was happy to meet him/her. Now write a letter to this friend. In your letter: - say how you felt about the visit refer to something enjoyable that you did while staying with him/her - invite your friend to visit you
Sample Response
Dear Jonathon, I'm writing to profoundly thank you for a really delightful trip to your place. It was great to see you after a long and to be able to spend some quality time with you and your wife Emily. I am writing to invite you both to visit my house next summer. Now that I'm back home, I keep thinking about how time does fly. Our school days seems just a few months ago! I was delighted to be with you as it reminded me of how close we were during our school days. I should also thank Emily for being such an excellent host. The trip was a memorable one and I particularly enjoyed our visit to the Bonajuma beach where I spent a really pleasant time. The tranquillity and the harmony of the area won my heart. Thank you for taking me there. Perhaps you can come and visit me during the summer vacation. There are plenty of places we can go and my parents would really love to see you. We will have fun and enjoy our time together. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Warm wishes, Alison Cambell
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Natural thanks Original: profoundly thank you Suggested revision: thank you very much Why it matters: Profoundly is too formal and unnatural in this friendly letter.
- 2. Natural visit wording Original: a really delightful trip to your place Suggested revision: a wonderful stay at your place Why it matters: Stay is more accurate than trip here.
- 3. Missing noun Original: after a long Suggested revision: after such a long time Why it matters: The phrase is incomplete.
- 4. Natural phrase Original: visit my house Suggested revision: visit me Why it matters: People usually visit a person, not a house, in this context.
- 5. Agreement error Original: Our school days seems Suggested revision: Our school days seem Why it matters: Days is plural, so the verb should be seem.
- 6. Natural memory Original: just a few months ago Suggested revision: as if they were only a few months ago Why it matters: This completes the comparison.
- 7. Warmer link Original: I should also thank Emily Suggested revision: Please also thank Emily Why it matters: This sounds more direct and friendly.
- 8. Capitalisation Original: Bonajuma beach Suggested revision: Bonajuma Beach Why it matters: Capitalize Beach when it is part of a place name.
- 9. Wrong collocation Original: where I spent a really pleasant time Suggested revision: where I had a really pleasant time Why it matters: Have a pleasant time is the natural phrase.
- 10. Overformal phrase Original: The tranquillity and the harmony Suggested revision: The peaceful atmosphere Why it matters: This sounds more natural in a friendly letter.
- 11. Natural expression Original: won my heart Suggested revision: made a strong impression on me Why it matters: The original is understandable but slightly overdramatic.
- 12. Add timing Original: during the summer vacation Suggested revision: during the first week of the summer vacation Why it matters: A more specific invitation would better complete the task.
Suggested Rewrites
- profoundly thank you thank you very much
- a really delightful trip to your place a wonderful stay at your place
- after a long after such a long time
- visit my house visit me
- Our school days seems Our school days seem
- just a few months ago as if they were only a few months ago
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Detailed feedback by IELTS writing criterion after the annotated essay.
Task Achievement
The letter thanks the friend, describes feelings about the visit, mentions an enjoyable beach trip, and invites the friend to visit. The response is friendly and complete, though the invitation could include more specific timing or plans.
Add a clearer invitation with suggested dates and one or two activities you will arrange.
Coherence and Cohesion
The letter progresses naturally, but the whole response is in one block and several ideas are crowded together.
Create separate paragraphs for thanks, memories of the visit, and the invitation.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is warm and varied, but some word choices are unnatural or too formal for a close friend, such as profoundly thank and tranquillity and harmony.
Use natural friendly language and avoid overly literary phrases unless they add clear meaning.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Meaning is clear, but errors with missing words, subject-verb agreement, articles, and prepositions occur throughout.
Proofread short phrases for missing nouns and agreement, especially after time expressions and plural subjects.