You have received an important document that needs to be translated. Write a letter to your friend and ask him/her to translate this important document for you. In your letter explain: - why it is important for you - how fast you need it back - why you need his/her expertise
Sample Response
Dear Lee, Hope you and your parents are doing excellent. I am sorry that I have not been in touch with you for the last couple of weeks. AlthoughEven if I have not written to you for a while, you are always in my thoughts and prayersprayer. I am writing to you today because I need your expertise to translate some important documents for me. You would be glad to know that my application has been accepted by Wuhan Universitythe Wuhan University in China and if things go as planned, I will join the university next summer to pursue my master's degreefor my Master's degree. They have sent me some documents which are written in Chinesewhich are in the Chinese language and I need your help with themthat. You are the best person to assist me and this is really crucial for me to get admitted to this University. Without the proper translation of the documents, I will not be able to respond to them accuratelyrespond precisely to them. I am sending photocopiesxerox copies of these documents, three documents totalling seven pagesthree documents with 7 pages in total, and would really appreciate it if you could send the translations backif you can send them by 10 Decemberbefore 10th December. I could use Google Translate to translate the documentsinterpret the texts but you know there are always errors in automated translationglitches in this technology as some meaning is lostsome meanings are lost in translation! Your excellent skills in English and Chinese makemakes you the most suitable person to translate those documents for me. I owe you a big one. Take care and write me back whenever possible. Warm wishes, Kyle
Why this response received Band 7.5
The letter develops every required point with convincing detail and maintains a warm, appropriately informal relationship with the friend. Its strongest feature is the specific explanation of the documents’ importance, deadline, and need for bilingual expertise; the main limitation is the lack of paragraphing, alongside a few grammar and collocation slips. Organising the request into clear paragraphs and proofreading agreement and connector choices would sharpen an already effective response.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The request is clear, every bullet point is thoroughly developed, and the friendly tone suits the relationship.
Trim the extended opening slightly so the translation request becomes the focus even sooner.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas follow a logical sequence, but presenting the whole letter as one paragraph weakens the visible organisation.
Separate the background, deadline, and reason for choosing the friend into distinct purposeful paragraphs.
Lexical Resource
A broad and effective vocabulary conveys the situation precisely, with only occasional less natural choices.
Polish collocations such as ‘doing excellent’ and ‘in my thoughts and prayer’ to improve naturalness.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Varied complex sentences are generally well controlled, though connector choice and subject-verb agreement contain a few clear slips.
Correct forms such as ‘Even though’ and ‘your excellent skills make’ during a final grammar check.
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
You have received an important document that needs to be translated. Write a letter to your friend and ask him/her to translate this important document for you. In your letter explain:
- why it is important for you
- how fast you need it back
- why you need his/her expertise
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.