You recently received a letter from a friend asking for advice about whether to go to college or to try to get a job. You think he/she should get a job. Write a letter to this friend. In your letter: - say why he/she would not enjoy going to college - explain why getting a job is a good idea for him/her - suggest types of job that would be suitable for him/her
Sample Response
Dear Victoria,
I'm so excited to receive your letter, and I hope you're doing great. In your letter, you asked for my advice on your what to do nextnext course of action, and I wanted to share my thoughts onthoughts on your dilemma about whether to go to college or start working. As I know you very wellclosely, I genuinely believe that getting a job would be the best option for you.
As for collegeIn relation to college life, I feel that you may not enjoy it as much as you expect. From our conversations, I know that you prefer gaining hands-on experience to sitting in lectures all dayprefer hands-on experience rather than sitting in lectures all day. Studying for exams and writing long research papers might not be your cup of tea at this stageat the time, and I worry that you may find it frustrating rather than fulfilling.
On the other hand, starting a job right away could be a great way to gain real-world experience, develop new skills, and become financially independent. You've always been practical and eager to learn bythrough doing, so working would allow you to progress faster in your career.
Given your strong communication skills and creativity, I think a role in marketing, sales, or event management would suit you perfectly.
Let me know what you decide—I’ddecide - I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Warm wishes,
Emma
Why this response received Band 8.0
This is a warm, persuasive letter that covers every required point with well-chosen personal reasons, clear progression, and flexible language. The main limitations are very minor awkward phrases, particularly around knowing the friend well and the timing of college study. A final edit for idiomatic precision would make the otherwise fluent advice sound fully natural throughout.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The letter fully addresses why college may be unsuitable, why work is preferable, and which jobs fit the friend, using an appropriately friendly tone.
Develop the suitability of one suggested job slightly further to make the final recommendation as detailed as the earlier advice.
Coherence and Cohesion
Purposeful paragraphs and natural linking create a clear progression from the dilemma through reasons to the specific recommendation.
Make the transition into the final job suggestions a little more explicit so the conclusion feels fully integrated.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is varied, precise, and natural overall, with effective expressions such as hands-on experience and financially independent.
Replace the slightly awkward phrases know you very closely and at the time with more idiomatic alternatives.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of simple and complex structures is handled accurately, with only very minor lapses that do not affect communication.
Polish the few awkward comparative and time-reference constructions while retaining the current variety of sentence forms.
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
You recently received a letter from a friend asking for advice about whether to go to college or to try to get a job. You think he/she should get a job. Write a letter to this friend. In your letter:
- say why he/she would not enjoy going to college
- explain why getting a job is a good idea for him/her
- suggest types of job that would be suitable for him/her
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.