You have a friend who lives in a city abroad. You would like to apply to do a course at one of the colleges in this city. Write to your friend. In your letter: - explain what you would like to do - describe the work or studies you have been doing for the past few years - ask for help contacting an appropriate institution
Sample Response
Dear Mimi, Hope you are doing wellexcellent. I'm sorry I haven't been in touchI regret that I haven't been in touch with you for a couple of months. I've been really busy latelyI am really busy these days and I have hardly had time to relaxhardly have time to wind down. I am writing to let you know that I am planning to apply for a course at Oxford Universityplanning to apply to Oxford University, which could mean we'll be living in the same city soonwhich means we'll be living in the same city soon. I was hoping you could help meI am expecting your assistance in getting some information aboutregarding the course I am planning to pursue. As you know, since I finishedever since I have finished my bachelor's degree in psychologymy Bachelor in Psychology, I have been working full time in the human resources department. I'm currently working as an HR consultant, but I am interested in organisational development. That's why I have decided to pursuedo a master's degree in ‘Organisational Psychology’. I am planning to submit my application to the university soon. However, I was recently assigned to work on a three-month project in Hong KongHongkong, so I don't know when I'll have the opportunity to contact the admissionsadmission office. WouldDo you mind contacting them to ask about their specific entry requirements? That would be a great help if you coulddo. Take care and write back when you canwrite me back sometime. Talk to you soon. Warm regards, Helen
Why this response received Band 7.5
The letter fully covers the intended course, recent work history and specific request for help, and its friendly tone is generally well suited to a close friend. The main limitation is presentation: the content is delivered as one long block, while a few phrases are overly formal or grammatically awkward. Divide the letter into purposeful paragraphs and refine expressions such as "doing well," "since I finished," and "That would be a great help if you did."
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The purpose is clear, all three bullet points are developed with specific details, and the friendly register is largely appropriate.
Make the request sound slightly more natural and personal by asking your friend directly for help with the admissions office and entry requirements.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas move logically from the course plan to work experience and the request, but the lack of paragraph breaks makes the letter visually dense.
Use separate paragraphs for the course, recent professional background, and the practical help being requested.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is varied and suitably specific, particularly for the degree and employment context, though a few expressions are overly formal for a friend.
Replace phrases such as "I am expecting your assistance" with warmer, natural wording such as "I was hoping you could help me."
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A good range of complex structures is used accurately overall, with a few local errors in tense and conditional forms.
Use "since I finished my bachelor's degree" and "That would be a great help if you did" to improve grammatical precision.
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
You have a friend who lives in a city abroad. You would like to apply to do a course at one of the colleges in this city. Write to your friend. In your letter:
- explain what you would like to do
- describe the work or studies you have been doing for the past few years
- ask for help contacting an appropriate institution
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.