A friend has agreed to look after your house and pet while you are on holiday. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter: - give contact details for when you are away - give instructions on how to care for your pet - describe other household duties
Sample Response
Dear Scarlet, Thank you for agreeing to look after my house and my dog - Chi Chi. During my holiday, I'll be staying with my sister in our ancestral house in Vigan. Feel free to ring me on my mobile number if you need me for anything. I wrote my address in Vigan and my mobile number on a sticky note which I've left on the kitchen door. My dog needs to be fed twice a day - each morning and evening. I've placed enough food for him in a white jar inside a kitchen cabinet. You just need to mix a cup of dog food and a cup of milk and pour it into his bowl. Apparently, you can take him outside each evening for a walk. Finally, make sure that he drinks plenty of fresh water every day. Kindly water the pants in the living room every other day. Besides, unplug electronic appliances and turn off the water source each night. Lastly, for security reasons, make sure that the doors and windows are locked inside and the outside lights are on at night. Thank you so much once again. I'm looking forward to seeing you when I return. Warm wishes, Arlyn
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Punctuate the name Original: dog - Chi Chi Suggested revision: dog, Chi Chi Why it matters: A comma should introduce the dog's name as an appositive.
- 2. Clarify the location Original: a Suggested revision: the Why it matters: The definite article makes the instruction sound as though it refers to a known cabinet.
- 3. Give a clear instruction Original: Apparently, you can Suggested revision: Please Why it matters: Apparently makes the pet-care instruction sound uncertain rather than necessary.
- 4. Use friendly tone Original: Kindly Suggested revision: Please Why it matters: Please is more natural than kindly in a letter to a friend.
- 5. Correct the typo Original: pants Suggested revision: plants Why it matters: Plants, not pants, are the items that need watering.
- 6. Use natural addition Original: Besides Suggested revision: Also Why it matters: Also is a more natural linker for another household instruction.
- 7. Limit the instruction Original: electronic appliances Suggested revision: any non-essential electronic appliances Why it matters: This wording avoids implying that every appliance should be unplugged.
- 8. Name the supply Original: water source Suggested revision: main water supply Why it matters: Main water supply is the standard household term for the intended control point.
- 9. Use correct preposition Original: locked inside Suggested revision: locked from the inside Why it matters: From is required to describe the side on which something is locked.
- 10. Group the instructions Suggested revision: Separate the contact details, pet-care instructions, and household duties into distinct paragraphs. Why it matters: Grouping each requested point would make the practical information easier for the friend to locate.
Suggested Rewrites
- dog - Chi Chi dog, Chi Chi
- a the
- Apparently, you can Please
- Kindly Please
- pants plants
- Besides Also
Why this response received Band 7.0
The letter fully addresses the practical purpose, with clear feeding, walking, watering and security instructions and an appropriately warm tone for a friend. Its main limitation is small lapses in precision, including referring to contact details without actually stating them and the confusing words apparently and pants; the priority is to supply a direct telephone number and edit these local word-choice errors.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The purpose and all three bullet points are well developed in a friendly register, although the actual telephone number and address are only said to be on a note.
State one direct contact number in the letter while retaining the clear pet-care and household instructions.
Coherence and Cohesion
The letter follows a sensible sequence from contact arrangements to pet care, household duties and a warm closing, with clear progression throughout.
Use short paragraphs for contact details, pet care and household tasks so the practical information can be located immediately.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is varied and generally natural for an informal practical letter, with only isolated slips such as apparently, pants, and water source.
Replace these with appropriately, plants, and main water supply, and keep instructions direct and idiomatic.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A broad range of structures is used with good control, and the few local errors do not impede communication.
Refine modal choices in instructions and check that adverbs such as apparently express the intended meaning.
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
A friend has agreed to look after your house and pet while you are on holiday. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter:
- give contact details for when you are away
- give instructions on how to care for your pet
- describe other household duties
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.