You have just spent a weekend at a friend’s house. When you returned home, you discovered that you had left a coat containing some belongings there. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter: - tell your friend that you left the coat - describe the coat, where you think you left it and what was inside it - suggest how to get it back
Sample Response
Dear Stephen, Hope this letter finds you in good health and spirit. Just so you know, I have had a great weekend at your house, and I hope that you also enjoyed that weekend. Anyway, I am writing this letter to you because I, unfortunately, forgot to pick up the new coat that I carried with me that weekend. Now regarding the coat, it is a dark blue colour coat, with a white collar and light-white buttons. The coat also has two side pockets on the bottom part of it. Besides, it also has a furry headcover. If I remember it correctly, I may have either left it on the hooks of one of your doors or inside the wardrobe of the room in which I slept. It is important that I get back that coat soon because the temperature is going to drop significantly in the next few days, and I have put some important letters, a small gift item and my wristwatch in the pockets of it. I need the letters immediately as two of them are from my head office. So, I would really appreciate it if you hand over the coat to one of my colleagues who will be travelling by your place after a couple of days. I have already provided your phone number and address to my colleagues. Yours sincerely, Jack Kyle
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use the fixed phrase Original: spirit Suggested revision: spirits Why it matters: The conventional expression uses the plural noun ‘spirits’.
- 2. Use past simple Original: I have had a great weekend Suggested revision: I had a great weekend Why it matters: The finished weekend calls for the past simple rather than the present perfect.
- 3. Remove intrusive commas Original: because I, unfortunately, forgot Suggested revision: because I unfortunately forgot Why it matters: The adverb does not need to be isolated by commas in this clause.
- 4. Use concise description Original: a dark blue colour coat Suggested revision: a dark-blue coat Why it matters: ‘Dark-blue coat’ gives the same description without the redundant word ‘colour’.
- 5. Name the garment part Original: a furry headcover Suggested revision: a fur-lined hood Why it matters: ‘Hood’ is the standard term for the coat feature described here.
- 6. Remove unnecessary pronoun Original: If I remember it correctly Suggested revision: If I remember correctly Why it matters: The fixed clause ‘if I remember correctly’ does not take the object pronoun ‘it’.
- 7. Match the past event Original: I have put some important letters Suggested revision: I left some important letters Why it matters: The belongings were left during the completed visit, so the past simple is appropriate.
- 8. Use possessive form Original: in the pockets of it Suggested revision: in its pockets Why it matters: The possessive form is more natural and concise when referring to the coat.
- 9. Correct the expression Original: travelling by your place Suggested revision: passing by your home Why it matters: ‘Passing by’ is the natural expression for travelling near someone’s home.
- 10. Use a friendly sign-off Original: Yours sincerely Suggested revision: Best wishes Why it matters: A friendly closing better matches a personal letter to a friend.
- 11. Use smoother opening Original: Just so you know Suggested revision: I wanted to let you know Why it matters: This wording introduces the personal update more smoothly in a letter.
- 12. Remove wordiness Original: the new coat that I carried with me that weekend Suggested revision: my new coat Why it matters: The shorter phrase identifies the coat clearly without repeating the weekend context.
Suggested Rewrites
- spirit spirits
- I have had a great weekend I had a great weekend
- because I, unfortunately, forgot because I unfortunately forgot
- a dark blue colour coat a dark-blue coat
- a furry headcover a fur-lined hood
- If I remember it correctly If I remember correctly
Why this response received Band 7.5
The letter fully explains the forgotten coat, describes its appearance and contents, gives plausible locations and proposes a practical way to return it. Its strongest quality is the specific, useful detail, while the main limitation is several unnatural expressions and a slightly formal closing for a friend. The priority is to preserve the clear coverage while using more idiomatic wording and consistently informal personal-letter conventions.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The purpose is immediately clear and every bullet point is fully developed with precise, relevant details and a workable return arrangement.
Refine the personal register by using an informal sign-off that better matches the friendly opening and relationship.
Coherence and Cohesion
Information follows a clear sequence from identifying the coat to locating it, explaining urgency and arranging its return.
Use distinct paragraphs for the coat description, possible location and return request to make the structure even easier to scan.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is varied and sufficiently specific, though phrases such as "light-white buttons", "furry headcover" and "travelling by your place" are unnatural.
Use idiomatic alternatives such as "off-white buttons", "fur-lined hood" and "passing by your house".
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A good range of complex sentences is mostly accurate, with minor tense, conditional and pronoun-reference lapses.
Proofread for forms such as "I had a great weekend", "if you could hand it over" and consistent singular reference to the colleague.
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
You have just spent a weekend at a friend’s house. When you returned home, you discovered that you had left a coat containing some belongings there. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter:
- tell your friend that you left the coat
- describe the coat, where you think you left it and what was inside it
- suggest how to get it back
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.