You are going on a short training course at a college in Green mount, Northern Ireland. You need somewhere to live while you are there. Write a letter to the accommodation officer at the college. In your letter: - explain your situation - describe the accommodation you require - say when you will need it You should write at least words.
Sample Response
Dear sir,
I am writing this letter to seek help from you in order to arrange accommodation near college Greenmount, North Ireland.
I am Vikas Kanda, and professionally I am an accountant. I have been in this profession for 10 years. My company offered me a training course at college Greenmount for one month. Due to a hectic work schedule and lack of personal contact, I found it difficult to arrange accommodation. As such, I would like to request you to find a suitable place for me.
Well in case of adjustment, I am very cooperative: however, in the case of living, I am very reserved. I am looking for a one-bedroom apartment with a separate kitchen and bathroom. Preferably, it will be close to the training venue. Most importantly, my company provides me a budget of $1500 specially for accommodation. So, arrangements should be accordingly.
I will land on 02 April by 9 in the morning, and I will be at the accommodation office as soon as possible to collect keys and fulfill the rest formalities.
I am hoping for optimistic feedback from you.
Yours Faithfully, Vikas Kanda
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Capitalise the salutation Original: sir Suggested revision: Sir Why it matters: The title in a formal salutation requires a capital letter.
- 2. Name the location accurately Original: near college Greenmount, North Ireland Suggested revision: near Greenmount College in Northern Ireland Why it matters: This wording matches the college and region named in the task prompt.
- 3. Use concise wording Original: professionally I am Suggested revision: I work as Why it matters: The revised phrase states the writer's occupation more naturally.
- 4. Use present perfect Original: My company offered me Suggested revision: My company has offered me Why it matters: The offer is a recent event with a current consequence, so the present perfect is appropriate.
- 5. Order the proper name Original: at college Greenmount Suggested revision: at Greenmount College Why it matters: The institution's proper name should precede the word 'College'.
- 6. Use the possessive determiner Original: a Suggested revision: my Why it matters: The writer is referring to his own work schedule.
- 7. Clarify the obstacle Original: lack of personal contact Suggested revision: lack of local contacts Why it matters: The problem is having no contacts near the college, rather than lacking personal interaction generally.
- 8. Keep the time frame current Original: I found it difficult Suggested revision: I have found it difficult Why it matters: The difficulty continues up to the present request, which makes the present perfect suitable.
- 9. Express a preference Original: will Suggested revision: should Why it matters: 'Should' expresses the requested preference more appropriately than a prediction with 'will'.
- 10. Add the required preposition Original: provides me a budget Suggested revision: provides me with a budget Why it matters: The verb pattern is 'provide someone with something'.
- 11. Choose the precise adverb Original: specially Suggested revision: specifically Why it matters: 'Specifically' means that the budget is designated for this particular purpose.
- 12. State the constraint clearly Original: arrangements should be accordingly Suggested revision: the arrangements should reflect this budget Why it matters: The revision clearly connects the accommodation choice to the stated spending limit.
Suggested Rewrites
- sir Sir
- near college Greenmount, North Ireland near Greenmount College in Northern Ireland
- professionally I am I work as
- My company offered me My company has offered me
- at college Greenmount at Greenmount College
- a my
Why this response received Band 6.5
The letter clearly explains the training situation, specifies suitable accommodation, and provides a useful arrival date, with each requirement placed in a logical paragraph. Its main limitation is a pattern of unnatural vocabulary and some grammatical imprecision despite generally clear meaning. The highest priority is to use more idiomatic formal wording and refine sentence accuracy when describing preferences, budget, and arrival arrangements.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The purpose is clear, all three bullet points are covered with relevant detail, and the formal tone is generally appropriate.
Specify the exact accommodation period alongside the arrival date and remove minor background detail that does not help the request.
Coherence and Cohesion
The response follows a clear sequence and uses focused paragraphs, though some transitions within paragraphs sound mechanical or awkward.
Link preferences and budget constraints more smoothly, using fewer formulaic introductory phrases.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is adequate and sometimes varied, but noticeable collocational errors make several formal expressions sound unnatural.
Use standard phrases for accommodation preferences, a company-provided budget, completing formalities, and awaiting a response.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A mix of simple and complex sentences is handled with reasonable control, although punctuation, articles, and a few constructions remain inaccurate.
Check sentence punctuation and article use, and recast clauses whose structure depends on awkward phrases such as case of adjustment.
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
You are going on a short training course at a college in Green mount, Northern Ireland. You need somewhere to live while you are there. Write a letter to the accommodation officer at the college. In your letter:
- explain your situation
- describe the accommodation you require
- say when you will need it You should write at least words.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.