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 Mary, It's been a long time sinceIt's been a long since I have heard from you. Hope you are doing great. I am writing this letter to ask for some informationrequest some information about the courses offered at different colleges in Brisbane. I am planning to takeintake a course and would really appreciate your help. After completing my postgraduate degree in chemistrymy postgraduation in chemistry, I have been working as a chemist in one of the best laboratories in India, Dania LabIndia - Dania Lab. My regular duties involve analysing food qualityanalysing the quality of food products as well as checking whether they meet the NABL-prescribed standardsNABL prescribed standards. As my employer is veryhighly pleased with my performance, he has asked me whetherif I am ready to take on a new responsibility, in molecular modellingwhich is related to molecular modelling. I do not have much expertise in that field, so I wouldso, I would like to join a molecular designdesigning course in Brisbane, Australia, in a couple of monthsin Australia, more specifically in Brisbane in a couple of months. I would be thankful to you if you could search for one and inform meif you search and inform me of the details and contact numbers for an appropriate institutiondetails of the appropriate institution with relevant contact numbers. Please take the burden to personally visit some reputed colleges and talk to them regarding the course. I barely know anyone there and would really appreciate your help. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Warm wishes, Rahul
Why this response received Band 7.0
The letter clearly explains the intended course, provides detailed and relevant professional background, and makes the requested help explicit in a friendly format. Its main weakness is that several expressions are unnatural and the request to visit colleges sounds overly demanding; the highest-priority improvement is to phrase the request more tactfully while using more idiomatic course-related vocabulary.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
All three bullet points are addressed with substantial relevant detail, but the request that the friend personally visit colleges is somewhat imposing for the informal context.
Make the request more considerate by asking whether the friend could recommend or contact suitable colleges if convenient.
Coherence and Cohesion
The response progresses logically from its purpose through the writer’s background to the request, although paragraphing is absent and some ideas are overextended.
Organise the letter into short paragraphs matching the three bullet points and streamline the final request.
Lexical Resource
The writer shows good range in discussing chemistry and professional duties, but phrases such as ‘intake a course’, ‘molecular designing course’, and ‘take the burden’ are unnatural.
Use idiomatic expressions such as ‘enrol in a course’, ‘molecular modelling course’, and ‘would you be able to’.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A variety of complex structures is generally well controlled, although errors in phrases such as ‘It’s been a long since’ and some conditional constructions remain noticeable.
Review fixed expressions and conditional request forms, for example ‘It’s been a long time’ and ‘I would be grateful if you could’.
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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.