You will move to a new city for work. You know some people who live there. Write a letter to someone you know who lives there. In your letter: - ask them for help in finding accommodation - tell them where you would like to live - tell them the type of place you are looking for
Sample Response
Dear Justin, Hope this letter finds you in good health. I'm writing to let you that I have accepted a new job in California and I would be working with Optus Corporation from the next month. As you know I have never been to California so I am seeking your help in finding accommodation. My office is near the bay area of San Francisco and I shall prefer an apartment with a single bedroom in this vicinity. The apartment should have an attached bathroom and a small kitchen. I would not mind the rent if the location is near my office. I would like to live somewhere new, so something in a modern apartment block would be great. My budget for the accommodation is between 800 to 1400 dollars. As you have always lived in this city, you must know the place well. Perhaps you can ask a few friends for a recommendation for such a living place and talk to the landlord about the rent. I would really appreciate your help. Hope to see you soon. Take care. Warm wishes, Namrata
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Add missing verb Original: writing to let you that Suggested revision: writing to let you know that Why it matters: The fixed expression is “let someone know that.”
- 2. Use future tense Original: would Suggested revision: will Why it matters: The accepted job is a definite future arrangement.
- 3. Remove unnecessary article Original: from the next month Suggested revision: from next month Why it matters: “Next month” does not take “the” in this time expression.
- 4. Set off opening phrase Original: As you know I Suggested revision: As you know, I Why it matters: A comma should follow the introductory clause.
- 5. Use place name Original: bay area of San Francisco Suggested revision: San Francisco Bay Area Why it matters: This is the conventional form of the location name.
- 6. Express current preference Original: shall Suggested revision: would Why it matters: “Would prefer” is the natural polite form for a housing request.
- 7. Use housing term Original: attached bathroom Suggested revision: en-suite bathroom Why it matters: This is the conventional term for a bathroom attached to a bedroom.
- 8. Correct range structure Original: between 800 to 1400 dollars Suggested revision: between 800 and 1,400 dollars Why it matters: “Between” pairs with “and,” not “to.”
- 9. Specify destination city Original: a new job in California Suggested revision: a new job in San Francisco, California Why it matters: Naming the city directly makes the accommodation request more actionable.
- 10. Separate main clauses Original: California so Suggested revision: California, so Why it matters: A comma is required before “so” joins two independent clauses.
- 11. Use concise property term Original: an apartment with a single bedroom Suggested revision: a one-bedroom apartment Why it matters: This is the standard concise description of the requested property.
- 12. Use natural reference Original: in this vicinity Suggested revision: in that area Why it matters: This sounds more natural in an informal letter to a friend.
Suggested Rewrites
- writing to let you that writing to let you know that
- would will
- from the next month from next month
- As you know I As you know, I
- bay area of San Francisco San Francisco Bay Area
- shall would
Why this response received Band 7.0
The letter fully addresses the request for accommodation help, preferred location and desired property, with useful details about the room, facilities and budget. Its friendly tone suits a letter to someone known personally, and the request is easy to act on. The main limitation is grammatical polish, particularly missing words, tense choices and the budget range. Prioritize accurate sentence patterns while preserving the clear, practical detail.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The purpose is clear, all three bullet points are fully developed, and the informal register is appropriate for a friend.
Make the request even more actionable by stating a preferred move-in date or lease duration.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas progress logically from the job move to location, property features, budget and the specific help requested, although the single-block format limits readability.
Separate the move and location details, accommodation requirements, and request for help into short paragraphs.
Lexical Resource
The response uses a sufficiently varied range of accommodation and location vocabulary, with a few awkward phrases such as 'such a living place'.
Use more natural terms such as 'one-bedroom apartment', 'rental property' and 'recommendations from friends'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A range of structures communicates the message clearly, but errors in missing words, tense and preposition patterns are noticeable.
Correct forms such as 'let you know', 'I will be working', 'starting next month' and 'between 800 and 1,400 dollars'.
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
You will move to a new city for work. You know some people who live there. Write a letter to someone you know who lives there. In your letter:
- ask them for help in finding accommodation
- tell them where you would like to live
- tell them the type of place you are looking for
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.