Cambridge IELTS 18 General Training Writing

Dear Mia

It’s great to hear from you; your project sounds really interesting. I’d be happy to tell you about Tet in Vietnam.

Tet is short for Tết Nguyên Đán and it’s our New Year according to the lunar calendar. It’s the first day of spring and it’s usually in January or February. It’s really important to us as it’s a chance for the family to come together and we visit the graves of our ancestors. It’s probably the biggest festival in Vietnam and it’s a public holiday. We say if good things happen on the first day of the new year, the whole year will be full of blessings.

I always loved it as a child because I would get a red envelope with money inside it from the older members of the family. Now I like visiting friends and the extended family on the week of Tet and enjoying the lovely candied fruits that we have on this occasion.

I hope that helps. Do ask if there’s anything else you’d like to know.

All the best

Job seekers often question whether it is better to work for a large or a small company. I would personally prefer to work for a larger company, but I’d like to consider the advantages and disadvantages of both.

In general, larger companies can support their employees more effectively because they have access to more resources. These could include higher salaries, end-of-year bonuses, and other perks such as an excellent food service and even sports facilities. Large companies may also contribute more to your professional development, offering regular conferences and training courses.

The size of a large company is also an indication of their success, meaning that it can offer greater stability. There is also a better chance for promotion and career development in companies with many departments and a larger management structure. Of course, advancement may not come easily because it is hard to stand out when many employees are vying for the same role.

In small companies, you may feel less like a number and that your efforts actually make a difference. You will also need to wear different hats, which helps you develop a skill set that might not be possible in a larger company. The downside is a higher chance of strained relationships because working in close proximity with the same small group of people every day can be challenging. Small companies can also be unstable. If they lose a large account or consumer tastes change, your position could suddenly become precarious.

Based on the above, I’d say that the kind of company you work for depends on personal preference, but your future career prospects may be better in a large company.

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am excited to be starting work experience at the REN Broadcasting Corporation on 10 June and I would like to thank you very much for this opportunity. I am grateful to have the chance to gain some insight into the industry I wish to work in one day.

As I mentioned in my interview, I am especially interested in community television and would love to build on my skills in sound engineering. Besides this, I am hoping to develop my soft skills in areas such as teamwork, problem solving and effective communication.

I was wondering if it has been decided which team I will be working with and whether I will have a mentor assigned to me. I would like to prepare ahead of time if possible by doing some research. I also wanted to clarify whether I will be at the studio in Newtown or the headquarters in the city centre.

I am looking forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards

Some people say that we form an opinion about a person within thirty seconds of meeting them. A person’s clothing, facial expression, and even the way they shake hands can have a profound effect on our judgement. But is this natural human tendency good or bad?

There is something unfair about our inclination to judge people too quickly. Many people have had unfortunate life experiences that can affect their confidence when meeting new people. Shyness may make them appear aloof and cold, but this initially icy persona melts away when we allow them a bit of time to warm up. Others do not have the means to dress in a way that leaves an impression. Inevitably, if we write people off too quickly, we could miss out on potential friendships, business opportunities and even romantic relationships.

There is another side to this that is also worth considering. We are all aware of the effect first impressions can have. There is even a saying: you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. Awareness of this reality should motivate us to always treat people in a friendly, respectful manner. If we strive to make a good impression on the people we meet, it increases our overall happiness and sense of well-being.

On balance, there is no doubt that judging people too quickly can have negative consequences. But knowing the power of first impressions can keep us on our toes, motivating us to question how we come across to others. Aside from this, the ability to read people quickly could also prevent us from being easily taken in by somebody with ulterior motives.

Dear Sir or Madam

I am writing to complain about the information on your website and the service I received at Central Station. Yesterday my elderly uncle and I arrived at Central intending to use the tickets we had purchased online to travel to Newcastle at 5.50pm. Unfortunately, we were told that our tickets were for off-peak and we couldn’t use them.

When I bought the tickets, it was not clear on the website that they were just for certain times. This needs to be clarified on your website as I can’t be the only one who has made this mistake. However, what really upset me was the unhelpful manner of the staff. When we asked what to do, instead of helping us to pay the difference and catch our train, the attendant waved us in the direction of a ticket machine with a long queue. We missed our train and waited an hour for the next one. Please train your personnel to be more proactive in future.

I hope you find this feedback useful and take it on board.

Yours faithfully

It is increasingly common for people to hold down more than one job. Gone are the days when people could rely on one source of income to satisfy all their financial needs. I would like to consider the reasons for this change and outline its advantages and disadvantages.

People take on extra work because making ends meet has become so challenging. In recent years the cost of living has risen exponentially, making it a real challenge to break even at the end of the month. Additionally, advertising companies relentlessly promote the idea that more wealth means more happiness, a concept that many people believe. They may take on freelance jobs or weekend work in the hope of improving their lot in life.

A person with more than one job may experience several benefits. Diversifying your skills and gaining more experience can make you more employable when negotiating the highly competitive job market. Avoiding putting all your eggs in one basket is also a wise move as you have something to fall back on if one source of income stops.

There are also many downsides to this situation. Working for more than one company can quickly leave a person feeling overworked and burnt out. It also leaves limited time for being with family and friends or doing things you enjoy. What’s more, when you are spread too thin, you may produce poor-quality work.

Overall, I think it is important to remain balanced. Having an additional source of income can be beneficial if you keep work in its place, but it is not worth damaging your health and relationships for the sake of a slightly larger bank balance.

Dear Ms Karim,

Thank you very much again for sending me on the Workplace Safety course. It was valuable training and I now feel a lot more confident that I know how to prevent accidents in the factory. We covered points such as safe storage, keeping access ways clear and fire safety.

I can report that I have already used the skills I learned; when I noticed some cables that were a trip hazard and also a large bin that was partially blocking the exit, I was able to identify and fix those problems straight away.

I understand that employees who started working with us this year have already received this training as part of their orientation but for those who have been here longer, it would be a good opportunity to refresh and add to their knowledge.

It is a well-run course that is very relevant to our workplace and I am grateful for the opportunity.

Many thanks

It is true that nothing in life is permanent except change. Changes in society and our own lives are inevitable. We all get older, friends and family move away, and our employment situation can suddenly change. Understandably, many people wish everything could stay the same. In this essay, I would like to consider the reasons for this view and explain why it is better to embrace change.

Wanting to feel in control of our lives is perfectly normal. We often feel vulnerable when events in society occur which are beyond our control or when we cannot be sure of the outcome of something. The uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is an example of this. Changes in our personal circumstances can also be hard to accept. For example, when a friend or family member moves away, we may experience a deep sense of loss. Ironically, even good changes can bring uncertainty. If we receive a promotion, we may struggle with imposter syndrome and wrestle with a fear of failure.

Despite these perfectly natural feelings, I think it is good to embrace change. Since change is unavoidable, it is much better to accept reality than to become consumed by negative thinking. When we remain positive, we may find that a change actually benefits us in the long run. Adapting to change also helps us develop resilience, a quality that can help us face an obstacle and see an opportunity in it.

As highlighted above, sooner or later, we will all face change. While change is unsettling, it is vital to keep focused on the positive aspects of our circumstances. Doing so can help us unlock new opportunities we didn’t know were available to us.