Sample response & feedback

Advice to a Friend on a First Camping Holiday

Question

View question5 sample responses · Bands 7.0–8.0

A friend of yours is thinking of going on a camping holiday for the first time this summer. He/She has asked for your advice. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter explain why you think your friend would enjoy a camping holiday describe some possible disadvantages say whether you would like to go camping with your friend this summer You do NOT need to write any addresses. Begin your letter as follows: Dear …………………… ,

Annotated response

8 correction notes

Dear Mali,

I hope this letter finds you well. I’m thrilled to hear that you are considering going on a camping holiday this summer.

Camping allows you to immerse yourself in nature like no other vacation. The peace and tranquility of being surrounded by trees, fresh air, and natural beauty are truly rejuvenating. It will also give you opportunities for adventure and exploration. From hiking trails to swimming in natural bodies of water, there’s never a dull moment.

However, it’s essential to consider some disadvantages. Firstly, weather can be unpredictable, so be prepared for sudden rain showers or temperature changes. Additionally, insects and pests are part of the outdoor experience, so bring along insect repellent and to stay comfortable.

As for joining you on your camping trip, I would love to! It would be fantastic to and create lasting memories in the great outdoors.

Krishna

Overall assessment

Why this response received Band 7.5

The letter covers all three bullet points with a consistently friendly tone and clear organisation into purposeful paragraphs. Its strongest aspect is the fluent, natural range of vocabulary and sentence structures. The main limitation is that the ideas, while relevant, remain somewhat generically developed, with disadvantages and personal appeal treated briefly rather than expanded with specific detail.

IELTS criteria

How each score was decided

TA Task Achievement

7.5

The letter addresses all three bullet points with a warm, appropriately informal tone and relevant detail, though some points, particularly the disadvantages and the invitation to join, are developed only briefly.

CC Coherence and Cohesion

7.5

Ideas are logically sequenced across clear paragraphs with effective cohesive devices such as 'However' and 'Additionally', giving a smooth and natural progression throughout.

LR Lexical Resource

8.0

Vocabulary is flexible and precise, with natural collocations like 'immerse yourself in nature', 'peace and tranquility', and 'lasting memories' used comfortably for an informal letter.

GRA Grammatical Range and Accuracy

7.5

A wide range of sentence structures is used with generally good control. The conditional advice and coordinated clauses are clear; a comma after 'Regards' would follow a common sign-off convention, but its omission is not necessarily an error.

More responses with feedback

View all 5 responses (7.0–8.0)