Dear Leon, I have just returned from my holidays in France we were there we climbed a mountain called 'Parleman' in the French Alps. We were able to drive halfway up the mountain but then the road stopped. So we parked, put on our walking boots and began the long uphill struggle. But the place was a bit of heaven and I wish to take you to this excellent place someday. it still took us a while to complete the climb but it was well worth the effort. When we got to the top of the mountain, the view was incredible. I could see right across the town and the lake to one side, and on the other side were the snow-covered peaks of Mont Blanc. It was simply breathtaking. As you know, we often go to France for our holiday and next time we plan a trip, I'd really like to take you there. I'm sure you would love the scenery and as you enjoy exercise, you would be able to take advantage of all the mountain walks. Hope to meet you soon. Warm wishes, Paul
Letter to a Friend About an Impressive Place
You recently visited a place that had a strong impact on you. Now you want to write to your friend about the place. Write a letter to a friend about the place. In your letter: - explain where the place was and how you got there - describe what you saw - offer to take your friend there
Annotated response
3 correction notes
Overall assessment
Why this response received Band 7.5
The letter fully achieves its purpose with all three bullet points addressed in an appropriately warm, friendly tone and vivid descriptive detail. The main limitation is organisational, as the offer to take the friend appears awkwardly in the middle of the narrative rather than alongside the closing invitation.
IELTS criteria
How each score was decided
Task Achievement
8.0The letter covers all three bullet points with relevant, well-developed detail, a consistently friendly register, and a clear closing offer to take the friend there.
Coherence and Cohesion
7.0Progression is generally logical and cohesive devices are used naturally, though the offer to take the friend is placed awkwardly within the climb narrative before the letter returns to it.
Lexical Resource
7.0Vocabulary is flexible and precise for a descriptive letter, with effective phrases such as 'breathtaking', 'uphill struggle' and 'a bit of heaven', though some expressions are slightly informal or vague.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
7.0A good range of structures is used with generally strong control, including relative clauses and conditionals, with only occasional awkward phrasing such as 'In spite of the road at the beginning'.