Letter

Band 6+: You are going to be away on a business trip and need a neighbor to look after your house and pets. Write a letter to your neighbor asking for their help. You should include details about: - the dates you will be away - the specific tasks you need them to do (e.g., watering plants, feeding pets, collecting mail) - how you will compensate them for their time and effort

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Dear Evelyn,

I trust you have been good. I am writing to inform you about my journey to the village next weekend.

Few days ago, my father called to inform me about my grandmother’s remembrance ceremony. Its been five years since she died and the family has decided to organize a prayer session in her honour. She was a religious leader during her life time and we believe a spiritual gathering with her loved ones should be remarkable.

I will need your help in looking after my apartment especially in feeding Luna, my cat. She is fond of you already, so caring for her can be easier. There is nothing to clean in the main building since no one is around. You can only open the windows for few minutes daily to keep the rooms fresh. Luna’s foods are kept at the top drawer just next to her cage. She feeds three times daily and you do not have to worry about toileting.

I am looking forward to your feedback.

Yours sincerely,

Aminat.

Word Count: 173

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Overall Band Score

(+/- 0.5)

Vocabulary Complexity:
B1 - Intermediate
Using more sophisticated words could be beneficial.

Grammar Mistakes: N/A

Vocabulary Repetition:

about: 3

Try using synonyms for the above words

Task Response

The letter effectively addresses all three bullet points: it explains the reason for going away (grandmother's remembrance ceremony), asks the neighbor to look after the house, and provides specific instructions (feeding the cat, opening windows). The tone is polite and appropriate for a neighbor. There are minor lapses, such as not explicitly stating the duration of the trip or providing contact details, but these are not significant. To improve, you could mention how long you'll be away and offer to return the favor, which would enhance the completeness of the response.

Coherence & Cohesion

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, explanation, request, and closing. However, the flow could be improved by linking the purpose of the trip more smoothly to the request for house-sitting. The paragraphing is adequate, but the second paragraph could be more concise to maintain focus. Minor lapses in cohesion, such as the abrupt transition from the trip explanation to the house-sitting details, are present but do not significantly hinder understanding.

Lexical Resource

The vocabulary is generally appropriate for the context, with some good choices like 'remembrance ceremony' and 'spiritual gathering.' However, there are instances of informal or imprecise phrasing (e.g., 'I trust you have been good,' 'caring for her can be easier') that reduce the naturalness and sophistication of the language. A wider range of descriptive and precise terms could enhance the letter, such as specifying 'daily routine' or 'maintenance tasks' instead of general phrases.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy

The letter demonstrates a reasonable range of sentence structures, but there are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasings that affect clarity. Examples include 'Few days ago' (should be 'A few days ago'), 'Its been' (should be 'It's been'), and 'during her life time' (should be 'during her lifetime'). Punctuation is mostly correct, but the overall accuracy could be improved with more careful proofreading. The errors are not severe enough to impede comprehension, but they do detract from the overall quality.

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Coherence & Cohesion

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You missed an international flight due to a problem at the airport. Write a letter to the airline. In your letter: • Describe what happened that caused you to miss your flight • Explain how missing your flight impacted you • Clearly state what you would like the airline to do

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Coherence & Cohesion

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