Letter

Band 5+: You are planning to build a small extension on your property and need to find out if you require permission from your local council. Write a letter to the council's Planning Department. In your letter: describe the property and where you plan to build the extension; explain the purpose of the extension; ask what you need to do to apply for permission.

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Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to request your approval to build an extension in my house.

My house is locate in center of Temuco, it have only 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, one kitchen and and a big garden therefore I want to build another room in the backyard next to my principal room

Due to the birth of my last child.The lack of rooms are causing problems with my husband hence we decided save money to build a little room. This will be quite convenient because the space in our room is limited and the toys, clothes and cradle doesn’t fit in my room.

I would be grateful if you could provide me with more details regarding the documents that I neeed to submit.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require more information about the building.

I look hearing from you at your earliest convenience.

Yours faithfully.

Miriam Belmar Castro

Word Count: 153

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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:

build: 3

Try using synonyms for the above words

Task Response

The letter addresses the main requirements of the task: it describes the property and the planned extension, explains the purpose, and asks about the application process. However, there are some inaccuracies and omissions. For instance, the description of the property is somewhat vague ('center of Temuco') and the purpose is explained but could be clearer. The request for information is present but could be more specific. To improve, provide more precise details about the property and the extension's location, clarify the purpose, and ask more detailed questions about the application process, such as required documents, fees, and timelines. Additionally, ensure the letter is well-structured and free of grammatical errors.

Coherence & Cohesion

The letter has a clear overall structure with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing, but the flow is disrupted by abrupt topic shifts and missing logical connectors. For example, the transition from describing the house to explaining the purpose of the extension is not smooth, and the sentence 'Due to the birth of my last child.The lack of rooms are causing problems...' is fragmented. To improve, use linking words (e.g., 'Furthermore', 'In addition', 'As a result') and ensure each paragraph has a clear central idea. Also, consider breaking longer sentences into shorter, clearer ones to enhance readability.

Lexical Resource

The vocabulary used is generally appropriate for the task, but there are some inaccuracies and informal choices that reduce precision. For instance, 'locate' should be 'located', 'principal room' is unclear (likely 'main bedroom'), and 'I look hearing from you' is incorrect (should be 'I look forward to hearing from you'). To improve, use more formal and precise language, such as 'I am writing to inquire about the process for obtaining planning permission' and 'a modest extension to provide additional living space'. Avoid informal phrases like 'quite convenient' and ensure word choices are accurate.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy

The letter contains several grammatical errors that affect clarity, including subject-verb agreement ('it have' should be 'it has'), incorrect pluralization ('rooms are causing' should be 'the lack of rooms is causing'), and missing articles ('in center of' should be 'in the center of'). There are also punctuation issues, such as a missing space after the period in 'child.The'. To improve, review basic grammar rules, especially subject-verb agreement and article usage. Additionally, vary sentence structures by using complex sentences (e.g., 'Since we are expecting another child, we need additional space, so we plan to build an extension in the backyard.') and proofread carefully to avoid errors like 'neeed' and 'I look hearing'.

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