Letter

Band 7+: You recently started a new hobby, such as painting or gardening, and you have become quite enthusiastic about it. You want to encourage a friend who is feeling a bit down to try it as well. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter: describe your new hobby and why you enjoy it; suggest how it might help your friend feel better; propose a time when you could do this activity together.

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Dear Osman,

I hope this message finds you well,

I have recently got into running in the mornings after being influenced by some friends from the gym. As you know, I have a very bad habit of smoking and vaping. To reverse the damage I started running in a group with 5 of my friends from the gym.

In the begining I struggled a lot with the runs, I will stop half way, start walking and thought that the guys I run with are running nerds. But I learned as time passed that I need to get better at running for my own good. I have stopped smoking and decreased vaping to minimum. Now I can catch up with them and talk while running.

I wanted to propose to you to do this togeather next sunday, on the Yonge street and King street intersection. I can pick you up from your house around 08:00 and we can start the run by 09:00. Hope that you will say yes to my proposal.

Thank you for considering,

Your friend Vishrut.

Word Count: 178

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Overall Band Score

(+/- 0.5)

Vocabulary Complexity:
A1 - Beginner
Aim to use more advanced language.

Grammar Mistakes: N/A

Vocabulary Repetition:

running: 4

Try using synonyms for the above words

Task Response

The letter effectively addresses all three bullet points: it clearly describes the hobby (running) and the reason for starting it (to reverse the effects of smoking), explains progress and learning (improved endurance, reduced smoking), and suggests the friend join with a specific time and place. The tone is appropriate for a close friend, and the letter is generally well-organized. Minor lapses include a few spelling errors ('begining', 'togeather', 'sunday') and informal phrasing ('running nerds', 'proposal' for an invitation), but these do not detract from overall clarity. To improve, ensure consistent capitalization for days and correct minor spelling errors for a more polished response.

Coherence & Cohesion

The letter is generally well-organized and easy to follow, with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. However, there are minor lapses in cohesion, such as the abrupt transition from describing the hobby to suggesting the friend join, and the use of informal phrasing like 'I will stop half way' and 'running nerds' which slightly detracts from the overall flow. To improve, consider using more cohesive devices (e.g., 'Additionally', 'Moreover') to link ideas smoothly and ensure each paragraph has a clear central topic.

Lexical Resource

The vocabulary is appropriate and mostly accurate, with some good collocations like 'reverse the damage' and 'catch up with them'. However, there are a few informal or imprecise word choices (e.g., 'nerds', 'proposal' for suggesting an activity) that could be refined for a more natural and sophisticated tone. Expanding the range of vocabulary related to hobbies and fitness (e.g., 'endurance', 'pace', 'invigorating') would enhance the letter. Boost vocabulary complexity to elevate the overall score.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex structures, but there are several grammatical errors and punctuation issues that affect clarity. Examples include: 'In the begining' (spelling), 'I will stop half way' (tense inconsistency), 'I learned as time passed that I need to get better' (tense shift), and missing commas after introductory phrases. To improve, focus on consistent tense usage, correct spelling, and proper punctuation. Using a wider range of sentence structures (e.g., conditional sentences, relative clauses) would also demonstrate greater grammatical control.

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