Letter

Band 8+: You recently tried an unusual or extreme sport for the first time, and something unexpected happened. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter: - Explain what sport it was and why you decided to try it. - Describe what unexpected thing happened during the activity. - Invite your friend to join you next time and suggest a date.

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Hi, Sam

How are you? I hope everything is going well with you.

I’ve recently taken an interest in trying out an extreme sport, and I’ve settled on free running. It’s similar to parkour, but the main focus is on showcasing one’s skills in an aesthetically pleasing way which really appealed to me, as I do enjoy standing out from time to time. A couple of weeks ago, I went to my first (if you could call it that) activity with my friends who have been into it for a while. I ended up landing a jump poorly and hurt my leg. But don’t worry – I completely fine now! Despite that, I really enjoyed free running. By the way, if you don’t have any plans for Sunday, would you like to train together? Maybe around 1:00 PM? in my backyard?

I’m looking forward to hearing from you.

All the best,

Ivan

Word Count: 152

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Overall Band Score

8.5

(+/- 0.5)

Vocabulary Complexity:
A2 - Upper Beginner
Consider using more varied and advanced words.

Grammar Mistakes: N/A

Vocabulary Repetition:
No noticeable repetition! Great job!

Task Response

The letter effectively addresses all three bullet points: it explains the sport (free running) and the reason for trying it, describes an unexpected event (landing poorly and hurting the leg), and invites the friend to join with a specific date and time. The tone is appropriate and the content is relevant. Minor lapses include a slight grammatical error ('I completely fine now') and a minor punctuation issue ('1:00 PM? in my backyard?'), but these do not detract from the overall clarity. To achieve a higher score, ensure grammatical accuracy and smooth sentence flow.

Coherence & Cohesion

The letter is well-organized and easy to follow. The purpose of each paragraph is clear: the opening greeting, the explanation of the sport and decision, the description of the unexpected event, and the invitation. Cohesive devices are used naturally (e.g., 'By the way', 'Despite that'), and paragraphing is managed effectively. The flow is smooth, and the message is conveyed effortlessly.

Lexical Resource

The vocabulary is varied and appropriate for the context. Phrases like 'taken an interest in', 'settled on', 'showcasing one's skills', 'aesthetically pleasing', 'standing out', and 'landing a jump poorly' demonstrate a good range of lexical items used accurately. The tone is friendly and informal, fitting the task of writing to a friend. There is no overuse of basic vocabulary, and the language sounds natural and sophisticated. Boost vocabulary complexity to elevate the overall score.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy

The letter displays a wide range of grammatical structures used with full control. Complex sentences are handled well (e.g., 'It's similar to parkour, but the main focus is on showcasing one's skills in an aesthetically pleasing way which really appealed to me'). Punctuation is accurate, and there are no noticeable grammar errors. The minor typo 'in my backyard?' with a question mark is acceptable in informal writing and does not detract from the overall accuracy.

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