General Training Writing

Write your own response before opening this example. This is a sample from the book, not a score or assessment of your writing.

Dear Marco,

It's great to hear that you're finally coming to visit! I've been thinking about where you could stay, and I'd really recommend the Riverside Guesthouse. It's a small, family-run place right in the old town, so you'll be able to walk to most of the sights. The rooms are simple but very clean, and the breakfast is fantastic. It's also much cheaper than the big hotels near the station.

Getting there is easy. When you arrive at the airport, follow the signs to the train station inside the terminal and take the airport express into the city. It runs every fifteen minutes and takes about half an hour. Get off at Central Station, turn left out of the main entrance and walk down the hill towards the river. The guesthouse is on the corner, opposite the old bridge. It's no more than ten minutes on foot.

As for things to do, you absolutely have to go to the Saturday market by the castle. You can try all kinds of local food there, and there's usually live music in the afternoon.

Let me know your dates and I'll come and meet you for dinner one evening.

All the best,
Priya

Commentary

• TA: All three bullet points are fully covered and developed: the guesthouse with three reasons, clear step-by-step directions, and one recommendation with details. The purpose is clear, and the tone is consistently friendly and informal, which suits a letter to a friend.
• CC: Each bullet point has its own paragraph. The directions follow a clear sequence ("When you arrive…", "Get off at…", "turn left…"), and "As for things to do" moves the letter on smoothly.
• LR: Informal language is used appropriately ("It's great to hear", "you absolutely have to", "All the best"), alongside precise words for directions ("terminal", "opposite", "on foot").
• GRA: Imperatives are used for the directions, and there is a mix of simple and complex sentences, all accurate.
• Common mistake to avoid: Many candidates write the directions as one long, vague sentence. Also, do not use formal phrases like "I am writing to inform you" in a letter to a friend.

Write your own response before opening this example. This is a sample from the book, not a score or assessment of your writing.

Over the past twenty years, shopping habits have changed dramatically, and in many countries more goods are now bought online than in traditional shops. Although this trend has some negative consequences, I believe that its advantages are greater.

The most obvious benefit of online shopping is convenience. Customers can compare prices from dozens of sellers in a few minutes and have products delivered directly to their homes, which saves both time and money. This is particularly valuable for people who find it difficult to visit shops, such as elderly or disabled people, parents with young children, or those living in rural areas far from a town centre. Online shopping also offers a far wider choice than any single shop could provide, so consumers are more likely to find exactly what they need.

On the other hand, the growth of online shopping has clearly harmed many high streets. As customers move online, local shops lose income and some are forced to close, which can leave town centres empty and reduce the number of local jobs. There are also environmental concerns, as individual deliveries increase traffic and large amounts of packaging are thrown away.

However, I would argue that these problems can be reduced. Many town centres are adapting by offering experiences that cannot be found online, such as cafés, events and personal services. Similarly, delivery companies are increasingly using electric vehicles and collection points, which reduce the environmental impact. The benefits of online shopping, on the other hand, are more fundamental, because they give millions of people easier and cheaper access to goods.

In conclusion, while the shift to online shopping has damaged some traditional businesses and has an environmental cost, I believe that the convenience, choice and accessibility it provides outweigh these disadvantages.

Commentary

• TR: The question asks whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The writer answers directly in the introduction and in the conclusion, and explains why in the fourth paragraph. This is the step many candidates miss: they list advantages and disadvantages but never weigh them against each other.
• CC: The essay is clearly organised into advantages, disadvantages, and a weighing-up paragraph. "On the other hand" and "However" signal changes of direction. There is a slight overuse of "on the other hand", which appears twice.
• LR: The vocabulary is topic-specific and natural, for example "high streets", "collection points", "accessibility" and "environmental impact", and there is good use of collocation ("forced to close", "reduce the environmental impact").
• GRA: A wide range of structures is used accurately, including relative clauses, present perfect ("has clearly harmed"), present continuous for trends ("are adapting") and passives.
• Possible improvements: The examples are general, and the weighing-up argument could be more developed.