IELTS General Training Writing Practice Test 13

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

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing in response to your advertisement for volunteers at next year's International Athletics Championships, and I would very much like to be considered.

I have lived in this city all my life, and I would love the chance to show visitors from around the world what it has to offer. I am also a keen runner myself, so being involved in such a major event, even in a small way, would be a wonderful experience.

I believe I have several skills that would be useful. I work as a receptionist at a busy hotel, so I am used to dealing calmly and politely with the public, often when they are tired or confused. I speak English and Spanish fluently, and I have a basic knowledge of French. In addition, I have a full driving licence, and last year I helped to organise the finish area at our city's half marathon.

As for availability, I could volunteer full-time during the two weeks of the championships, as I have already arranged to take my annual leave then. I would also be happy to attend any training sessions in the evenings or at weekends beforehand.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,
Lucia Ortega

Commentary

• TA: All three bullet points are covered with relevant detail, and the purpose is stated in the first sentence. The formal tone suits a letter to organisers the writer does not know.
• CC: One paragraph per bullet point, with clear openings ("I believe I have several skills", "As for availability"). The ending ("Yours faithfully") matches "Dear Sir or Madam".
• LR: Appropriate formal phrases ("I am writing in response to", "I would very much like to be considered") and accurate vocabulary ("annual leave", "a full driving licence", "availability").
• GRA: Varied structures, including present perfect, reasons with "so" and "as", and a conditional ("would be a wonderful experience"), all used accurately.

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

Every year, people die from heart attacks, choking or serious bleeding before an ambulance can reach them. For this reason, some people argue that all adults should learn basic first aid. I strongly agree with this view, although I believe the training must be practical and repeated regularly.

The main argument for first aid training is that the first few minutes after an accident or a sudden illness are often the most important. If a person's heart stops, for example, their chance of survival falls with every minute that passes without help. In most cases, the first person on the scene is not a doctor but a family member, a colleague or a stranger in the street. If that person knows how to check breathing, give chest compressions or stop bleeding, a life may be saved long before professional help arrives.

First aid skills also make people more confident. Many people who see an accident do nothing, not because they do not care, but because they are afraid of making things worse. A short course teaches them that simple actions, such as calling for help clearly and placing an injured person in a safe position, are almost always better than doing nothing.

Some people object that compulsory training would be expensive and that busy adults would not have time to attend. These are fair points, but the cost could be shared. Employers could offer courses during working hours, and schools could teach first aid to teenagers, so that most people would learn the basics before they become adults. A course of three or four hours, repeated every few years, is a small investment compared with the value of a human life.

In conclusion, I firmly believe that every adult should learn basic first aid. The skills are simple, the training does not need to be long, and the benefits for families, workplaces and society as a whole could be enormous.

Commentary

• TR: The writer's position is clear from the introduction and is maintained throughout. Two main reasons are developed with examples, and an opposing view is answered rather than ignored.
• CC: Each body paragraph has one central idea. Linking is varied and natural ("The main argument for", "also", "These are fair points, but", "In conclusion").
• LR: Precise, topic-specific vocabulary ("chest compressions", "on the scene", "compulsory training", "a small investment") with good collocation.
• GRA: A wide range of structures, including conditionals, relative clauses, "not because... but because" and passives, with very good control.