IELTS General Training Writing Practice Test 16

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

Dear Mr Okafor,

I hope you are well. You may remember me: I was in your Year 12 chemistry class at Lakeside College in 2021, and I was one of the students who helped you to run the after-school science club.

I am writing because I am applying for a place on a two-year laboratory technician course at Central Technical Institute. The course combines classroom study with work placements in hospital laboratories, and it would be a big step towards my goal of working in medical research. As part of the application, I need a reference from a teacher who knows my work well, and I immediately thought of you.

If you are willing to write one, I would be very grateful if you could mention my practical skills in the laboratory, especially the project on air pollution near schools that won second prize at the regional science fair. It would also be helpful if you could comment on my reliability, since I organised the equipment for the science club every week for two years.

The deadline for references is 15 March. I have attached the course details and my CV.

Thank you very much for considering this.

Yours sincerely,

Daniela Ruiz

Commentary

• TA: All three bullet points are covered: the writer reminds the teacher who she is (class, year and the science club), explains the course in detail and asks for two specific points to be mentioned, with a reason for each. The deadline and attachments are useful extra details.
• CC: One paragraph for each bullet point, with a clear purpose stated at the start of the second paragraph ("I am writing because…").
• LR: The tone is polite and semi-formal, suitable for a former teacher: "I would be very grateful if you could…", "Thank you very much for considering this."
• GRA: Accurate use of indirect requests ("It would also be helpful if you could…"), relative clauses and a range of tenses.

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

Today, it is common to see people photographing their meals, their holidays and even their morning coffee before sharing the pictures on social media. There are several reasons for this habit, and in my opinion its benefits are greater than its drawbacks, although it needs to be kept under control.

The most obvious reason is that it has become extremely easy. Almost everyone carries a phone with a high-quality camera, and posting a picture takes only a few seconds. Social media also rewards people for sharing: each "like" or comment gives a small feeling of approval, which encourages them to post more. For many, too, photographs are a way of keeping in touch with friends and relatives who live far away.

This last point is, I think, the greatest advantage. My parents, for example, live in another country, but they can follow their grandchildren growing up through the pictures we share every week. Photographs also create a valuable record of our lives, which earlier generations, who could only afford a few printed photos, did not have.

On the other hand, there are clear disadvantages. Some people become so focused on taking the perfect picture that they stop enjoying the moment itself. Comparing our lives with the carefully chosen images posted by others can make people, especially teenagers, feel that their own lives are dull. There are also risks to privacy, for example when parents share photos of their children that reveal where they live or go to school.

In conclusion, people share photographs because it is easy, socially rewarding and a good way to stay in contact. I believe the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, provided that people think carefully about what they post and occasionally put the camera away and simply enjoy the experience.

Commentary

• TR: Both parts of the question are answered. Three reasons are given, and the writer's view ("its benefits are greater than its drawbacks") is clear in the introduction and conclusion. A personal example supports the main advantage.
• CC: Clear paragraphing: reasons, advantages, disadvantages, conclusion. The phrase "This last point" links the reasons paragraph to the advantages paragraph smoothly.
• LR: Natural, topic-specific vocabulary: "social media", "a small feeling of approval", "a valuable record", "risks to privacy", "carefully chosen images".
• GRA: Complex sentences are used with control, including relative clauses ("which earlier generations, who could only afford…"), "so… that" and "provided that".