WRITING TASK 1 You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. There have been some problems with the bus service, especially its reliability, in your area over the last two weeks. Write a letter to the manager of the bus company. In your letter describe what the problems are explain how these problems are affecting you suggest what you would like the company to do You do NOT need to write any addresses. Begin your letter as follows: Dear Sir or Madam,
Sample Essay with Corrections
Expert Feedback
The letter effectively addresses the task requirements by outlining the problems with the bus service, explaining their impact, and suggesting solutions. Key strengths include a clear identification of issues and a polite tone. However, critical areas for improvement include grammatical accuracy, coherence, and lexical variety. Structural changes made include correcting verb forms, improving subject-verb agreement, and enhancing transitions between ideas. Suggestions for further improvements not implemented include providing more specific examples of how the bus service affects daily routines and varying vocabulary to avoid repetition. The tone used is appropriate for a formal letter, maintaining politeness and clarity throughout.
Detailed Scores
What this means:
The letter has a logical flow, but the coherence could be improved with better paragraphing and linking phrases. For example, using phrases like 'In addition' or 'Furthermore' could help connect ideas more smoothly. The transition between problems and their effects could also be clearer.
How to improve:
- Use a clear paragraph structure
- Connect ideas with appropriate linking words
- Maintain logical progression
- Use referencing effectively
What this means:
There are several grammatical errors, including incorrect verb forms ('is being' instead of 'have been'), subject-verb agreement issues ('this unreliable bus services'), and awkward constructions. While the meaning is generally clear, these errors detract from the overall quality. Improving grammatical accuracy and using a wider range of sentence structures would raise the score.
How to improve:
- Use complex sentence structures
- Maintain grammatical accuracy
- Use a variety of sentence patterns
- Check for common grammar errors
What this means:
The vocabulary used is generally appropriate, but there are some repetitive phrases, such as 'bus services' and 'buses.' Additionally, there are minor errors in word choice, such as 'writting' instead of 'writing' and 'exhausting' instead of 'exausting.' A wider range of vocabulary and more precise word choices would enhance the score.
How to improve:
- Use a wider range of vocabulary
- Demonstrate awareness of collocations
- Avoid word repetition
- Use more sophisticated vocabulary accurately
What this means:
The letter addresses the task requirements by describing the problems with the bus service, explaining their impact, and suggesting solutions. However, the response could be improved by providing more specific examples and a clearer structure. For instance, mentioning specific times when the buses were late or how it affects daily routines would enhance the response.
How to improve:
- Address all parts of the task fully
- Support ideas with specific examples
- Develop each point thoroughly
- Stay relevant to the topic
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