IELTS General Writing Task 1: 'private teacher' topic

Let's use the 7 steps in yesterday's lesson to prepare the task below.

1. Key things to highlight: son needs extra language lessons, explain why, ask about experience and methods, suggest schedule
2. Choose the tone: assume we don't know the teacher = formal
3. Greeting: e.g. Dear Mr. Smith (assume we know the teacher's name)
   Ending: Yours sincerely, (then invent a name)
4. Overall purpose: ask the teacher to help your son
5. Paragraph structure: single sentence to state the purpose, then one paragraph for each bullet point
6. Paragraph aims: explain, request, suggest
7. Ideas: Your son has missed a term of Spanish lessons due to illness; looking for an experienced teacher who knows the school exams; son is available for private lessons at home any weekday after school

Comments

[Nguyen]

Dear Simon,

Thank you very much for the post. You made my day. By the way, could you please just give an idea what is the SCORE of the essay below.

I spent exactly 30' to plan and write it.

Sincerely,
Nguyen-H
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Dear Ms. Heard,

I am writing to ask for your help regarding my son's second language study at Greenwich High School.

My son, Adam, is currently taking a Spanish course at school, but he is struggling with speaking and essay writing. His receptive skills of listening and reading are good, but it seems that he really needs some extra lessons at home to improve his productive skills.

I would be extremely grateful if you could provide some one-to-one lessons with him during the next few months. I would also appreciate it if you could explain some of your experience and potential strategies to help students struggling with productive skills.

If you agree to help, could you please suggest a possible schedule that suits you best. Personally, I hope you could come at 8:pm every Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, as I want my son to spend weekends on other activities with the family and his friends.

Your sincerely,
Paul Jones

[Nguyen-H]

I look forward to receiving your response.

Your sincerely,
Paul Jones

-----

Sorry, I missed the last ending sentence.

[Elis]

Dear Simon,
I don't know why I am so obsessed with task 1. I always spend 20 minutes on task 1 and can't make it short. Because I feel that it is impossible to cover everything and use good vocabulary without writing about 200-250 words.
----------------------

Dear Mr. White,

I am writing to request your kind cooperation regarding my son, Peter, who is currently taking French class under your supervision.

Having attended French schools for three years, I realised that Peter is not even close to what junior students at their first term should be. He can hardly make grammatically correct sentences and most of the time, even in terms of pronunciation, the way he says French words seems really unnatural to my ears. His listening skills, on the other hand, is fairly acceptable as he is usually able to understand simple conversations, but when it comes to reading, most of the time, he struggles reading without making unnecessary pauses over and over, even when he tries to read very short passages. For this reason, I would deeply appreciate if you could kindly help him improve his language acquisition.

Also, I was wondering if there is any way I can learn about your academic education, work experience and of course, the approaches you have adopted so far or how you are currently conducting your lecture sessions, whether you are using computers or other learning materials rather than just books and audio records. Additionally, it would be a great asset if you could provide me with your personal website or just simply write me back, giving me details on these enquiries.

Last but not least, my son currently attends your French classes twice a week and on Fridays afternoon he attends Mrs. Dobson's lectures for about three hours without a break. Recognising your very hectic schedule, I would really appreciate if you could kindly fit few more hours in your timetable so my son would be able to cancel his Friday's sessions as they are really affecting his studies. Furthermore, I feel that taking French with two different teachers is not really a good idea for someone of his age.

Please accept my sincere apologies for any inconvenience this letter might cause you.
I look forward to receiving your kind response.

Yours sincerely,
Elis Olivia

[Vishaal]

Dear Ms. Smith,

I am writing to know your availability for the private coaching of the French language as my son, named Jay Oza, is currently feeling difficulties in this subject at school.

Firstly, I would like to inform that Jay was on sick leave for about a month from 15 December 2018 to 12 January 2019. In this period, he missed certain crucial French grammar lessons and therefore presently faces problems in current lessons that are being taught at school.

To resolve this issue, I am looking for an experienced teacher who has several years of experience in teaching this language and is well aware of the school syllabus and exam structure.

Jay would be available for private lessons at home at any time on weekends. Please inform me what time would be suitable for you either on Saturday or on Sunday.

I would highly appreciate if you could respond at your earliest convenience.

Yours sincerely,
Vishaal Oza

[he li]

Dear Mr.Smith,

I am John Cutler's father. I am writing to you with regard to extra Spanish class I want you to teach my son in a one-to-one way.

Because John has missed all his school's Spanish course in the last term due to the fact that he has to stay at home for recovery after suffering a serious injury to his left knee when playing a football game. Hence, I want to find a teacher to help him catch up with the step of Spanish learning.

According to your experience, I want to know that how long John needs to take the extra class so that he can be able to pass the Spanish exam, thus, and that how much we should pay for the class. Besides that, which way do you think is better between online teaching and teaching in person? Because both ways are ok for us.

As for the schedule, what is about every Wednesday and Friday evening, from 7: PM to 8: PM?

I would appreciate it greatly if you could kindly agree to teach my son.

Thank you for taking the time to read my letter. Please contact me at your earliest convenience.

Jay Cutler.

[gigi]

Nguyen:

-> 8pm

"Personally, I hope you could come at 8:pm every Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday": I could not imagine a tired teacher would wish to disrupt their evenings in this way. -> Would some time after school on Tuesdays suit?

I want -> I would like/I wish/I would prefer ("I want" may be considered impolite in a formal letter.)

Yours sincerely

To me, overall tone and content seem fine.

[gigi]

Elis

His listening skills, ..., is -> are

he struggles with reading

A teacher in the UK might be offended at being asked for details of their personal website, and might be prohibited by the school from providing them.

fit a few more hours

School timetabling is usually the province of the deputy principal, not the individual teacher.

No need to apologize.

In the exam it is essential to complete Task 1 in under twenty minutes, otherwise the time for Task 2 is compromised. Writing 338 words for Task 1 seems to be a lot in the time available. I would suggest that you persist in cutting this down to under 200 words.

[gigi]

Vishaal

"Please inform me what time would be suitable..": it might be better if you asked whether the teacher would be willing first. Also, an after school session at school might be more convenient. There may also be rules prohibiting private tuition, or tuition at students' homes.

[gigi]

he li:

1) I am John Cutler's father: curiously, English people rarely introduce themselves at the start of a letter. The reader is left to look at the end first. Odd, but the English idiom.

2) to an extra Spanish class

3) I want you: see my comments to Nguyen above.

4) -> I would like my son to have some extra one-to-one tuition.

5) John has missed all his the school's Spanish course in the last term: do not use present perfect with a specific time marker for a completed period of time.

6) Hence, [too formal and academic] I want [!!!] to find a teacher to help him catch up with the step [level] of Spanish learning. -> catch up. (the rest is already implied in the phrasal verb.)

7) According to your experience, -> I was wondering if you could advise, based on your experience or judgement, how long it would take for him to catch up with the rest of the class, or how many lessons might be required.

8) In English culture, the teacher would set the fee: asking for a discount might be considered offensive, although some teachers are more adaptable to different cultures.

9) "Because both ways are ok for us.": not a sentence; where is the main verb? Also, "ok" is not okay in a formal letter. Use "would suit".

10) "what is about" -> what about... (too informal -> Might I suggest...). Also see my comment to Vishaal above.

11) "Thank you for taking the time to read my letter.": superfluous.

12) "Please contact me at your earliest convenience.": actually somewhat peremptory. I look forward... is more polite.

13) Need to close with "Yours sincerely"

[Elis]

Hey Gigi!

What's wrong with that? How am I suppose to know her background then ? I had to ask about her experience and websites are usually public! So there should nothing be wrong with that I guess.

[Nguyen-H]

Hi Gigi,

Thank you for your correction.

"I could not imagine a tired teacher would wish to disrupt their evenings in this way." -> I totally understand that. I suppose this is just an imaginary letter, and I would not say that in the real world.

Btw, could you please introduce a little bit about yourself, are you an IELTS teacher, ex-examiner, or native speaker. I'd love to know the band score of the essay.

[Oleg]

!

[Vishaal]

Some people think that giving gifts and presents to friends and family is important to show them that we care. Others think that there are more important ways. Discuss both and give your opinion.

People have different views about the method of sharing care with their loved ones. While some argue that presenting materialistic things to our friends or family members is essential for expressing our care towards them, I firmly believe it is absolutely crucial to spend quality time with them to show our care.

On the one hand, giving gifts or presents to friends and family is one of the common ideas of expressing care. Many people are giving things like flowers, chocolates, gold jewelry and many other such things to their loved ones, as a token of love, to make them feel happy and being cared. My wife, for instant, presented me my favorite Sony’s music system on my last birthday, although she hated the loud music, in order to express her care for me.

However, in current busy lives, I think the majority of people feel being loved or cared only when their partner or friend spend an ample amount of time with them on many occasions. For example, even if any husband gave many gifts to his wife but he was unable to give her sufficient time due to hectic professional responsibilities, she would likely to feel being ignored or less cared by her husband. Hence, it is pretty evident that giving time to our parents, spouse or friends is a far better way to express our feeling of caring than presenting gifts.

In conclusion, although giving presents is one way of expressing care, I think this method is outdated and unworkable in recent times and one needs to spend more quality time with his or her closed ones to show true care.

[Nguyen-H]

Dear Vishaal,

It would be great if you could post your part-2 essay to another thread.

Regards,
Nguyen-H

[Vishaal]

@ Nguyen-H

Sorry! I will take care this from the next time.

My Letter

You recently attended a course in another country but had to leave the course to return back to your country. Write a letter to your teacher.
In the letter, you should:
• thank him/her
• tell them your situation
• Explain to them what you liked about their lecture.

Dear Mr. Smith,
I am writing to inform you that I had to return to India due to my mother’s health issue, and therefore I will not be able to continue your Financial Mastery course.

First and foremost, I would like to thank you for the most valuable lessons that I learned in your course. Although I attended only two weeks of the course, I gained a deep understanding of the basic concepts related to financial management and investment.

Two days ago, my father called me to inform that the health of my mother is very poor and the doctor suggested that all close family members should spend quality time with her for the faster recovery and giving her emotional stability. I am really happy to inform you that she is getting better now.

Finally, your lectures on the concepts of money investment were truly incredible and the methodologies of market risk evaluation, that you explained in your lectures, were really informative and I suppose I would be able to make more profit in my business by implementing all these learnings.

Thank you again!

Yours sincerely
Vishaal Oza

[Carmen]

Dear Mr.Heinz,

I am writing to look for the possibility of taking private German lessons for my son studying in the third grade.

Having broken his right leg, he will not be able to attend most of the classes in this term at school. To make him keep up with the rest of his class and prepare him for mid-term and final exams, I have decided to support him with private classes.

The recent German class instructor at his school recommended you as a private tutor and provided your contact information; however, I really do not know anything about your past experiences and which teaching approach you are using. I would be grateful, if you could inform me about these matters.

As he is spending most of his time at home, he will be available for classes any weekday after 10am. Please also inform me about your availability.

Your prompt response on this matter is highly appreciated,

Yours sincerely,
Elena Jones,

[Oleg]

Please note:

https://www.englishforums.com/English/EssayReportCompositionWriting/Forum9.htm

[subha]

Mrs Jane,

I am writing to you to seek your help and guidance for my son who needs extra lessons for French language at school. My son Tom is studying in the eighth grade in Greenwood school.

Let me explain the situation in detail, Tom is falling sick off late and is on medication to boost his immunity. The medications has taken a toll on his health and unable to get back to the school schedule especially with his studies. Further, since he is new to French language he would need additional support.

We are looking for a private tutor to support his learning. Would you be able to teach him. Since exams are fast approaching we have less time to foster his learning. What methods do you think can help him gain momentum. Tom is not occupied during the weekends and after school, so we can schedule as per your convenience.

Please let us know you thoughts and we can organize a study plan accordingly.

Eagerly Awaiting your reply.

Your's Sincerely,
Pamela

[ilkin]

Dear Ms. Smith,

I would like to ask you to give a Spanish language lessons to my 8 years old son. He is experiencing some difficulties with grammar and pronunciation. I would be very grateful if you share more information about your teaching style and experience and accept a schedule that suits us.

Perhaps the main reason my son finds Spanish grammar challenging is that he had to leave some important lessons last month. Furthermore, he has difficulties with pronunciation of sounds in Spanish most likely because his native language is English.

I have heard that you have been teaching Spanish since you have been graduated from Spain State Language University. Would you kindly provide me with more detailed information about your teaching techniques and experience?

As my son visit therapist every Saturday afternoons, it would be great if you are able to provide additional lessons on Saturday mornings. I hope you are free at suggested time and it will not cause you any inconveniences.

Let me know if you are available.

Yours Sincerely,

[Vishaal]

You work as part-time and you are attending a course and your manager offered you full-time and asked to leave the course.
Write a letter about your decision about the job offer.
How do you feel about the job?
Tell about your decision
Explain the reasons for your decision

Dear Mr. Smith,
I am writing to inform you that I am afraid I could not accept your proposal of the full-time job and of leaving the Operation Management course, which I have been pursuing for about a year and a half now.

To be honest, I really enjoy working with you as I always learn something new from you every day, and all the knowledge I am gaining in this job would help me significantly in the future.

I am really grateful for your full-time job offer but unfortunately, I could not accept it and, at the same time, I could not leave my current course as I want to progress my career in that particular area.

The foremost reason why I deny your job proposal is that I need to complete my course work including thesis preparation and project submission in just 6 months and then I have final exams to complete the course.

Thank you again!

Yours sincerely
Vishaal Oza

[Vishaal]

Hi Akshay and Geeta,

How have you been since we last met?

I just thought I’d drop you a line and see if you fancy joining me for the family picnic to Ajwa garden on February 2nd.

I think it’s a great opportunity for our families to get together, as this Saturday is a public holiday. It’d be really fun to visit such a picturesque picnic spot and get some respite from the busy office life.

Let me tell you that Ajwa garden is only two hours’ drive from my home and has a scenic landscape. We’ll start early in the morning at around 6.00 a.m. from my place. I’ve already booked two rooms in the Grand Palace hotel for our stay. Also, since your kids are crazy for wild animals, I’ve bought online tickets for our visit to the Ajwa zoo in the evening.

I’d be really delighted if you can make it for the picnic. It won’t be the same without both of you. I also want to talk to you about the new business that I’m going to start from the next month and ask whether you’re interested in the partnership.

Write back soon!

Vishaal

[Vishaal]

Question
Write a letter to your friend inviting on a family activity.
In the letter, you should:
• what the activity is
• what you planned
• why it is important that your friend should come

[Alabn]

Dear Mr. Tang,

I am writing to you about the availability of Chinese tutorial class to my son, Tom.

Last year, he was struggling in heavy illness, while he skipped the Chinese tutorial classes for consecutive three months. He is unwilling to attend the Chinese class anymore due to serious progress behind. The school teacher told me that he might need to pay extra effort in speaking and writing, while pronunciation and vocabulary are the major problems.

I would appreciate if you could share your special teaching methods on motivating students to speak in the public with foreign language. Also I would like to know more about your teaching experience especially in Primary School Students.

Tom is available on every Wednesday and Friday after school. It would be grateful if you could come to our clubhouse to deliver the Chinese Tutorial Class to him at 7:pm to 9:pm on those days.

I am looking forward to hearing from you.

Yours Sincerely,
Alan

[Emerson]

Hi, guys! I'm going to take an exam in French, but I have already processed all the possible tasks, so I have already passed to the tasks that may be on the IELTS exam, but doing them in french. It turns out quite interesting and gives me additional training. While I'm still not so confident about my French, I work with essay writer so that he can check my work and give additional ideas for writing. Usually they work in English, but they are real professionals, so they could help me even with this. How is your preparation going?

[adu funmilayo]

i am new here and am struggling with formal and informal linkers. please can anyone help with eamples?

[May]

The question contains- asking for 'her help' whereas in the model answer the teacher is referred to as 'Dear Mr Smith'.

[Simon]

May,

Yes, I made a little mistake there! It wouldn't effect my score, so I'll leave it there to show that I make mistakes too.

[Catherine Mbinya]

Thank you for the guide. The tone does really make a difference while trying to pass a message.

[Mahya]

Dear Simon
Thank you for this useful post. I would be pleased if you look at my letter and tell me your opinion about it.
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Dear Mrs. Smith,
I am writing to ask for helping my son with his Spanish course.
Last month he fell down suddenly during a soccer match and he broke his leg, then he had surgery and stayed at home for more than three weeks. So he lost his classes in school. Also, the exams will start in next month and he needs help to get ready for them.
I would like to know how many years do you teach Spanish and if you have ever had teaching experience to teenage boys or not. Also, I would be pleased if you can explain to me about your teaching strategies and if you know about the school exam types or not.
My son is available for private lessons at home every weekday after school. I would be grateful if you can command a probable schedule.
Please let me know if you require any further information. I await your prompt response.

Yours sincerely,
Maya Sand

[Ejiro]

Dear Ms. Ella,

I'm writing to ask if you could make out time to help my daughter with some after school French classes.

My daughter, Nina, missed out on most of last term's syllabus due to an unexpected family trip for which we all had to be away. I understand that this was when vowel and consonants and the basics of verb structure were taught.

Would you mind if I asked about your experience with teaching children under 7? What methods do you employ in order to enhance correct pronunciation and appropriate vocabulary? Also, do you incorporate audiovisual aids in your teaching?

Nina is free every weekday after school, and I'm looking towards getting her six hours of extra lessons per week, preferably equally spread over three days.

I look forward to hearing from you and I hope you'll be able to help.

Yours sincerely,
Ms. Julie Han.

[Lucifer Morningstar]

Dear Simon,
Thank you for this useful post. I would be very pleased if you look at my letter and tell me your opinion about it.

Dear Mr. Shiva,
I am writing to you as I seek help for my son, David Morningstar, in his Dutch classes.
I have seen him struggle with Dutch classes and unfortunately, he will not be able to attend classes at school for about a month because of his broken leg. So, I thought of helping him study through private tuition. So, I thought you would help.
According to your teaching experience, can you please tell me how many classes might be required to catch up as a week has already passed since unfortunate and what your teaching methodologies are for students who need to give effort.
David is usually free after 3 PM and on weekends. If you can tutor him then may I suggest after 3 PM but you can tutor at what best suits you.
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. I look forward to hearing from you at your best convenience.
Yours Sincerely
Lucifer Morningstar

[Charlie]

dear sir or madam,

I am writing this letter to ask you to teach Korean to my son. I am his father. My son have expressed his concern about learning a second language.

I have ask to Lee, who is living in the next door, to introduce me a good Korean teacher and he gave me your email. Last week, my son have failed to pass Korean speaking test that is necessary to join Seoul University in Korea. To study in Seoul have been his dream as he has always been curious about his parent’s country. However if he couldn’t pass the speaking test, the opportunity for new experience will be disappeared. So I believe that it is true that he needs extra lessons.

To improve his Korean speaking skills, would you be able to inform me about your teaching experiences and the way you teach? Also I would like to organize a trial lessons include interview on next Saturday.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours faithfully,

James