Gifts— Part 1 Report

Suggestion: Answer directly, then explain why you find gift-giving difficult. Avoid repeating “I,” and use the natural phrase “feel stressed when choosing.”

Example: Not really. I find it difficult to choose gifts because I’m never sure what my friends or my wife would like. As a result, I sometimes feel stressed when shopping for special occasions.

Suggestion: Name the occasions clearly and avoid repeating “always” and “special occasions.” Use “birthday” or “birthdays” consistently, and connect your examples with a linking phrase.

Example: I usually give gifts to my wife on her birthday and our wedding anniversary. I also buy presents for close friends when they celebrate important milestones.

Suggestion: State the person’s preferences as your main consideration, and use a pronoun that agrees with “a gift” (for example, “it”). Add a specific detail to develop your answer.

Example: I mainly consider the person’s preferences and whether they’ll find the gift useful. For example, if a friend enjoys cooking, I might choose a cookbook or a kitchen gadget.

Suggestion: This is a relevant example, but clarify that you baked the cookie yourself. Use “it” to refer to one cookie, and add a brief detail about your mother’s reaction if you remember it.

Example: Yes, I have. When I was little, I baked a cookie for my mother as a handmade gift. She was pleased that I had made it myself, even though it wasn’t perfect.

Suggestion: Your answer is incomplete and difficult to understand. Give a clear opinion first, then explain that thoughtfulness matters more than price. Check the wording and finish your sentence.

Example: Not really. I think a thoughtful gift expresses your feelings better than an expensive one. What matters most is choosing something that shows you understand and care about the person.

× I I always worried about what gifts would suit my friend or my wife.

✓ I am always worried about what gifts would suit my friend or my wife.

The answer describes a usual or ongoing feeling, so use the present-tense verb phrase am worried rather than worried without an auxiliary verb. The repeated I appears to be a speech disfluency and is removed for readability.

× I feel a bit stressed for when choosing

✓ I feel a bit stressed when choosing.

For is unnecessary before when in this sentence. Use when choosing to introduce the time or situation in which you feel stressed.

× I always give some gifts to my wife on my wedding anniversary or her birthdays I always buy them on special occasions.

✓ I always give some gifts to my wife on my wedding anniversary or her birthdays. I always buy them on special occasions.

Two independent clauses are joined without punctuation, creating a run-on sentence. Separate them with a period, or use a suitable conjunction.

× I usually think of whether the person will like them Their preference is the most important I think.

✓ I usually think of whether the person will like them. Their preference is the most important, I think.

The two complete thoughts need to be separated with appropriate punctuation. A period separates the thoughts, and commas set off I think at the end of the sentence.

× When I was little I gave my mother a handmade cookie. I cooked them.

✓ When I was little, I gave my mother a handmade cookie. I cooked it.

The pronoun them is plural, but it refers to the singular noun cookie. Use the singular pronoun it. A comma after the introductory phrase When I was little also improves punctuation, but it is not a grammar type listed in the reference.