You have recently moved to a different house.

(Informal Letter)
Write a letter to an English speaking friend. In your letter

 Explain why you have moved

 Describe the new house
 Invite your friend to come and visit
Write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear …………,

Band 8/9 Sample Answer:

Dear Maggi,

I am writing to let you know that finally, we have moved to a bigger house! We just could not go on
living in the two-bedroom apartment now that the children are growing up and we need more space
for indoor activities. So we started looking and finally, here we are in our new home.

I’m sure you’ll love it. We have three bedrooms now and two balconies. The house comes with
spacious bathrooms and a modern kitchen. The kids are happy because there is more space with the
big living room and the garden outside. But James is perhaps the happiest of all because this house is
near to his office.

Why don’t you come round this weekend and see what you think of our new place? We would all
love to see you and if the weather is good we can have a barbecue party in the garden.

Our new address and phone number are below, so give us a call and let us know when to expect you.

Lots of love,

Emma
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

You are unhappy about a plan to make your local airport bigger and increase the number
of flights. You live near the airport. (Formal Letter)
Write a letter to your local newspaper. In your letter

 Explain where you live

 Describe the problem
 Give reasons why you do not want this development
Write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Band 8/9 Sample Answer:

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing with regard to an article published in your newspaper on 18th October that outlined the
local administration’s plan to make the local airport bigger and add more flights to the schedule. I
believe if this plan is carried out, the problems which local residents already face would be
aggravated.

My house is located within 15 minutes walk from the airport and life here is already tough due to
frequent flights, noise created from those flights and traffic congestion as an indirect result.

The low-flying aeroplanes are utterly noisy and disruptive. They create harsh noise and we have a
hard time concentrating on our work or sleep peacefully at night. Sadly, I often woke up by the late
night flights and many children and elderly citizens in our area are suffering from high-stress levels,
tinnitus, hearing loss, sleep disturbances, and other harmful effects.

I am afraid that the expansion of the airport would reduce the area for the playground and a park
which is under construction near the airport. The traffic condition would deteriorate with more
people using the airport and that would decline the standard of living in this area.

Considering all the negative consequences, I strongly disagree with the plan to expand the airport
area and increase the flight number. I would really appreciate if you could possibly write an article
about the problems this initiative is likely to cause.
Thank you in advance.
Yours faithfully,
Andrew Heywood
Your neighbours have recently written to you to complain about the noise from
your houseflat.(Semi-formal Letter)
Write a letter to your neighbours. In your letter,

 Explain the reason for the noise

 Apologise for the noise
 Describe what action you will take
Write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear …………,

Band 8/9 Sample Answer:

Dear Mr and Mrs Williams,

I am writing in regards to the complaint I have received from you recently. My

sincere apology for the inconvenience and problem caused due to my actions and I
assure you that I will be more careful in the future about it.

I started learning the piano recently. As you may know, I work full-time and the
only free time I am able to dedicate to my classes is weekends. I have hired a piano
teacher to teach me during the weekends and I am sorry that the noise reached your
flat.

I am sorry about the inconvenience I caused to you and Mrs Williamds. I did not
expect the sound of my piano to be so loud and reach your rooms. I totally
understand your position and request you to accept my sincere apologies.

As a solution, I have decided that I will continue my piano classes at my tutor’s

house instead of mine. This way I would be able to continue my practice and not
disrupt you.

I hope this unpleasant situation hasn’t hurt our friendship.

Yours sincerely,

Alfred Harris
A friend has agreed to look after your house and pet while you are on holiday.
(Informal Letter)
Write a letter to your friend. In your letter:

 Give contact details for when you are away

 Give instructions on how to care for your pet
 Describe other household duties
Write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear …………,

Band 8/9 Sample Answer:

Dear Cynthia,

Thank you for agreeing to house-sit for me. If you need to contact me while I’m
away, I’ll be staying at The Merrion Hotel, Merrion Square in Dublin. If it’s
urgent, however, please call me on my mobile phone, which I’ll keep with me at
all times. I’ve written the numbers on a sticky note which I’ve left on the fridge.

My cat needs to be fed twice daily -morning and evening. So each morning and
evening put a handful of cat food in his dish and fresh water in his water pot. You
will find the food in a jar in the kitchen cupboard. Please check throughout the day
to make sure he drinks plenty of fresh water. You can give him a small bowl of
milk in the evening but do it every other day.

I would like you to water my plants, too. The indoor ones in the lounge only need
water twice a week but the plants on the balcony need to be watered daily except
on rainy days. Finally, for security, please lock the door and shut the windows
before you go to bed. Also, clear my mailbox every day and keep the outside lights
on at night.

I look forward to seeing you on my return.

Warm wishes,
Donna
You recently ordered a small item online but when it arrived it was unusable (Formal Letter)
Write a letter to the company that sold you the item.
In the letter:

 give details about the order you made

 explain what was wrong with the item
 tell the company what you want them to do about it
Write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Band 8/9 Sample Answer:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Last Monday I ordered a cover for my HTC phone from your eCommerce website.
I was excited when it arrived but very disappointed to find that the product was not
as promised and totally unusable. I am hoping you will replace it.

In relation to the specifics of the order, I purchased this leather cover through your
website called Electric Gadgets on November 08th using my PayPal account. The
order number is 2584205 and I am attaching a copy of my receipt with this letter.

The issue with the cover is that it is not a genuine leather product and I am unable
to store my phone inside it securely. The picture of the item on your website
clearly shows the cover supports the HTC Desire 12+ model and is an original
leather product. So I’m sure this is a manufacturing flaw.

As a solution, and because I really like the design and look of the cover, I am
hoping that you will agree to replace it with a new and genuine one for free.
Otherwise, I would like a full refund and I will be contacting PayPal complaints if
I do not hear back from you in regards to this within a week.

Thank you for giving the matter your attention and I hope to hear your reply soon.

Yours faithfully,

John Smith
You have been invited to attend an interview for a place studying a course in a
college. Unfortunately because of a previous appointment you cannot come at the
time they wish.

Write a letter to the admissions tutor and explain your position. Apologise and offer
to come on another day or later the same day. Ask also how long the interview will
be and whether there will be any tests during it.

You should write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write your own address. Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir,

Model answer
Dear Sir,

Thank you very much for your letter dated 15th May inviting me for an interview at your
college on Wednesday 2nd June at 10am. I am extremely sorry but I am unable to come
to an interview at that time because I have a maths exam that morning. It really cannot I
miss this exam but of course I really wish to attend the interview with you. Is it possible
that I could come to the interview the same day but in the afternoon? Failing that, I would
be able to come the next day or any day after.

I would also like to ask some things about the interview. I would like to know how long it
will last and also whether I will be required to do any tests during it.

Once again I apologise for not being able to attend the interview at the time that you
wanted and I hope I will be able to meet with you at another time.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours sincerely,

James Walker

(179 words)
A friend of yours is going on holiday soon and has asked you to recommend a
destination.
Write a letter to your friend and recommend a good place for a holiday that
you have visited before.
Say where you went,
Where you stayed,
What you can do there and what the food was like.

You should write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write your own address. Begin your letter as follows:
Dear Sarah,

Model answer
Dear Sarah,

Thanks for your letter. I‛m glad you and the family are well. So, you‛re thinking of
going on holiday in the UK. Well I can certainly recommend one destination for
you. I went one year to a place called Lochinver in the north west of Scotland. It‛s
quite a long trip to get there as it‛s only about thirty miles from the north coast but
it‛s worth it.

There are only a few places to stay. There are two hotels, the Kirkaig and the
Assynt in the centre of town, and a campsite just outside town. We stayed at the
Kirkaig Hotel but I know you and your family are keen campers so you might
prefer the camping option.

There is a lot to do but it‛s a bit dependent on the weather. There‛s a beautiful
beach, a golf course, the fishing is excellent and there are fantastic hills nearby for
walking in amazing scenery. If it‛s wet there‛s a small cinema in town but that‛s
about all. Take some board games!

The food is typical British in the hotels but some of the Scottish specialities are
fantastic. If you‛re camping though, food will be up to you!

Anyway, I‛ve got to go out now and pick up the kids. Write again if you need any
more information.
Regards,
Mary (222 words)
You have just spent a weekend at a friend’s house. When you returned home,
you discovered you have left a coat containing some belongings in his house.

Write a letter to your friend telling him that you left the coat. Tell him what
the coat looks like, where you think you left it and what was inside it. Make
some suggestions about how to get it back.

You should write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write your own address. Begin your letter as follows:

Dear John,

Model answer
Dear John,

I‛m back at home now after that great weekend at your house. Thanks very much
for putting me up. I hope you‛ll be able to come and stay with me some time soon
as well.

Unfortunately I left my new coat at your house. Do you remember the dark brown
one that I wore when we went walking on Saturday afternoon? It is a New Look
coat that goes down to mid-thigh level. It has a black collar, dark brown buttons
and large pockets on both sides. I think I left it on the hooks behind your front
door. Do you remember we hung up our coats there when we got back from our
walk?

It‛s quite important for me as I have my wallet in the inside breast pocket and my
diary in the right outside pocket. I have a friend who is driving through your town
on Thursday and he will be quite near your office. Could he please collect it from
there? I have given him your office phone number and he will call you on
Thursday morning. Give me a call if this is not possible.

Anyway, thanks again for a great weekend and I hope to see you soon.

Regards,
Phillip

(208 words)
You live in a room in college which you share with another student. You find
it very difficult to work there because he or she always has friends visiting.
They have parties in the room and sometimes borrow your things without
asking you.

Write a letter to the Accommodation Officer at the college and ask for a new
room next term. You would prefer a single room. Explain your reasons.

You should write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write your own address. Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir/Madam,

Model answer 1
Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with my room-mate. As your know we

share one room, I can not study in the room at all any more if I still stay there.

She always has friend visiting and has parties in the room. They make lots of noise
and switch on the radio very loudly, for me this environment is very difficult to
study and I need a quiet room. Even borrows my things without asking, it is very
impolite.

I request you can give me a new room next term because I have been asked her has
parties in other place many times they still have parties in the room. I really can not
stay in the same room with her.

I would be grateful if you could change me a single room.

EXAMINER’S EXPLANATION
Band 5

“The answer is below the word limit and there is some repetition of the task rubric.
(Length is a common problem in General Training scripts). Answers that are short
lose marks because there is insufficient material in the answer for the examiner to
give credit for accuracy and coherence. Despite these problems, the introduction to
the letter is appropriate and the purpose of the writer is clear. The points are not
always linked together well and punctuation is sometimes faulty. The sentences are
kept quite simple and mistakes occur as soon as more complex structures are
attempted.”

Model answer 2
Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing you to express my dissatisfaction with my roommate and request for

another accommodation next term.

My main problem is that I cannot study in my room because my roommate always

has friends visiting. He also has parties which usually end early in the morning,
several times a week. Furthermore, he often borrows my things without asking me.

I cannot accept this situation any longer. Especially because I have very important
exams next term and I really must study hard. This is why I would be very grateful
if I could have another room next term. It would be most convenient for me not
having to share my room with someone else.

I am looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Your faithfully,
Ivan Sidorov

EXAMINER’S EXPLANATION
Band 7

“The answer is also short. Although ideas are often provided in the task rubric,
candidates are at liberty to include some of their own ideas in their answers. In this
case, the candidate has attempted to incorporate some original material. The
answer reads quite fluently, is well organised and there is good use of conjunctions
to link points. There are some grammatical errors but these do not affect the reader
greatly and there is evidence of some more complex sentence structures.”
You want to apply for the following job. Write a letter to Mr. Moore
describing your previous experience and explaining why you would be
suitable for the job.

Waiter/waitress required for evening work. Some experience necessary.

 You should write at least 150 words.

 You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
Model answer:

Dear Mr. Moore,

Re: Waitress position

I am writing to express my interest in your recently advertised position for a

waitress. Enclosed with this letter is my resume, which further details of my
previous experience and qualifications.

Not only do my qualifications and work experience make me a perfect candidate

for the job, my personality is well suited to working as a waitress. I am a very
friendly person who can quickly establish rapport with people of all ages. In my
last waitress job, I had over a dozen repeat customers each day. And, the fast-paced
environment of waiting on tables suits me well, because I thrive on working under
pressure. In fact, my former boss was surprised at both my incredible stamina and
efficiency in dealing with customers’ orders.

I would like to meet with you at your earliest convenience, to discuss the
possibility of working at your restaurant. I can be reached at 463-9234 during the
days and 924-6868 after 6 pm.

Thank you for your consideration of my application. I look forward to meeting you
in the near future.

Yours sincerely,

Martha Scott
You went to the local hospital’s Emergency Department with your young
child who had severe stomach pains. You had to wait for almost four hours
before your daughter was treated by a doctor and, while you were waiting,
you were constantly ignored by the other staff.

Write a letter to the Registrar, complaining about the service you received.

 You should write at least 150 words.

 Allow yourself 20 minutes for this task.
 You do not need to write your own address.
 Begin your letter as follows: Dear Sir or Madam . . . ,
Model answer:

Dear Sir or Madam

I am writing to complain about the treatment my daughter and I received when we

visited the casualty department in your hospital last weekend.

During the afternoon, my daughter developed severe pains in the stomach. Because
it was Sunday, my normal doctor was not in his surgery, so we went to the hospital
casualty department. When we reached the Enquiry counter, it was obvious that
my daughter was unwell as she was screaming with pain. However, the
Receptionist just told us to sit down and wait.

Over the next four hours, I constantly asked how long it would take for a doctor to
see my daughter, but the Receptionist was quite rude and didn’t seem to care very
much. Eventually, we did see a doctor and my little girl had to undergo tests to see
if she had appendicitis. However, I was really angry because the doctor said he had
not seen anyone for over an hour, so the Receptionist wasn’t doing her job
properly.

I would be grateful if you could investigate this terrible service to make sure it
doesn’t happen again.

Yours faithfully
You have just spent a weekend staying at the Lilo Hotel in Adelaide. When
you get home you find that you have left a bag at the hotel.

 You should write at least 150 words.

 You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
Model answer:

Dear Mr. Simpson,

I stayed in your hotel on the 23rd and 24th of October. I was in Room 603. When I
arrived home, I discovered that I had left one of my bags at the hotel. Could you
please check your Lost and Found Department and see if my bag is there?

The bag is a small black leather, document case with a narrow strap. Inside the
bag, you will find several business cards, a fountain pen, a small address book,
three copies of a business proposal and a silver pocket calculator. These things are
not very valuable in money terms, but they have a lot of personal value.

I would appreciate it if you could contact me as soon as possible, particularly since

I need the proposals for a presentation this week. If you could send the bag to me
by courier service, I would be most grateful. I have arranged to pay for the service.

Thank you for your help.

Yours sincerely,

Michael Johnson
Apply these tips to ensure the band score 8/9 in your GT IELTS Letter writing
Tips 1: Identify the type of letter you need to write. An IELTS letter can be either
a formal, semi-formal or Informal.

You write a formal letter to a person or company you DO NOT know and in a formal
situation like complaining about a product or applying for a job. In such a situation you
do not have someone’s name to address to. You write Dear Sir or Madam, to address
the person you are writing to.

Situations when you write a formal letter:

1. Apply for a job/ Resign from a job.

2. Complaint about a product/ service.
3. Request some sort of information.
4. Book an event.
5. Make a suggestion or recommendation.
6. Apply for a course.

You write a semi-formal letter to a person you know about and have met before.
However, this person is not close to you and you address him/her with her second name.
The tone and expressions should be formal and you usually write such letters to a
neighbour, your landlord/landlady or to a colleague or professor in the university.

In such a situation, you have someone’s name to address to. You write ‘Dear Mr/ Mrs/
Ms/ Miss …………,‘ [the dots would be replaced by the second name of the person] to
address the person you are writing to.

Situations when you write a semi-formal letter:

1. A letter to a neighbour.
2. A letter to your landlord/landlady.
3. A letter to a colleague in the office.
4. A letter to the professor in your college/university.

You write an informal letter to a friend. You might want to invite your friend to visit
you, thank him for something, congratulate her, apologize to him, suggest her
something and for all such situations, you write an informal letter. In short, any letter to a
friend is an informal letter and you can use some phrasal verbs, idioms, non-offensive
slangs, and informal tones to finish your letter.

In such a situation, you use your friend’s first name to address him/her. You write ‘Dear
…………,‘ [dots would be replaced by your friend’s first name] to start your letter.
Time saver: Apart from identifying the purpose of the letter and then determining what
type of letter it is (i.g. formal/ semi-formal or informal) you can look at the question and
observe the line:

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

If it includes “Dear Sir or Madam“, then it is a formal letter. If it is “Dear …………,”

and you need to write to a friend, it is an informal letter. Otherwise, it would be a semi-
formal letter.

Tips 2: NEVER write any addresses as the IELTS Letter Writing Instruction forbids you
to do so.

Tips 3: You can use your own name or an imaginary name. However, write your first
name when it’s an informal letter and your full name when it’s a formal or semi-formal
letter.

Tips 4: You do not need to write the date or recipient’s address in your letter.

Tips 5: Write at least 150 words. If your letter contains fewer than 150 words, you will
lose marks.

Tips 6: Open and close your letter accurately. The opening of the letter is the
salutation (Dear Sir or Madam, Dear John, Dear Mr Smith etc) and the closing of the
letter is the signature (Yours faithfully, Yours sincerely, Warm wishes etc). Look at the
following guidelines to carefully begin and close your letter:

Letter Type Begining Ending

Formal Dear Sir or Madam, Yours faithfully,
Semi-formal Dear Mr … (the person’s second name) Yours sincerely,
Informal Dear … (your friend’s first name) Warm wishes,

DO NOT miss out the comma (,) after the Dear …….., and after the closing statement
(i.e. Yours sincerely, ).

Tips 7: Starting the letter perfectly is vital in getting a high band score. This is where you
attract your reader/examiner and make or break your score. The starting paragraph should
clearly state why you are writing the letter.

If you are writing a formal/ semi-formal letter, shoot right away and clearly state the
reason for your letter (i.e. why you are writing). Some of the following expressions might
help you do so.

Beginning a formal/semi-formal letter:

I am writing to inquire/enquire about ………….

I am writing to inform you that ………….
I am writing in connection with ………….
I am writing regarding the ………….
I am writing in regards to the ………….
I am writing to draw your attention to ………….

When we write to a person we do not know, we do not want to waste their time by
writing unnecessary information and exchanging personal greetings. Instead, we want to
get to the point directly.

If it’s an informal letter, you should first use some ice-breaking expressions (at least one
expression or sentence) like we do in our real life. For instance, even if we want to
borrow some money from a friend and that’s the sole purpose of meeting a friend, we
would start with ‘Hi/ Hello, how are you? How are your family?’ and then discuss the
possibility of lending some money.

When writing an informal letter, some of the following expressions might help you begin
your letter:

Beginning an informal letter:

I hope all is well.

I hope you are well/fine.
How are you? I hope you are healthy and happy.
It was nice to hear from you.
It’s been ages since I’ve heard from you.
It is a pleasure to be in touch with you again.
I hope you and your family are all well.
It was a delight to see you in ………….
I hope you enjoyed your trip to ………….
How have you been? It’s been a long since we last met each other.

Tips 8: Use formal/standard expressions in a formal letter. You can use some informal
expressions in an informal letter (intended to a friend) but you should never use an
informal expression in a formal letter.

Following are some standard expressions as well as their informal versions that you
should use in your letter based on the type of letter you are writing:

Informal: I’m writing to let you know that …

Formal: I am writing to draw your attention to …

Informal: I’m sorry for any trouble …

Formal: I apologise for any inconvenience caused …

Informal: I’m very sorry for …

Formal: My sincere apology for …

Formal: I’m very sorry …

Informal: Please accept our sincere apologies …

Informal: You don’t mind …ing (…) (for me), do you?

Formal: I would appreciate if you could …

Informal: Could you please …

Formal: I would be grateful if you please …

Informal: Would it be possible for you to …?

Formal: I would be most grateful if you would …

Informal: I’m rather annoyed with …

Formal: I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with …

Informal: I am not happy with …

Formal: I find it most unsatisfactory that …

Informal: Just give me a call if you have any questions …

Formal: If you require any further information, please don’t hesitate to contact
me… or, Please feel free to contact me if you have further questions …

Tips 9: Use formal words in a semi-formal/formal letter while informal versions are
accepted in an informal letter.

Informal: Formal:
Buy Purchase
Answer Respond
At first Initially
Enough Sufficient
A lot of Many/ Much/ Numerous
Need Require
Right away Immediately
Try Attempt
Ask for Request
Also Moreover
That’s why Therefore
Better Superior
Old Elderly
Cheap Inexpensive
Costly Expensive
Next Subsequently
Tell Inform
Leave Depart
Wrong Incorrect
Fix Repair
Live Reside
Home Residence
Start Commence/ Begin
Whole Entire
Get Acquire / Obtain
Watch Observe

Tips 10: Make sure your handwriting is clear, legible and NOT hard to follow. Yes, your
handwriting still matters in this era of technology – especially if you are going to take
IELTS. You need to write your letter with a pen or pencil in a paper. If the
reader/examiner has a hard time reading your sentences, you can’t expect a higher band
score.

Tips 11: Use correct spelling. If you want to get band score 9 in writing, you can’t afford
to make any spelling mistakes. Contrary to common belief, a single spelling mistake can
hurt your band score heavily. One effective way to improve your spelling is writing
without the help of any spell checker and then correcting the mistakes.

Tips 12: Use punctuations correctly. Yes, an incorrectly used punctuation mark is as bad
as spelling mistakes and sometimes worse!

Tips 13: Use the correct grammar. Not to mention, any grammatical mistake will hinder
you from getting a band score of 8 or 9. You should use a variety of sentence
structures (simple, compound, and complex sentences) to express your mastery in
grammar and writing style. You can get a band score of 5 to 6 by not writing a variety of
sentence structures but not more than 7.

Tips 14: Use correct paragraphing and do not write the entire letter in a single paragraph.
Your letter usually should have the following paragraphs:
Salutation &
Introduction (First Paragraph: clearly state why you are writing the letter).

2nd Paragraph (details of the problem/ giving more information/ Asking for something
in details etc based on the letter requirement).

3rd Paragraph (details of the solution/ actions/ giving extra details).

Closing sentence + Signature (i.e. Yours faithfully and so on)

+ Your name.

Maintain at least a line break or two between these paragraphs. Alternatively, you can
right indent these paragraphs. Some teachers prefer both the line break and the right
indent style. This also improves the readability of your letter.

Tips 15: Respond to all the three bulleted points in full. IELTS letters generally come
with three bullet points that instruct what you should include in your letter. Being able to
respond to all these three bulleted points would ensure a higher band score. For example,
you might be asked to write a letter to the municipal authority to complain about the
damaged road in front of your house. Then the second instruction would be –

“In your letter:

 introduce yourself
 explain the condition of the road
 and suggest what they should do“
You should cover all the three expected bullet points to efficiently write your letter. Some
suggest using separate paragraphs for each of these bulleted points. However, you can
mix two (NEVER more than two) to write a paragraph.

Ideally, each paragraph should NOT be less than 40 words and more than 80 words.

Use a topic sentence or expression that clearly states what this paragraph is going to
describe. For instance, the expression, “In relation to the problems with the room
……”: in a letter distinctly denotes that you are going to tell about the problems you are
having in the room you live in. Similarly, the expression “As a solution and since I
really like the location of the flat” refers that you are going to propose a solution in this
paragraph.