General Training Writing Task 1 · semi-formal · apology

Apology letter to a neighbour for property damage

You recently had a small accident where you accidentally damaged a neighbor's fence while parking your car.

Write a letter to the relevant person. In your letter:

apologize for what happened
explain exactly how the accident occurred
offer a solution to fix or pay for the damage

Write at least 150 words. You do not need to write any addresses. Begin your letter: Dear ___________,

Band 8 sample letter

Dear Mr. Henderson,

I am writing to sincerely apologise for the damage I caused to your wooden fence yesterday evening. I feel terrible about this incident and wanted to reach out immediately to take full responsibility.

It happened around 6:00 pm when I was reversing my car into my driveway. As it was getting dark and I was distracted by a phone notification, I failed to judge the distance correctly. My rear bumper clipped the corner post of your fence, causing the wood to crack and the panel to lean significantly.

I have already contacted a local carpenter who specialises in garden repairs. He is available to come by this Saturday morning to assess the damage and provide a quote for a full restoration. Alternatively, if you would prefer to hire a contractor of your own choosing, I am more than happy to cover the entire cost of the repair. Please let me know which option you would prefer.

I am truly sorry for the inconvenience this has caused you. Thank you for your patience and understanding regarding this matter.

Best wishes,

James Miller

184 words. Names and details are invented; write your own.

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response clearly addresses all three bullet points with a consistent, polite semi-formal tone and natural language flow. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to offer a concrete solution, instead providing a vague apology without suggesting how to resolve the financial or repair aspects.

Write to someone you know but not closely, such as a manager, landlord or neighbour, using their title and surname.
Polite and friendly at once: a few contractions are fine, slang is not. Close with Yours sincerely or Kind regards.
State the purpose in the first two sentences; small talk costs words you need for the bullets.

Useful phrases from the letter

clipped: hit something lightly while moving past it
lean: to be in a sloping or tilted position
restoration: the act of returning something to original condition
inconvenience: a state of trouble or minor difficulty
distracted: unable to concentrate due to other thoughts
assess: to evaluate the nature or quality of damage

Write your own and get a band

Answer this prompt in a timed General Training writing test and get a band for task achievement, coherence, vocabulary and grammar, with the sentences to fix.

Practise IELTS General writing

On your phone? Get the BandLadder app.

Frequently asked questions

Is this letter formal or informal?

Semi-formal. Write to someone you know but not closely, such as a manager, landlord or neighbour, using their title and surname.

How long should an IELTS General Training letter be?

At least 150 words, and 160 to 200 is the comfortable range. Spend about 20 minutes on it and leave 40 for Task 2, which carries twice the marks.