General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · application

Letter of application for an au pair position

You have seen an advertisement in an Australian magazine for someone to live with a family for six months and look after their six-year-old child.

Write a letter to the parents. In your letter:

explain why you would like the job
give details of why you would be a suitable person to employ
say how you would spend your free time while you are in Australia

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

Band 8 sample letter

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Thompson,

I am writing to express my keen interest in the au pair position advertised in the latest issue of Australian Living. Having recently completed my degree, I am eager to experience Australian culture while providing reliable childcare for your family.

My background makes me an ideal candidate for this role. I have spent the past three years volunteering at a local primary school, where I developed the patience and organisational skills necessary to care for a six-year-old. Furthermore, I am a certified first-aider, which ensures I can provide a safe environment for your child at all times.

Regarding my leisure time, I plan to enrol in a weekend photography course in Sydney to capture the local landscape. I also intend to join a community netball club, as I am passionate about sports and enjoy meeting local residents. These activities will allow me to remain active and socially engaged during my six-month stay.

Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to the possibility of discussing how I can support your family.

Yours sincerely,

Eleanor Rigby

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

Why this scores well

This response achieves Band 8 by addressing all three bullet points with specific, relevant details and maintaining a consistently professional, formal tone. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to provide concrete examples of how free time will be spent, instead providing vague statements like 'I will travel around'.

Write to an organisation or someone you do not know: open with Dear Sir or Madam, close with Yours faithfully.
If you know the person's surname, use Dear Mr or Ms and close with Yours sincerely.
No contractions, no slang; polite indirect requests such as I would be grateful if you could.

Useful phrases from the letter

keen interest: a strong desire or enthusiasm for something
reliable: consistently good in quality or performance
certified first-aider: someone trained to give emergency medical help
enrol: to officially register as a course member
landscape: the visible features of an area of land
socially engaged: actively involved with other people in society

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

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Frequently asked questions

Is this letter formal or informal?

Formal. Write to an organisation or someone you do not know: open with Dear Sir or Madam, close with Yours faithfully.

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.