General Training Writing Task 1 · semi-formal · complaint

Letter to a neighbor regarding garden pet issues

Your neighbor keeps a pet in the garden, which causes some problems for you. You have decided to write to this neighbor about the problems.

Write a letter to your neighbor. In your letter:

say who you are and why you are writing this letter
explain the problems
suggest how to solve the problems

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 hope you are having a pleasant week. I am writing to you as your next-door neighbour from number 42 regarding the dog you have recently started keeping in your back garden.

While I appreciate how much joy a pet can bring, the animal has been causing significant disturbances. Since it is kept outside throughout the night, its persistent barking often wakes my young children. Furthermore, the garden fencing is somewhat low, and the dog frequently jumps up against it, which has resulted in damage to my prize-winning rose bushes and a great deal of mess on my patio area.

I would like to suggest a few ways to resolve these issues. Perhaps you could consider bringing the dog inside after dusk to ensure a quiet environment for the neighbourhood. Additionally, installing a slightly higher fence or a sturdy mesh screen would prevent the dog from jumping over and damaging the shared boundary. I am happy to discuss splitting the cost of these improvements if that would be helpful.

Thank you for your understanding and I look forward to resolving this matter amicably.

Best wishes,

Arthur Pringle

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

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response maintains a consistent semi-formal tone while addressing all bullet points with specific, logical suggestions. A common Band 6 error is using overly aggressive or rude language, which fails to maintain the social etiquette required for a neighbourly dispute.

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

persistent: continuing to happen without stopping for a long time
disturbances: events that interrupt quiet or cause a nuisance
prize-winning: of such high quality that it deserves an award
boundary: a line marking the limit of a property area
amicably: in a friendly and peaceable manner without argument
dusk: the time of day just before it gets dark

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?

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.