General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · giving information

Letter to Accommodation Officer offering student room rental

You have a spare room in your apartment that you want to rent to a student.

Write a letter to the Student Accommodation Officer of a local college. In your letter:

where your apartment is located
when the room will be available
what are your requirements for a student to stay there are

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 offer a spare bedroom in my apartment to a student attending your college. As I live within walking distance of the campus, I believe this would be an ideal arrangement for someone seeking a quiet and convenient place to reside.

My apartment is situated in the leafy residential area of Oakwood, specifically on High Street, just a ten-minute stroll from the main college gates. The location is well-served by local amenities, including a library and several affordable grocery stores, making it highly suitable for academic life.

The room will be available for occupancy starting from the first of September, perfectly aligning with the commencement of the new autumn term. It is a fully furnished, south-facing space with a dedicated desk and high-speed internet access.

Regarding my requirements, I am looking for a responsible and tidy individual who respects a quiet living environment. While I welcome a student who is focused on their studies, I do require that the tenant maintains the communal areas in a clean condition and adheres to a non-smoking policy within the flat.

I look forward to hearing from you if you have a suitable candidate.

Yours sincerely,

Eleanor Vance

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

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response covers all bullet points with specific details and maintains a consistently formal tone appropriate for an official enquiry. The most common Band 6 mistake is failing to provide clear, specific details for the requirements, or using overly casual language that undermines the formal nature of the request.

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

leafy: An area with many trees and plants
stroll: A slow, relaxed and easy walk
occupancy: The action of occupying or living in a place
commencement: The official beginning or start of something
tidy: Arranged neatly and in good order
communal areas: Spaces shared by all people living there

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.