General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · request

Letter to accommodation officer regarding shared room issues

You live in a room in college which you share with another student. However, there are many problems with this arrangement and you find it very difficult to work.

Write a letter to the accommodation officer at the college. In your letter:

describe the situation
explain your problems and why it is difficult to work
say what kind of accommodation you would prefer

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 formally request a transfer from my current shared accommodation in Block C, as the living arrangement is proving untenable for my academic progress.

I currently share room 402 with another student. Unfortunately, our lifestyles are completely incompatible. My roommate frequently hosts large social gatherings late into the evening and keeps the lights on until the early hours. These persistent disturbances, coupled with his habit of playing loud music, make it impossible for me to concentrate on my studies.

This environment has become detrimental to my performance, particularly as I am currently preparing for my final examinations. I find it difficult to complete my assignments or revise effectively when the room is constantly noisy and chaotic. My productivity has suffered significantly over the last month due to chronic sleep deprivation and an inability to focus.

I would prefer to be moved to a single-occupancy room, ideally in a quieter wing of the college, such as the postgraduate residence. If that is unavailable, I would appreciate being relocated to a room with a student who shares similar academic priorities. I look forward to your assistance in resolving this matter promptly.

Yours sincerely,

Julian Thorne

199 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 logical progression and maintains a professional tone throughout. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to connect the specific room problems to the inability to study, or using informal language unsuitable for an official 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

untenable: not able to be maintained or defended against attack
incompatible: two things that cannot exist or work together
detrimental: tending to cause harm or being damaging
chronic: persisting for a long time or constantly recurring
single-occupancy: a room intended for only one person's use
academic priorities: the importance placed on study and learning goals

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.