General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · request

Letter to hostel superintendent requesting a room change

You live in a room in the college hostel which has severe problems. You would like to move into another room and need your hostel super's permission for that.

Write a letter to the hostel super. In your letter:

introduce yourself
describe the problems
explain what type of room 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 to a different room within the college hostel. My name is Alex Rivers, and I am a second-year Engineering student currently residing in room 402.

Unfortunately, my current living conditions have become increasingly difficult. The primary issue is a persistent leak in the ceiling directly above my desk, which has already damaged my laptop and textbooks. Furthermore, the radiator in the room is faulty; it remains stuck on the highest setting regardless of the thermostat adjustment, making the environment uncomfortably hot and impossible to sleep in.

Given these circumstances, I would greatly appreciate it if you could relocate me to a room on the ground floor or a corner unit that is better ventilated. A room with a functional heating system and a dry ceiling is essential for my academic focus. I am happy to assist with the moving process at your earliest convenience.

Thank you for your time and assistance in resolving this urgent matter.

Yours sincerely,

Alex Rivers

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

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response maintains a consistently formal tone while addressing all three bullet points with specific, relevant details. The most common mistake in Band 6 answers is failing to propose a specific type of room, instead offering only a vague request to move.

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

persistent: continuing to happen despite efforts to stop it
faulty: not working correctly or having many defects
relocate: to move to a different place or area
ventilated: provided with a flow of fresh air
academic focus: the ability to concentrate on university studies
urgent matter: a situation that requires immediate attention

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.