General Training Writing Task 1 · semi-formal · apology

Letter to neighbors regarding recent noise complaints

Your neighbors have recently written to you to complain about the noise from your house/ flat.

Write a letter to your neighbors. In your letter:

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. Henderson,

I am writing in response to your recent note regarding the disturbance coming from my flat over the past few evenings.

I sincerely apologise for the disruption caused to your peace and quiet. I have been hosting my nephew, who is visiting from overseas, and we have been catching up late into the night. It was certainly not my intention to cause any inconvenience, and I feel terrible that my hospitality has negatively impacted your rest.

To ensure this does not happen again, I have spoken with my nephew and explained the importance of respecting our shared walls. We have agreed to move all social activities to the living area, which is furthest from your bedroom, and we will strictly observe a noise curfew from 10:00 pm onwards for the remainder of his stay.

Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I value our relationship as neighbours and hope that these adjustments will resolve the matter immediately.

Best wishes,

Arthur Miller

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

Why this scores well

This response earns a Band 8 by fully addressing all bullet points with a natural, polite tone and clear, logical progression. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to provide a specific, actionable plan to resolve the issue, instead offering only a vague apology.

Useful phrases from the letter

disturbance
an event that interrupts someone's peace or rest
disruption
a situation that prevents something from continuing normally
inconvenience
trouble or difficulty caused to someone
hospitality
the friendly and generous reception of guests
curfew
a set time after which activities must stop
adjustments
small changes made to improve a situation

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.

What does the examiner look for?

This response earns a Band 8 by fully addressing all bullet points with a natural, polite tone and clear, logical progression. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to provide a specific, actionable plan to resolve the issue, instead offering only a vague apology.

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