IELTS Writing Task One #25

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You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

You are working for a company. You need to take some time off work and want to ask your
manager about this. Write a letter to your manager.

In your letter

 explain why you want to take time off work

 give details of the amount of time you need

 suggest how your work could be covered while you are away

Write at least 150 words.

model answer:

Dear Rose

I am writing to request some unpaid leave next month.

My parents’ 50th wedding anniversary is on April 21st, and they are planning to celebrate this
significant achievement with all their children and grandchildren. To do this, they have rented
a house big enough to accommodate the whole family.

To participate in this special occasion, I would need to be away from work for four days, from
Monday 19th to Thursday 23rd. My schedule for that week is relatively light, apart from two
meetings with clients. Helen would be able to attend these in my place, as she has had
previous dealings with both companies and knows the relevant staff there. I have no other
urgent work commitments at that time.

I would be very grateful if you could allow me this time. These few days are very important to
my parents and the whole family, and it would be a way to thank them for all the support they
have given me.

Best wishes

(167 words)

IELTS Writing Task One #24

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You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

You live in an area where the local council has made some changes to regulations. You
believe these changes are not good for residents.
Write a letter to a councillor. In your letter: 

 Introduce yourself.

 Describe the problem.

 Say what you think the council should do about the situation.

You should write at least 150 words.

model answer:

Dear Sirs,

My name is Mrs Emily Chan. I have been a resident of Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver, for
several years.

I am writing to you in reference to the changed parking conditions in North Vancouver that
came into effect from the first of February last year. I believe these are an inconvenience to
residents, and should be reconsidered.

In the past, I was always able to park my car on the street outside my house without any
problems. When metered parking was introduced to my suburb, particularly near the market,
some visitors started parking their vehicles further away from the market in order to avoid
payment. My street appear to be the perfect place for those people: it is not too far from
Lonsdale Quay Market, and the parking is still free. Between March and May, I occasionally
found it hard to park, but when summer finally arrived, there were two days a week when I
was forced to park hundreds of metres away from my home. On public holidays, I resorted to
metered parking myself.

I understand the local council hopes to benefit financially from metered parking, or perhaps to
encourage people to use public transport. Nevertheless, residents like myself are
inconvenienced by this system. I suggest either residents be allowed to park free in metered
zones which are extend a greater distance or metering cover a smaller area, and ticket prices
be raised. Additional bus services would also reduce congestion.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,
Mrs Emily Chan

(255 words)

IELTS Writing Task One #23

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You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

You travelled by plane last week and your luggage was lost. You have still heard nothing
from the airline company.
Write to the airline explain what happened. Describe your luggage and tell them what was in
it. Find out what they are going to do about it. 

You should write at least 150 words.

Begin your letter as follow;

Dear sir ….,

model answer:

Dear Sir / Madam,

I was one of the passengers who took the flight from Istanbul (Turkey) to Gatwick (London) on
2nd of July. Unfortunately, my luggage did not come out after the flight. Although I have
explained this to Mr. Timpson who was in charge at the Luggage Claim Office and I have not
heard from him as of now.

My luggage is Black whose size is 55 x 40 x 20 cm. There are two stickers on one side and one
yellow heart shape sticker on the other side.

There are a few books and a copy of my thesis in that luggage which I need for the conference
on 10th of July.

I would deeply appreciate if you could give me a prompt reply at your most convenient. My
flight number and luggage claim number are written below;

Flight No: EM1R7SL

Luggage Claim no.: 01538

Your faithfully,

Mehmet Osman

(150 words)

IELTS Writing Task One #22

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You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

You are looking for a part-time job. Write a letter to an employment agency. In your letter:

 introduce yourself

 explain what sort of job you would like

 say what experience and skills you have

You should write at least 150 words.

model answer:

Dear Sir / Madam,

I am a Dutch national from Amsterdam and at present, I am studying for a Master’s degree in
Information Technology here, at the Vrije University, where I have been for the last three
months. I am looking for a part-time job and I wonder if you can help me.

Probably, I would like an office job, perhaps working as a secretary, office administrator or
typist. I can only work during the afternoons and at weekends as my university studies occupy
most of the day. I would be ready to start immediately. As you can see from Curriculum Vitae, I
have a degree in IT from the University of Amsterdam.

I am a competent typist and I am computer-literate. In addition, I speak Dutch and German

fluently and I have been learning English for the past three years. While I studied for my
degree, I worked as a part-time office manager for an import-export firm in Amsterdam. In
recent years, I have also had temporary summer job as a hotel receptionist in Brussels,
Belgium.

I am looking forward to hearing from you,

Your faithfully,

Bleecker Dijkstra

(187 words)

Test tip1:

• Think carefully about who you are writing to and

how well you know them. Look at how the letter
begins  and decide how
semi-formal/formal the letter should be.

• Think carefully about why you are writing. Consider

the three points you are asked to cover in the task
and decide what kind of functional language e.g.
making requests … suggestions, etc., you need to use.

• Do not spend more than the recommended 20

minutes on this task. Remember the second task is
much longer and needs more time and is worth
twice as many marks.

• Do not repeat the exact words given in the task. Candidates that do this
usually find it difficult to fit this language to what they want to say. For
example, if the questions says give details, you might say.
Categories: General, Task 1

IELTS Writing Task One #21

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You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

Last year you attended a presentation skill course at the Sydney College of Australia. Your
new employer has asked you to provide copies of your reports and assignments as quickly as
possible. Write to the director of the school and request these documents.

You should write at least 150 words. You do not need to write any addresses.

model answer:

Dear Mrs. Morris

I am writing to request your help. I attended a presentation skill course at your college from 12
September, 2012. My full name is Maryam Anas and my student number was GP 6731. The
course I attended was Presentations skills training course, how to create and give successful
presentations. My class instructors were James White and Anna Davis.

I am about to start work at a very new agency and they have asked me to provide information
about the presentation skill and any assignments and reports. Unfortunately, I left all copies of
these documents at my friend’s house and cannot contact her at present. Therefore, I would
be very grateful if you could send me copies of the course outline, the two written assignments
and the end of course report as soon as possible.

I would be happy to re-fund any postal charges. Thank you so much for your help in this
matter.I look forward to receiving the copy outlines,

Yours sincerely,

(166 words)

Test tip:  How to ask for Help.

I’d like to ask you for help
I would like to apply to you for help
With best wishes,…,
I look forward to your prompt response.
Yours affectionately, …
With our best wishes to you all,…
I miss you a lot
With kind regards from us both,…
Meanwhile all the best, …
Take care,…
With love and gratitude, …
I expect to hear from you soon.
Cordially yours, …
My best regards to your wife and folks,…
A big hug and kisses on both cheeks
I hope your reply won’t take long
I hope your reply will not take long
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Please feel free to contact me for more information.
Please let me know if I can help in this matter.
Can’t wait to see you again.

IELTS Writing Task One #20

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You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

You had a meal at a restaurant. You are not happy with the service. Write to the manager to
complain about it. Give details about the problems and request some compensation or
refund. 

You should write at least 150 words. You do not need to write any addresses.

model answer:

Dear Sir/Madam,

I regret to inform you that I was not at all satisfied with your service and terrible meal my
boyfriend and I were offered at your restaurant last week.

As it was my birthday, my boyfriend wanted to arrange a very special meal for us. Your
restaurant was recommended in the TripAdvisor website, so we were confident of a lovely
evening. When we arrived, your waitress gave us an extremely unfriendly reception and made
us wait without any explanation for twenty minutes. When we were finally seated, we had to
wait another twenty minutes for our order to be taken. We both ordered fish and chips – mine
was cold and my boyfriend’s was burnt. chips with mushy peas and homemade tartar sauce
the menu temptingly described, but the homemade tartar sauce came in Heinz plastic
containers and the peas were not mushy peas either, no explanation or apology was given. We
were extremely disappointed and complained at the time, but the waitress was very unhelpful
and said there was nothing he could do.

I expect a full refund for the horrible meal served to me and my boyfriend. I trust this matter
will receive your prompt attention or I will be forced to report the matter to the local council.

Yours faithfully

Maggie

(216 words)
Test tip:  COMPLAINTS AND CLAIMS

I am writing to complain about the terrible… I must complain about the horrible… I
am writing with regard /reference to /in connection with … I am writing to express
Introduction
my concern about / dissatisfaction with … We regret to inform you that we were not
at all satisfied with your service.

I would like to draw your attention to … I have received your invoice… but noticed a
number of errors there. … Unfortunately, the reality was very different. You can
imagine my disappointment when I discovered… You can imagine our feelings when
Body we realized that… I can only guess how this could happen. I have tried to contact
you by phone but could not get anyone who knew anything about this matter. We
enclose a report on the damage… I contacted your representative, but
unfortunately without any success.

The best solution would be for me to return the wrong items to you. We must insist
You claim
on proper compensation. Therefore I request my money be refunded. Therefore I
Your
look forward to hearing your comments. I expect an explanation for this poor
suggestions
quality of your service.

IELTS Writing Task One #19

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You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

You are a student at University of Sydney. Your ID card has been stolen. Write to the Local
Police Station, giving details of who you are, what happened and asking what you should do
to get a new ID card.

You should write at least 150 words. You do not need to write any addresses.

model answer:

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to report the theft of my ID card. I am currently studying chemical engineering at

University of Sydney, and I came to Australia in August 2012. My course here ends in
September next year. I lost my ID card at Milsons Point Station on 21 April. I was about to
catch the 9.30 morning train to Town Hall Station, and I was having a cup of coffee at the snack
bar in the train station while I waited. The ID card was in the side pocket of my day-pack, which
I carried on my shoulder. This must have been snatched while I was drinking the coffee,
although I did not notice it had gone until I left the snack bar at 9.20.

My ID number is … and I would be grateful if you could inform me of what I must do to obtain
another ID card I have some copies of my lost ID card; do I need to provide them? Please let
me know of the procedures and the cost of a new ID card.
Yours faithfully
Judith White

(186 words)

Test tip: Think carefully about who you are writing to and how well you know
them. Look at how the letter begins (this is given in IELTS Task 1) and decide
how semi-formal/formal the letter should be. Always read through your writing
when you have finished. Check for things such as spelling, grammar endings,
repetition, etc.

IELTS Writing Task One #18

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You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

You are organizing a trip to the Black Mountains in West Wales for a group of students from
Canterbury in Kent, UK. Write to the manager of Student Hostel Services and explain when
you want to visit the Black Mountains, how long you will stay, how many students are in
your party, and what accommodations you will require.

You should write at least 150 words.

model answer:

To Whom It May Concern,

I am arranging a trip to your area. I am writing to seek accommodation in the Black Mountains
for a group of students from Canterbury.

We expect to be in the Black Mountains between July 4 and July 17. There are sixteen people
in our group, seven men and nine women. The seven men will accept dormitory
accommodation, and the women are happy to share rooms. We hope to keep our expenses as
low as possible.

Could you please provide me with information regarding recreational services in the area? The
group will bring their own boots for bush-walking, but we are hoping to hire equipment for
other sports, like skiing. Some of our group will want to hire geological picks and other
equipment, if possible. Could you provide this? We also need to know about access to caves
and other interesting geological sites in the area.

I am looking forward to receiving information about the Student Hostel services and other
facilities.

Yours faithfully

(168 words)

IELTS Writing Task One #17

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You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

As an international student in Sweden, you have an account with a local bank. The monthly
bank transfer you receive from your parents has been delayed this month due to an error at
your parents’ bank. Write a letter to your bank. In your letter:

 introduce yourself and ask for a loan

 say why you need the money

 tell how you intend to pay back the money

You should write at least 150 words. You do not need to write any addresses.

model answer:

Dear Sir or Madam

I am an international student from Indonesia studying Biology at Umea University, I have had
my account with you for about two years already, since I arrived in Sweden and have always
kept this account in credit. I am writing to you, as I would like to request a temporary loan so
that I can meet my expenses this month.

My parents send me a regular bank transfer of 1700 Euro every month. Until now, I have
always received this monthly bank transfer without any difficulty. Unfortunately, however,
there has been an error at the bank branch in Jakarta and so my parents have not been able to
send me money this month. This will be a problem for me because I have to pay rent to my
landlord of 700 Euro per month which is due next week. I also need money to cover general
living expenses, such as transport to and from college, etc. I estimate that I will be able to keep
my living expenses down to 600 Euro this month in order to save money.

I would therefore like to request a temporary loan of 500 Euro for a maximum period of one
month until my parents’ bank transfer arrives. Your assistance would be greatly appreciated. I
look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours faithfully
Suhail Salamat

(219 words)

IELTS Writing Task One #16

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You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

Write a letter to your friend/family to describe an accident that has happened to you and ask
for help.
You should write at least 150 words.

model answer:

Hi David and Jin!

This is just a short letter to let you know that I’m in hospital – but don’t worry, it’s nothing too
serious, just a broken ankle. It happened on Sunday evening when I was dancing. I jumped up
and landed on the side of my foot.

The doctors say it is a complicated break, so I have to stay here for a week for more x-rays. It’s
a real drag, I can tell you. I’ve got lots of books and magazines, but even so, being in hospital is
dead boring!

I’m not allowed to leave my room, so I can’t go for a walk, and I don’t know what to do with
my time. Anyway, it’d be great to hear from you with any news. A funny letter would really
cheer me up. Do you think you could send me some magazines or something?

Hope to see you soon.

Lots of love,

Emily

(156 words)