Use the greeting, sign-off and paragraph plan below for this semi-formal letter, write it on a 20-minute timer, then compare it with a band-8 model letter.
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
You had a party at your flat last weekend and it was louder than you expected.
Write a letter to your neighbour, Mrs Green. In your letter
Write at least 150 words.
You do NOT need to write any addresses.
Begin your letter as follows:
Dear Mrs Green,
GoPrep wrote this practice question in the style of the exam. It is not an official IELTS question.
A letter to someone you know but not closely can end Kind regards or Best wishes as well as Yours sincerely, followed by your name.
Spend the first few minutes planning, then write.
0 words of 150 minimum
Your answer stays on this page only. Copy it before you leave.
Write your own answer first, then compare: how it answers the exact question, what each paragraph does, and which phrases you could borrow.
Dear Mrs Green,
I am writing to apologise for the noise coming from my flat last Saturday night. I hope it did not disturb you too much, and I am truly sorry if it did.
I had invited a few friends to celebrate my birthday, and I was expecting a quiet evening with about eight people. In the end, some others arrived unexpectedly, and the music got louder than I had intended. I did not realise how late it had become, and I only turned it down when somebody came to the door at about one in the morning.
I understand that you have to get up early for work, and I feel very bad about spoiling your night's sleep. It was thoughtless of me, and I should have warned you beforehand.
Next time I plan a party, I will let you know in advance. I will also make sure that the music is switched off by 11 pm and that guests leave the building quietly. If you like, I could also invite you to join us.
Once again, please accept my apologies.
Kind regards,
Jakub Zielinski
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| I'm writing to say how sorry I am about | open an apology politely |
| Please accept my apologies for | polite apology |
| I should have let you know earlier. | admit a mistake |
| I'd like to make it up to you by | offer to repair the situation |
| I hope you can forgive me. | ask for forgiveness |
Answer random Part 1, 2 and 3 questions on an exam timer.
Average your four skill bands, rounded the way IELTS rounds them.
Compare an IELTS band with TOEFL, Duolingo and PTE scores and CEFR levels.
Look up the IELTS score a university asks for, with the source.