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.
Your college offers a place on a student exchange programme with a university abroad.
Write a letter to Dr Lindqvist, the exchange coordinator. In your letter
Write at least 150 words.
You do NOT need to write any addresses.
Begin your letter as follows:
Dear Dr Lindqvist,
GoPrep wrote this practice question in the style of the exam. It is not an official IELTS question.
A letter to a named person ends Yours sincerely, followed by your full 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 Dr Lindqvist,
I am writing to apply for a place on the exchange programme with the University of Helsinki, which was announced at the beginning of this month.
I would like to take part because I have never lived abroad, and I believe that studying in Finland would be a unique opportunity for personal as well as academic growth. I am particularly attracted by the strong reputation of the Department of Education there, and I would be glad to see how a different school system works.
I hope to learn a great deal about modern teaching methods, especially the use of technology in the classroom. I also hope to develop independence and to make friends from many countries.
As for my language skills, my first language is Russian, and I have studied English for ten years, reaching an upper-intermediate level; I achieved 7.0 in the IELTS test last year.
Thank you for considering my application.
Yours sincerely,
Viktor Lebedev
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| I'm writing to ask about the possibility of | polite opening for a request to join something |
| I'd be keen to take part in | show enthusiasm |
| I have some experience of | mention background briefly |
| I'd be happy to provide references. | offer proof of your suitability |
| I look forward to hearing from you. | standard polite closing |
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.