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.
A colleague who shares your office often leaves the kitchen and desk area untidy.
Write a letter to your colleague, Ms Baker. In your letter
Write at least 150 words.
You do NOT need to write any addresses.
Begin your letter as follows:
Dear Ms Baker,
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 Ms Baker,
I hope you do not mind my writing to you about something that has been bothering several of us in the office recently.
Over the last few weeks, the kitchen area and your desk have often been left untidy. Dirty cups and plates stay in the sink for days, and papers are piled so high on your desk that they have begun to spread onto the shared printer table.
I realise that you are very busy, but the situation is starting to affect the whole team. Colleagues find it difficult to prepare lunch, the smell from the bin has been unpleasant, and the mess makes a poor impression on visiting clients.
I would be very grateful if you could try to wash your things after use and to clear your desk before leaving in the evening. If it would help, we could also agree on a cleaning rota for the kitchen.
Thank you for understanding.
Kind regards,
Jessica Hart
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| I'm afraid I have to raise a concern about | polite way to introduce a complaint |
| I was rather disappointed to find that | mild, polite expression of annoyance |
| Could you please sort this out as soon as possible? | ask for a quick solution |
| I'm sure you'll agree that | invite the reader to share your view |
| Thank you for looking into it. | 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.