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 are going away for a week and need someone to look after your cat.
Write a letter to your neighbour, Mrs Singh. In your letter
Write at least 150 words.
You do NOT need to write any addresses.
Begin your letter as follows:
Dear Mrs Singh,
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 Singh,
I hope you are well. I wonder if I could ask you a favour.
I am going away on a business trip to Dubai, and I will be gone for a week, from Sunday 15 June until Sunday 22 June. My sister cannot help because she is allergic to cats, so I was hoping you might look after Misha, my cat, whom you have met several times.
She is very easy to look after. She needs feeding twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening, with the dry food and the tins that I will leave in the kitchen. Her water should be refilled daily and her litter tray cleaned every other day. I would give you a spare key and the vet's details in case of an emergency.
To thank you, I would be glad to buy you a nice dinner when I get back, and I will bring you a present from Dubai.
I would be very grateful for your help.
Kind regards,
Tariq Mahmood
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| I was wondering if you could | polite, slightly indirect request |
| I'd be very grateful if | polite way to ask a favour |
| It would be a great help if | say what would help you |
| Please let me know if that's a problem. | ask the reader to object if needed |
| Many thanks in advance. | thank someone before they act |
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.