You and your family are living in rented accommodation in an English-speaking country. You are not satisfied with the condition of some of the furniture. Write a letter to the landlord. In your letter: - introduce yourself - explain what is wrong with the furniture - say what action you would like the landlord to take
Sample Response
Dear Ms Saradha, Hope you are doing great. I am a new tenant in your apartment 106-C, writing in connection with the defective condition of some of the furniture in my apartment. I am hoping that you would arrange to replace them soon. In relation to the specifics of the faulty furniture, the legs of the dining table are uneven and it makes the table unusable. Besides, two chairs are missing. On top of that, the sofa set in the living room is old and substandard. It needs to be replaced immediately. While I signed the rental contract, you assured me to have these pieces of furniture replaced. Two months have already elapsed but nothing has been done. Imagine how awful it is that we can not enjoy our dinner together and cannot seat in the living room! It would be highly appreciated if you could kindly find a replacement for this furniture soon and make our living comfortable. I am looking forward to hearing from you soon. Yours sincerely, Priya Nivetha
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Correct apartment phrase Original: a new tenant in your apartment 106-C Suggested revision: the new tenant of apartment 106-C Why it matters: The revised noun phrase clearly identifies the writer’s rented unit.
- 2. Make wording concise Original: defective condition of some of the furniture Suggested revision: defective furniture Why it matters: This concise phrase conveys the same meaning more naturally.
- 3. Use consistent request form Original: I am hoping that you would arrange Suggested revision: I hope you can arrange Why it matters: The present form makes the request direct and keeps the tense consistent.
- 4. Fix pronoun agreement Original: it makes the table unusable Suggested revision: they make the table unusable Why it matters: The pronoun must agree with the plural subject legs.
- 5. Use correct time link Original: While Suggested revision: When Why it matters: When correctly refers to the point at which the contract was signed.
- 6. Fix assurance structure Original: assured me to have Suggested revision: assured me that you would have Why it matters: Assure takes a that-clause when reporting a promised future action.
- 7. Use natural expression Original: make our living comfortable Suggested revision: make our home more comfortable Why it matters: This phrase describes improved comfort in the rented accommodation more naturally.
- 8. Choose correct verb Original: seat Suggested revision: sit Why it matters: Sit describes taking a seated position, whereas seat normally requires an object.
- 9. Use concise transition Original: In relation to the specifics of the faulty furniture Suggested revision: Regarding the faulty furniture Why it matters: The shorter transition introduces the details more directly.
- 10. Use formal addition link Original: Besides, Suggested revision: In addition, Why it matters: This connector is more natural in a formal request to a landlord.
- 11. Refine formal cohesion Original: On top of that, Suggested revision: Furthermore, Why it matters: Furthermore maintains a consistently formal tone while adding another problem.
- 12. Describe condition clearly Original: old and substandard Suggested revision: old and in poor condition Why it matters: This wording describes the sofa’s physical state more directly.
Suggested Rewrites
- a new tenant in your apartment 106-C the new tenant of apartment 106-C
- defective condition of some of the furniture defective furniture
- I am hoping that you would arrange I hope you can arrange
- it makes the table unusable they make the table unusable
- While When
- assured me to have assured me that you would have
Why this response received Band 7.0
The letter fully covers the requested points, using specific furniture problems and a clear replacement request in a suitably polite, purposeful tone. Its main limitation is presentation: all ideas appear in one block, while a few phrases and grammatical choices are awkward despite generally strong control. Divide the letter into functional paragraphs and refine expressions about the promised replacements and sitting in the living room.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The writer introduces the tenancy, describes several furniture defects precisely, and makes a clear, appropriately supported request for replacement.
Maintain the professional tone by replacing the emotionally forceful invitation to imagine the situation with a measured statement of inconvenience.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas progress clearly from purpose to specific problems and requested action, but presenting the entire letter as one paragraph weakens organisation.
Separate the opening, problem details, and requested resolution into distinct functional paragraphs.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is varied and generally precise, with effective terms such as uneven, unusable, substandard, and elapsed, though a few collocations are awkward.
Refine phrases such as defective condition and make our living comfortable into more natural formal English.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A good range of structures is used with generally strong control, but errors such as assured me to have and cannot seat remain noticeable.
Review verb-complement patterns and distinguish sit from seat while proofreading otherwise accurate complex sentences.
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
You and your family are living in rented accommodation in an English-speaking country. You are not satisfied with the condition of some of the furniture. Write a letter to the landlord. In your letter:
- introduce yourself
- explain what is wrong with the furniture
- say what action you would like the landlord to take
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.