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 Mr. Thompson,
My name is Ella Young, and my family and I have been renting your Maple Street apartment for the past six months. I am writing to bring to your attention some issues with the furniture on the property that require urgent attention.
The main concern is the dining table and chairs, which are quite unstable. The table legs are wobbly, and one of the chairs has already broken while in use. Additionally, the sofa in the living room is in poor condition, with torn fabric and sagging cushions, making it uncomfortable to sit on. We also noticed that one of the wardrobe doors in the master bedroom does not close properly.
Given these issues, I would appreciate it if you could either arrange for repairs or consider replacing the damaged furniture at your earliest convenience. Please let me know how you would like to proceed.
I look forward to your prompt response.
Yours sincerely,
Ella Young
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Clarify the address Original: your Maple Street apartment Suggested revision: your apartment on Maple Street Why it matters: This phrasing states the apartment's location more naturally.
- 2. Use precise wording Original: some issues Suggested revision: several problems Why it matters: 'Several problems' more directly signals the multiple faults described later.
- 3. Specify the location Original: on the property Suggested revision: in the apartment Why it matters: 'In the apartment' identifies the location of the furniture more precisely.
- 4. Make wording concise Original: while in use Suggested revision: during use Why it matters: The shorter phrase conveys the same meaning more concisely.
- 5. Use vivid wording Original: is in poor condition Suggested revision: is badly worn Why it matters: 'Badly worn' describes the torn fabric and sagging cushions more specifically.
- 6. Align the tense Original: We also noticed Suggested revision: We have also noticed Why it matters: The present perfect links the observation to the wardrobe's continuing current condition.
- 7. Make choices parallel Original: either arrange for repairs or consider replacing Suggested revision: either arrange for repairs or replace Why it matters: Parallel verb forms make the two requested alternatives more balanced and direct.
- 8. Sentence rewrite Original: The main concern is the dining table and chairs, which are quite unstable. Suggested revision: My main concern is that the dining table and chairs are quite unstable. Why it matters: The revised structure makes it clear that the instability of both items is the concern.
- 9. Sentence rewrite Original: Please let me know how you would like to proceed. Suggested revision: Please let me know when the repairs or replacements can be arranged. Why it matters: This version asks for a concrete timeframe while preserving the requested repair-or-replacement action.
Suggested Rewrites
- your Maple Street apartment your apartment on Maple Street
- some issues several problems
- on the property in the apartment
- while in use during use
- is in poor condition is badly worn
- We also noticed We have also noticed
Why this response received Band 8.0
The letter is highly effective: it establishes the tenancy, describes several furniture defects precisely, and requests an appropriate remedy in a consistently courteous tone. Its only notable limitation is that the requested next step remains slightly general, so the best refinement would be to propose a practical inspection or repair timeframe while preserving the concise, polished style.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The letter fully covers the writer's identity, the furniture problems, and the requested action with specific, relevant detail and a suitable tone.
Strengthen the action request further by suggesting a convenient inspection date or a clear timeframe for repairs.
Coherence and Cohesion
Purposeful paragraphs, clear sequencing, and well-controlled referencing make the letter easy to follow throughout.
For further refinement, connect the repair request to the preceding examples with a slightly more explicit summary transition.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is precise, natural, and well suited to a courteous complaint, with effective descriptions such as wobbly, torn, and sagging.
Maintain this precision while adding one or two practical terms related to inspection, repair, or replacement arrangements.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of sentence structures is used accurately and flexibly, with consistently clear punctuation and virtually no noticeable errors.
Preserve the strong control while varying the opening of one or two sentences to make the rhythm even more flexible.
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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.