Your next-door neighbour likes to listen to music late at night. Because of the loud music, you often lose sleep. Write a letter to the building manager. In your letter: - describe the situation - explain the problems it is causing you - offer at least one solution
Sample Response
Dear Mr. Rockwell, I have been living in this apartment building for six years now, and I have always been a responsible tenant. I am especially careful to be respectful of my neighbours in this building. I would like to bring your attention to a problem I am having with one of my neighbours. Last month, Mrs. Somers moved into apartment 2A, right next door to me. She enjoys listening to music late at night, often after midnight. The music is very loud and I can easily hear it in my bedroom. It makes it very difficult for me to fall asleep. I have to get up at 6:00 A.M. in order to get to work on time, so this is a serious problem for me. Since Mrs. Somers is new to the building, perhaps she isn't aware of the building rules about noise at night. I wonder if you would speak to her and remind her of this. Also, maybe you could post a notice in the lobby about the noise rule for all the tenants to see. Thank you for your help. Sincerely, Calvin Harris
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Correct the expression Original: bring your attention to Suggested revision: bring to your attention Why it matters: The fixed expression places the issue between ‘bring’ and ‘to your attention’.
- 2. Separate independent clauses Original: very loud and I Suggested revision: very loud, and I Why it matters: A comma is needed before ‘and’ because it joins two independent clauses.
- 3. Clarify the reference Original: It makes it very difficult Suggested revision: The noise makes it very difficult Why it matters: Naming the noise directly makes the cause of the sleep problem clearer.
- 4. Use concise wording Original: in order to get to work Suggested revision: to get to work Why it matters: The shorter infinitive expresses the same purpose more directly.
- 5. Specify the reminder Original: remind her of this Suggested revision: remind her of the nighttime noise rules Why it matters: A specific noun phrase makes the requested action clearer to the manager.
- 6. Strengthen the transition Original: Also, maybe you could Suggested revision: You could also Why it matters: This order links the second solution more smoothly and keeps the request polite.
- 7. Keep terminology consistent Original: the noise rule Suggested revision: the nighttime noise rules Why it matters: Using the same specific wording avoids switching from plural rules to a vague singular rule.
- 8. Organise the letter Suggested revision: Use separate short paragraphs for the situation, its effect on your sleep, and the requested solutions. Why it matters: Grouping the three communicative functions would make the manager’s letter easier to follow.
Suggested Rewrites
- bring your attention to bring to your attention
- very loud and I very loud, and I
- It makes it very difficult The noise makes it very difficult
- in order to get to work to get to work
- remind her of this remind her of the nighttime noise rules
- Also, maybe you could You could also
Why this response received Band 8.0
The letter fully addresses the complaint with a clear account of the late-night noise, its effect on sleep and work, and two practical requests to the manager. Its strongest feature is the consistently appropriate, courteous register, while the presentation as one continuous block slightly weakens readability. The highest-priority improvement is to separate the situation, consequences, and requested action into distinct paragraphs so the progression is even easier to follow.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The purpose is immediately clear, all three bullet points are fully covered, and the requests are relevant and appropriately courteous.
Strengthen the request further by stating the desired outcome, such as quiet after a specific evening hour.
Coherence and Cohesion
Information progresses logically from background and complaint to consequences and proposed solutions, with cohesive links used naturally.
Divide the letter into clear paragraphs for the situation, its impact, and the requested action.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is precise and well suited to a formal complaint, with natural phrases such as responsible tenant and bring your attention to a problem.
Add slightly more specific language about the applicable noise rule or quiet hours to sharpen the request.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A varied range of simple and complex sentences is handled accurately, and errors do not disrupt communication.
Refine the occasional repetitive sentence opening to make the grammatical flow even more varied.
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
Your next-door neighbour likes to listen to music late at night. Because of the loud music, you often lose sleep. Write a letter to the building manager. In your letter:
- describe the situation
- explain the problems it is causing you
- offer at least one solution
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.