You are unhappy about a plan to make your local airport bigger and increase the number of flights. You live near the airport. Write a letter to your local newspaper. In your letter: - explain where you live - describe the problem - give reasons why you do not want this development
Sample Response
Dear Sir or Madam, As a local resident, I would like to protest the development of our local airport as it would bring many negative consequences. I am writing to request you to publish an editorial in your newspaper regarding the problems the expansion of the local airport would cause. I live near the Bogra International Airport where more than two thousand citizens, including children and older people, reside. Living near the airport is already difficult as harsh noises are frequent, especially at night when the aeroplanes land or depart the runway. If the number of flights is increased, the noise will become unbearable. This could result in immense distress to the people. Besides, it would worsen the traffic condition of the adjacent roads. Moreover, the airport authority wants to expand the area; so our lovely park, which is essential for every citizen of this locality, will be diminished. Due to this, everyone in our locality is against this proposed development. If you agree with me, please publish an editorial in your newspaper to disagree with this unnecessary and detrimental development. I am looking forward to hearing from you soon. Yours faithfully, Shohag Khan
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Separate the salutation Original: Dear Sir or Madam, Suggested revision: Dear Sir or Madam, Why it matters: The body of a formal letter should begin on a new line after the salutation.
- 2. Make location relevant Original: As a local resident Suggested revision: As a resident living near the airport Why it matters: This connects the writer's location directly to the subject of the letter.
- 3. Use precise wording Original: protest the development of our local airport Suggested revision: oppose the proposed expansion of our local airport Why it matters: Oppose and expansion describe the writer's position and the plan more precisely.
- 4. Avoid vague wording Original: many negative consequences Suggested revision: several serious consequences Why it matters: This is more precise while preserving the writer's negative evaluation.
- 5. Use natural request form Original: request you to publish Suggested revision: ask you to publish Why it matters: Ask someone to do something is the more natural construction here.
- 6. Use simpler preposition Original: regarding the problems Suggested revision: about the problems Why it matters: About is direct and natural in this request to a newspaper.
- 7. Correct the collocation Original: harsh noises are frequent Suggested revision: there is frequent excessive noise Why it matters: Noise is normally uncountable here, and excessive is the natural adjective.
- 8. Use aviation collocation Original: land or depart the runway Suggested revision: land or take off Why it matters: Aircraft take off rather than depart a runway in this context.
- 9. Use active phrasing Original: If the number of flights is increased Suggested revision: If the number of flights increases Why it matters: The active form is more concise and keeps the meaning unchanged.
- 10. Refine the collocation Original: immense distress to the people Suggested revision: considerable distress for local residents Why it matters: This phrasing identifies the affected group more precisely and uses a natural preposition.
- 11. Use formal transition Original: Besides Suggested revision: In addition Why it matters: In addition is a clearer formal connector for the next consequence.
- 12. Use plural noun Original: the traffic condition Suggested revision: traffic conditions Why it matters: Traffic conditions is the standard plural expression for the state of road traffic.
Suggested Rewrites
- Dear Sir or Madam, Dear Sir or Madam,
- As a local resident As a resident living near the airport
- protest the development of our local airport oppose the proposed expansion of our local airport
- many negative consequences several serious consequences
- request you to publish ask you to publish
- regarding the problems about the problems
Why this response received Band 7.5
This is a purposeful and persuasive formal letter that identifies the writer's location, explains several likely effects of expansion and makes a clear request to the newspaper. The response uses varied language and mostly accurate complex sentences, but presenting everything as one paragraph obscures the progression, and a few expressions are imprecise. Clear functional paragraphing is the highest-priority improvement.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Detailed feedback by IELTS writing criterion after the annotated essay.
Task Achievement
The purpose is immediately clear, all required points are covered and the objections are supported with relevant consequences for residents.
Make the location detail more concrete by stating the writer's neighbourhood or approximate distance from the airport.
Coherence and Cohesion
The argument progresses logically from context to noise, traffic and loss of public space, but the single-block presentation limits clarity.
Divide the letter into paragraphs for purpose and location, current and future problems, and the requested action.
Lexical Resource
The response shows a good range of appropriately formal vocabulary, with occasional imprecise collocations such as 'harsh noises' and 'traffic condition'.
Choose more natural phrases such as 'aircraft noise', 'traffic congestion' and 'the park will be reduced in size'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Complex structures are varied and generally accurate, with only occasional awkward clause attachment and punctuation choices.
Refine clause boundaries and avoid joining an independent result clause with a semicolon followed by 'so'.