IELTS Writing Task 1 – Letter - Sample & Questions

For all Tasks – You should write at least 150 words. You should spend about 20
minutes on this task.

FORMAL LETTER SAMPLE

A restaurant has placed an advertisement for waiters and waitresses in your

local newspaper. Write a letter to the restaurant, applying for the job. In your
letter:

 Explain what you are currently doing

 Describe your suitability for this area of work
 Say when you can attend an interview

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing in reference to the advertisement you placed in the Vancouver

Observer for waiters and waitresses. I am 19 years old and I am a part-time
student at college. I have held several positions in catering outlets during my
studies and, as the restaurant where I am currently employed is due to close, I
am keen to find another position as soon as possible.

I have completed and passed the advanced certificate in food hygiene and am
therefore familiar with the requirements of working in the catering industry. In
my current job, in addition to working as a waiter, I am also responsible for
counting up takings at the end of the day.

I am very reliable and trustworthy, have a friendly, outgoing personality and

enjoy dealing with the public. I would be very grateful if I could be considered
for the position. My employer is happy to supply a reference and I am available
for interview at any time except Monday and Wednesday afternoons when I
attend college.

Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any questions.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,
John Lee
INFORMAL LETTER SAMPLE

A friend of yours is going on holiday soon and has asked you to recommend a
destination. Write a letter to your friend and recommend a good place for a
holiday that you have visited before. Say:

 Where you went

 Where you stayed
 What you can do there
 What the food was like

Dear Sarah,

Thanks for your letter. I‛m glad you and the family are well. So, you‛re thinking
of going on holiday in the UK, well I can certainly recommend one destination
for you. I went one year to a place called Lochinver in the north west of
Scotland. It‛s quite a long trip to get there, as it‛s only about thirty miles from
the north coast, but it‛s worth it.

There are only a few places to stay. There are two hotels, the Kirkaig and the
Assynt in the centre of town, and a campsite just outside town. We stayed at
the Kirkaig Hotel but I know you and your family are keen campers so you
might prefer the camping option.

There is a lot to do but it‛s a bit dependent on the weather. There‛s a beautiful
beach, a golf course, the fishing is excellent and there are fantastic hills nearby
for walking in amazing scenery. If it‛s wet, there‛s a small cinema in town, but
that‛s about all. Take some board games!

The food is typical British in the hotels but some of the Scottish specialities are
fantastic. If you‛re camping though, food will be up to you!

Anyway, I‛ve got to go out now and pick up the kids. Write again if you need
any more information.

Regards,

Mary
TOPIC - 1
You have seen an advertisement for a community college that needs teachers
for night classes. Write a letter to the community college. In your letter:

 Say which advertisement you are answering

 Describe which course(s) you want to teach, and what it/they would be
about
 Explain why you would be a suitable teacher

TOPIC - 2
You are studying for a qualification, and you would like some time off work to
complete it. Write a letter to your manager. In your letter:

 Ask for some time off to complete a qualification

 Suggest what you will do later at work if you have time off
 Say how the qualification helps your job or company

TOPIC - 3
You are going to another country to study. You would like to do a part-time job
while you are studying, so you want to ask a friend who lives there for some
help. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter,

 Give details of your study plans

 Explain why you want to get a part-time job
 Suggest how your friend could help you find a job

TOPIC - 4
You are studying a short course in another country. Your accommodation was
arranged by the course provider. There is a major problem with the
accommodation. Write a letter to the course provider. In your letter,

 Say what the problem is

 Describe the accommodation you thought you were getting
 Ask the provider to solve the problem

TOPIC - 5
You have seen an advertisement in an English newspaper for a job working in
the City Museum shop during the holidays. You decide to apply for the job.
Write a letter to the director of the Museum. In your letter,

 Introduce yourself
 Explain what experience and special skills you have
 Explain why you are interested in the job
TOPIC-6
You would like to buy some electrical goods at a shop in a nearby town. Write
a letter to the shop and ask

 If they have the things you want or whether they will be able to order
them
 Ask what the prices are and how long they will be able to hold the goods
for you
 Ask for shop opening & closing time & any special discount

TOPIC-7
You saw an advertisement for a tennis course in England but you have one or
two problems and can’t stay the whole course. Write a letter to the course
director. In your letter,

 explain your interest in the course

 describe your problems
 find out if a refund is possible

TOPIC-8
You will move to a new city for work. You know some people who live there.

 Ask them for help finding accommodation

 Tell them where you would like to live
 Tell them the type of place you are looking for

TOPIC -9
Your car is hired from a company and while you are driving on holiday, you
have a small accident. You will have to write a report to the company to
explain it. In your letter:

 when and where you hired it

 describe how the accident happened
 what kind of action did you take after the accident

TOPIC-10
You cannot go to a company where you got an offer. Write a letter to the HR
supervisor and say:

 Explain the reason why you decline the offer

 Express you gratitude
 Explain you like your current job very much
TOPIC-11
You ordered a new cheque book from your bank two weeks ago but you have
received nothing. Write a letter to the manager complaining about the bad
service.

 Say when and how you ordered the cheque book.

 Ask how much longer you will have to wait
 ask the manager what action he will take over this matter

TOPIC-12
You have been offered a job, asking you to start next week. You want the job
very much but, because of a previous commitment, you want to delay the start
for another two weeks. Write to the Manager, accepting the job, but
explaining your situation and asking for the change to your start date.

TOPIC-13
A friend you met last year has invited you to visit them in their country.
You have never been there before and need some information before you
leave. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter

 Request advice about a gift for his/her family

 Ask about activities and clothing
 Find out about the food

TOPIC-14
You have received a letter from your bank, asking you to acknowledge receipt
of a new bank card. However, the card was missing from the envelope.
Write a letter to the bank's head office. In your letter

 explain why you are writing

 express concern about the missing card
 ask them what they intend to do

TOPIC-15
You borrowed an important textbook from a classmate last term. You now
realise your classmate has returned home overseas and you still have the
book. Write a letter to him/her. In your letter

 Apologise for the mistake

 Find out how important the book is to him/her
 Say what you will do
TOPIC-16
You have seen an advertisement for part-time work in a hotel for three months
over the summer. Write a letter to the Manager. In your letter

 Say what experience you have

 Ask what the work involves
 Enquire about conditions

TOPIC-17
You have recently been to stay with an old friend for a few days. You hadn't
seen each other for a long time.

 say how you felt about the visit

 refer to something enjoyable that you did while staying with him/her
 invite your friend to visit you

TOPIC-18
You have recently been to stay with an old friend for a few days. You hadn't
seen each other for a long time.

 Say how you felt about the visit

 Refer to something enjoyable that you did while staying with him/her
 Invite your friend to visit you

TOPIC-19
You recently stayed in a hotel in a large city. The weather was very unusual for
the time of year and the heating/cooling system in the hotel was quite
inadequate. Write a letter to the manager of the hotel. In your letter give
details of what was wrong:

 explain what you had to do to overcome the problem at the time

 say what action you would like the manager to take

TOPIC-20
You have recently heard that a friend of yours has had some problems as a
result of some unusual weather. Write a letter to your friend.
In your letter

 Express concern (i.e. say you are sorry to hear what has happened)
 Tell them about a similar experience that you once had
 Give some advice or offer help
TOPIC-21
Last week you were on a flight to London. Unfortunately, when you left the
plane, you left a bag. You did not remember about the bag until you got to
your hotel. Write a letter to the airline.

 Explain what has happened

 Describe the bag and its contents
 Say what you would like them to do about it.

TOPIC-22
You are an international student and have borrowed a book from the local
public library. You left the book on a bus and when you contacted the bus
company, they could not find it.Write a letter to the librarian explaining the
situation and asking what you should do.

TOPIC-23
You have just returned home after living with a family in an English-speaking
country for six months. You now realise that you left a small bag of personal
possessions in your room. Write to the family describing

 The things you left behind.

 Ask them to send some are all of them to you.
 Offer to cover the costs.

TOPIC-24
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.

TOPIC-25
You are due to start a new job next week but you will not be able to because
you have some problems. Write a letter to your new employer. In your letter:

 Explain your situation

 Describe your problems
 Tell him/her when you think you can start.
TOPIC-26
You travelled by plane last week and your suitcase was lost. You have still
heard nothing from the airline company. Write to the airline and:

 explain what happened

 Describe your suitcase and tell them what was in it.
 Find out what they are going to do about it.

TOPIC-27
You borrowed some books from your school or college library. Unfortunately
you have to go away to visit a sick relative and cannot return the books in time.
Write a letter to the library.

 Explain what has happened

 Tell them what you want to do about it.

TOPIC-28
You recently bought an item of clothing from a shop. You discovered that it
had a fault and returned it to the shop for replacement or refund. However,
the assistant told you that this was against the store's policy. Write a letter to
the store manager,

 Explaining the problems you have had

 Ask for a refund or exchange on the item

TOPIC-29
A large company in your area has decided to spend a certain amount of
money, either to sponsor a local children’s sports team for two years, or to pay
for two open-air concerts. It has asked for feedback from the general public.

 Describe the benefits of sponsoring the sports team

 Summarise the benefits of paying for the concerts
 Say how you think the company should spend the money

TOPIC-30
You recently received a letter from a friend asking for advice about whether to
go to college or to try to get a job. You think he/she should get a job.
Write a letter to this friend. In your letter:

 Say why he/she would not enjoy going to college

 Explain why getting a job is a good idea for him/her
 Suggest types of job that would be suitable for him/her

TOPIC-31
You won a competition and received a vacation for two as a prize. Write a
letter to ask someone to go on holiday with you.

 Tell him/her about the competition you won

 State what kind of vacation it is
 Explain why you would like him/her to go with you on the holiday

TOPIC- 32
Your friend has a travel company and would like you to come and work with
him.

 Explain what you know about your friend's company

 Choose whether you accept or decline the offer
 Give reasons for your choice

TOPIC- 33
After being involved in an accident, you were looked after by a person you did
not know before. Write a special thank you letter to express your gratitude. In
your letter:

 introduce yourself and let him/her know why you are writing
 express your appreciation
 and offer him/ her to visit your home with his family

TOPIC -34
Your mentor recommended you to learn a new language and gave you contact
details of a teacher. Following his advice, you need to write a letter to the
teacher. In your letter say:

 What is your motivation to learn a new language?

 How can the teacher help you?
 When will you be ready to start?

TOPIC -35
Your mentor recommended you to learn a new language and gave you contact
details of a teacher. Following his advice, you need to write a letter to the
teacher. In your letter say:

 What is your motivation to learn a new language?

 How can the teacher help you?
  When will you be ready to start?

TOPIC- 36
Your best friend just had her first baby. You are currently overseas but will be
returning to your hometown in a week. Write to your friend. In your letter

 Congratulate your friend

 Tell her when you will be returning home
 Ask when you could drop in to meet her and the baby

TOPIC-37
You have received an important document that needs to be translated. Write a
letter to your friend and ask him/her to translate this important document for
you. In your letter, explain -

 why it is important for you

 how fast you need it back
 why you need his/her expertise

TOPIC-38
You have received an important document that needs to be translated. Write a
letter to your friend and ask him/her to translate this important document for
you. In your letter, explain -

 Why it is important for you

 How fast you need it back
 Why you need his/her expertise

TOPIC-39
You would like to participate in a work-related seminar in another country.
Write a letter to the person in charge of the seminar and ask for

 Detailed information regarding the dates, program, trainer

 Accommodation and cost

TOPIC-40
You cannot go to a company where you got an offer. Write a letter to the HR
supervisor to:
 Explain the reason why you decline the offer
 Express your gratitude
 Explain why you like your current job very much