Recipient : The candidate has understood that the
recipient is a more senior person. She has used a
greeting (‘Dear Mr Smith’) and an ending (‘Kind Regards’) which are appropriate and realistic for
this
recipient .
Style : The English used is formal in
style , with formal words such as ‘regarding, remains,
considerable, commotion, appreciate, restrict.’ There are no contractions (eg ‘don’t, can’t’ etc) and no
informal phrases (eg ‘drives me crazy’ or ‘keeps me up all night.’)
The candidate has used some classic formal phrases to make her point, especially:
‘I am writing regarding . . .’
‘I am sure you will appreciate that . . .’
‘May I suggest that . . .’
‘Thank you for your attention to this important matter.’
The candidate has written in a calm and professional way, and has also made a positive comment
(‘Although I am pleased that we have this facility . . .’) which is a feature of formal writing in
English.
Content : This candidate has answered all the points in the task; she has complained about the noise,
explained why it’s a problem, and suggested some ways to reduce it.
The three
content ideas are separated into three paragraphs, making it clear for the examiner to see
the three ideas at work.
The candidate has invented
a few details of the situation (the motorbikes, the students trying to sleep
or study); these details are realistic, relevant and not too complicated or dramatic.
In the ‘suggesting’ paragraph, the candidate’s suggestions are realistic (meaning they could be agreed
in real life.)
The letter is over 150 words, but not excessively. Around 200 to 220 words is the ideal length for an
IELTS GT letter.
Summary of model letter 1
Although this is only our first model letter, we have identified some of the most important points
about writing a Band 9 IELTS GT formal
