Tuesday, 25 February 2025

IELTS GT Semi-Formal Letter

 

Semi-Formal Letter

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

You have been living in an apartment for the last three years. A few problems have emerged in your apartment since the last repair.

Write a letter to your landlord.

In your letter,

·         give details of the last repair work

·         what the problems are now

·         how you would like the landlord to solve these problems

Write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear ......................,


 

Model Answer:

Dear Mr Daniel,

I am writing this letter to remind you about some emergency repair works that need to be carried out at the flat I am living in.

The last time you did the repair work in the kitchen, one of the bathrooms and two windows was almost two years ago. The repair work was done very professionally, and except for the kitchen, other works still look new.

However, this time, other problems have emerged, and I have detected a few leaks in the kitchen which need to be fixed immediately. The paint has started to come off, and I am not sure when was the last time the flat was painted. Besides, there is water logging in the drain pipes and it is causing great inconvenience for me.

I would greatly appreciate it if you could arrange for these repairs and paint works as soon as possible by hiring a professional service as you did before. Please contact me on my mobile phone to make arrangements for the work to start.

Thank you in advance for your support.

Yours sincerely,

Maria Garcia

Sample 2

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

You live in rented accommodation which was recently damaged due to the bad weather.

Write a letter to the landlord. In your letter:

      - explain what caused the damage
      - why you need him/her to fix the problem right away
      - what needs to be done to fix it

You should write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear ..............,


 

Sample Answer 1:

Dear Mr Albert,

I am Rebecca Paula, a tenant at your Park View Residence, writing to let you know that last night's storm broke a couple of windows at my apartment and those need to be fixed immediately.

I reside in flat 4B2 on the eighth floor with my family for the last one and a half years. The relentless storm and a heavy downpour last night damaged many dwellings in our area and it is unfortunate that a couple of windows in my apartment have been shattered. The electricity line is disrupting since then and the continuous chill wind is freely flowing in my apartment. This has become unbearable, especially for my mother-in-law and six years old daughter.

I want you to send someone to inspect how bad the broken windows are and how challenging it is to stay inside the flat. Please replace the windows as quickly as possible. You can contact a local vendor who provides such repair work. I will assist you in whichever way possible.

 Yours sincerely,

Rebecca Paula



Model Answer 2:

Dear Mr Noah,



I hope this letter finds you in good health and spirit. I am a tenant at your Yorkshire Apartment Residence, and writing this letter with regard to extensive damages that were caused to my apartment last night because of a bad storm.

This bad storm, accompanied by a heavy downpour of rain continued for a significant period of time and was strong enough to smash the glass windows on the south side of my apartment. As a result, the cold wind has been entering my apartment continuously without any protection. Besides, the broken tree branches from the large tree, next to my apartment, have fallen on the electricity line of my apartment, and it has been continuously disrupting the electricity connection to my house since last night. As you know that such electricity disturbances can damage some of the electrical appliances, which I use at my apartment, anytime.

Therefore, I would like to request you to send some maintenance or repair person to replace the smashed windows as soon as possible before my family freezes in cold. Please also contact the local electricity authority to move the broken trees off the electricity connection line to my apartment.

In case you need my assistance in any way, please just give me a call.


Yours sincerely,

Phil Lawrence

Sample 3

ou should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

Your new neighbours have recently invited you to a party they are holding next Saturday. However, you have other plans on Saturday evening and cannot attend the party.

Write a letter to your neighbours. In your letter:

·         thank them for the invitation

·         mention what plans you already have

·         suggest when you can meet them

Write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Mr and Mrs ...............,


 

Sample Answer 1:

Dear Mr and Mrs Arthur,

I would like to thank you for inviting us to the party you are holding at your home next Saturday. We are honoured to be invited. However, a prescheduled plan deters us from attending this much-welcomed party, and I am hoping that we can meet some other day.

We will have to be at the local airport to receive our uncle and his family on that very Saturday evening. They are travelling from Italy to meet us, and they are expected to land at the airport at 7.30 pm. We have assured them that we will be at the airport, and I am afraid we cannot change the schedule. They will be visiting Canada for the first time and expecting us to escort them to our house.

I wish we could have been at your home to enjoy the party and get to know some of your relatives. Hopefully, we will do that some other time. We can meet you on a weekend and have some quality time together. Please let me know when you can do that.

Wishing you a grand party and quality time with your guests.


Sincerely yours,

Martin Cammy


 

Model Answer 2:

Dear Mr and Mrs Nicholas,

I hope both of you are in good health and spirit, and I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to our neighbourhood. I am also so glad and thankful to you because you have taken the trouble to extend me an invitation to join your party which you are planning to hold on next Saturday evening.

However, as much as I like the idea of attending your party, it looks like I will not be able to do so because I have some other plans for that evening. In fact, I will have to take my grandfather to the doctor that evening. Later on that evening, after visiting my grandfather’s doctor, I would also need to go and see off my nephew at the airport. So, this Saturday evening is going to be very busy for me, and I am sorry that I cannot make it to your party on the same evening.

I would, however, be more than happy to meet you and greet you in person the next day at around 6:00 pm if you are free at that time. All you need to do is just let me know whether you can meet me then. Also, I can come over to your place or you can come to my house if you like.


Yours sincerely,

George Tobias

Sample 4

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

You are applying for a job and need a letter of reference from someone who knew you when you were at school.

Write a letter to one of your old teachers asking for a reference. In your letter:

·          say what job you have applied for

·          explain why you want this job

·          suggest what information the teacher should include

Write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear ..................,



Sample Answer 1:

Dear Mr George,


Hope you and your family are doing well. I am Mark Thomas, one of your past students, writing for your reference for a job I am going to apply to. I am hoping that you would write me a recommendation letter that my prospective employer is

expecting.  

I am delighted to inform you that I am applying for a position at Morgan's Incorporation. This is a dream job for me and working for a reputable company like Morgan's Incorporation will enable me to gain valuable experiences and give wings to my career.


One of the requirements for applying to this job is a reference letter from a known person from my school whose words count. Being an international student, I don't know many people here who are worthy of such a recommendation. I will highly appreciate it if you provide me with a reference letter which requires some basic information about me and my studies and how can I be a suitable candidate for the junior executive position in an international company. The company needs this letter before the end of July.


I would like to request you to provide me with the letter as early as possible. I will be indebted to you for the favour.



Yours sincerely,


Mark Thomas





 

Model Answer 2:

Dear Mr Peterson,

Hope this letter finds you in good health and spirit. I am one of your students at the high school where you were teaching chemistry about 12 years ago. I know that it has been a while since I was in touch with you, but now I could really use your help in getting a job which I have always wanted. So, I am writing this letter to ask for a letter of reference from you.

 

I need that letter of reference because I am applying for the position of Manager at a very famous and international group of hotels. By the way, I want this job so badly because it would allow me to travel all over the world and build a solid career in the hotel industry, which I have always wanted to do since my childhood.

So, kindly write a letter of reference for me that would include information like how long you have known me, what kind of student I really was, and whether or not I was involved in any anti-social activities. Please also don’t forget to mention that I was a team leader of the debate team of my high school for a long time.

Thank you in advance.

Yours sincerely,

Jerry Henderson

 

Sample 5

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

Your neighbours have a dog that is noisy at night. You can’t sleep due to this.

Write a letter to your neighbours. In your letter:

·         describe the problem with the dog

·         explain why it is important for you to sleep

·         outline what your neighbours could do about the situation

You should write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write your own addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Mr and Mrs ................., 



Model Answer 1:

Dear Mr and Mrs Donald,

I am Beth Scarlet, your next-door neighbour, writing to express my concern about the noise your dog makes at night. I intended to write to you a few days ago but waited patiently with the hope that the dog would stop barking loudly at night and will save me from writing a letter that sounds like a complaint letter. I am hoping that you would resolve the issue.

For more than a week your dog has been yelping aloud at night and I have no idea why! Just when I send my daughter to her bed, who is a school-goer and try to close my eyes, I can hear the deafening noise and this deters me from falling asleep. I have to get up before 6.00 am to prepare breakfast for my family, then take my daughter to her school and finally drive to my office. Interrupted sleep or lack of sound sleep leaves me dizzy the next day and this hurts my performance in my office.

You are great neighbours in every aspect and I am sure you will feel my stress regarding this. I do not own a pet and cannot advise you what should be done but I guess taking the dog to a specialist might be a good idea.


Yours sincerely,

Beth Scarlet


 

Sample Answer 2:

Dear Mr and Mrs Hagel,

Hope this letter finds you in good health and spirit. I am sorry that it has come to this, but I had no other choice but to write this letter to you. In fact, we have a situation with your dog here which keeps barking at night just when I try hard to go to sleep after a long and tiring day at work. Now, please don’t get me wrong as I really have nothing against dogs. In fact, I like spending time with a good and friendly dog. But, as for your dog, I am having a hard time dealing with the noise made by it.

By the way, it is really important for me to have a good sleep because if I don’t, it becomes difficult for me to perform well at the hospital where I have to treat elderly people.

So, I think, I have got my point across. So, I would like to request you to spend some more time with the dog and train him better, or alternatively, take him to a pet hospital to do something about his abrupt barking at night. But, if that doesn’t work, please try to take it to another room so that I can take some sleep at night.

Yours sincerely,

Freddie John

 

Sample 6

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

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

Write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear ................,



Sample Answer 1:

Dear Ms Linda,

I am a tenant in one of your properties in William Street, Norwood. I am writing this letter to bring your attention to some of the substandard furniture that you have provided as part of our rental agreement. I am hoping that you would either fix them or replace them with new ones.

In relation to the specifics, I live in apartment 17B with my family for the last 4 months. We were excited when we moved into this apartment but disappointed when we found that a couple of furniture and appliances were old and torn down. The sofa set in the living room has the worst condition. The colour of the cushion has faded out and they are not usable. The coffee table has a broken leg. Besides, the refrigerator in the kitchen does not maintain the desired temperature accurately and the grocery cupboard door locks are missing. Overall, some of the furniture and stuff you have provided are in faulty conditions.

I request you to look into this matter urgently. I recommend you kindly arrange for the repair and maintenance of the living room furniture and replace the fridge. New keys for the cupboard can be prepared by a locksmith. I expect your action on this as soon as possible, as these problems are affecting our living and well-being.

Yours Sincerely,

Ramesh Roy



Model Answer 2:

Dear Mr Jones,

I am Elissa Gomez, a tenant at your apartment on Lakeshire avenue, writing to inform you about the poor condition of a few pieces of furniture that require immediate fixing.

I, along with my husband and two young children, moved to your flat 3B last June, and I signed the rental agreement a week later. I have been living in this apartment for the last four months, and I like living here with my family. However, the dining table and the sofa set require immediate fixing as they are now a matter of concern for our peaceful living in this furnished apartment that we otherwise love so much.

The problem with the dining table is that it has uneven legs and two broken chairs. Besides, the sofa set is also very old and the cover needs to be replaced immediately. When I first pointed those issues to you before moving into the apartment, you agreed to fix them by purchasing two new chairs and new covers for the sofa set while also calling a carpenter to work on these two pieces of furniture. However, nothing has been done so far! I would really appreciate it if you resolve it as early as possible.

Perhaps you can repair the uneven table and replace the sofa cover first and then fix the other issues a few days later. I believe this would solve the matter without costing you much while also allowing me to live placidly in your apartment. 

I wish to hear a positive reply from you soon. 

Yours sincerely, 

Elissa Gomez


 

Sample Answer 3:

Dear Ms Saradha,

Hope you are doing great. I am a new tenant in your apartment 106-C, writing in connection with the defective condition of some of the furniture in my apartment. I am hoping that you would arrange to replace them soon.

In relation to the specifics of the faulty furniture, the legs of the dining table are uneven and it makes the table unusable. Besides, two chairs are missing. On top of that, the sofa set in the living room is old and substandard. It needs to be replaced immediately.

While I signed the rental contract, you assured me to have these pieces of furniture replaced. Two months have already elapsed but nothing has been done. Imagine how awful it is that we cannot enjoy our dinner together and cannot seat in the living room!

It would be highly appreciated if you could kindly find a replacement for this furniture soon and make our living comfortable.

I am looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours sincerely,

Priya Nivetha

 

Sample 7

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

You are employed full-time and also doing a part-time evening course. You are not able to continue the course.

Write a letter to the course lecturer. In the letter

·         explain why you cannot continue the course

·         describe the situation

·         say what you will be doing about it

Write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write your own addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear ………..…….,


 

Model Answer 1:

Dear Mr Phillip,

I am a pupil of your evening Spanish language course in which I got enrolled last week. However, I will not be able to continue the course due to a sudden foreign official tour. I am hoping that you would allow me to intake it from next semester.

I am working in the risk management division of Prime Bank Limited. This bank has a subsidiary company in Hong Kong where an incident has been reported by the governing authority. For that, I will have to travel to Hong Kong next week with a team to analyze the whole situation, scrutinize the allegations against the company and take appropriate measures. The whole process might take more than two months, and I cannot continue my evening language course right now.

Under the circumstances, I would like to request you to transfer me to the next semester and allow me to take the course without any further registration.

Your cooperation in this regard will be highly appreciated.

Yours sincerely,

Safayet Ullah


 

Model Answer 2:

Dear Dr. Jones,

I am one of your students from the evening course you conduct on treating emergencies in the BMM Medical University. I am writing to inform you that I can no longer attend your evening lectures due to the recent work pressure from my job, but I am willing to complete the course.

I am working as a full-time nurse at Thompson Hospital. My shift usually ends at 5.00 pm. However, due to an increasing number of patients in our hospital in the last couple of weeks, I find it impossible to leave the hospital before 6.00 pm and thus have missed many of your lectures. This disappoints me a lot since I understand how important it is for me to complete this course.

As a solution and since I really want to finish this course, I would be grateful if you could consider letting me study for the course from home. My job is closely related to treating the patient with accidents, and I feel I can learn every point of the course in practice. In addition, I have read almost every book you recommended as the supplementary reading for your lectures and can follow your lecture sheets at home.

I hope to get your approval on this. I am looking forward to receiving your response soon.

Sincerely yours,

Nadia Afsana


 

Model Answer 3:

Dear Mr Richard,

I registered for the Social Marketing evening course at the Cambridge Institute of Technology last July. This is a useful course for my professional growth but sadly it contradicts my office schedule and I find no other way than to discontinue it. I am hoping that you would allow me to continue it online instead.

The course started on January 2nd, 2021 and the class is scheduled for every other day from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm which is intended for employees like me. I joined the lectures for the first two weeks without any problem. However, I have recently been assigned to some new tasks in my office and I cannot leave my desk before 7:30 pm. Hence, I cannot continue this course as the timing contradicts my office hours.

As a solution and since I really want to complete this course, I would request you to let me continue it online. I have already talked to Mr Leonardo, the admin manager, and he recommended me the online course. If you permit me to continue it online, I will be able to watch the recorded lectures and attend the final exam at the end of this course.

Thanks in advance for your cooperation. I am looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours sincerely,

Siamak Mirzaei

 

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