In the previous post on our blog, you had learnt how to write apology letters in different situations. This post will furnish you with the next common topic in IELTS General Writing Task 1: Request.
REQUESTÂ
Topic 1:
You stayed at your friends? house when you participated in a business seminar in Australia. You left a file with important documents in your room.
Task: Write a letter to your friend, describing the file and ask him/her to return it to you by post.
Sample Answer:
My dearest Philip,
I am sorry I am writing only now. Firstly, I would like to thank you for all the attention and support you gave me while I was in Sydney. Things like that are priceless and all I can give you is my gratitude. I expect you and Ingrid to come to Rio soon, so that I try to somehow propiciate equaly joyful moments as those you propiciated to me. I am writing also, because of the fact that I forgot a very important document in the room I used in your house.
This document is a signed contract and was the most important reason of my trip to Australia, after the business seminar I attended. You certaintly can wonder how desperate I have been in the last days looking for this document midst my luggage. I could not find it anywhere and am sure I left it in your house.
Please let me know if you find it, and post it for express delivery as soon as possible. I will pay for the expense; just let me know what is your bank, account and branch numbers.
With best whishes,
Leonardo
Topic 2:Â
You have just spent a weekend at a friend’s house. When you returned home, you discovered you have left a coat containing some belongings in his house.
Write a letter to your friend telling him that you left the coat. Tell him what the coat looks like, where you think you left it and what was inside it. Make some suggestions about how to get it back.
Model Answer:
Dear John,
I‛m back at home now after that great weekend at your house. Thanks very much for putting me up. I hope you‛ll be able to come and stay with me some time soon as well.
Unfortunately I left my new coat at your house. Do you remember the dark brown one that I wore when we went walking on Saturday afternoon? It is a New Look coat that goes down to mid-thigh level. It has a black collar, dark brown buttons and large pockets on both sides. I think I left it on the hooks behind your front door. Do you remember we hung up our coats there when we got back from our walk?
It‛s quite important for me as I have my wallet in the inside breast pocket and my diary in the right outside pocket. I have a friend who is driving through your town on Thursday and he will be quite near your office. Could he please collect it from there? I have given him your office phone number and he will call you on Thursday morning. Give me a call if this is not possible.
Anyway, thanks again for a great weekend and I hope to see you soon.
Regards,
Phillip
Topic 3:
You have just spent a weekend staying at the Lilo Hotel in Adelaide. When you get home you find that you have left a bag at the hotel.
Model Answer:
Dear Mr. Simpson,
I stayed in your hotel on the 23rd and 24th of October. I was in Room 603. When I arrived home, I discovered that I had left one of my bags at the hotel. Could you please check your Lost and Found Department and see if my bag is there?
The bag is a small black leather, document case with a narrow strap. Inside the bag, you will find several business cards, a fountain pen, a small address book, three copies of a business proposal and a silver pocket calculator. These things are not very valuable in money terms, but they have a lot of personal value.
I would appreciate it if you could contact me as soon as possible, particularly since I need the proposals for a presentation this week. If you could send the bag to me by courier service, I would be most grateful. I have arranged to pay for the service.
Thank you for your help.
Yours sincerely,
Michael Johnson
Topic 4:
Your find that your study load is too heavy. Write a letter to your college teacher explaining why you need to withdraw from two courses. Ask if it is possible to obtain a refund.
Dear Prof. James,
I am writing to formally request to withdraw from two courses: Introduction to Elementary Education (EDU602) and Teaching Methods (EDU 619)
The main reason for reducing my course load is that I am finding it extremely difficult to manage six courses. In the beginning of the term, I was perhaps overly optimistic about juggling both my full time studies and my part time job (20 hours/week). Because I really must work part time, I have no other choice but to decrease my course load. I am planning on taking the two courses during the summer semester, if they are available, so that I will be able to complete all the courses for the degree program by the following year.
I would also like to request a tuition refund, and hope I am not too late to receive the full reimbursement. I am sorry for any inconveniences I have caused by this change in plans. This decision was not taken lightly, and I do appreciate the kind consideration you have shown to me.
Thank you for your attention to these requests. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at 277-9144. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely yours,
Jane Carter
Topic 5:Â
You live in a room in a college where you share with another student. You find it very difficult to work there because your roommate always has friends visiting. He/She has parties in the room and sometimes borrows your things without asking you.
Write a letter to the Accommodation Officer at the college and ask for a new room next term. You would prefer a single room.
Explain your reasons.
Model Answer 1:
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to inform you that I wish to move into a new room next term. I would prefer a single room, as I find the present sharing arrangement inconvenient.
I must explain that the reason for my dissatisfaction is my roommate’s inconsiderate behavior. For one thing, his friends are constantly visiting him, for another, he regularly holds noisy parties. In addition, he sometimes borrows my things without asking me. In these circumstances, I find it difficult to concentrate on my studies, and I am falling behind in my assignments.
I am sure you will agree that the only solution is for me to move into a room of my own, where I will be free from such distractions. Therefore, I would be grateful if you could find a single room for me, preferably not in the same building but as near to the college campus as possible.
Yours sincerely,
Janice Kennedy
Model Answer 2 (Band 7.0)
Dear Sir, Dear Lacking
I am writing you to express my dissatisfaction with my room-mate and request for another accommodation next term.
My main problem is that I cannot study in my room because my room-mate always has friends visiting. He also has parties, which usually ends early in the morning, several times a week. Furthermore he often borrows my things without asking me.
I cannot accept this situation any layer. Especially because I have very important exams next term and I really must study hard. This is why I would be very grateful if I could have another room next term. It would be most convenient for me not having to share my room with somebody else.
I am looking forward to hear from you soon.
Yours faithfully,
Jhons
EXAMINER COMMENT: (Band 7)
The answer is also short. Although ideas are often provided in the task rubric, candidates are at liberty to include some of their own ideas in their answers. In this case, the candidate has attempted to incorporate some original material. The answer reads quite fluently, is well organised and there is good use of conjunctions to link points. There are some grammatical errors but these do not affect the reader greatly and there is evidence of some more complex sentence structures.
Topic 5:
For the past year you have been a member of a local club. Now you want to discontinue your membership.
Write a letter to the club secretary.
In your letter
- state what type of membership you have and how you have paid for this
- give details of how you have benefited from the club
- explain why you want to leave
Model Answer:
Dear Sir,
In September 2003, I joined your Sports and Social club as a full-time student member. Since then I have paid the monthly membership fees by direct debit from my bank: Nationwide in Sanderson Avenue, Kinghill.
I have thoroughly enjoyed my club membership as it has provided me with useful opportunities to meet up with other young people and to participate in a number of social activities. I have also been fortunate enough to play in some of the inter-club tennis tournaments and have taken advantage of the various classes available such as Yoga and T’ai chi.
However, my studies are now coming to an end and as I will shortly be returning to my home country, possibly for good, I regret that I no longer wish to continue my membership.
I would be grateful, therefore, if you could confirm in writing that the monthly fee will no longer be deducted from my bank account.
Topic 6:
You are going to study in a college in the UK next year. You would like to stay in a college Hall of Residence.
Write a letter to the college giving your accommodation requirements. You should outline what your room and food needs are and also ask what alternatives are available if they cannot provide what you want.
Respected Sir,
I have just recently been awarded a place at your esteemed college and I now write with respect to my accommodation requirements for my first initial year.
As I will not know anyone at the College, I would like to spend my first year in a Hall of Residence so that I can meet people in this place. I would prefer the Hall to be a single sex female only hall and with full board so that I won’t have to worry about cooking for myself. In addition I also require a vegetarian choice as I am vegetarian. If there are no halls offering the above then I would be satisfied in a hall with kitchens so I can cook. In addition I would not like to share my room and I would prefer en suite facilities if you have halls offering this.
Thanking you for your assistance in advance, I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Yours sincerely,
Anna da Silva
Topic 6:Â
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 and say what you would like them to do about it.
Model Answer:
Dear Sir,
I am writing in connection with a bag that I left on one of your planes. Last week on Tuesday 4th May I came to London on flight ABC from New York. My seat number was R5. The plane arrived late at night and I was tired. As a result when I got home, I remembered that I had left my bag on the plane under the seat in front of me.
My bag is small and made of black leather with a zip opening the top. Inside the bag there is a pen, a paperback I was reading, some car keys and my diary.
Therefore would your lost property department please check and see if they have my bag and contact me as soon as possible to let me know whether they have found it or not?
You can contact me on my mobile telephone number which is: 01753 853 736.
Thanking you in advance for your help, I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Yours sincerely,
John Smith
Topic 7:Â
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 ar all of them to you. Offer to cover the costs.
Model Answer:
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Hooper,
I hope you are all well. The flight home seemed very long but my family all came to meet me at the airpoint, which was fantastic. Thank you so much for having me – I enjoy my time with you very much.
I have a favour to ask. When I got home, I realised that I had left a small black handbag in my bedroom. You may recall that I bought myself a new bag while I was in Sydney and I’m pretty sure I put the old one under the bed.
I don’t really need the bag but some of the things inside are of sentimental value and I would be very grateful if you could send them to me. There is a red address book, a small leather wallet with some photos and a silver necklace. None of the other things are important so please don’t worry about them. Could you please let me know how much the postage is and I will send you the money to cover the cost.
Looking forward to hearing from you soon. Thank you once again for your help.
Love to all the family.
Maria