Letter Writing: Letter Types

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Although letters are thought to be the easiest of the three task types (letters, descriptive reports and essays) on the writing part of IELTS, there are a few aspects of letter writing that can be tricky for candidates preparing for the general training module of the exam. Before you set out to respond to the task, it is important that you clearly identify the type of letter that is expected of you.

Transactional Letters

The 150-word-long letter that you have to write in the writing part of your general training IELTS exam are all of a transactional nature. This means that you have one or more clear communicative purposes that you want to achieve by writing, including
a, giving information
b, requesting something
c, complaining about something
d, apologizing
e, applying for a job or scholarship
f, writing to a magazine editor or some authority to draw attention to an issue.
Task
Match the letter tasks below to their types a-f above. In some cases the letter you are expected to write may be of multiple purposes. In such cases write more than one letters.

1,“Your dog has escaped from your house last week and was later found causing damage to a neighbor’s property.
Write a letter to this neighbor in which you
-give an explanation for the unexpected escape
-say how sorry you are for the different types of damage caused, and
-offer compensation for it.”
2,“You attended a professional conference last week that you had paid a lot of money for but felt very disappointed by in the end.
Write a letter to the professional authority that organized the event and
-tell them how much you had paid for the whole experience (entrance ticket, transportation, accommodation, etc)
-what was especially below your expectations in the program, and
-what recommendations you have for the organization in the future she holding similar events.”
3, “You have seen an ad in which your school is looking for host families as part of their exchange program with another school abroad and you decide to host a student.
Write a letter to your principal, and
-express your interest in participating in the program,
-say what you could offer your guest in terms of accommodation, free time and cultural activities,
-honestly mention one limitation that you feel you have in hosting the student.”
4, “You are attending a course online on which you have to submit your homework every Friday, but you already know that next Friday you will be unable to do your coursework.
Write a letter to the course provider in which
-you explain the reasons why you will be unable to post your homework as usual,
-what you could do in exchange not to drop out, and
-express your gratitude in advance for the help.”
5, “You noticed that in the neighborhood where you live the street lights have not been working properly lately.
Write a letter to your local newspaper and
-draw the editor’s attention to the problem,
-give precise I formation about the streets affected, and
-the problems the lack of proper lighting had been causing in your area.”
Thanks for reading !!

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