Letter to a relative asking for accommodation

The task

You are planning a short visit to a city where one of your relatives lives.

Write a letter to your relative. In your letter:

→explain when and how long you will be in town
→ask whether you can stay at their home
→offer to pay for yourself

Write at least 150 words. You do not need to write any addresses. Begin your letter: Dear ...,

Model answer

Band 8 sample letter

Band 8191 words. Names and details are invented; write your own.

Dear Uncle Arthur,

I hope you and Auntie are doing well. I am planning a trip to Edinburgh this summer and wanted to reach out to see how you are getting on.

I will be in the city from the 12th to the 16th of July. I have been wanting to explore the historic sites and enjoy the festival atmosphere for a long time, and these dates seem perfect for a short getaway.

Would it be possible for me to stay at your place during that time? It would be wonderful to catch up properly and spend some quality time together, rather than staying in a hotel. Please do not feel pressured to say yes, though; I completely understand if you have other plans or prefer your privacy.

If you are happy to host me, I would love to cover my own expenses for food and any groceries. I am also more than happy to contribute towards the utility costs during my stay so that I am not a burden on your household budget.

Let me know what you think. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Best wishes,

James

Write your own and get a band

Answer this prompt in a timed General Training writing test and get a band for task achievement, coherence, vocabulary and grammar, with the sentences to fix.

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Examiner's view

Why this scores well

This letter achieves Band 8 by addressing all bullet points with natural, cohesive language and maintaining a consistent, warm tone appropriate for a relative. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to offer payment or using overly formal, stiff phrasing that contradicts the informal nature of the relationship.

→Write to a friend or relative by first name and close with Best wishes, Love or See you soon.
→Contractions, phrasal verbs and a warm opening line are expected; a stiff formal tone loses marks here.
→Still cover every bullet in its own paragraph; friendly does not mean unstructured.

6 phrases

Useful phrases from the letter

getaway
a short holiday or a break from work
catch up
to talk to someone about recent life events
pressured
feeling forced into doing something against one's will
host
a person who receives or entertains other people
burden
a heavy load or a source of worry
household budget
the money available for running a family home

Frequently asked questions

Is this letter formal or informal?+

Informal. Write to a friend or relative by first name and close with Best wishes, Love or See you soon.

How many words should an IELTS General Training letter be?+

At least 150 words, and 160 to 200 is the comfortable range. Spend about 20 minutes on it and leave 40 for Task 2, which carries twice the marks.

What does the examiner look for?+

Keep practising

More request letters

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