IELTS Formal Letter: Letter to Accommodation Officer Requesting Short-term College Housing

The task

You are going on a short training course at a college in Greenmount, Northern Ireland. You need somewhere to live while you are there.

Write a letter to the accommodation officer at the college. In your letter:

→explain your situation
→describe the accommodation you require
→say when you will need it

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

Model answer

Band 8 sample letter

Band 8159 words. Names and details are invented; write your own.

Dear Mr. Henderson,

I am writing to enquire about housing options during my upcoming visit to Greenmount College. I have been accepted onto the two-week intensive horticultural training course commencing next month, and I am currently seeking suitable lodgings for the duration of my stay.

Regarding my requirements, I would prefer a quiet, single room within the college residences or a local homestay arrangement. It is essential that I have access to a desk for study purposes and a reliable internet connection. If possible, I would appreciate being located within walking distance of the main campus to facilitate early starts for my practical sessions.

I will require this accommodation from Sunday, 12th October, until my departure on Saturday, 25th October. Please confirm if there is availability during this period and provide details regarding the associated costs and any necessary deposit I might need to pay in advance.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours sincerely,

Arthur Pendelton

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

A Band 8 response clearly addresses all three bullet points with specific, relevant details while maintaining a consistently professional tone. A common Band 6 error is failing to provide specific dates, which forces the officer to guess the duration, or using overly casual language inappropriate for a formal request.

→Write to an organisation or someone you do not know: open with Dear Sir or Madam, close with Yours faithfully.
→If you know the person's surname, use Dear Mr or Ms and close with Yours sincerely.
→No contractions, no slang; polite indirect requests such as I would be grateful if you could.

6 phrases

Useful phrases from the letter

enquire
to ask for information about something
commencing
beginning or starting at a specific time
lodgings
temporary accommodation while working or studying
homestay
living in the home of a local person
facilitate
to make a process easier or possible
associated
connected with a particular activity or process

Frequently asked questions

Is this letter formal or informal?+

Formal. Write to an organisation or someone you do not know: open with Dear Sir or Madam, close with Yours faithfully.

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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