IELTS Formal Letter: Letter to the newspaper requesting a room rental advertisement

The task

You have an extra room in your apartment and would like to rent it out to a student.

Write a letter to the newspaper to publish an advert. In your letter:

→describe your apartment and the facilities available
→what kind of tenant you would prefer
→when you want the advertisement to be published and how you would pay the fee

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

Model answer

Band 8 sample letter

Band 8194 words. Names and details are invented; write your own.

Dear Editor,

I am writing to request the publication of a classified advertisement in your upcoming weekend edition to help me find a suitable tenant for a vacant room in my apartment.

The property is a spacious, modern flat located just a ten-minute walk from the city centre. The available room is fully furnished with a double bed, a large desk, and ample wardrobe space. Tenants would have full access to a shared kitchen equipped with modern appliances, a high-speed fibre-optic internet connection, and a comfortable living area. The building also features a secure bike storage unit and a quiet rooftop terrace.

I am looking for a responsible, tidy student who values a quiet environment. As I am a final-year postgraduate, I would prefer someone who is focused on their studies and respects the communal living space.

Could you please ensure this advertisement appears in the Saturday edition for two consecutive weeks? Please inform me of the total cost for this placement, and I would be happy to settle the payment via bank transfer or credit card once I receive your confirmation.

Thank you for your assistance with this matter.

Yours faithfully,

Julian Thorne

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 four bullet points with specific, natural details and maintaining a professional, consistent tone throughout. The most common mistake at Band 6 is failing to provide a clear method of payment or omitting the requested duration for the advertisement.

→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

vacant
a room or space that is currently empty
ample
enough or more than enough of something
fibre-optic
technology that provides very fast internet connection
communal
shared by all members of a living group
consecutive
following each other continuously without any interruption
settle
to pay an amount of money that is owed

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 giving information letters

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