This is an IELTS writing task 1 sample answer essay from the general training exam on the topic of writing a letter to a friend about an apartment.
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Dave
IELTS Essay: Letter to a Friend about your Apartment
Your friend is going to stay in your apartment while you are away. Write a letter to your friend and include:
Where the key is
Instructions to look after the apartment
What should he/ she do on the day of your return
Hey Billy,
I’m writing to give you all the details about my (yours for a week!) apartment. Thanks for agreeing to this mutually beneficial arrangement.
So, you can find the key taped up above the doorframe. Not the safest system, I know, but the best I could think up. If it’s not there for any reason, give me a call and I can ask a neighbor to hand you the spare key. Hope the police won’t need a ring as well in that case…
Also, I didn’t want to mention this before but you’ve got quite a few chores to take care of. First of all, I left the place an absolute mess. I had a big party the other night (sorry, forgot to invite you…) and I just left all the beer bottles, pizza boxes, etc. lying around because I know how much you enjoy cleaning up after me. There are also a few pets somewhere in the apartment so make sure you feed and walk them regularly. If you can’t locate them, don’t worry about it.
Finally, sorry to burden you with this but on the day I return I’ll need you to do a couple of things. Make sure everything is cleaner than how I left it and you can tape the key back up above the doorframe (might be tough for you, being so short…) or give it to one of my neighbors. Not on good terms with the apartment to the left but on the right, it’s a new neighbor, so they should be friendly enough.
Enjoy your stay and big thanks!
Dave
Analysis
1. Hey Billy,
2. I’m writing to give you all the details about my (yours for a week!) apartment. 3. Thanks for agreeing to this mutually beneficial arrangement.
- Address the letter to someone.
- Include your purpose for writing.
- Add in some more detail if you want.
1. So, you can find the key taped up above the doorframe. 2. Not the safest system, I know, but the best I could think up. 3. If it’s not there for any reason, give me a call and I can ask a neighbor to hand you the spare key. 4. Hope the police won’t need a ring as well in that case…
- Begin to develop the first point.
- Add more detail to it.
- Keep developing it.
- Make sure there are 3 sentences or more for each point.
1. Also, I didn’t want to mention this before but you’ve got quite a few chores to take care of. 2. First of all, I left the place an absolute mess. 3. I had a big party the other night (sorry, forgot to invite you…) and I just left all the beer bottles, pizza boxes, etc. lying around because I know how much you enjoy cleaning up after me. 4. There are also a few pets somewhere in the apartment so make sure you feed and walk them regularly. 5. If you can’t locate them, don’t worry about it.
- Move on to the second point.
- Begin developing it.
- Keep developing it.
- Finish developing it.
1. Finally, sorry to burden you with this but on the day I return I’ll need you to do a couple of things. 2. Make sure everything is cleaner than how I left it and you can tape the key back up above the doorframe (might be tough for you, being so short…) or give it to one of my neighbors. 3. Not on good terms with the apartment to the left but on the right, it’s a new neighbor, so they should be friendly enough.
4. Enjoy your stay and big thanks!
5. Dave
- Develop the last point.
- Keep developing it.
- Finish developing it.
- Write a goodbye statement.
- Write your name at the end.
Vocabulary
What do the words in bold below mean?
Hey Billy,
I’m writing to give you all the details about my (yours for a week!) apartment. Thanks for agreeing to this mutually beneficial arrangement.
So, you can find the key taped up above the doorframe. Not the safest system, I know, but the best I could think up. If it’s not there for any reason, give me a call and I can ask a neighbor to hand you the spare key. Hope the police won’t need a ring as well in that case…
Also, I didn’t want to mention this before but you’ve got quite a few chores to take care of. First of all, I left the place an absolute mess. I had a big party the other night (sorry, forgot to invite you…) and I just left all the beer bottles, pizza boxes, etc. lying around because I know how much you enjoy cleaning up after me. There are also a few pets somewhere in the apartment so make sure you feed and walk them regularly. If you can’t locate them, don’t worry about it.
Finally, sorry to burden you with this but on the day I return I’ll need you to do a couple of things. Make sure everything is cleaner than how I left it and you can tape the key back up above the doorframe (might be tough for you, being so short…) or give it to one of my neighbors. Not on good terms with the apartment to the left but on the right, it’s a new neighbor, so they should be friendly enough.
Enjoy your stay and big thanks!
Dave
Answers
I’m writing to my purpose is
details describes
agreeing to accepting
mutually beneficial arrangement works for both people
taped up above put over
doorframe the wooden part over the door
safest system dangerous way
think up device
for any reason with a justification
give me a call call me
neighbor person living next to you
hand you give you
spare key extra key
a ring a call
in that case in this situation
mention talk about
quite a few chores some household work
take care of look after
first of all firstly
left the place an absolute mess it is very messy
the other night some time back
invite ask to come over
etc. and so on
cleaning up after me tidying up for me
somewhere a place in the apartment
regularly often
locate find
burden make your responsibility
couple of two or more things
tough difficult
not on good terms not friendly with each other
to the left on the left side
friendly enough kind of nice with each other
stay time living there
big thanks very grateful
Pronunciation
aɪm ˈraɪtɪŋ tuː
ˈdiːteɪlz
əˈgriːɪŋ tuː
ˈmjuːtjʊəli ˌbɛnɪˈfɪʃəl əˈreɪnʤmənt
teɪpt ʌp əˈbʌv
ˈdɔːfreɪm
ˈseɪfɪst ˈsɪstɪm
θɪŋk ʌp
fɔːr ˈɛni ˈriːzn
gɪv miː ə kɔːl
ˈneɪbə
hænd juː
speə kiː
ə rɪŋ
ɪn ðæt keɪs
ˈmɛnʃən
kwaɪt ə fjuː ʧɔːz
teɪk keər ɒv
fɜːst ɒv ɔːl
lɛft ðə pleɪs ən ˈæbsəluːt mɛs
ði ˈʌðə naɪt
ɪnˈvaɪt
ɪtˈsɛtrə.
ˈkliːnɪŋ ʌp ˈɑːftə miː
ˈsʌmweə
ˈrɛgjʊləli
ləʊˈkeɪt
ˈbɜːdn
ˈkʌpl ɒv
tʌf
nɒt ɒn gʊd tɜːmz
tuː ðə lɛft
ˈfrɛndli ɪˈnʌf
steɪ
bɪg θæŋks
Vocabulary Practice
Remember and fill in the blanks:
Hey Billy,
I_____________o give you all the d_______s about my (yours for a week!) apartment. Thanks for a___________o this m__________________________t.
So, you can find the key t__________________e the d______________e. Not the s_______________m, I know, but the best I could t___________p. If it’s not there f_______________n, g_________________l and I can ask a n__________r to h________________u the s_____________y. Hope the police won’t need a__________g as well i______________e…
Also, I didn’t want to m___________n this before but you’ve got q_______________s to t________________f. F___________l, I l____________________________s. I had a big party t________________t (sorry, forgot to i________e you…) and I just left all the beer bottles, pizza boxes, e___. lying around because I know how much you enjoy c__________________________e. There are also a few pets s_____________e in the apartment so make sure you feed and walk them r____________y. If you can’t l_________e them, don’t worry about it.
Finally, sorry to b________n you with this but on the day I return I’ll need you to do a_____________f things. Make sure everything is cleaner than how I left it and you can tape the key back up above the doorframe (might be t_______h for you, being so short…) or give it to one of my neighbors. N_________________s with the apartment t____________t but on the right, it’s a new neighbor, so they should be f_________________h.
Enjoy your s____y and b____________s!
Dave
Listening Practice
Learn more about this topic in the video below and practice with these activities:
Reading Practice
Read more about this topic and use these ideas to practice:
https://www.triplecrowncorp.com/happy-apartment/
Speaking Practice
Practice with the following speaking questions from the real IELTS speaking exam:
Friends
- Do you talk about yourself to your friends?
- Do you like to listen or talk with your friends?
- Do you often change your mind about your friends?
- Is it important to have friends?
Writing Practice
Practice with the related topic below and then check with my sample answer:
Write a letter to friend to inform them of a celebration you are having for a recent job promotion. Include information about
The promotion
The celebration
Their accommodation
Dear John,
I received your letter yesterday and I’m glad that you chose to stay at my apartment in Mumbai. I’m afraid to say that I will be out of town on those date as I already got a meeting scheduled in New Delhi. But, not to worry you are most welcome to stay at my place. I usually keep my house keys with the neighbours whenever I travel for work. They are a very kind and helpful retired couple staying in house number 4. You can collect it from them once you reach here and also I will inform them in advance.
I would also like to list down a few instructions that will make your stay very comfortable. Make sure you keep the dustbin outside every night because the garbage van usually comes early at around 7 am. It is advisable to store the drinking water every day from the Aquagaurd machine which is kept next to the fridge in the kitchen. Another most important thing I would like to tell is to put the extra lock on the main door every night, just as a precaution. You will find the extra lock inside the drawer above the shoe rack.
I will be returning after 2 weeks, probably around noon on 15th. I would suggest you please keep the keys with the neighbours while you go for work, from them I will collect it. Also If you need any help during your stay, I’m just a phone call away.
Wish you a pleasant stay!
Hope to see you soon and give my regards to your family.
Regards,
Aayush Yek
Dear Carl,
How’s it going? Just wanted to give a heads up as I’ll be off to China in a couple of hours, about a month due to work. So I thought I’d pass off the keys to you before my departure. I’ve notified my superintendent that you’ll be coming to collect them this afternoon.
Sorry, if all of this was in short notice, however, I’d really appreciate it if you could take care of a couple of thing for the apartment. First of all, watering the plants: the succulents that I have by the windowsill don’t really need much water, but if the soils dry and crumbly give them a about 1/4 water on evenings. Also, every Friday afternoon a cleaner from my company is scheduled to come to the apartment, this would be around 7pm, so you’ll need to be there to open the door.
As a thanks, I’ve left a small allowance on the kitchen counter for your work. You can return the keys once I’m back from the trip.
Thanks again, you’re a lifesaver!
Take care,
Millie
Great work, Katirya!
give you a heads up is great vocabulary – really high level and you should be good to get whatever score you are trying for!
Omg! I didn’t think I’d get a reply! First of all, thank you so much, your sites been such a great help. I’ve been actually really worried. Did the letter come off as cold in anyway to you?
Not at all – the level of formality is perfect – good use of informal vocabulary and contractions – keep it up!