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2021

IELTS Letter, topic: Requesting information about a foreign language course

This is a model response to a Writing Task 1 topic from High Scorer’s Choice IELTS Practice Tests book series (reprinted with permission). This answer is close to IELTS Band 9.

Set 2 General Training book, Practice Test 6

Writing Task 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

You have seen an advertisement for an evening course to study a foreign language. Write a letter to the institution offering the course.

In your letter,

– ask for details of the course
– ask if the course teachers are qualified native speakers
– request that the institution sends you their brochure

You should write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write any addresses. Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir / Madam,

Sample Band 9 Letter

Dear Sir / Madam,

I have recently read about the evening course on the French language that your institution is offering and I have a few questions.

As I am an advanced speaker in French and have read that the Course “B1” is offered for this level, I would like to know what this course comprises, so that I will be able to decide whether this matches my abilities or whether I would need to sign up for another course. I would also like to know if the teachers giving the lessons are qualified native speakers, as I believe this is very important in order to get an authentic insight into the cultural context of the language studied. A native teacher has the greatest knowledge and understanding possible of the language he or she is teaching.

Lastly, I would like to ask for you to send me a brochure of the different courses offered at your institution, using the address I have sent this letter from as the recipient address.

I look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely,

Peter Harris

Go here for more IELTS Band 9 Letters

IELTS test in Iran – August 2021 (Academic Module)

Many thanks to the lovely F.D. from Iran who shared the following questions from a recent IELTS test:

Listening test

Part 1. A conversation between an estate agent and a client who needed a two-bedroom, unfurnished apartment.

Part 2. A lady showed some people around a resort that had a beach, a pool, a helipad and other facilities.

Part 3. A conversation between a lecturer and her student on farmers’ attitude to farm implements.

Part 4. A lecture on office spacing.

Reading test

Passage 1. A text about floral scent.

Passage 2. Don’t remember.

Passage 3. A text about some manuscript.

Writing test

Writing task 1 (a report)

We were given a bar chart that showed the average time people spent travelling every day from home to work, in 4 cities, between the years 2006 and 2010.

Writing task 2 (an essay)

An increasing number of people choose to have cosmetic surgery in order to improve their appearance. Why do people want to change the way they look? Is it a positive or negative development?