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Simone Braverman

Simone Braverman is the founder of IELTS-Blog.com and the author of several renowned IELTS preparation books, including Ace the IELTS, Target Band 7, the High Scorer's Choice practice test series, and IELTS Success Formula. Since 2005, Simone has been committed to making IELTS preparation accessible and effective through her books and online resources. Her work has helped 100,000's of students worldwide achieve their target scores and live their dream lives. When Simone isn't working on her next IELTS book, video lesson, or coaching, she enjoys playing the guitar or rollerblading.

IELTS Letter, topic: Introduction of an exchange student to a host family

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 3 General Training book, Practice Test 14

Writing Task 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

You are travelling next month to stay with a family you do not know as part of a language training course. Write a letter to the family to introduce yourself.

In your letter,


– tell the family a little about yourself
– ask about the type of food that the family eats
– say when and how you will be arriving

You should write at least 150 words.

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

Dear Mr and Mrs Greene,

Sample Band 9 Letter

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Greene,

My name is Caroline Hague and I am an exchange student about to participate in an English Language Training course in London. The organisation that arranged this course for me has assigned you to be my host family for those four weeks and I would therefore like to introduce myself.

I come from the Netherlands and live in Maastricht, a beautiful and historical city not too far away from the country’s capital, Amsterdam. I would like to know more about the English language, culture and literature, and therefore I have applied for this training course. I am an active outdoor person and love to ride my bike, and I am also passionate about music.

I am interested in the type of food that is popular in your family, as I am a vegetarian. Do you eat a lot of meat? If yes, that’s no problem for me, I will only have to know in advance so I can bring a few essentials.

In a month’s time, on the twenty-second of May, I will be arriving at Gatwick airport at 4 pm. I have seen that you have kindly offered to pick me up and so I will be waiting at the Terminal A pick-up at 5.15 pm. I look forward to meeting you then.

I hope to hear back from you and to see you soon!

Yours sincerely,

Caroline Hague

Go here for more IELTS Band 9 Letters

IELTS test in Japan – April 2022 (Academic Module)

Our kind friend K. took IELTS in Tokyo, Japan and remembered the following questions:

Writing test

Writing task 1 (a report)

We had a bar chart and a table describing some activities women and men did in the UK in 2008. The bar chart showed several unpaid household chores women and men spent their time doing daily, after their paid work. The table showed how they spent their time doing leisure activities daily, after their paid work.

Writing task 2 (an essay)

Nowadays many children have trouble paying attention in class or concentrating on their school work. Why is this happening? How can this problem be solved?

Speaking test

Part 1 (Interview)

– What is your full name?
– Can I see your ID?
– Where are you from?
– Is it a good place to raise children?
– How often do you write on paper?
– What do you like better, typing or writing on paper?
– Did you write by hand often in school?

Part 2 (Cue Card)

Talk about a time when you were proud of something your family member did. Please say

– who the family member is
– when it happened
– what he/she did
– and explain why you were proud of what he/she did.

Part 3 (Discussion)

– When are parents proud of their children in general?
– What makes them proud?
– What do you think about children who do something to get a reward?
– When do adults feel proud of themselves?