Topic vocabulary

If you get a question like this about education, you should be happy as you should have lots of words to use. It is also good advice to write about what you know about and so I have chosen to make my model letter about studying IELTS. Take a look at some of the “education” language I used.

Dear Mr Jones

I am writing to ask whether it is possible to change my course. I am currently studying on a general English programme and I would like to enrol on an academic IELTS course instead.

The principle reason why I would like to change my course is that I do not believe the general English course is relevant to me because it is intended for students who wish to improve their social English. My circumstances are that I require a band 7.0 in order to be accepted on the masters programme at Aston University. Unless I obtain this score by the beginning of the next academic year, I will lose my place on the course and will need to return to my country. This being the case, I believe that it is essential that I get tuition in academic writing and IELTS skills.

I understand that it may be difficult to change my course mid-semester, but this is an urgent priority for me. If it would help, I would be delighted to discuss this with you in person.

Yours sincerely

Khaled Abdullah

Formal/politeness language

Take a look at the language I have highlighted in blue and then read my notes below. A lot of this language you can borrow for your own letters.

Dear Mr Jones

I am writing to ask whether it is possible to change my course. I am currently studying on a general English programme and I would like to enrol on an academic IELTS course instead.

The principle reason why I would like to change my course is that I do not believe the general English course is relevant to me because it is intended for students who wish to improve their social English. My circumstances are that I require a band 7.0 in order to be accepted on the masters programme at Aston University. Unless I obtain this score by the beginning of the next academic year, I will lose my place on the course and will need to return to my country. This being the case, I believe that it is essential that I get tuition in academic writing and IELTS skills.

I understand that it may be difficult to change my course mid-semester, but this is an urgent priority for me. If it would help, I would be delighted to discuss this with you in person.

Yours sincerely

Khaled Abdullah

Notes

I am writing to - this is a standard formula you can use to start most more formal letters: it shows why you are writing

I would like to - this is a “politeness” phrase”. Be very careful about using “I want” in English as it can be too direct/rude in more formal writing

The principle reason why I would like to - This is a more formal way of saying “I want to do this because”

I do not believe - Note how in this letter I do not use short forms like “don’t”. This is normal in more formal letters.

in order to be accepted - This is a more formal way of saying “To get on”

Unless I obtain this score - One word you should try and avoid using too much in more formal writing is “get”. Here in a less formal letter I might write “If I don’t get this score”

I believe that it is essential - Another word that you should be careful about using in more formal/polite letters is “must”. It can be a very strong word in English and used wrongly quite rude. Here I use “it is essential” instead.

I understand that it may be difficult - One tip here is to think about the person you are writing to. It is probably the case that the course director may not want to change your course. One way to persuade him/her is to say you know that it is a big favour you’re asking.

If it would help, I would be delighted to discuss this with you in person - this is a nice phrase you can borrow and use in other formal letters.

An explanation

You are staying in rented accommodation. You recently held a party to celebrate your birthday. Several neighbours have complained about the noise to your landlord.

Write a letter to your landlord. In your letter:

• apologise for the disturbance

• explain the situation

• say how you will remedy the situation

You should write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write your own address.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear __________

Formal IELTS letter questions

A complaint

You have just bought a new mobile phone from a website on the internet. When it was delivered, the phone was faulty.

Write a letter to the website. In the letter:

• introduce yourself

• explain the situation

• state what action you want to be taken

You should write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write your own address.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear __________

Reading the question

You have just bought a new mobile phone from a website on the internet. When it was delivered, the phone was faulty.

Write a letter to the website. In the letter:

• introduce yourself

• explain the situation

• state what action you want to be taken

1. Answer all parts of the question

The first point to see is that this question asks you to write about 3 different points. You must remember that it is not enough to say what the problem is, but you must also say who you are and what you want to happen next.

2. Think about what the main reason of the letter is – it’s a letter of complaint

Most IELTS letters have a function: explaining/apologising etc. This letter is really just a letter of complaint and that means you need to use some good complaining language.

3. Think about who you are writing to

It is always important to think about who you are writing to,as that will tell you whether you need to use more formal or less formal language. You should see here that you are writing to someone you don’t know and that it is quite a business-y letter – that means you need some more formal language.

4. Think about what vocabulary you need

Vocabulary is 25% of your score, so it makes sense to think about what words you need – the clue is always in the question. My suggestion is that you should brainstorm some language before you start writing. If you do not do this, you might use too simple vocabulary or repeat words too much. this should also give you ideas for writing. Here are the words I found:

mobile phone: handset/text/camera phone/smart phone/message/screen

website/internet: online/connect

bought: purchase/customer/shop/store/product/service/cost/price

faulty: not work/malfunction/break/unreliable

Complaining language

Letters of complaint are quite common and it is sensible to prepare some language to help you write them. Here are some simple variations:

I am writing to complain

I must complain

I would like to complain

My complaint is

I am unhappy with

I am dissatisfied with

Unfortunately,

Structuring the letter

Generally, IELTS letters are quite easy to organise as you just need to follow the 3 different points the question asks you to write about and use a paragraph for each one of them. If you do this, you make sure that you get a good Task Response score by answering the question fully. Two points to remember ( and these are good for life and not just IELTS):

The introduction

You should say clearly what the purpose of the letter is. The standard language in a more formal letter like this is:

I am writing to [complain]

The conclusion

You should say what you expect to happen next. This will normally involve asking the other person to contact you in some way. Again, there is standard language here:

I look forward to

Note that if you use this phrase with a verb following it, the verb needs to be in an -ing form (eg “I look forward to hearing form you”).

Read the letter

Dear Sirs,

I am writing to you to complain about the mobile I bought from your online store on 23 November. I have been a loyal customer of yours for the last 4 years and have successfully made many purchases over the years. Unfortunately, however, this time I am dissatisfied with the service you have provided.

The mobile telephone I ordered was the latest smart phone, the Samsung Android SA23. My reasons for choosing this model was that you advertised it on your website as having the new Swype texting system and complete social network support. Unfortunately, neither of these functions work properly. When I try to write a text message, the system either crashes or switches into Chinese and does not recognise the words. Likewise, the telephone does not have the advertised complete social network support, as I am unable to upload photographs to Twitter and Facebook.

For these reasons, I would ask you either to refund the purchase price in full or send me a replacement handset. I look forward to your immediate response.

Yours faithfully

An application

You are looking for part-time employment.

Write a letter to an employment agency. In your letter

• introduce yourself

• explain what type of work you are looking for

• say what experience and skills you have

You should write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write your own address.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear __________

Band score 8 in writing – grammatical accuracy Step 1 – understand the rules of the game (the band score criteria)

The first step must be to understand how the writing is marked. If you don’t do that, your chances are much reduced. Let me explain. Native speakers sometimes have to take IELTS too. They don’t always do so well and occasionally embarrass themselves by not getting a band 8 score. Why? Are they not:

Band 8 Very Good User Has fully operational command of the language with only occasional unsystematic inaccuracies and inappropriacies. Misunderstandings may occur in unfamiliar situations. Handles complex detailed argumentation well.

Of course they are. They simply haven’t understood the rules of the game. The rules are like this.

• Writing is marked according to 4 criteria (lexical resource/grammatical range and accuracy/coherence and cohesion/task response)

• You get a score out of 9 for each of these and then the marks are averaged to give you your final score

The reality is that if you get much less than 8.0 in any one of those criteria, it becomes much harder to get a final 8.0. Your aim has to be to get 8.0 in each criteria. If you don’t, you probably need to improve your score in the other criteria – tough.

Grammar – it’s about range and accuracy

This is what it says about grammar.

uses a wide range of structures • the majority of sentences are error-free • makes only very occasional errors or inappropriacies

One point to note is that it is not just about how many mistakes you make. You also need a wide range of structures too. I will explain more about that in a later lesson.

The majority of the sentences are error-free

This means that if your essay has around 15 sentences ( a good number), then you probably need to write about 10 entirely correct sentences. That means no mistakes.

Makes only very occasional errors or inappropriacies

In a way, this is another way of saying the same thing. You need to write in such a way as the examiner is surprised when you get something wrong.

How can you achieve this? Learn to check for mistakes

The one thing that will not work is writing very simple language and only concentrate on not making mistakes. You need to a range of grammar too remember. What it does mean is:

• you almost certainly need a teacher to check your writing and tell you where you make mistakes

• you need to build a checklist of the type of mistakes you make – most people have their “own” mistakes and it also makes sense to concentrate on common bits of grammar like “countables” and “uncountables” as you will use these in every sentence.

• you need to understand that grammar is more than just verb tenses: it includes things like word order too

• you need to learn to check your own writing (my personal suggestion is that you don’t leave this to the end of the essay when you are tired, but you check as you go)

How can you achieve this? Think before you write

As a teacher, I find that a large proportion of students mistakes are made not because they don’t know the grammar, but rather because they got the writing process wrong. They write. They stop. They think. They write again. The first bit of the sentence is okay and so’s the second bit. It’s just that the two halves don’t match. You may be surprised by how many mistakes you avoid by knowing how you want to end the sentence before you start writing it.

How can you achieve this? Use plain English

I said above that you should not use too simple English. That is true. What is also true, however, is that it makes sense to avoid complicated English as well – it is only likely to cause more mistakes. This is not just good advice for the exam, it is good advice for life too (Macmillan dictionary page and Michael McCarthy a leading academic).

Some basics for writing plainer English

• avoid long, long sentences (20 words is a long sentence, unless its structure is very simple)

• don’t forget the basic S-V-O structure of English and think word order (many mistakes in more complex sentences happen when the subject gets separated from the verb)

• try verbs instead of abstract nouns where you can

• be careful with relative clauses and other complex structures (one relative is more than enough for each sentence)

• try and formulate the whole sentence in your head before you start writing. If you can’t, it may be that the sentence is not complex but complicated – not a good thing

How can you achieve this? Avoid complicated ideas and writing too much

There are no marks in IELTS for quality of ideas. They need to be relevant to the question, but that is all. It really makes no difference if the examiner disagrees with your thoughts. Many candidates who are aiming for a high score (perhaps because they are smart), try to show off with great ideas.

• Problem – you have 40 minutes and you are writing in a second language.

• Bigger problem – if you try and write something “clever”, there is a good chance that your language will become over-complex and you will make mistakes you didn’t need to.

• Point to consider – the more you write: the more likely you are to make mistakes and the less likely you are to have time to check

• It’s a language test: always remember that.

Sample letters:

Below is a sample letter response to Task 1 of the General IELTS Writing Section. It is a formal letter, which can be identified in several ways:

• the tone, which is official, business-like and serious

• the use of Dear Sir / Madam

• the absence of contractions

• the use of formal expressions (I am writing in connection with...)

• the closing salutation ( "Yours faithfully" instead of the more informal "Yours sincerely" or "Best regards")

General Writing Task 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

You recently stayed in a hotel in a large city. The weather was very unusual for the time of year and the heating / cooling system in the hotel was quite inadequate.

Write a letter to the manager of the hotel. In your letter:

• give details of what went wrong

• explain what you had to do to overcome the problem at the time

• say what action you would like the manager to take

You should write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write your own address.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear __________

Dear Sir / Madam

I am writing in connection with my recent stay at the Four Seasons in London, England. Unfortunately, due to a malfunctioning heater in my room, I spent three miserable nights at your hotel from April 26 – 29, 2010.

When I arrived in London, there was an unexpected snowstorm. I understand it does not usually snow inApril; however, when I got to my room, there was no heat. After complaining, a technician was sent up, who informed me they had to install a new heating unit. When I asked to be moved to another room, I was told the hotel was completely booked. Unfortunately, each night after work I returned to discover the problem had not been rectified. Eventually, I spent three horribly uncomfortable nights, wearing my coat to bed, wearing socks around the room and ending up with a bad cold from the unheated room. I had no time to complain as I had to catch a flight home right after my conference.

I am shocked by this terrible service. This is not what anyone expects for $400 a night! To compensate me for this tremendous inconvenience, I ask that you refund my money right away and offer me a free, more comfortable stay in one of your finer suites in the future. If not, I am prepared to take my complaint to a higher authority.

I look forward to hearing from you at the earliest,

Yours faithfully,

Mr John McFee

(236 words)

Below is a sample letter response to Task 1 of the General IELTS Writing Section. It is a formal letter, which can be identified in several ways:

• the tone, which is formal and business-like and serious

• the use of Dear Sir / Madam

• the absence of contractions

• the use of formal expressions ("Thank you kindly in advance.")

• the closing salutation ( "Yours faithfully", etc.)

General Writing Task 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

You have received a letter from your bank, asking you to acknowledge receipt of a new bank card. However, the card was missing from the envelope.

Write a letter to the bank's head office. In your letter:

• explain why you are writing

• express concern about the missing card

• ask them what they intend to do

Write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write any address.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear __________

Dear Sir / Madam

I am writing in connection with a missing or stolen debit card from your bank. This is an urgent matter as the bank card could prove dangerous in the hands of the wrong person.

Just yesterday, I received a letter from your bank's head office. It stated that my new bank card was enclosed and asked me to acknowledge receipt. However, when the envelope arrived in my mailbox, it was in a tattered state. More importantly, the debit card which was supposed to be included, was missing. I checked and rechecked around the mailbox, but found nothing. I am concerned that someone has gone through my mail and possibly stolen the card.

For this reason I request that you cancel the existing debit card immediately. The debit card in question is related to my account number 64729401 at your Bay and Bloor branch. After it has been cancelled, please arrange to send me a new one, as I need to travel overseas next week and will need to carry the new bank card with me.

Thank you kindly in advance,

Yours faithfully,

Ms Brenda Holster

(172 words)

Below is a sample letter response for Task 1 of the General IELTS Writing Section. It is a formal letter, which can be identified in several ways:

• the tone, which is straightforward and direct

• the use of Dear Sir / Madam

• the absence of contractions

• the use of formal expressions ("I am writing in connection with...")

• the closing salutation ( "Yours faithfully", etc.)

Writing Task 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

You eat at your college cafeteria at lunch time every day.. However, you think it needs some improvements. Write a letter to the college magazine. In your letter:

• explain what you like about the cafeteria

• say what is wrong with it

• suggest how it could be improved

Write at least 150 words.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear __________

Dear Sir / Madam

I am writing in connection with our college cafeteria. Since almost every student spends some time here every day, I believe it is in everyone's best interest to find ways to improve the quality of this central eatery.

The cafeteria itself is modern, spacious and attractive. The newly painted murals of the seaside give the seating area an open, airy, outdoor feeling which makes it very pleasant to eat meals there. This is further enhanced by the large green plants and flowing water fountains.

The main problem with the cafeteria is in the food served! First of all, there is a very limited selection available. Each day offers up only standard North American fare of hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken nuggets and french fries. Not only is this selection unhealthy, but also uninteresting day in and day out. We have so many international students on campus, it would be wonderful to have some curries, burritos and falafel added to the menu. Secondly, since this is a student cafeteria, prices need to stay low. We have unfortunately seen two price hikes in the last two years.

I am sure if we offer a wider range of foods, at better prices, the cafeteria will continue to run profitably as more students choose to eat there.

Yours faithfully,

Daniel Bernard

Below is a sample letter for Task 1 of the General IELTS Writing Section. It is a semi-formal letter, which can be identified in several ways:

• the tone, which is a mix of politeness and warmth

• the use of the last names (Dear Mrs Sweeney)

• the absence of contractions

• the use of formal expressions (I would appreciate it if...)

• the closing salutation (Yours sincerely)

Writing Task 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

You are applying for a job and need a letter of reference from someone who knew you when you were at school.

Write a letter to one of your old teachers asking for a reference. In your letter:

• say what job you have applied for

• explain why you want this job

• suggest what information the teacher should include

Write at least 150 words.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear __________

Dear Mrs Sweeney

How are you? I hope everything is fine at the school and that you have been well. I still remember the dynamic way in which you taught grammar to me and all of the teacher trainees in your English class. Thanks again for those important lessons.

I am writing in connection with a letter of reference that I need for a job that I have applied for recently. As I am due to graduate next month, I have applied for a position as an ESL teacher at a private language school in Tokyo, Japan. You might remember my telling you how very much I looked forward to teaching and traveling around the world. Now I have the chance. I am confident that I can make a difference in the lives of students who need to learn English.

In the letter of reference, I would appreciate it if you could include information related to my trustworthiness, my enthusiasm and my cross-cultural awareness while in teacher training college. As the job is in Japan, they do not have the chance to interview me and will base their decision largely on my letters of reference. I would need to have the letter in two weeks, by July 1st.

Thank you kindly in advance,

Yours sincerely,

Grace Smith

Below is a sample letter for Task 1 of the General IELTS Writing Section. It is a semi-formal letter, which can be identified in several ways:

• the tone, which is a mix of formality plus warmth

• the use of the last names (Dear Ms Walker)

• the absence of contractions

• the use of formal expressions (I would appreciate it if...)

• the closing salutation (Yours sincerely)

Writing Task 1

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

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

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 address.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear __________

Dear Mrs Walker

I am writing in connection with my upcoming training course at your college in Sydney, Australia. I will be there to attend the Brain- Based Learning program at Victoria College for a period of three weeks from July 2st to July 22st, 2010. I am hoping that you will be able to assist me with my accommodation arrangements.

As I am slightly older than most of the other participants, I would appreciate it if you could find a private studio apartment for me, close to the college. It would be ideal if I could walk to school each day, but if not, I would need access to public transportation. I understand some of the events on campus finish quite late so I would prefer not to walk in an unfamiliar neighbourhood after dark. In terms of the apartment, all I require is a bed, a desk, a TV, an Internet connection, a kitchen and a bathroom. My budget is around US $1000 for 3 weeks.

As I will be arriving on July 1st, I would need the apartment to be available from that night until the day of my departure, which is July 23rd. My last night in the apartment would be July 22nd.

Please let me know if you are able to find such an apartment and if not, please suggest other suitable arrangements. I look forward to hearing from you,

Yours sincerely,

Jane Goodwin

(236 words)

Below is a sample letter for Task 1 of the General IELTS Writing Section. It is a semi-formal letter, which can be identified in several ways:

• the tone, which is a mix of formality plus warmth

• the use of the last names (Dear Mr Shah)

• the absence of contractions

• the use of formal expressions (I would appreciate it if...)

• the closing salutation (Yours sincerely)

Writing Task 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

You have been living in a rental apartment for the past year. Recently a new neighbour moved in and has been making a lot of noise, which disturbs you.

Write a letter to the landlord. In your letter:

• explain the situation

• describe why it bothers you

• suggest a solution

Write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write any address.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear __________

Dear Mr Shah

I hope you and your family are all well. I am writing in connection with a problem I have with the new tenant, Jack, who has moved in downstairs. Unfortunately, his habits and needs appear to be quite different from my own.

The issue is that Jack is a professional musician who plays his electric guitar late into the night. I understand he is in a band and needs to practice; however, I think he cannot do so in a residential building such as ours. As I mentioned to you when I signed the lease to the apartment, I am a full-time writer who works from home. For me, it is essential to have silence so I can concentrate on my work. With Jack playing at all hours, I have been unable to get any of my writing done, except when he is out. In some cases, I have even been forced to leave the apartment and work at a nearby coffee shop or library as the guitar playing was causing such a disturbance.

I would appreciate it if you could speak to Jack and ask him to turn down the volume on his guitar or else to use headphones. I have spoken to him about it, but to no avail. I will let you know as soon as the situation improves.

Thank you kindly in advance and please give my best regards to your family,

Yours sincerely,

Meg Snyder

(234 words)

Below is a sample letter for Task 1 of the General IELTS Writing Section. It is an informal letter, which can be identified in several ways:

• the tone, which is warm, easy-going and conversational

• the use of first names (Ajay, Sunita, Carol)

• the use of contractions (I've, don't, can't)

• the use of informal expressions ("Thanks", instead of "Thank you")

• the closing salutation ( "Warm wishes", instead of the more formal "Yours sincerely" or "Yours faithfully")

Writing Task 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

Last month you had a holiday overseas where you stayed with some friends. They have just sent you some photos of your holiday.

Write a letter to your friends. In your letter:

• thank them for the photos and for the holiday

• explain why you didn't write earlier

• invite them to come and stay with you

Write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write any address.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear __________

Dear Ajay and Sunita,

Thanks so much for your kind letter and the lovely photos of my holiday in Mumbai. Sorry for the delay in acknowledging your mail, but your package arrived just as I was about to leave town on a business trip. I've just returned to Toronto today.

Looking at the photos brings back so many happy memories of the times we spent together and the wonderful hospitality you extended to me. I felt completely pampered by both of you! You surrounded me with warm friends, good food, amazing sights, great shopping, unforgettable cultural events and laughter-filled evenings. I would have been lost without you. I can't thank you enough.

These good memories gave me an idea. I know you've always wanted to visit Canada. Why don't you plan a holiday and stay with me this summer? The weather is great at that time of year, all tourist sites are open and I could take two weeks off from work. Aside from seeing Toronto, we could drive to Niagara Falls, Thousand Islands, Montreal, Ottawa and Quebec City. I would be thrilled if you could make it.

Thank you both again for the beautiful holiday and the photos which are already up on my wall. Now, I'm looking forward to hearing from you.

Warm wishes,

Carol

(216 words)

Below is a sample letter for Task 1 of the General IELTS Writing Section. It is an informal letter, which can be identified in several ways:

• the tone, which is warm, friendly and conversational

• the use of first names (Eva, Brenda)

• the use of contractions (you've, wasn't)

• the use of informal expressions ("Sorry, but...", "how about you?")

• the closing salutation ( "Warm wishes", instead of the more formal "Yours sincerely" or "Yours faithfully")

Writing Task 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

You have recently started work in a new company.

Write a letter to an English-speaking friend. In your letter,

• explain why you changed jobs

• describe your new job

• tell him / her your other news

Write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write any address.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear __________,

Dear Eva,

How are you? I hope you've been well. Sorry for having been out of touch for a short while. There have been some changes in my life and I wanted to let you know the latest from my side.

The big news is that I have finally changed my job! Do you remember when you were here on holiday, I always talked about how I hated my boring bank job? Well, it was clear I needed a change. So, finally, I took a part-time TESL course and trained to be an ESL teacher. Now I'm working full-time in a private language school. I teach General English, Business English and IELTS. Each day, I look forward to going to work. My students come from all over the world and I love teaching them as well as learning from them.

Aside from that, I also moved to a new apartment near the school where I work. It's small, but downtown, so I am right in the heart of the city, instead of way out in the suburbs. Suddenly, there's so many fun things to do, in the evenings too. I am a much happier person today because of these recent changes.

So, how about you? I hope you'll have a chance to visit Canada again soon. In the meantime, please write and let me know what's new with you.

Warm wishes

Kim

(226 words)

Below is a sample letter for Task 1 of the General IELTS Writing Section. It is an informal letter, which can be identified in several ways:

• the tone, which is very warm, personal and friendly

• the use of first names ( Julie, Irene)

• the use of contractions (I'm, you're, can't)

• the use of informal expressions (Thanks, Write soon)

• the closing salutation ( Warm wishes, instead of the more formal "Yours sincerely" or "Yours faithfully")

Writing Task 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

An English-speaking friend wants to spend a two-week holiday in your region and has written asking for information and advice. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter,

• offer to find somewhere to stay

• give advice about what to do

• give information about what clothes to bring

Write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write any address.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear __________,

Dear Julie

Thanks so much for your latest letter. I'm really excited to hear that you're planning to visit Toronto. It will give me a chance to take you around, as you did so kindly for me when I was in Amsterdam last year.

Regarding your visit, I would be happy to help in any way possible. First, unless you really like freezing weather, I suggest you come in the summer months of July or August. Though most hotels are expensive at that time, we have some wonderful guest suites available in our high-rise building, for only about $50 per night. They are fully furnished studio apartments, with a kitchen, so you can have the option of eating in. Just let me know your dates and I can make a reservation for you.

Summer is also the time when all the tourist sites are open. We can visit Centre Island, Canada's Wonderland, Niagara Falls, the CN Tower, the Royal Ontario Museum, the Science Centre and Thousand Islands. The weather should be warm and comfortable, around 25 – 30 degrees Celsius, so bring your informal summer clothes, a swimsuit and an umbrella too. We do get summer showers quite often.

I can't wait for you to come! Write soon with more details,

Warm wishes

Irene

(207 words)

More examples

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

You are looking for a part-time job at a football club. Write a letter to the manager of the football club. In your letter: