IELTS General Training Writing Practice Test 10

Write your own response before opening this example. This is a sample from the book, not a score or assessment of your writing.

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing because I have a spare room in my home that I would like to rent to one of your students from the start of the next academic year.

The room is on the first floor of a quiet, three-bedroom house in Elm Grove, which is about fifteen minutes from the college by bus. It is a good size, with a double bed, a large desk, a wardrobe and plenty of shelves, and it gets a lot of natural light. The student would share the bathroom with one other person and would be welcome to use the kitchen and the living room.

The rent is £450 a month. This includes all bills, such as gas, electricity and water, as well as fast broadband, which I expect a student would find essential. I would also provide bedding and towels, and the room would be cleaned once a fortnight.

I live here with my teenage daughter, so I would prefer someone who is tidy, considerate and does not smoke. A mature or postgraduate student who is serious about their studies would be ideal, but I am happy to consider anyone who would respect a family home.

I would be grateful if you could add my room to your accommodation list. Please contact me on 07700 900218 if you need any further information.

Yours faithfully,

Daniela Ferris

Commentary

• TA: The purpose is stated in the first sentence, and all three bullet points are covered in detail: the room (location, size, furniture, shared areas), what the rent includes, and the kind of tenant wanted, with a reason. The final paragraph says what the writer wants the officer to do.
• CC: One paragraph for each bullet point, plus a short opening and closing. The letter follows a logical order, and referencing is clear ("This includes...", "which I expect a student would find essential").
• LR: The tone is suitably formal for a letter to an official ("I would be grateful if you could", "I am happy to consider"), and the vocabulary is precise ("considerate", "once a fortnight", "postgraduate").
• GRA: A range of accurate structures, including relative clauses, "would" for polite offers and preferences, and a complex sentence giving a reason ("I live here with my teenage daughter, so..."). The writer begins "Dear Sir or Madam" and ends correctly with "Yours faithfully".

Write your own response before opening this example. This is a sample from the book, not a score or assessment of your writing.

In many countries, it was once normal for young people to leave the family home in their early twenties. Today, however, a growing number continue to live with their parents until they are almost thirty, or even older. In my view, this trend is mainly the result of economic pressures, and although it has some benefits, it is on balance a negative development.

The most important reason is the cost of housing. In many cities, rents and house prices have risen much faster than wages, so young people starting their careers simply cannot afford to live alone. At the same time, many spend longer in education than previous generations, and they may also be paying back student loans. Living with their parents allows them to save money, for example for a deposit on a flat of their own.

This arrangement does have advantages. Families may become closer, and young adults can help their parents with household costs or, later, care for them as they get older. In some cultures, it is in fact traditional for several generations to share a home, and this is seen as entirely positive.

However, in most cases I believe the disadvantages are greater. Young people who stay at home for too long may find it harder to become fully independent, because some have fewer opportunities to manage a whole household budget or solve practical problems on their own. Living together can also cause tension, as parents and adult children may have very different routines and expectations. Most importantly, when young adults stay at home because they have no choice, it suggests that housing has become unaffordable, and this is a serious social problem.

In conclusion, young adults are living with their parents for longer mainly because of high housing costs and longer periods of study. Although this can strengthen family ties, it is generally a negative trend, and governments should do more to provide affordable homes for young people.

Commentary

• TR: Both parts of the question are answered: the reasons (housing costs, longer education, student debt) and a clear judgement that the development is mainly negative. The writer recognises the positive side, including cultural differences, which makes the argument balanced and convincing.
• CC: The essay moves logically from causes to advantages to disadvantages, and the position is stated in the introduction and repeated in the conclusion. Paragraphs have clear topic sentences, and linking is varied ("At the same time", "This arrangement does have advantages", "Most importantly").
• LR: Vocabulary is wide and precise ("economic pressures", "become fully independent", "household budget", "strengthen family ties", "unaffordable").
• GRA: A range of complex structures used accurately, including contrast clauses ("although it has some benefits"), reason and result clauses, and the present perfect ("have risen much faster than wages").