IELTS General Training Writing Task 1: Faulty Office Equipment
The Task:
You work at home and have a problem with a piece of equipment that you use for your job.
Write a letter to the shop or company which supplied the equipment. In your letter:
- describe the problem with the equipment
- explain how this problem is affecting your work
- say what you want the shop or company to do
Write at least 150 words.
Task 1
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Band 9 Model Answer
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to formally report a critical malfunction with the ‘UltraView Pro Dual Monitor’ display system that I purchased from your online store on the 12th of May (Order Reference: #UV9942).
Initially, the monitors worked perfectly. However, over the past three days, the left screen has begun flickering violently before completely losing power. I have attempted to resolve the issue by swapping the HDMI cables and testing different power outlets, but the hardware failure persists.
Because I work entirely from home as a freelance software developer, this defect is severely impacting my livelihood. My current project requires me to simultaneously view complex strings of code alongside live website previews. Operating on a single, functioning screen has drastically reduced my coding efficiency, causing me to miss a crucial client deadline yesterday afternoon.
Given that this equipment is still well within its one-year warranty period, I urgently request that you dispatch an expedited replacement unit to my home address. Alternatively, if the model is out of stock, I expect a full and immediate refund so I can purchase a reliable alternative elsewhere.
I look forward to your prompt response regarding this urgent matter.
Yours faithfully,
David Chen
💡 Why this is a Band 9 Answer:
- Task Achievement: All three bullet points are covered comprehensively and logically. The tone is perfectly formal, assertive, and professional, which is the exact register required for a letter of complaint to a supplier.
- Coherence & Cohesion: Paragraphs are seamlessly structured. The logical flow moves naturally from identifying the exact hardware problem, to describing its negative professional impacts, and finally demanding a concrete resolution.
- Lexical Resource: Uses precise, advanced vocabulary appropriate for technology and business (critical malfunction, hardware failure, severely impacting my livelihood, coding efficiency, expedited replacement unit).
- Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Employs a superb mix of complex sentence structures flawlessly while maintaining accurate phrasing (“Given that this equipment is still well within its one-year warranty period, I urgently request that…”).
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 2: Extreme Tourism
The Task:
Today more and more tourists are visiting places where conditions are difficult, such as the Sahara desert or the Antarctic.
What are the benefits and disadvantages for tourists who visit such places?
Write at least 250 words.
Task 2
Band 9 Model Essay
In recent years, the travel industry has witnessed a significant surge in ‘extreme tourism,’ with an increasing number of adventurous individuals choosing to visit highly inhospitable environments like the Sahara Desert and the Antarctic. While these demanding expeditions offer unparalleled opportunities for personal growth and unique experiences, they also present severe physical dangers and risk irreparably damaging fragile global ecosystems.
The primary benefit for tourists engaging in extreme travel is the profound sense of personal fulfillment and psychological resilience it builds. Navigating harsh, unforgiving landscapes pushes individuals far beyond their traditional comfort zones, fostering deep self-reliance and mental fortitude. Furthermore, visiting these remote corners of the globe provides travelers with a rare, visceral appreciation for the planet’s raw, untouched beauty. For instance, witnessing the sheer scale of the Antarctic ice shelves firsthand often transforms tourists into lifelong, passionate advocates for environmental conservation, as they gain a deeper understanding of what is at stake regarding global warming.
Conversely, the disadvantages of extreme tourism are highly alarming. The most immediate concern is the immense physical danger to the tourists themselves. Environments like the Sahara are notoriously unpredictable, and sudden extreme weather events or logistical failures can quickly turn a holiday into a fatal survival situation. When emergencies inevitably occur, launching search and rescue operations in these isolated regions is incredibly complex and places a massive financial burden on local governments.
Additionally, the environmental footprint of these expeditions is devastating. Fragile ecosystems, particularly the pristine environments of the Antarctic, are not equipped to handle human interference. The introduction of foreign pathogens, the inevitable accumulation of waste, and the heavy carbon emissions from specialized transport vessels actively degrade the very landscapes these tourists are traveling so far to admire.
In conclusion, while embarking on expeditions to the world’s most extreme environments offers undeniable benefits regarding personal achievement and environmental awareness, the substantial risks to human life and the catastrophic ecological degradation cannot be ignored. Ultimately, strict regulations must be enforced to ensure that this niche form of tourism does not destroy the earth’s remaining pristine habitats.
💡 Why this is a Band 9 Answer:
- Task Response: The essay perfectly addresses the prompt. It thoroughly discusses both the benefits (personal growth, environmental advocacy) and the severe disadvantages (physical danger, ecological damage) of extreme tourism.
- Coherence & Cohesion: The essay utilizes a highly effective four-paragraph structure. Transition phrases guide the reader effortlessly through the complex arguments (The primary benefit, Furthermore, Conversely, Additionally, In conclusion).
- Lexical Resource: Showcases an exceptional, sophisticated vocabulary suited for an environmental and sociological discursive essay (inhospitable environments, mental fortitude, visceral appreciation, environmental footprint, pristine habitats).
- Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Uses a wide variety of complex grammatical structures perfectly, creating a highly persuasive, authoritative, and academic tone.
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