IELTS General Training Writing Task 1: Job Inquiry Letter
The Task:
During a recent plane journey, you sat next to a businessman who owns a chain of restaurants. You talked to him and he suggested that you should contact him about a possible job in one of his restaurants.
Write a letter to this businessman. In your letter:
- remind him when and where you met
- tell him what kind of job you are interested in
- say why you think you would be suitable for the job
Write at least 150 words.
Task 1
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Band 9 Model Answer
Dear Mr. Thompson,
I hope this letter finds you well. We recently sat next to each other on the flight from Sydney to Melbourne on the 14th of November. I was the recent culinary arts graduate reading the biography of Auguste Escoffier, and we had a truly fascinating conversation about the future of the modern hospitality industry.
Towards the end of our flight, you generously suggested that I reach out regarding potential employment within your restaurant group. I am writing to express my strong interest in the Assistant Manager position that recently opened at your new seafood bistro in the downtown district.
I firmly believe my background makes me an excellent candidate for this role. For the past three years, I have worked as a front-of-house supervisor at a high-volume, premium dining establishment, where I honed my skills in staff coordination, inventory management, and customer conflict resolution. Furthermore, my recent degree in Hospitality Management has equipped me with a thorough understanding of cost control and emerging dining trends.
I have attached my resume for your review and would be incredibly grateful for the opportunity to discuss how I could contribute to your team.
Yours sincerely,
David Chen
💡 Why this is a Band 9 Answer:
- Task Achievement: All three bullet points are covered comprehensively and logically. The tone is perfectly semi-formal to formal, maintaining professional respect while acknowledging a previous casual encounter.
- Coherence & Cohesion: Paragraphs are seamlessly structured. The logical flow moves naturally from establishing the connection, to stating the specific purpose of the letter, and finally validating the applicant’s suitability.
- Lexical Resource: Uses precise, advanced vocabulary appropriate for the hospitality industry (culinary arts graduate, front-of-house supervisor, high-volume, premium dining establishment, customer conflict resolution, emerging dining trends).
- Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Employs a superb mix of complex sentence structures flawlessly while maintaining accurate phrasing (“For the past three years, I have worked as a front-of-house supervisor… where I honed my skills…”).
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 2: Housing vs. the Countryside
The Task:
In many places, new homes are needed, but the only space available for building them is in the countryside. Some people believe it is more important to protect the countryside and not build new homes there.
What is your opinion about this?
Write at least 250 words.
Task 2
Band 9 Model Essay
As global populations continue to expand, many nations are facing severe housing shortages. Consequently, a debate has emerged over whether to develop pristine countryside areas to accommodate new homes or to strictly protect these rural landscapes. In my opinion, while the demand for affordable housing is an undeniable crisis, sacrificing the countryside is a shortsighted and environmentally destructive solution; instead, governments must prioritize urban regeneration.
The primary argument for protecting the countryside is the critical role it plays in maintaining ecological balance and environmental health. Rural areas are vital sanctuaries for local wildlife, preserving biodiversity that is rapidly disappearing elsewhere. Furthermore, undeveloped land, including forests and wetlands, acts as a crucial carbon sink that absorbs greenhouse gases and mitigates climate change. Paving over these natural spaces for sprawling suburban housing estates permanently destroys these delicate ecosystems and exacerbates environmental degradation. Once this greenbelt land is lost to concrete, it is virtually impossible to reclaim.
Additionally, the countryside holds immense agricultural and psychological value. Farmland is essential for national food security, and reducing it threatens a country’s ability to sustain its own population. Psychologically, rural landscapes provide a necessary refuge for city dwellers to escape the noise, pollution, and chronic stress of highly dense urban environments, promoting overall public mental health.
Rather than destroying nature, the solution to the housing crisis lies in intelligent urban redevelopment. Most major cities contain vast amounts of “brownfield” sites—abandoned industrial zones, derelict warehouses, or underutilized commercial spaces. Governments should incentivize developers to clean up and repurpose these urban areas into high-density, sustainable apartment complexes. By building upwards rather than outwards, cities can easily accommodate growing populations while leaving the surrounding natural environment entirely untouched.
In conclusion, although the necessity for new housing is a pressing social issue, it must not be resolved at the expense of the natural world. Protecting the countryside is paramount for environmental survival, and the housing crisis should instead be addressed through the efficient, vertical redevelopment of existing urban spaces.
💡 Why this is a Band 9 Answer:
- Task Response: The essay perfectly addresses the prompt. It clearly states a strong opinion in the introduction, thoroughly defends the need to protect the countryside (biodiversity, climate change, agriculture), and provides a highly practical alternative solution (brownfield redevelopment).
- Coherence & Cohesion: The essay utilizes a highly effective four-paragraph structure. Transition phrases guide the reader effortlessly through the complex arguments (Consequently, The primary argument, Furthermore, Additionally, Rather than destroying nature, In conclusion).
- Lexical Resource: Showcases an exceptional, sophisticated vocabulary suited for an environmental and sociological discursive essay (ecological balance, carbon sink, exacerbates environmental degradation, greenbelt land, urban regeneration, brownfield sites).
- Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Uses a wide variety of complex grammatical structures perfectly, creating a highly persuasive, authoritative, and academic tone.
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