| You are experiencing financial problems and want to ask your landlord if you can pay your rent late. Write a letter to your landlord. In your letter explain: Why you cannot pay the rent When you will pay the rent. How you will ensure you can pay your rent in the future Write at least 150 words You do NOT need to write any addresses Begin your letter as follows: Dear…….., |
Model Answer
Dear Mr Strickland,
I am writing to you to request that you allow me to pay my rent late this month.
The reason is that I am having a few financial problems at the moment. Last month, I was made redundant from my job due to the fact that the company I work for is closing down. Because I have not worked at the company for long, I have not received a redundancy payment, therefore leaving me short of money this month.
I can assure you that I will be able to pay the rent on the 15th of next month. I have now found another job, and they have kindly agreed to give me an advance on my wages, but they are unable to arrange this until next week.
I can assure you that I will be able to continue to pay rent at the full rate and on time in the future. As I mentioned, I have a new job and this is on a long-term contract, meaning that I will have a secure and timely income. I may also set up a direct debit so the payment goes to you automatically each month.
I hope this will be acceptable to you, but please contact me if it is a problem.
Yours sincerely,
John Streetham.
(210 Words)
Analyzing the Letter
The letter is well-structured as the writer makes it clear in the first sentence why the letter is being written, gives further details of the problem in the first body paragraph, and then sets out when payment will be made, finally discussing the future.
The tone of the letter is appropriate as it is polite (I am writing to you to request…, I can assure you…., I apologize for this problem…, please contact me if it is a problem… ).
The opening and closing of the letter are correct for a semi-formal letter to someone if you know their name (Dear Mr Strickland…, Yours sincerely… ).
There are good examples of correct use of tenses, demonstrating that the writer has a very good working use of grammar:
- present continuous for what is happening now: I am having a few financial problems at the moment
- past simple passive for events in the past and when the subject is not doing the verb: I was made redundant
- Future: I can assure you that I will be able to pay
- Present perfect: I have now found
IELTS Evaluation
Band Score: 8.5
1. Task Achievement: Band 9
The letter fully addresses all parts of the task. It clearly explains the reason for the late payment (redundancy and lack of a redundancy payment), specifies when the rent will be paid (15th of next month), and outlines steps to ensure timely payments in the future (new job and direct debit). The explanations are logical and sufficiently detailed. The tone is polite and appropriate for a formal letter, maintaining respect towards the landlord while expressing the request clearly.
2. Coherence and Cohesion: Band 8
The letter is well-organized, with a logical flow of ideas. Each paragraph deals with a specific point in the task, and cohesive devices such as “The reason is,” “I can assure you,” and “As I mentioned” are used effectively. However, some sentences could be more concise, such as “Because I have not worked at the company for long, I have not received a redundancy payment, therefore leaving me short of money this month.” This could be rephrased for greater clarity and brevity.
3. Lexical Resource: Band 8
The vocabulary is varied and appropriate, with expressions like “financial problems,” “redundant,” “advance on my wages,” and “direct debit.” The tone and word choice are formal and polite, which is suitable for the context. There is some repetition of phrases like “I can assure you,” which could be replaced with synonyms or paraphrased to improve lexical variety.
4. Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 8.5
The grammar is accurate, with a good range of sentence structures, including conditionals (“I hope this will be acceptable to you”) and complex sentences (“Because I have not worked at the company for long, I have not received a redundancy payment”). There are no major grammatical errors, but some sentences could be streamlined for conciseness, such as “They have kindly agreed to give me an advance on my wages, but they are unable to arrange this until next week.”
Suggestions for Improvement
- Simplify sentences where possible to improve readability and reduce redundancy.
- Introduce a bit more variety in phrasing to avoid repetition of key phrases like “I can assure you.”
- Consider using a slightly more formal closing, such as “I look forward to your understanding and reply.”
Overall Comments
This is a well-written letter that effectively fulfills the task requirements. It maintains a polite and professional tone, provides clear explanations, and uses appropriate language. With minor adjustments to phrasing and sentence structure, this letter could achieve a perfect score.
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