General Training Task 1 · 222 words
Late-night noise: a respectful request to a neighbour
Describe the disturbance and its effect clearly, then suggest a practical agreement without making accusations.
Study the method: Semi-formal letters: make clear requests and workable proposals →
Band 6 goal: Neighbourly tone
Complete every task part clearly and organise the response so the reader can follow it. This is a study route, not an examiner score assigned to the answer. How IELTS Writing is assessed.
The question
A neighbour in your apartment building has recently been making noise late at night. Write a letter to the neighbour. Describe the noise, explain how it affects you, and suggest a way to solve the problem.
The sample answer
Dear Neighbour, I live in flat 14, directly below you, and I am writing about some noise that has been reaching my bedroom late in the evening. Over the past two weeks, I have often heard music and furniture being moved after 11 p.m., particularly on weeknights.
The late-night disturbance makes it difficult for me to fall asleep, and on several occasions I have been woken after I had already gone to bed. I begin work at 7 a.m., so broken sleep has made the following mornings quite difficult. I understand that sound travels easily between the flats and that you may not realise how clearly it can be heard downstairs.
Would it be possible to keep the music lower and avoid moving furniture after 10.30 p.m. during the week? If you are planning a gathering or need to rearrange the flat, a short message beforehand would help me plan. I would be happy to exchange phone numbers so that we can reach an agreement about reasonable quiet hours and deal with any future problem directly.
I hope we can sort this out easily, and please let me know if noise from my flat ever causes you a problem as well. You can leave a note in my letter box or knock on my door after 6 p.m. Kind regards, Alex Morgan
Vocabulary in context
Each phrase appears in the answer above. Learn how it works, not just a replacement word.
- late-night disturbance
- Noise or activity that interrupts normal rest during late evening hours.
The phrase identifies the problem neutrally; follow it with concrete sounds and times.
- reach an agreement
- Discuss a matter until the people involved accept the same arrangement.
Use reach rather than make when focusing on the result of a discussion.
- reasonable quiet hours
- An agreed period when disruptive noise should be kept to a minimum.
Reasonable depends on context, so propose actual times instead of leaving the expression undefined.
Now make it your own
Rewrite the solution paragraph for a neighbour who works night shifts and sleeps during the day. Keep the request specific while acknowledging that both households have different schedules.
For a smaller practice step, use the explanation, knowledge check and self-review exercise in Write a letter with purpose and tone.
The practice link opens the original question, not a copy of this answer.
Open the writing workspaceMore examples of this question type
Write to someone you know in an official context, such as a manager or neighbour. Stay polite and direct without sounding either distant or overly casual.