A new business has opened near your home and is causing a serious noise problem. Write a letter to the manager of the business.
A full IELTS General Training Writing Task 1 letter about noise from a neighbouring business at Band 6.0, 7.0 and 8.5, with the structure, register and language it needs, and why each version scores what it does.
The question
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
A new business has opened near your home and is causing a serious noise problem. Write a letter to the manager of the business.
In your letter,
explain where you live and what the noise problem is
describe how the noise is affecting you
say what you would like the business to do about it
You do not need to write your own address. Begin your letter as follows:
Dear Sir or Madam,
Write at least 150 words.
What this letter needs
This scenario is easy to overwrite with pure frustration, which quickly tips the register into an informal, ranting tone the examiner will mark down. The real challenge is making the noise specific enough to be credible — naming times, sources and frequency — while keeping the letter solution-focused rather than simply venting, and closing with a request the business could realistically act on.
Structure
Salutation — Dear Sir or Madam, — you do not personally know the manager, so keep the impersonal opening even though the issue is close to home.
Opening — Identify yourself as a nearby resident and state the noise problem in the same sentence so the manager knows immediately what the letter concerns.
Body 1 — Describe the noise itself precisely — what causes it, at what times, and how loud — rather than simply saying it is 'annoying'.
Body 2 — Explain the specific effect on your daily life (sleep, work, family) to make the complaint concrete rather than abstract.
Body 3 — Suggest one or two realistic, specific actions the business could take, showing you want a solution, not just to complain.
Closing — End by asking for a response within a reasonable time and sign off formally.
Model answers
Band 6.0 model answer
164 words
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to tell you about a noise problem from your gym, which opened next to my house on Elm Street last month. I live at number 14, right behind your building.
Every evening, loud music plays until very late, sometimes after 11 pm, and I can hear it clearly through my windows. There is also a lot of noise from the car park when people are leaving. This happens almost every night, not just at weekends.
Because of this noise, I cannot sleep well and I feel very tired at work the next day. My children also find it hard to fall asleep. This has been a problem for my family for several weeks now.
I would like you to turn the music down after 10 pm and ask staff to be quieter in the car park at night. I hope we can solve this problem together.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
Why this is Band 6.0
Uses simple, direct sentences such as 'Every evening, loud music plays until very late' rather than more developed description
Repetition of 'noise' and 'loud' throughout shows adequate but limited vocabulary range
The request stays basic: 'I would like you to turn the music down after 10 pm' is functional but plain
Grammar is accurate throughout with no errors that block meaning, typical of a solid Band 6 script
Band 7.0 model answer
179 words
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to raise a concern about the noise coming from your gym, which opened on Elm Street last month, directly behind my home at number 14.
Since the opening, loud music has been played most evenings, often continuing well after 11 pm, and is clearly audible through closed windows. In addition, considerable noise is generated in the car park as members leave late at night, particularly from car doors and conversations. This occurs almost daily rather than being limited to weekends.
As a result, my family and I have found it increasingly difficult to sleep, which has affected both my concentration at work and my children's ability to settle at night. What began as an occasional disturbance has become a persistent problem over the past few weeks.
I would therefore be grateful if you could lower the volume of music after 10 pm and remind staff and members to be considerate when leaving the premises late at night.
I would appreciate a response outlining what action can be taken.
Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
Why this is Band 7.0
Uses more precise vocabulary such as 'clearly audible' and 'considerable noise' instead of just 'loud'
The connector 'As a result' links cause and effect explicitly, showing controlled organisation
'I would therefore be grateful if you could' is a more sophisticated, formal request structure than a plain 'I would like'
The closing request for a written outline of action adds a small extra layer of development
Band 8.5 model answer
226 words
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to raise a concern regarding the level of noise coming from your gym, which opened last month on Elm Street, directly behind my home at number 14.
Since it opened, loud music has been played on most evenings, frequently continuing well past 11 pm and remaining clearly audible even through closed windows. Just as disruptive is the noise generated in the car park as members leave late at night — car doors slamming, engines starting, conversations carrying across the street — none of which would be an issue in isolation, but which together amount to a nightly disturbance rather than an occasional one.
Consequently, my family's sleep has been badly affected: my concentration at work has suffered, and my two young children now struggle to settle at night, something that never used to be a problem. What began as a minor irritation when the gym first opened has, over the past few weeks, become genuinely difficult to live with.
I would therefore ask that the music be lowered after 10 pm and that staff be reminded to encourage members to leave quietly, particularly once the evening classes end.
I would be grateful for a response setting out what steps you intend to take, and I remain hopeful that this can be resolved amicably between neighbours.
Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
Why this is Band 8.5
The listed detail 'car doors slamming, engines starting, conversations carrying across the street' shows flexible, idiomatic sentence control
'none of which would be an issue in isolation, but which together amount to a nightly disturbance' is a precisely judged complex sentence
'something that never used to be a problem' is natural, native-level phrasing rather than a textbook complaint
The closing 'I remain hopeful that this can be resolved amicably between neighbours' strikes an unusually well-judged, conciliatory register
Model answers written and reviewed by The English All-in-One IELTS team. They are teaching models showing what each band looks like, not real candidate scripts.
This is a formal letter question. The answers above show you what each band looks like when it is finished. What they cannot show you is how to get there from a blank page in twenty minutes.
That is what our Writing Study Library is for: the structure we teach for this exact question type, the paragraph pattern that goes with it, and the sentence openers for each stage — so the letter is planned before you start writing rather than assembled as you go.
Answers checked here may be published on this page, without your name, to help other learners. Nothing else about you is stored.
Common questions
Can I mention that I might complain to the council if the noise continues?
You can, but save it for a single, calm final sentence rather than an opening threat — the letter should read as a first attempt to resolve things directly with the business.
Should I describe the noise in decibels or just in plain words?
Plain, specific description ('loud music after 11 pm', 'car doors slamming') is more convincing than technical figures you cannot back up, and is what examiners expect at this level.
Is it too informal to mention my children can't sleep?
No — a brief, factual detail about the effect on your family is exactly the kind of specific consequence the second bullet point asks for, as long as it stays factual rather than emotional.
Do I need to suggest a solution, or just complain?
A specific, realistic suggestion, such as lowering the music after 10 pm, is what separates a Band 7+ letter from a Band 6 one — it shows you want resolution, not just to vent.
