# Letter apologising to a neighbour for noise: IELTS Writing Task 1 samples

Writing Task 1 - General Training - Community

You recently had a party at your home, and your neighbour has complained about the noise.

Write a letter to your neighbour. In your letter

Write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write any addresses. Begin your letter as follows: Dear Mr Collins,

You should say:
- apologise and explain why there was so much noise
- say what you will do to avoid this happening again
- suggest a way to make up for the disturbance

Source: Sample answers and examiner notes are written by Testmigo.

## Band 7 sample

Dear Mr Collins,

I am writing to say sorry for the noise from my flat on Friday night. I know the music was too loud and I understand why you were upset.

It was my birthday and some friends from university came to celebrate with me. I did not expect that so many people will come, and the party continued later than I planned. I should have told you about it beforehand.

In the future I will be more careful. If I have guests, I will ask them to leave before 11 p.m. and I will keep the windows closed, so the sound does not disturb you. I will also tell you a few days before if I am planning any event.

To make up for the trouble, I would like to invite you for a coffee at my flat this weekend. It would be a good chance for us to get to know each other better, since we have only spoken few times.

Once again, I'm really sorry about everything.

Yours sincerely,

Tariq Aziz

**Examiner notes.** This Band 7 letter apologises sincerely, covers all three bullets and offers practical steps such as closing the windows. The friendly coffee invitation suits the relationship. The tone is mostly appropriate, but "I'm really sorry about everything" is rather casual for a letter that opens formally. Slips such as "did not expect that so many people will come" and "only spoken few times" are noticeable. A Band 8 letter would vary its apology language and give more thoughtful detail.

The Band 8 sample is free with an account on the [topic page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/writing/topics/task-1/letter-to-neighbour-apologising-for-noise).

## Common questions

### How many words should I write?

At least 150 words for Task 1 and 250 for Task 2. Writing a little more is fine; an answer under the minimum loses marks.

### Can I use these sample answers in my test?

No. Memorised material is marked down and you will not get this exact question. Use the samples to see what each band does with the same task.