IELTS Band 8 Letter Sample: Letter to a friend thanking him for a favour

This letter was written by one of our students. It may contain spelling and grammar mistakes.

Letter task

A friend has agreed to look after your house and pet while you are on holiday.
Write a letter to your friend. In your letter

• give contact details for when you are away
• give instructions about how to care for your pet
• describe other household duties

Student’s response

Dear John,
Thank you for volunteering to take care of my place while I am away. It is truly benevolent, and it means a lot to me. I am writing to run over the main house chores for your reference. If there is anything else that you are unsure of please get in touch with me.  You can reach me via my local number for emergencies. Otherwise, you can call the hotel number, which I will post on the fridge.

My fish are the primary reason I have asked for your help. I have cleaned the aquarium, but you will need to clean the filter once a day. There is no specific time for that, so you can do it at a different time everyday. However, timing is crucial when it comes to feeding the fish. They need to be fed 3 times a day, with a duration of 5-8 hours between any two feedings.

Other than that, there isn’t much to worry about in the house. You just need to take the trash bins out on Sunday. The garbage and recycling bins are clearly marked. Also, please remember to lock both the main door and the grill when you leave the house.

Many thanks again John,

Ahmed