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Write an Email prompt

A friendly request regarding evening noise

Every scored sample answer Reach120 publishes for this prompt, banded so you can see the range rather than one version of "good".

3 sample answersGeneral

The prompt

As it appears in practice

Your new neighbor has been playing loud music late at night for the past week. This has been affecting your sleep and ability to concentrate on your work. You want to address this issue politely.

What the response has to do

  • Introduce yourself as their neighbor.
  • Describe how the noise is affecting you.
  • Suggest a solution that works for both of you.

Sample answers, by band

3 published

Reach120 practice band estimate — not an official ETS score How we estimate

Strong response

Band 5.04.0/5 rubric
To
apartment304@email.com
Subject
A friendly request regarding evening noise
Dear Sir in apartment 304 I am your next door neighbour from apartment 305. I am writing to firstly ,welcome you into the neighbourhood and secondly, ask you to kindly maintain a lower level of noise in the evenings. I am a mother of a small 5 month old child and for the past few days it has been extremely difficult to put my daughter to sleep as there is alot of loud music being played in your apartment and the sound carries over very clearly. Kindly play your tunes after 7:00 pm as then it wont disturb the rest of my infant and I can also get some sleep. Looking forward to seeing you at the next community block party, Your neighbour [name withheld]

What worked

  • Clear introduction
  • Polite tone
  • Specific suggestion

What cost points

  • Awkward phrasing
  • Lack of clarity in time suggestion
Read the full feedback on this answer

Strong response

Band 5.04.0/5 rubric
To
apartment304@email.com
Subject
A friendly request regarding evening noise
Dear Resident, I hope this email finds you well. My name is [name withheld], and I am your neighbor. Recently, I have been struggling with the loud music being played late at night for the past week. I am unable to sleep and concentrate on my work. I would greatly appreciate it if we could find a mutually agreeable solution to this issue. Perhaps we could agree on specific quiet hours that work for both of us. I am confident we can find a resolution. Your assistance in this matter would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to your response at your earliest convenience. Best regards, [name withheld].
Read the full feedback on this answer

Middle response

Band 4.53.5/5 rubric
To
apartment304@email.com
Subject
A friendly request regarding evening noise
My name is [name withheld], and I am your neighbor. I am writing this email about the loud music that you have played for the past week. I understand that you are on vacation from your company, and you wanted to celebrate. However, I would like to inform you that this music has affected my job. Because, as a teacher, I have some online classes during the evening, and my students were not concentrated due to the noise from your music. I would really appreciate it if you could play music during the afternoons, or if you could turn down the volume in the evenings. Thank you so much for your attention. Best Regards [name withheld]

What worked

  • Polite tone
  • Clear introduction
  • Acknowledgement of neighbor's situation

What cost points

  • Vague impact description
  • Incorrect word choice
Read the full feedback on this answer

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