Anatomy of a Band 9 GT Letter

Being told that a Band 9 letter "addresses every bullet point clearly" and "maintains a consistent tone" is easy to nod along to and hard to actually apply, because it doesn't show what that looks like sentence by sentence. What follows is a complete, original letter written to a genuine Band 9 standard for a specific invented task, followed by a close dissection of exactly what each part is doing — so you are studying a real structure, not a description of one.

The task: "You are living in a rented flat and need to move out soon. Write a letter to your landlord. In your letter: explain that you will be moving out and give the required notice; ask them to arrange a final inspection; request information about the deposit and returning the keys."

Dear Mr Patterson,

I am writing to inform you that I will be moving out of the flat at 14 Baywater Court on 30 September, and to raise a concern about the deposit that was paid at the start of the tenancy.

As stated in the tenancy agreement, I am required to give two months' notice, and this letter serves as that formal notice, taking effect from today's date. I have thoroughly enjoyed living in the property over the past two years and have taken good care of it throughout that time, including repainting the hallway last spring at my own expense.

I would be grateful if you could confirm a suitable date for the final inspection, ideally during the week of 22 September, so that any concerns can be addressed before I leave rather than afterwards. I would also like to request that the full deposit be returned promptly, given that the flat has been well maintained and all rent payments have been made on time throughout the tenancy.

Finally, could you please let me know the process for returning the keys, and whether you would prefer these to be posted or handed over in person? I would appreciate a response at your earliest convenience so that I can plan the remainder of the move accordingly.

Yours sincerely,

Daniel Ha

Look at how the opening is calibrated. The recipient is a named individual in a professional-but-personal relationship, so the letter uses "Dear Mr Patterson" rather than the more distant "Dear Sir/Madam" and rather than an informal first name — and the very first sentence, "I am writing to inform you that I will be moving out... and to raise a concern about the deposit," matches that same register immediately: direct and businesslike, but not cold. This is the register decision made correctly in the first five words, before a single bullet point has even been addressed.

Now check bullet coverage sentence by sentence. The first bullet, giving notice, is handled explicitly and even legally grounded: "As stated in the tenancy agreement, I am required to give two months' notice, and this letter serves as that formal notice, taking effect from today's date" — a reader could not mistake this for anything other than formal notice being given, with a specific date attached. The second bullet, arranging an inspection, gets its own clearly signposted request: "I would be grateful if you could confirm a suitable date for the final inspection, ideally during the week of 22 September." The third bullet, the deposit and keys, is split across two related sentences rather than crammed into one: "I would also like to request that the full deposit be returned promptly" and "could you please let me know the process for returning the keys." Each bullet maps onto identifiable, separate sentences — nothing is buried or merely implied.