letter of complaint task b1

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IELTS General Writing Task 1: Complaint Letter

IELTS Complaint Letter is a formal or semi-formal type of letter where you are given a situation that you wish to be resolved in some way.

Complaint letters are used to raise your concerns about unfair things, such as bad service, faulty goods, problems with people and to seek a productive outcome.

Here is an example how the task may look like:

WRITING TASK 1 (General)

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

You have had a problem with your next-door neighbour. You have not been able to speak to your neighbour about this.

Write a letter to this neighbour. In your letter

• Explain the problem
• Suggest a solution
• Say what action you will take if the situation does not improve

Write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Note! You will find the IELTS Complaint Letter Sample with grammar corrections and estimated band score down below.

IELTS Complaint Letter Structure & Vocabulary

We have listed for you the letter structure of IELTS Complaint Letter with common phrases you can use to get the correct structure and right tone.

COMPLAINT LETTER

• 1 Dear Sir/Madam, (or name if given)
• 2 Explanation: 1-2 sentences what you are complaining about
• 3 Explain in more detail
• 4 What action you want the person or company to take
• 5 Formal ending, name, signature
• Dear Sir/Madam, (or name if given)
• I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with the ... / my concern about
• I am writing to complain about ... / I had been led to believe ...
• I would like to draw your attention to ...
• The reason I am writing to you is poor quality of a ... , which I bought in your store.
• After only two times it was in use, problems started to appear.
• what had happened, what is the problem
• I was supposed to receive ... . Unfortunately, that never happened.
• I could not believe that ...
• what are you unhappy about
• You can imagine how unhappy I was to discover ...
• I regret to inform you that your service was below my expectations.
• what did you do to resolve the situation
• I contacted your store immediately in order to return ...
• When I tried to contact you by phone no one could offer me any sensible answer.
• how do you feel about the problem
• You can imagine how receiving this offer upset me.

• The ideal solution would be ... / Nevertheless, I hope/assume you will replace ...
• I hope you can settle this matter by ... (doing smth)
• I insist on getting a refund of ...
• I am very disappointed with the ... . Therefore I expect a full refund of $100 as soon as possible.
• I hope this matter will be resolved / I trust the situation will improve.
• I look forward to hearing from you!
• I look forward to receiving a prompt reply!
• Yours sincerely, ... (you know the name of person you are writing to)
• Yours faithfully, ... (you don't know the name!)

Learn by playing!

Learning should be fun, right? For that reason, we have created a little game in order to help you learn useful vocabulary and phrases for writing complaint letters.

There are 15 questions in total and the questions are in random order. Give it a try and test your knowledge. Just click the answer!

Useful phrases

• misleading information
• I would like to complain about the poor quality of service I recently received from your company.
• I wish to make a complaint regarding your inefficient staff. (level of service)
• I am writing to complain about the poor train service your company provided from the 5th to the 12th of November. / ... and I missed my plane as a result.
• I am writing to you about the party ... . I have a number of complaints. I hope you will agree that it was a very disappointing evening.
• The problems do not stop here. / ... / Furthermore, ...
• To begin with ... / In addition to this, ... / Added to this, there was no ...
• ... was not worth the money I paid for it.
• Having paid a lot of money for the ... , I found this extremely frustrating
• In your ... you promised a pleasant ... . This was definitely not my experience.
• However, I would like to point out that ...
• I feel I am entitled to a partial refund in addition to an apology for the inconvenience caused.
• Furthermore, you will find a bill on the value of ... . I expect it to be compensated as well.
• I would appreciate it if you could look into the matter as soon as possible.

IELTS Complaint Letter Sample (Corrected)

Begin as follows: Dear ... ,

Dear Mr. Stafford,

I am writing to you to complain about a problem that has recently appeared with may have been caused by your kids.

First of all, as I have been made redundant since last month, I need to spend a lot of time at home. However, your kids make it impossible to stay in have any peace, especially soon after they have arrived ( at ) home from school. They play with a ball indoors, run around and listen to music too loud ly . I have really tried not to pay too much attention to it this and I have had hoped that things would settle without a real need of forbidding needing to forbid them from enjoying themselves. At the same time However, the situation tends to get is getting worse.

As I do not use a phone and I have not seen you around in /for a while, I have decided to contact to you by post. I would like to ask whether it would be okay for you to restrain your kids and explain that there are other people living in the house as well. Otherwise, I am will be compelled to report this matter to the police.

I seriously hope that my letter will not create too much confusion any ill-feeling between us and we could can remain as good neighbours.

Yours sincerely,

(206 words)

Band Score Estimate (prior to corrections)

Brief comments:

• to report something (to somebody)

"I have 7+ years of IELTS teaching experience . I will correct your grammar and give suggestions for more appropriate word use. I will give you tips on how to answer the question in the way the IELTS examiners expect." — Claudia, IELTS teacher from the UK

LETTER RESOURCES

Types of Letters

Job Application Letter

Complaint letter.

Business Letter

Request Letter

Informal Letter

Linking words for IELTS

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IELTS Complaint Letter: Model

Below is a model IELTS complaint letter which is estimated at band score 9. People taking the GT writing paper will be expected to write a letter for their writing task 1. That letter should be over 150 words. Complaint letters are one of the most common types of letters that you can be expected to write.

You bought a TV a week ago but when you got home you discovered it did not work properly. You called customer service to report the problem but you have not yet received any help. Write a letter to the company and in your letter: introduce yourself explain the problem and state what action you would like from the company

Model IELTS Complaint Letter

The letter below will show you how to organise information into paragraphs and extent information to create a high band score IELTS complaint letter. Note that this is a long letter. People who are below band 9 should not aim for this. It is usually better to aim between 170 and 190 words. Long letters also don’t increase your score. However, I wanted to show you examples of how ideas can be expanded and for this reason, this sample letter is longer than normal.

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing this letter to report the faulty TV that I purchased from your company on Tuesday last week.

My name is John Davidson and I am one of your frequent customers. I live in Woodstock and have been using your services and buying your products for the last 11 years.

On Tuesday, 12th June, I visited your store to purchase a TV. I bought a Toshiba LED TV which has the code 40L675B40. On purchasing this TV, I was assured that this was the latest model and the best there was to buy. However, when I got home I discovered that not only did the remote controls not work but also the quality of the picture was not as good as promised, in fact it was quite blurry. I called your customer service department immediately on Tuesday and they assured me that my TV would be replaced or fixed within two days. I am disappointed to say that this has not happened and I have received no communication since then.

I am exceedingly displeased with both the quality of the product I purchased from your company as well as the poor  service I have received since. I hope this problem will be resolved promptly. I expect to receive a replacement TV or have my current TV repaired but only if it could be fixed within a day.

I look forward to hearing back from you immediately.

Yours faithfully,

Mr J H Davidson

Recommended for GT IELTS Writing Task 1

Click below:

Essential Tips for IELTS GT Letters: Writing Task 2

Practice IELTS Letters to practice at home

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Hi Liz, may I request you to have a look at the letter I wrote. Any feedback will be highly appreciated and will help me a lot in my prepration. Thank you for your youtube lessons.

Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing to complain about the Samsung TV, which was bought three days ago from Walmart. I will start by first introducing myself. My name is Ram Prasad, a resident of the city of Mississauga. I am currently a student at Sheridan college, pursuing Business administration finance course. I bought a Samsung 32’ inch LED TV three days ago and when I came home and tried turning it on, I noticed that the television does not respond to the remote control that comes with it. I tried putting in new batteries and even bought a new TV console, but the problem still remains the same. I called customer service the same day and they opened a service ticket (59487) for me, and I was promised a technician would be here the following day to fix the issue. I still have not heard anything back from them and the service number is always busy. Could you please have a look into this matter and send a technician at your earliest convenience, as my parents are visiting me next week and father is fond of watching TV. I look forward to hearing from you. Yours sincerely, Ram Prasad.

I don’t usually give feedback. But I will mention too points. If the instructions ask you to introduce yourself, the introduction information is in relation to the aims of the letter and the person you are writing to. It is of no importance at all to someone dealing with customer service complaints what subject you study. That information is irrelevant. Also check your understanding of the passive voice. When you write “the TV, which was bought three days ago”, the use of passive voice here means that the person doing the buying (which is yourself) is not important in the sentence. But that is not the case at all. It is essential that you make it clear – you bought the TV. So, the use of the passive voice is actually a grammar error.

Thank you for the feedback much appreciated!

Greetings from sunny Romania. We are a class of 11th grade students and you have helped us immensely. It might be sunny outside, but because of you, it’s even sunnier in our hearts. We wish to express our gratitude for your teachings. In moments of difficulty and sorrow, we turn to you. Thank you and multumesc from the bottoms of our sun-filled hearts.

P.S. don’t reject our comment or we’ll cry. 🙁

How can I miss such a sweet comment? I’m glad my lessons bring some joy. I want people to enjoy learning because it’s such a positive thing to do in life. And I don’t think preparing for IELTS should be stressful, it should be challenging but enjoyable. Greetings to your class and to all in Romania – such a lovely country 🙂 Wishing you all the best, Liz 🙂

I am writing this letter to express my disappointment about my last purchased TV online order which was received two days ago under my name, Mohamed Ali, loyal card ID number 32133. First of all, I was taken aback when I unpacked the Sony TV carton, The TV LED screen was cracked at the top left corner with clear internal damage. Additionally, it has been shipped without a remote control device and some invaluable accessories such as a wall mount bracket and holders plus the power cable. By no means certain that the TV would function well, not only do I think this is because of its dysfunctional, but also because of its old brand version and availability of the needed spare parts. Therefore, I contacted your after-sales services to stake a claim and report the incident. Unfortunately, no one responded to my calls and e-mails as promised in your advertisement to cover any warranty claims. It should not be taken for granted that your company would prioritize its customer satisfaction and fulfillment anymore. Consequently, you are kindly requested to refund my money as I have already shipped the TV back to your address with the DHL tracking number DW25328764. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter and I look forward to hearing from you soon. Yours faithfully Mohamed Ali.

Hey Elizabeth, I just wanted to ask that if we have to write a letter to our friend but the name of the friend is not mentioned in the question. What we will write in our very first line of letter e.g Dear ??

I will be very thankful to you if you can answer that.

You should imagine a name: Dear Tom See this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-letter-writing-essential-tips/

Dear sir My name is Louis Fateza and I am your loyal customer I since 3 years when I am purchased your brand products and yours products have a better quality since 9 months but now in your brand quality has some issues. And now I bought a Tv two months ago form your shop it’s model has LG DEo DF 278 PRMZ I am extremely disappointed to purchased your TV When , I opened Tv the tv screen given blurred and looked like a greeny screen the speaker of Tv is also not working properly I called your customer service department the better reply is not found within two or three days .I am disappointed to say that this not happened .

I hope this problem solve immediately and provides a better reply form yours I except to receive a replacement or have my current TV repaired. Thanking you Yours faithfully Louis Fateza

Dear Sir, My name is Jacob, and I am a technical manager. I am writing this letter to inform you regarding a defective TV that I had ordered from your company’s website a week ago.

On January 15th, I had ordered a 75” Samsung Ultra-OLED TV on your company’s website, and got it delivered in a seal-packed carton, yesterday. However, upon turning on, it has turned out to be a defective piece. Upon turning it on, black checker-boxes appear, and only the green colour appear. Upon checking at your website, I found out that this is a usual defect in this series and needs repair or replacement. I called and even wrote to the customer-service, but the team has refused to create a Service Request

Hence, I request you to urgently look in this matter and assist me as the refund period is expiring. I seek immediate replacement or refund. I shall request for a revert within next 72 hours failing which, unfortunately, I shall have to raise this matter with the local consumer court and seek additional penalty for the sub-par service. The details are enclosed.

Yours Faithfully,

Dear Sir, I am Adam Gill, who is long time loyal customer of your company’s product. I am writing to complain about faulty TV set which I bough last week on 5th October from town plaza shop. I bought 52-inch smart Magma TV and requested for home delivery which got delivered next day. After I turned ON the TV, I found that it was not able to connect to Wi-Fi because of some software issue. I immediately called to the customer care and followed their instruction to reset the TV, however it didn’t resolve the issue. After this they told me that they will send the technician to fix this issue, but its more than a week and no technician showed up yet. I didn’t expect this type of service from a reputed company like yours. I want to request you to either exchange this faulty TV with the new one or refund the money without any further delay. If no action is taken from your end to resolve this issue, I will be bound to take this matter to court. I hope to hear back from you soon. Yours faithfully, Adam Gill

I am a lifelong customer of the Samsung Brand. I am writing to complain about my recent purchase of a Samsung 36-inch TV, model number 9XWRV.

When I opened the box reaching home, I found some minor scratches on the TV screen. As I plugged in the supply I found a dark spot on right down corner. At first, I ignored that but as I used it for two days, the dark spot started expanding, and now it almost has covered ten percent of the TV screen. I complained about the problem to your customer service one week before, they told me that our technician will come there to fix the problem, but still I have not found any progress.

I would like your kind office to prioritize my complaint and fix the issue, I would recommend to provide me new TV rather than fixing the old one.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Dear Sir/Madam,

My name is Peter Darson and i m your loyal customer since 5 years from now and enjoyed your products and service since then

I m writing this letter to you to complain about the TV which I bought from your store last week on Sunday.

It was a latest LG Smart TV P6758 with smart Wi-Fi and other smart features.This TV was purchased on offer price when the offer was valid. I was very happy that I got a latest model with smart features in such a low price. But to my surprise, TV starts to blur in 3 days from the date of purchase and also some of the smart features are also not functional. I tried everything to fix it myself but failed to do so after number of attempts following catalogue/manual instructions. Then I contacted Technical Supports Department to help sort out the issue on prompt basis and comforted me that they will fix it in a day. Nevertheless, I did not heard back from then since then. I m now very disappointed with your services and the products which you offer.

Kindly do the needful to fix this problem in a day or two or else replace it with a new one before this matter gets escalated to the higher management.

Hope the concern will be solved on urgent basis.

Yours Sincerely Peter Darson

I am writing in connection to a TV purchased one week ago, most exactly on 27th June.

let me introduce myself, my name is Lina Munoz, one of the frequents and loyal customers, I have been in your establishment during 5 years since I moved to this area, because I really like the the variety and the quality of the products which you provide.

As I mentioned before I bought a TV which was the last LG generation with high quality according to the seller was one of the best options in the market, I was pretty happy because that was just that I was looking for. However, when I got home, and I try to use it, it works well, but after 10 minutes on, half of the screen became completely dark, I reboot it but when it was on again the screen looked the same, so I decided to call immediately to your technique support to report the issue and they promised me to repair it and give it back in 3 days, but I have not received any response from them.

So I would like to ask you if you can fix it or change it for a new one as soon as possible, and make sure this issues will not happen again.

I look forward a prompt solution from you.

yours faithfully,

Hi Liz, can you tell me please if looks good or if I missed something? thank you

I am writing this letter to report a problem regarding the TV that I purchased from your showroom last week.

My Name is Nasir Nawaz, your frequent customer for almost a decade. I have purchased various electronic households from you but never had such a bad experience.

I purchase a Television set from your shop last tuesday, 2nd April. It was Sony LED with product code L40367898. while I was purchasing, I was informed of its high defintion picture quality. However, as soon as I reached home and switched-on the TV, the picture was quite blurry and experience was miserable. SInce it was provided with warranty and upon contacting your helpline, I was assured to pick it from my place and get it repaired in a day’s time but I have been waiting since then.

I want an immediate action from your end in order to replace the faulty TV set or get it repaired by tomorrow. Else I would be compelled to escalate it to your company headquarters as well as post my experience on social media also. So, i urge you to act on urgent basis to fix this matter ASAP.

I will be looking forward to hear from you soon.

Yours Faithfully, Nasir Nawaz

Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing this letter to express my utter dissatisfaction for the online purchase of play station on Tuesday Last week. To begin with, I have ordered this product on 25th March 2021 and got delivered at my home on 31st March. Along with the dispatch order I also received the invoice for this for which I also got the warranty for 5 years on this from the date of the purchase. Unfortunately, on purchasing this I was assured that this was the latest model and the best there was to buy. However, when I tried to install this with my android Tv, I discovered that the quality of the product was not that good as promised. Lastly, at the time of purchase its clearly mentioned on the portal that it should support all platforms but now its not working. Finally, I would like to request please either refund my money or exchange this at the earliest and deliver it to home. Hope you will take my complaint in to consideration and will get this resolved ASAP. Looking forward to hearing from you soon. Yours faithfully Rohit Dogra

This is Kyle Wong, and I am writing to report a problem with a TV that I purchased from your store last week. I bought a Sony Bravia, model X27 on 12 October 2020 from the store on Charing Cross road. My invoice number is SBO10769.

I am sorry to inform you that the TV’s volume functionality is not working properly. The TV, by default, starts on maximum volume and the ‘volume down key’ is unable to lower it. I am able to switch between multiple channels and the remote also seems functional. Therefore, I suspect that something is wrong with the internal volume control circuitry of the television.

I noticed this problem on the same day that I purchased the TV and immediately called customer service to report it. I was promised to be paid a visit by one of your technicians. A week has passed since then and I have not yet received any assistance. Therefore, I would like to request you to send customer service personnel for help as soon as possible. I look forward to hearing back from you immediately.

Yours sincerely, Kyle Wong

I am writing this letter to inform you regarding a failure on a product that i purchased from your company.My name is Linda Luxwell and I have bought a 55″ Samsung HD television from your Glenroy store on last Wednesday 22nd of November.My invoice number is DC7475858 and on that day my sales assistant was Jamis.

The television was not there in original condition as I have noticed.Oftenly I request to open the packaging in front of me before I acquire something valuable.However I trusted your well known brand name and the goodwill of your company.In addition to that the audio and visual cabals which should connect with DVD player ,have been broken. It is very sad to ought to say that I attempted in several times to get contacted with your customer service department and seek a reasonable response ,However they repeatedly neglected this complain and eventually telephone line was disconnected by them.

In order to rectify this faults , I would like to request to allocate a member of your maintainance section immediately.I have not been able to watch the television for last seven days even after paying a significant amount of money. Hence I appreciate if you could replace another tv from same category until I get this repaired.

It is crucial to give your prompt attention on this issue, If not I will have to take necessary legal actions against to your company.

yours faithfully

Mashi Peters

Dear Sir / Madam,

My name is John, and I am writing in to seek a resolution on a defective product I bought last week (October 12th) at your Victoria Road outlet.

Having purchased the Samsung LED Smart TV, I proceeded to follow the manual to set it up. The TV seemed to be working fine until I tried switching to ‘Movie Mode’ when the screen blanked out completely. I could still hear the audio in the background without any visuals appearing.

I have been trying to get hold of Customer Support since then, but I have not heard back despite following up with multiple emails to the Samsung Service Centre and calls to the Automated Customer Support line.

Since ‘Samsung Purchase Warranty’ extends for a month from purchase – till November 12th – it would be helpful if you could replace the defective product with a new one.

Additionally, I am enclosing herewith a copy of the receipt that contains Purchase Date, Product Code and Invoice Number along with the Warranty card with the validity period clearly outlined.

I am earnestly looking forward to a favorable response to this disappointing experience.

Yours Sincerely, John

Hello Liz, There’s a visible displeasure in the tone of your letter, which should definitely be the case with regards to a complaint. But I wrote it first without looking at your letter and mine was more of a firm request sans major discontent. Will I be marked less for not showing my emotions aptly?

Not at all. It’s completely up to you if you wish emotions or not in a complaint letter. However, showing displeasure is normal if something that should work doesn’t work causing you problems. So, really, your tone will depend on what the problem is that you are reporting. But remember, this is a complaint letter, not a request letter.

My name is Mahmoud JD. I live in Newyork city, telephone number: **********. I have purchased a television from your storge a week ago, receipt number: 220654R.

I am facing a problem with the television wifi connection, since it is a smart TV, it should have an automatic wifi connection feature, which is already mentioned in the catalog of the TV. Once you operate it you must go through the settings to activate the manual connection option which is I believe there is a problem with the wifi chip and the hard-drive inside the TV.

I have raised a complaint for almost a week. Even though I paid for the insurance and periodic maintenance fees until now no action has been taken from your side. Although I have the right to request an immediate refund in terms of company and consumer policy. I rapidly demand a replacement for this TV otherwise, I will raise a complaint to the top management and request money back.

Best Regards.

Mahmoud JD.

i have a question, in your second sentence which goes as “My name is John Davidson and I am one of your frequent customers. . I live in Woodstock and have been using your services and buying your products for the last 11 years”.

instead of that mentioning the address after the name;-

if i wrote “my name is John Davidson and i Live in Woodstock. I am one of your frequent customers and have been using your services and buying your products for the last 11 years”.

could you elaborate why you have mentioned the address in the subsequent sentence not with name sentence

Because it makes no difference at all in IELTS. If the information is given in the same paragraphing it is fine.

Thank you Liz for your prompt response. i hope you are doing well

Thanks Liz for all the resources available for this writing test 1 lessons. I would, however, like to ask if it is fine to include address and if this attracts a penalty or adds to the word count.

It would add to the word count – all words written on the answer sheet lines are counted. It would be unnecessary information and I don’t recommend you do it.

Dear Smith, I’m writing to report that the TV set I bought from your shop last week malfunctioned.

My name is Smith and I’m resident at simbock in the yde vi municipality. I have be your regular customer for the past two years and this has never happened.

I purchased a 50inches Hisense tv from your shop last week Tuesday, 22nd July, 2023. Before paying for this tv I was made to understand it’s the best quality I could find in the market but unfortunately when I reached home the remotes didn’t work. in addition to the faulty remote, the graphics were quite poor. I immediately called the customer service line and was told I will be given a different tv that meets my expectations but I as write, I haven’t heard from anyone again. I would appreciate if the tv is replaced before today ends or I will be happy to return the tv and my money given back to me. I am looking forward to hearing from you regarding this issue as soon as possible. Yours sincerely, Smith

We have used as many as 11 times the word “I” Is it appropriate?? Please reply quickly🙏

Of course it is fine. Some words will be repeated. Not every word needs to be paraphrased. Choose the words you wish to keep the same and paraphrase those that can be easily and well paraphrased.

Hey Liz You told taht letter to your boss is formal. So we have to use Yours faithfully. But in one of your sample paper, you have used Yours sincerely. I guess you have not makde a clear difference between formal and semi formal letter. Regards

You seem to have misunderstood. Yours sincerely and Yours faithfully are both used for formal letters. See this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-letter-writing-essential-tips/

Hi, Liz, how are you? What do you think of my letter? is it ok if I make a joke, for instance, about my TV not being so smart? Thanks.

Dear Sir/Madam, My name is Sarah Lynch. I have been a frequent customer of your shop for a very long time and I am always pleased with the services you offer. Last week I bought a 40 inch LG Smart TV for my daughter´s room but I am sorry to say that the TV doesn´t seem very smart to me. For some mysterious reason it will not connect to the wifi as it should. At the beginning I thought I was doing something wrong but after speaking to customer service and tried all sorts of tricks they told me to, we came to the conclusion that the device is indeed falty and needed to be replaced. The conversation with customer service was a week ago and although they promised to get in contact again the next day to arrange the pickup and exchange, I still haven´t heard back from them. I would very much like to get this issue sorted so please reverse back to me as soon as possible. You can find my contact details under my frequent shopper ID number 1022457. I look forward to hearing back from you. Yours faithfully, Sarah Lynch (18 min – 194 words)

Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing this letter in regards to the television I purchased a week ago from the Brentwood store. My name is Isabelle Franco and I am one of your frequent customers. I live in the Brentwood area and have been using the products of your brand since the last 10 years. As mentioned earlier, I purchased the television from the Brentwood store, I made the payment in store but had asked for a drop-home service for the television. The television that I chose was working well at the store but to my surprise when I set it up at home the screen displayed black and white vision. I tried contacting the customer service to report the problem regarding the television but unfortunately, I still haven’t received any support till the very moment. I have been disappointed by the service and product. I request you to get this repaired and if need be it would be the best to replace the product at the earliest. I am looking forward for a prompt help.

Yours faithfully, Isabelle Franco

Hello Liz The sample letters written on this blog have no address, is it the style for writing letters for IELTS

It is a language test, not a real letter. You do not need an address or a date or a reference.

Firstly, I wanted to thank you for all the tips and knowledge about this test. It’s been really helpful.

I have a question about signing off and name at the end of the GT writing task 1. Are these words counted too in the word count (150)?

Each word you write on the lines of the answer sheet will be counted.

Dear Sir, A letter of complaint I am Farls Davidson, a daily customer of your shop. I am writing to draw your attention about the goods that are been sold in the store. Recently (10th February 2020), I purchased a Television from your shop and I was extremely disappointed to find that it does not function well. Even though, I requested the staff members to open the Television 📺 in the shop, they refused it in a way that never have done, Therefore, I was in a ❓doubt, but since I trusted your quality service, I never expected that such a dissatisfaction would occur. To make matters worse, when I ☎️ dialed the consumer hotline, I found that the customer service is worst as when I complained about the television 📺, no one paying attention on me as they simply passing the telephone call over one another for fun which was such an embarrassment to me. Therefore, I kindly to look 👀 in to my matter and I would we grateful if you could refund my 💲money back or else replace the 📺television with a well functioning software operation. In addition, as a loyal customer, I trust the situation would improve if a new set of staff employees are recruited so that future sales 📈 could also be increased. In conclusion, I hope 🙏 we could sort out this matter amicably and I believe that I will not have to take any 📝legal action towards this afore mentioned ⚠️issue. Thank you. F.Davidson

Hi! I would be grateful if you could read this letter writing ✏️ of mine and inform me regarding the errors and the marks that I could possibly recieve. Thank you for your immense support

Sorry, I do not provide a marking service.

Hi Liz, In first bullet point it says to introduce yourself and you have written a good sentence to introduce your self. Before reading your sample answer I wrote this letter myself. For the first bullet point I just wrote my name in introductory paragraph and then I wrote a whole paragraph to introduce myself. What do you think of my answer please?

Thanks, Yasir

The introduction of yourself needs to be appropriate for the aims and style of the letter and also be appropriate for the person you are writing to. A complain letter is formal in nature – this means the introduction of yourself is short, formal and without any descriptive flourishes.

Will we be penalized if we go over the word counts for the GT Writing Tasks? What are the recommended word counts for both the GT Writing Tasks?

There is no penalty for being over the word count. But it does not help your score at all. It means you might produce more errors in language and deliver a less focused piece of writing – those two points might lower your score. See this page for all information and tips: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-1-lessons-and-tips/

You mentioned that “Name” should not be given in the body of the letter. However, I noticed that the very first line of your letter is having the name as – My name is John Davidson.

Could you please help to explain.

There are no fixed rules. You are looking for black and white rules. IELTS have only limited rules about writing and it doesn’t include small detail like that. Mostly it is advice that teachers give you. It is not necessary to have the name twice in a letter.

hi liz when question say introduce yourself .should we use our real name? or any name.

God bless u. thanks.

The letter is fictional.

I recently attempted one of your questions of an informal letter about staying over with a friend while on a holiday vacation, Kindly help me rate my work.

Dear Sam, It was a great experience to have stayed over at your place on my holiday trip to London. I had been eagerly waiting to meet you, after we had parted our ways on graduating.

The moment I stepped into your house I felt a sense of joy and warmth as it always did even during our graduation. I had always wanted to experience London as a destination for vacation. My visit to London had been an eventful one. I got to see the great Big Ben, that reminded me of the story of, “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”, all thanks to the lovely hop-on bus tour you had booked for me. I especially enjoyed the evenings spent with you at the Tower Bridge. We recounted our funny, witty and embarrassing moments we encountered during our graduation, and the lovely bond of friendship we had developed over time.

As a special gift I am sending a collage, capturing all the lovely moments we had spent during my visit to London for a holiday at your place.

I hope to see you soon.

Your’s Samantha

Hi Liz Please rate my letter below – its about forgetting my wallet after a week long trip with a friend

I must say that the week we spent has actually made me feel refreshed out of my hectic work schedule. All thanks to you for organising it.

The trip was indeed full of adventure and now when it is over I realise how tiring it was. I did not wake up during my entire return journey. But ironically the moment instepped at my home i realised, while unpacking, that i have forgotten my wallet in your hand bag. Needless to say that it is difficult to stay without the wallet as i have all my ID proofs and bank cards in it.

Henceforth I would request you if you can courier the wallet via Bluedart as disclosing the details of the wallet to them. I would be highly great full. I am hereby mentioning my address for your convenience.

Hoping to meet soon.

Yours Lovingly Richa

Hi, In my opinion, this letter needs to be an informal one , but has a formal tone in the end “I would request”, “for your convenience” . Some spelling errors that can be avoided if you proof read your essay “great full – grateful”.

Your content is good. Good luck.

Hi Liz/Rashmi

Any comments on the below letter

Asking for a reference from a teacher

Dear Kajal Man

Hope you in good hewlth. I am writing this letter to you to inform about my job placement and also request you for acting as a reference

I am placed with an FMCG gaint – a multinational headquartered at Switzerland. I will be a part of their India business in sales team as Sales Officer. As this is going to be my first job I could not find a better reference than you as you are someone with whom i have worked quiet closely during my college days. You would be in a better position to tell them about me.

This reference is extremely important to for various reasons. Firstly it is my first job and it will help me in defining my career path. Secondly this is one of the dream companies I always desired to be associated with. So when asked about a reference i can definitely look up to you.

For reference they can ask you about my performance in college, my personality traits and also about my take on life. I am sure your would give them a positive feedback about me. Your little contribution would make huge difference to me.

Thanks & Regards Richa

Is it ok to combine the first point with the opening statement? As in your model letter above, the personal introduction has been included in the opening statement, which, in this case is technically the best way to go at it. But in other cases, is it acceptable?

Also, the first paragraph is rather brief compared to the other two. Could this risk getting a lower band score?

Thanks in advance,

Letters do not have paragraphs of equal length. As long as you add information where necessary and expand in the right places, it’s fine. Sometimes the opening line might contain some of the required information – not common in formal letters though.

That explains it well Liz. Thank you once again.

Cheers, Shailesh

Firstly thank you for your selfless contribution. You are really a saviour for the students like me who want to achieve high score in IELTS but somehow lacks in one or other aspect.

There is a question in my mind- Can there be varying length of the paragraphs as written above? I am bit confused as this is not the case in task-2.

You do not need paragraphs of equal length in task 1. The marking criteria are not the same for task 1 as they are for task 2.

Hello Liz ma’am I am confussed about it. In formal letters,Do we need Subject line to mention. Salutations should be on right side or left side.

The letter should be written exactly as you see it above. This is a letter for a language test, not a real letter.

Hello Liz…. Have you any mock test sample for preparation.

There’s one free full IELTS test on the British Council IELTS website. My website contains free lessons, tips, model answers, topics etc. Go to the HOME page to learn how to open those lessons or use the RED MENU BAR at the top of the website. My lessons help you develop skills and build essential awareness.

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IELTS Complaint Letter  

In this lesson, I show you step-by-step how to write an IELTS complaint letter. These come up regularly in General Writing Task 1 so you need to know how to plan and write them.

Here’s what the lesson includes:

Question structure

Letter structure.

• Formal or informal?
• Greeting & signoff
• Generating ideas
• Sample letters

All questions for IELTS letters have the same structure. They are made up of 3 parts.

Part 1 –  The topic.

Part 2 –  The person you must write to.

Part 3 –  What you should write about (listed as 3 bullet points).

Here is a sample question for a letter of complaint with the 3 parts illustrated.

Understanding this will help you to quickly analyse the question and plan your answer. To help you plan, use the letter structure below.

For a full lesson on planning click here: How To Plan IELTS Letters

The  layout of your IELTS complaint letter should follow the structure of the question and consist of four paragraphs with a greeting at the beginning and a signoff at the end.

Use this easy to remember 6 part structure.

1)  Dear .....

2)  Paragraph 1:  Purpose – why you are writing

3)  Paragraph 2:  Write about 1 st  bullet point

4)  Paragraph 3:  Write about 2 nd  bullet point

5)  Paragraph 4:  Write about 3 rd  bullet point

6)  Signoff

All you need to do to create your plan is to add in the details from the question, like this:

  1)  Dear .....  (manager)

  2)  Paragraph 1:  Purpose –  to complain about the sports centre changing rooms

  3)  Paragraph 2:    describe the problem with the changing rooms (bullet point 1)

  4)  Paragraph 3:   what happened the last times you complained  (bullet point 2)

  5)  Paragraph 4:   explain what you want the manager to do  (bullet point 3)

  6)  Signoff

Formal & Informal IELTS Letters

Your letter must be written in the appropriate tone and style. There are two options:

• Formal – to someone you don’t know or don’t know well.
• Informal – to a friend or close family member.

It is essential that you are able to identify what type of question you’re required to write.

Follow this general rule:

• If the question includes the word ‘friend’, use informal language.
• If the question  does not  include the word ‘friend’, use formal language.

An IELTS complaint letter will almost always be addressed to someone you don’t know and will thus be a formal letter, so this is what we’ll focus on for the rest of the lesson.

Two parts of the letter that require very specific formal language are the greeting at the beginning and the signoff at the end so we’ll begin with these.

The Greeting & Signoff

The greeting.

There are two ways you can begin your formal IELTS complaint letter.

• Use  Dear Sir or Madam  if you don’t know the name of the person you are writing to.
• Use  Dear + surname  if you do know their name, e.g.  Dear Mr Smith  or  Dear Mrs Jones .

It’s very likely that you would not know the name of someone you were making a complaint to but if you want to use a surname, just make one up.

The greeting you use will determine how you sign off your letter.

The Signoff

For a formal letter, there are two main options. The correct one will depend on who you are addressing:

• Dear Mrs Jones (name known) – Yours sincerely
• Dear Sir/Madam (name unknown) – Yours faithfully

Always sign off a formal letter with your full name, e.g. Jacky Spear

For our sample letter, we will use this greeting and signoff:

      Dear Sir or Madam...

    ...Yours faithfully,

     Jacky Spear

We are now ready to think up some ideas to write about. We have the guidelines of the 3 bullet points to help us so this won’t be difficult.

How To Generate Ideas for an IELTS Complaint Letter

You are only required to write 150 words, so you won’t need many ideas. Just make sure that you write about each bullet point and develop each idea fully.

The ideas don't have to be the best ones you can think of. Go with your first thoughts and don’t waste time trying to think up better ideas. However, it’s essential that the ideas are directly related to the bullet points.

Note them beside each bullet point on the exam paper, like this:

There is a problem with the changing rooms in the sports centre that you visit. You have complained several times but with no success.

Write a letter to the manager of the sports centre. In your letter:

• describe the problem with the changing rooms

The toilets are dirty

• what happened the last times you complained 

Promised the problem would be addressed.

• explain what you want the manager to do

Rota list for staff to check every hour and sign.

That’s our planning complete. Once you’ve had some practice, you’ll be able to do this in just a few minutes. Taking time to plan will make writing your IELTS complaint letter far quicker and easier than if you don’t do this step. You will also write a better letter and get higher marks.

Next, we’re going to write our letter.

Writing the Letter

Here’s our plan again with all our notes added in.

We’ve already decided on the greeting so we’ll start with paragraph 1.

Paragraph 1

In the first paragraph, you must state the reason for writing the letter, that is, its purpose.

Paragraph 1:  Purpose –  to complain about the sports centre changing rooms

Many students make the mistake of missing this purpose sentence out but it's very important. Including it will gain you marks.

It only requires one sentence.  Here are 4 different phrases you could use to start an IELTS complaint letter.

• I am very unhappy with / about….
• I am writing to complain about….
• I am extremely dissatisfied with / about
• I write to express my disappointment…

This is how we will start our letter:

I am writing to complain about the state of the toilets in the sports centre changing rooms.

Top vocabulary tip:  Do not use contractions in formal letters. They are informal language.  So, do not write ‘ I’m writing to complain…

Paragraph 2

In the second paragraph, you write about bullet point 1.

Paragraph 2:    describe the problem with the changing rooms (bullet point 1)

Remember to keep the language formal for this question. Aim for around 50 words for each of paragraphs 2, 3 and 4. You could write something like this.

Each time I have used the changing facilities in the past month, the toilet area has been dirty. Particularly unpleasant are the soggy paper towels on the floor. They look horrible and there is a danger that people could slip on them. The shower plug holes are also frequently blocked up with hair which stops the water draining away.

Paragraph 3

The third paragraph should cover the second bullet point.

Paragraph 3:   what happened the last times you complained  (bullet point 2)

For example,

I have reported this issue on two previous occasions. The first time, I told a member of staff and the second time I telephoned. Both the people I spoke to said that they would make sure that the changing rooms were cleaned more often but this is clearly not happening.

Paragraph 4

Paragraph 4 addresses the third bullet point.

Paragraph 4:   explain what you want the manager to do   (bullet point 3)

As a solution, I suggest that you set up an hourly rota where a member of staff has to check that the toilets are clean, sign to say that they have done so and arrange for a cleaner to come if necessary. I have seen this system in operation in other places and their toilets are always clean.

Now we just need to add the signoff we decided on earlier and our letter is complete.

The Finished Letter

Here's our finished IELTS complaint letter.

Practice Question

To get some practice writing  an IELTS complaint letter, write a letter for the question below. Use the planning structure I showed you above to plan before you start writing.

You live in a room in college which you share with another student. There are many problems with this arrangement and you find it difficult to work.

Write a letter to the accommodation officer at the college. In the letter:

• describe the situation
• explain the problems and why is it difficult to work
• say how you would like the situation resolved

Here’s a sample letter. 

You'll find lessons on other common IELTS letter topics in the menu below.

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Common letter topics.

• Letter of Complaint
• Letter of Explanation
• Letters of Application & Resignation
• Letters to Make an Arrangement
• An Invitation

IELTS Letters – All Lessons

IELTS General Writing  –  A summary of the test including important facts, test format & assessment.

Letter Format  – The format, the 7 topics, letter structure, formal & informal, assessment & marking criteria, sample questions. Essential information  you need to know.

Letter Writing Tips   – Learn top tips on how to meet the assessment and marking criteria and achieve a high score.

Letter Writing Structure  – Find out how to use this   easy to   learn letter structure to write a high-scoring letter. Includes a model answer.

How To Plan a Letter  – Learn a simple 5 step process & 6 part letter structure. Also, help to understand the question & generate ideas.

Formal or Informal  – How to decide what type of letter to write. Sample questions & 2 model letters.

Letter Writing Vocabulary  – Learn useful phrases to help you achieve a high score. Also, know how to start & end your letter.

How To Write an Informal Letter – Step-by-step instructions, simple 4 step plan & 6 part letter structure, model letter.

How To Write a Formal Letter – Step-by-step instructions, simple 4 step plan & 6 part letter structure, model letter.

Letter Topics  – Learn the 7 most common letter topics   & other popular subjects. Includes 20 sample questions.

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IELTS GT Writing Task 1: How to write a letter of complaint

By ieltsetc on December 30, 2019

In this lesson you'll the 10 things you need to include in a letter of complaint (models included).

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March 17, 2023 at 2:21 pm

Fiona, this piece has really helped in guiding me. i really appreciate.

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You’re very welcome Oladigbolu – let me know if you have any questions, Best wishes Fiona

August 23, 2021 at 1:49 pm

Where i can find the sample ?

August 28, 2021 at 6:27 pm

Hi Alice Sorry which sample are you looking for please? Best wishes Fiona

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I am a beginner of ielts. I want to learn about GT all modules.

August 22, 2020 at 3:18 pm

Hi Savitha. Well this is a great place to start! Just click on the ‘TABS’ or ‘CATEGORIES’ in the sidebar to find LOTS of useful material to help you with GT all modules. Let me know if you need anything specific, Best wishes Fiona

A formal complaint

Home  »  IELTS general writing task 1: letter samples, phrases and tips.  »  A formal complaint  

You have eaten at a restaurant and it was such a terrible experience that you have decided to inform the manager by letter of what happened, and that you want your money back. Things to include: - Facts. You need to be concise but explain what happened. - Polite. No one responds to insults. - Outline what you wish from this. What do you want to happen? - Firmness. You want to be taken seriously.

To the manager,

I would like to express my regret at having dined at your establishment last night; please allow me to explain.

The table was booked two months in advance since it was to cater a major professional event, and yet we were informed by the maitre d’ upon arrival that there were no tables sufficiently large and we would have to dine separately. I did press this point with your staff as it was imperative that my party remain in each other’s company, but we were told that it was simply impossible to seat us all together.

In addition to this, several menu items were unavailable on the night, including every vegetarian option, meaning that three members of my party were left to eat only bread throughout the meal. As a result of these incidents, I had intended not to pay, but your staff informed us that they would call the police if we refused, and so to avoid further embarrassment, I complied.

This experience was entirely unacceptable, and I would like to request a full refund of the amount paid. I would also suggest that your staff not promise customers degrees of service that they are unable to provide in order to avoid disappointing experiences such as these.

Regards, Paul Hollywood

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IELTS Complaint Letter Band 9: General Writing Task 1 New Samples

• Updated On March 9, 2024
• Published In IELTS Preparation 💻

IELTS complaint letters is a general writing task that you need to take for the test and score higher. It is a formal or semi-formal letter where you need to create a sample complaint about specific concerns.

Table of Contents

There are several vital things to consider before writing an IELTS complaint letter band 9 score. For example, the concept of a complaint writing task relies on emphasizing the pain point of the writer. Here it is essential to showcase the issue at hand and what type of based service or experience you had with a brand, service provider, or business. Here is an example of how the task may look like: You may need 20 minutes to complete this task, and most important is to ideate on different scenarios that will emphasize the issue. The task is to write an IELTS complaint letter band 9 score on a damaged Bluetooth you received from an eCommerce website. It needs to have:

• A clear definition of the problem
• Suggestions or solutions that possibly eCommerce website can provide
• Also, suggest the type of action needed.

The letter will be around 150 words, and there is no address needed. Most of the letter starts with dear. Let’s first understand the structure and different vocabulary to use for your letter, and later we will discuss some of the samples.

Structure of General Writing Task 1

Here is a list of things you need to keep in mind while writing the IELTS complaint letter for the band 9 score.

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Proper Salutation

Address the authority or concerned person to whom you are writing the complaint letter. It can start with “Dear sir or Dear Madam” if there is no specific name. The intent behind the salutation is to allocate the complaint or direct it towards the proper channel of communication. In layman terms, your letter of complaint needs to have a salutation that targets the exact person who can take some necessary actions.

Grammatical Proficiency

One of the most significant aspects of IELTS general writing task 1 is grammar. Even if you are writing an informal letter, try to be accurate on the grammar for a high band score. The IELTS letter writing task is meant to analyze your English proficiency skills and understanding of how you interpret specific scenarios.

Defining the Problem

This forms the heart of your complaint letter as you will be explaining the reason behind writing such a letter. Mostly it is the first paragraph of your IELTS letter which conveys the inconvenience caused due to lack of service or product. The second paragraph relates to the core purpose of the letter. It can include details of the product or service for which you are converting dissatisfaction. Here are some common phrases to start with,

• I am writing to complain about the damaged Bluetooth speakers that I received on [DATE].
• I would like to draw your attention to some of the most significant issues with the Bluetooth speaker you delivered.
• The reason why I am writing this complaint letter is due to the damaged Bluetooth speakers that I received on [DATE].

It is essential to have coherence in your letter with the right tone to achieve a high band score in this writing test. The cohesion of the first and second paragraphs with the proper flow will help you ace this IELTS exam.

Going in Details

The next step is to explain the entire problem in detail. For example, if you are writing a letter of complaint about damaged Bluetooth speakers, you can discuss different issues that you are facing, like speaker audio issues, connection problems with devices, and more in bullet points. You can start explaining of issues through:

• Explanation of event-   How did you receive the product, and what was the issue you found after some usage.
• Showcasing sadness over bad service- Explain how unhappy you are with the services through sentences like “ you can only imagine how unhappy I was to receive such a damaged Bluetooth speaker from your brand.”
• The immediate course of action that you took- Showcase how agile or smart you were to contact the store immediately with a request for replacement or return of the product or even ask for a refund. However, it was the lack of response from your online store that led to you writing such a complaint letter.
• Action needed- Explain in detail what kind of action you need the concerned person to take, like in our example, would the eCommerce platform look to replace the speaker or return it.

Concluding part

The concluding part will include you addressing something like “Yours Sincerely” followed by your name. Another essential part of the letter is acknowledging that you are waiting for a positive reply from the person to whom your letter is addressed. Now that we know the structure and vocabulary of general writing task 1, here is a sample of the IELTS complaint letter for band 9 score

Formal Letter Sample

The below sample letter is an example of an IELTS complaint letter for band 9 score.

Instructions

Write a letter informing the eCommerce online store customer desk about a damaged product you received. In your letter:

• Give a brief description of the issue
• Mention what type of action will you like them to take
• Provide some solution ideas and even images of the product if possible.

Dear Sir/Madam, I have been a regular customer of your eCommerce store and often shop from your product catalogues. However, this is the first time that I have experienced such a lapse in your service. I received a Bluetooth speaker from your eCommerce store last week, and since then, I have been unable to connect it with my smartphone. The same problem continues for every other device with which I am trying to connect. I would like to replace the product with a new one as this is damaged. Please make arrangements for a replacement for the product and a full refund of the amount if the product is out of stock. Here are the details related to the product: Product Name: Bluetooth Speaker Order no.: 45685 Payment type: Online Email: [email protected] Yours Sincerely [NAME]

Informal Letter Sample

Write a letter to your friend asking them to develop an application for your startup. In your letter:

• Give a brief description of your startup idea
• Mention what type of features you would like them to add to the app
• Provide some suggestions on the type of technology you want to use

Dear Mia, How are you? I hope you and Mac are doing well. I can believe it’s been more than 4 years since our Stanford days! I have been busy developing a new startup idea on mental health. The application will help healthcare professionals to track patients between their visits and check on the behavioural changes for adjustment in the treatment. The idea of a mental health startup is not new, but your experience as an application developer with my unique solution can be a fruitful partnership. Would you be interested in working with me on my startup? I have gathered a few like-minded people in my team who are ready to give their 100%, and we are counting on your fantastic development skills. I am thinking of leveraging a cloud-based solution with an agile approach as per my research. What is your take on the solution and development approach? Please do share with me. I have attached a presentation of the entire idea and features list that we may integrate into the application. So, would you like to take on this project? Do share your thoughts with me, and of course, we can discuss the charges after you consider it worth your time. Waiting for your reply. Your friend, Janis

Practicing in advance is the best way to prepare for any exam. IELTS can be especially challenging if candidates are underprepared. These samples provide a comprehensive insight and can help in scoring well.  Candidates can also visit the LeapScholar blog to receive more details on the same.

1. How do I practice IELTS letter writing at home?

Ans: The best way to  practice  IELTS complaint letter writing is by studying the sample letter and writing similar types of letters at home. You can try different formal and informal topics for letter writing.

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Learning english, complaining politely and appropriately, how difficult was this activity.

Read an extract from some letters of complaint. Use this writing activity to practise if the language of complaining is polite and appropriate, or not.

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Writing a letter of complaint - english slides.

Why do we complain? What methods do we have for complaining and how often are they successful? What is the best way to complain? Slides for L1 and L2 English learners to find out more about complaints, and the best way to make a complaint while building their English skills.

Editor's notes

The first half of the PPT explores why we complain and how we go about it. Topical complaints cleverly hook the learner in (for example: BBC coverage of Prince Phillip's funeral, social media problems). A combination of texts and video is used to encourage discussion and reading skills such as language features and recognising key vocabulary. Underpinning skills such as punctuation (e.g. capital letters for abbreviations, apostrophes) are also covered. 

Later slides discuss possible solutions to complaints and then look at 'good' and 'bad' sample letters (based Hazel Hughes' "A Troublesome Trip" ). Create-a-checklist and proof reading tasks follow. The final slide provides scenarios for the learner to write their own letters (based on Julie Harding's " Writing a letter of complaint ").

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Task 1 Letter

Task 1 letter  .

This task 1 letter of complaint is about not being happy with the response from a train company about an item left on the train. 

Getting the Tone Right

With these IELTS task 1 letters of complaint you need to make sure the tone is formal .

Remember when you write to complain to a company it is to an anonymous person so it should not be too friendly or informal. However, you must still make it polite . 

Also remember you must write about the three bullet points you are given. 

Now take a look at the question and model answer.

Task 1 Letter: Complaint to Train Company

You recently took a train journey but you left an important item on the train. You phoned the train company to report it but you were not pleased with the response.

Write a letter to the manager of the train company. In your letter

• describe the item you left on the train

• say why you were not pleased with the train company's response to your phone call

• explain what you want the manager to do about it

Write at least 150 words

You do  NOT  need to write any addresses

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

I was a recent passenger of your train. Unfortunately, upon disembarking, I accidentally left important documents behind, which is why I write.

Last Friday, June 10, I was a passenger of your 3 pm train from Charlesville to Beartown. I was seated in the third row of the second carriage. What I left behind on my seat was a black, hard-plastic case that contained a thesis that I was editing and my university students’ essays.

I realized the case was not with me when I got home, so I immediately phoned your station. I asked if they could relay an urgent message to any employees onboard about the documents. However, the lady on the line, Pamela, said she had no direct access to personnel on the train. The best she could do was create a customer complaint ticket, adding that someone would get back to me by Monday.

Well, now it is Tuesday, and no one has contacted me yet, so I would like to hear some news about my documents.  Also, I strongly suggest that procedures be drawn up so that train employees can quickly check for forgotten items once reported.

I look forward to your immediate response.

Rex Spectre

(206 Words)

This IELTS task 1 letter sample would achieve a high band score:

Task Achievement

The writer has addressed all three points in the task and s/he has ensured that each point has been extended with further explanation and information.

Coherence and Cohesion

The IELTS task 1 letter of complaint is clearly organised, with each point being addressed in a separate paragraph (you can have more paragraphs but ensure it is logical). The task 1 letter is linked together well with appropriate connectors.

Lexical Resource and Grammar

Grammar and vocabulary is accurate and there are good examples of language and grammar of a high level.

More on IELTS Letters:

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IELTS Complaint Letter

IELTS Complaint Letter - Get the best tips and strategies on how to write a letter of complaint for the IELTS General Training.

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Learn about how to ensure the tenses you use in IELTS letters are correct to get a high band score.

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Writing skills

• 1 Writing skills
• 2 Writing: A class or company newsletter
• 3 Writing skills: advertising
• 4 Writing skills: Cause and effect
• 5 Writing skills: Fables
• 6 Writing skills: formal and informal writing
• 7 Writing skills: Letter of complaint
• 8 Writing skills: Mini saga
• 9 Writing skills: news story
• 10 Writing skills: statistical report
• 11 Writing skills: Thinking about writing

Writing skills: Letter of complaint

By Jackie McAvoy

• No comments

To encourage the use of phrases which express attitude and emotion in a factual letter.

Time: one hour, with extended language work and homework.

Target language: phrases which express attitude and emotion; phrases of place and direction; collocations connected to road safety 

Materials: Letter of complaint lesson plan, found under 'Related resources' below

Teacher's notes and lesson steps:

• As a warm up exercise, start the lesson by one student describing the diagram on ‘Dangerous Road’ and their partner trying to draw it. (Fold the handout over so you can’t see the vocabulary exercise). This is a fun start, which will aid comprehension in step 4. Alternately describe the diagram yourself for all to draw. Check for differences.
• Hand out ‘Dangerous Road’ and complete the vocabulary exercise.
• Explain that all the phrases come from a letter. Ask students in pairs to decide who wrote the letter, to whom and about what. (A mother of two small children, to The Road and Safety Department of the Local Council, complaining about a dangerous stretch of Road, near where she lives.) Say that you are now all going to read the letter, but that it is jumbled up and has gaps in it.
• Hand out the ‘Jumbled Letter’ and allow time to fill in the gaps with the vocabulary from step 2. Monitor and, when individuals are ready, hand out ‘Language Analysis’ (the first instruction being to order the sentences). Monitor and check as they work through it. Students may want to pair up to compare answers as they finish.
• The ‘Language Extension’ exercise is optional and can be done individually, or, to change the pace, as a class. Make it into a game by providing teams with counters to place in the right ‘emotion box’ for each phrase, as they are revealed on an OHP / read out (keep the counter for correct answers etc.).
• Consolidate step 5 by completing the sentences with the correct phrase.
• Hand out ‘Writing Practice’ for homework.

Writing skills: Letter of complaint: Lesson plan

• British English
• Business / ESP
• Intermediate
• Language / Skill
• Up to 60 mins
• Upper-Intermediate
• Whole Class

Writing: A class or company newsletter

Writing skills: advertising, writing skills: cause and effect.

Writing skills: Fables

Writing skills: formal and informal writing

Writing skills: Mini saga

Writing skills: news story, writing skills: statistical report.

Writing skills: Thinking about writing

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How to write a Letter of Complaint? (FCE, CAE, CPE)

This article provides information on how to write a letter of complaint correctly and what it consists of.  Although its content is mainly aimed at Cambridge exams , it can also be used for other purposes of learning English and writing letters of complaint.

Letter of Complaint: Definition

Sometimes when we order a product and it is received defective then we write a letter to the related person or company, complaining about the product.

Letter of Complaint: Structure/Format

Please have a look at this letter of complaint layout template example :

FCE, CAE, CPE

Practice, write & improve, letter of complaint: writing guide, step 1: salutation.

If you do not know the name of the person you are writing to, use this. It is always advisable to try to find out a name.

Dear Mr Jenkins

If you know the name, use the title (Mr, Mrs, Miss or Ms, Dr, etc.) and the surname only. If you are writing to a woman and do not know if she uses Mrs or Miss , you can use Ms , which is for married and single women.

You should always be polite and respectful, even if you complain. A useful way to achieve it, especially in formal letters is to use ‘modal verbs’, i.e., would, could or should.

Step 2: The Introductory Paragraph

You should identify what the issue is and any relevant information that you believe is important. Include more details if it’s applicable to the situation.

I want to express my strong dissatisfaction with the service I received during a visit to your restaurant on…

Step 3: The next paragraphs (the body)

You can extend your thoughts and feelings further. Yet, be sure to stick with the facts and avoid putting emotions into your letter.

• Include t he time of the issue, location,   people involved and what the problem was.
• Any complaint should be supported with a justification: Complaint: I still haven ’t t received the goods. Justification: I sent you a cheque three weeks ago.

Step 4: Closing paragraph

Write how you want this problem to be solved.   You can also throw in some compliments about something you liked about their company’s product or service.

Yours faithfully {You name}

“Yours sincerely” or “Yours faithfully”?

“Yours sincerely” is typically employed in English when the recipient is addressed by name (e.g. “Dear John”) and is known to the sender to some degree, whereas “Yours faithfully” is used when the recipient is not addressed by name (i.e., the recipient is addressed by a phrase such as “Dear Sir/Madam”)

Practice Tests Online

Letter of complaint: example letters, letter of complaint: product damage, letter of complaint subject:.

You and a friend, Sam, bought some CDs to help you improve your English. You were not happy with the CDs and have decided to write to the publisher, CD World. Read the email from Sam and the advertisement for the CDs below, on which you have made some notes. Then, using the information appropriately, write a letter to CD World explaining why you bought the CDs, why you are dissatisfied and saying what you would like the company to do.

Student’s Letter of Complaint Answer:

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to express my disappointment with the course of English language CDs which I purchased from your company a few days ago. I have a good theoretical knowledge of English grammar and I was hoping that your course would help me to improve my conversational fluency and my knowledge of business English, but I feel your product is unsatisfactory and your advertisement is misleading in several respects.

To begin with, your advertisement states that the course provides English conversation for pleasure and business. This naturally leads one to expect that there are commercial English conversations on the CDs, and yet no such conversations are included. In addition, the student is expected to listen and repeat the conversations, but there is not enough time to do this without constantly pressing the “pause” button. Finally, your advertisement gives the impression that the price for the whole course is 20 euros, whereas in fact the CDs cost 20 euros each. The total price is thus 120 euros. I feel this is, to say the least, somewhat misleading.

For these reasons, I am most dissatisfied with your product. I am returning the CDs and expect a full refund. I hope to hear from you soon.

Yours faithfully (your name)

Letter of Complaint: Hotel

You recently took a self-catering holiday in a luxury apartment, but the standard of the accommodation was very poor. The holiday company that you booked with have offered you some vouchers as compensation, but you have decided you would prefer a cash refund instead. Write a letter to the company outlining the problems you experienced with the accommodation and the action you want them to take.

Student’s Formal Letter Answer:

Dear Sir or Madam

I am writing to complain about the bad standard of accommodation during my last holiday. I booked this self-catering holiday last year in your travel agency. When I returned from my two-week travel last week, I immediately visited the agency to complain about my bad experiences.

Had I known that the accomodation would be so poor, I would have booked from the beginning a full-service holiday. What I expected was a luxury apartment with a small oven. Not only was the room dirty and full of bugs, but the shower was broken and unusable. To make matters even worse, there was no oven as I ordered it. Never before have I seen such a bad service at a self-catering holiday. You can imagine my anger when I had to eat out, smelling like a … Not surprisingly, I booked another room, though without oven but clean and with a working shower. Therefore this room cost a lot more than the other one and I had to go out eating.

My purpose in visiting the agency was to ask for compensation. The young lady who served me offered some vouchers as compensation. She advised me to take my time with the answer. I have decided to ask your company for a cash refund. Would a refund about 500 euros be too much to expect? I would like to ask you to have a look on my enclosed accounts. Seeing how much money I had to invest additionally will help you to decide what to do about the whole matter.

At the very least, I would like you to inform me of the action you will take with regard to my extra invested money. Unless adequate action is taken, I shall have no other option but to publish this letter in the local newspaper.

Yours faithfully, Ilona

Letter of Complaint: Holidays

You recently had a short holiday organized by TravelWise. The manager of the company sent you a letter asking to state the problems which had occurred during your vacation. Write a letter to the manager, explaining what the problems were and telling them what you want them to do.

Write your letter. Don’t include any postal addresses.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing with reference to your letter, where you politely requested a feedback of my recent vacation organized by TravelWise. As you already know I was displeased with numerous points.

Firstly, the hotel I stayed was located in a run-down and dangerous neighbourhood, on few occasions I was approached by a drug dealer and a beggar. When it comes to the room it was completely different from what had been presented in your brochure. Dirt, darkness and rats were my company throughout the stay, I actually changed rooms few times, however it seemed all the rooms were in similar condition.

One of the reasons I had chosen your company was the free of charge spa and trips organized by your staff. It turned out that I had to pay extra for all of these services. And although it might be true that the water sports provided were amazing it does not change the fact my holiday was ruined by the above problems.

I must ask you to refund all the costs of my vacation including extra charge for spa and trips please.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours faithfully, Sam Smith

Letter of Complaint: Writing Topics

Letter of complaint topic: hotel.

You recently stayed at one of a chain of large hotels and encountered a number of problems during your stay. Write a letter to the company’s head office detailing the problems you had, describing what happened when you complained to the hotel staff and suggesting ways the company could improve its service.

(CAE 220-260 words – CPE 280-320 words)

Letter of Complaint Topic: Product

Letter of complaint topic: transport.

You recently travelled to work by train, and were appalled because the train was dirty and the canteen facilities were poor. Due to work on the tracks, your train failed to arrive at its destination on time, which made you late for work. You have decided to write a letter of complaint to the railway company, expressing your views and stating what you expect them to do about the problem.

Letter of Complaint: Tips

• Focus on the most important facts. Don’t give unnecessary background information.
• the reason for writing (e.g.  I am writing to  …)
• what went wrong
• what you would like to happen now.
• Complaint letters are usually written in a formal style.
• Use passives to be less direct and more formal, e.g.  I was served quickly .
• Use   Yours faithfully   to sign off if you don’t know the name of the person you’re writing to.
• Always proofread your letter after writing it, check for sentence structure, grammar, spelling mistakes…
• Proofread your letter again (and again) after you have revised it.
• Be respectful when you write, even if you are writing a letter of complaint.

Letter of Complaint: Useful Phrases & Language

Dear Sir or Madam, / To whom it may concern, I am writing to express my disappointment with/dissatisfaction with the service I received in… I would like to lodge a formal complaint against your company for the reasons outlined below: I feel compelled to write to you in order to describe the

Listing Problems

First of all, Not only was there a hair in my wife’s soup, but the main course also arrived cold. On top of that… As if that was not enough… To top it all off… My first complaint is  The first problem is  The first thing I would like to draw your attention to is  My first concern is The straw that broke the camel’s back was…

Complaining Expressions

The standard of the… was not up to scratch. The… was not up to the expected standard. The… left a lot to be desired. The… failed to live up to our expectations. We were left bitterly disappointed by… The quality of the customer service we received was woefully inadequate. The… was an absolute disgrace. (v.strong) Overall, our visit to your (restaurant) was an unmitigated disaster from start to finish.

Requesting Action

It seems only fair that you should… (offer a full refund) I would appreciate it if you… I would be grateful if you… I suggest that you replace the item I therefore suggest that I be given a full refund I would be grateful if my money was refunded I would be grateful if you could give me a full refund Should these demands not be met, you will be hearing from my lawyers. I expect to receive compensation to the tune of (€2000) for the…

Making Recommendations

I strongly recommend that your organisation… It would be advisable to… I suggest re-evaluating your procedures regarding…

I look forward to receiving your reply. I look forward to hearing from you I look forward to receiving a full refund I look forward to receiving a replacement I look forward to receiving your explanation I expect to receive a prompt reply to this letter. Yours faithfully,

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English Writing Exercises for B2 – A letter of complaint

English Writing Exercises for B2

Preparation

1. rewrite the sentences in more formal language. use the correct form of the words in brackets..

1   I got the booking information from you. (receive)

     ………………………………………..

2   Your company didn’t say sorry. (offer / no apology)

3   I really think you are to blame. (feel strongly / at fault)

4   I think your online system should be looked at. (believe / review)

5   I don’t want other people to have the same problems that I had. (be inconvienced / I was)

6   Further problems will happen. (arise)

     ………………………………………..

1   I received the booking information from you.

2   Your company offered no apology.

3   I feel strongly that you are at fault.

4    I believe your online system should be reviewed.

5    I don’t want other people to be inconvenienced as I was.

6   Further problems will arise.

2. Read the task and the letter below. What three things does the writer suggest?

You had a very poor train journey recently. You were rather dissatisfied with the experience. Write a letter to the train company saying why you are unhappy and suggest ways in which the service could be improved.

Dear Sir or Madam

I am writing to complain about my train journey with Great Eastern on Sunday 20 July.

I booked a return ticket, reserved seats through your website and received confirmation of the booking. However, when I boarded the train, my seat was already occupied by someone with the same reservation. I therefore had to stand for 45 minutes. To make matters worse, there was a delay in the departure of the train, but we were giving no information about this. We were held up for 35 minutes, which resulted in me missing my connection and losing my second seat reservation. I therefore waited for the next train. However, the air conditioning was not functioning in this train, and it was a very hot three-hour journey. There was no apology at any point.

I feel strongly that I deserve compensation for this deeply unsatisfactory journey. Firstly, I suggest that your online booking system be reviewed, as there are clearly problems. Secondly, there should be more information and help for passengers when problems occur. Finally, I request that there be bottled water available in extremely hot conditions.

I am applying for a refund for my journey. I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully

Simon Harding

1   That the online booking system be reviewed.

2   That there should be more information and help for passengers when problems occur.

3   That there be bottled water available in extremely hot conditions.

Writing Strategy

When you write a formal letter:

1   Divide your letter into paragraphs.

2   In the introduction, explain why you are writing. At the end, tell the reader what you would like them to do.

3   Use formal language and avoid contractions and abbreviations.

4   Use the appropriate phrases to start and finish your letter, depending on whether you know the recipient by name.

Dear Sir or Madam -> Yours faithfully

Dear Mr Black / Ms White , etc. -> Yours sincerely

3. Find two examples of the subjunctive form in the letter.

1    I suggest that your online booking system be reviewed.

2    I request that there be bottled water available in extremely hot conditions.

4. Rewrite the requests and demands using the subjunctive and the words in brackets.

1    I think you should review the booking procedure. (suggest)

     …………………………………………….

2    I think you should announce delays. (recommend)

3    I think you should delay your decision. (propose)

4    I want my ticket to be refunded. (demand)

     …………………………………………….

1   I suggest that you review the booking procedure.

2   I recommend that you announce delays.

3    I propose (that) you delay your decision.

4   I demand that my ticket be refunded.

Writing Guide

On a recent holiday, you and a group of friends went on a sightseeing bus tour. You were very dissatisfied with the experience. Write a letter to the company saying why you are unhappy and suggest ways in which the tour might be improved.

5. Read the task above and make notes about what you will complain about. Use the ideas below or your own ideas.

itinerary missed out an important place

tour didn’t run on time

tour guide was unenthusiastic / too quiet

no toilet on the bus

your own answers

6. Write your letter of complaint.

Extra exercises.

Learn how to use fixed expressions and phrases that are typical of formal letters, such as letters of complaint.

1. Read the Strategy. Then replace the underlined phrases with the more formal phrases below.

action you intend to take      express strong dissatisfaction

in the circumstances      misleading      refund in full

regret to inform you

1    I am writing to say that I am not satisfied with the trip organised by your travel agency. …………………………..

2    I am sorry to say to you that the information given by your sales assistant was not true . …………………………..

3    In this situation , I feel that it would be appropriate for you to give me back the whole of the cost of our hotel stay. ………………………….. …………………………..

4    Please let me know as soon as possible what you plan to do . …………………………..

1   express strong dissatisfaction

2    regret to inform you, misleading

3   In the circumstances, refund in full

4   action you intend to take

2. Read the task below and write your letter.

You have just come back from a class trip. Unfortunately, the trip did not meet your expectations. Write a letter to the organiser of the trip in which you say why you were dissatisfied with the programme and transport and suggest ways in which the agency could avoid similar problems in the future.

Related Posts

• English Writing Exercises for B2 – A letter to a newspaper
• English Writing Exercises for B2 – A report
• English Writing Exercises for B2 – A story
• English Writing Exercises for B2 – An article
• English Writing Exercises for B2 – An opinion essay
• English Writing Exercises for B2 – A blog post

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Tag: letter of complaint

Cae/cpe writing: formal letter of complaint – task + phrase sheet (updated 2022).

Image credit:  Durham Constabulary

Before you use these materials… We’ve created a new podcast aimed at B2+ level English students and teachers alike. You can listen for free at our SoundCloud page below. You can download teacher’s notes to accompany them from our Facebook page or from this blog. All comments and feedback welcome! Give us a like and a share 😉 https://www.facebook.com/2tspodcast/

This is a phrase sheet and writing task for CAE/CPE students designed to help them tackle formal letter of complaint tasks. It was brought to my attention that the original version of this phrase sheet contained a number of expressions that were inappropriate for the level of formality required for this type of task. As a result, I have made some changes. Download the new handout below:

letter-of-complaint-phrase-sheet UPDATE 2022

C1 Advanced/C2 Proficiency – Letter of Complaint – UPDATE 2022

Task – cpe testbuilder page 91.

You recently stayed at one of a chain of large hotels and encountered a number of problems during your stay. Write a letter to the company’s head office detailing the problems you had, describing what happened when you complained to the hotel staff and suggesting ways the company could improve its service. (CAE 220-260 words – CPE 280-320 words)

• Dear Sir or Madam, / To whom it may concern,
• I am writing to express my disappointment with/dissatisfaction with the service I received in…
• I would like to lodge a formal complaint against your company for the reasons outlined below:
• I feel compelled to write to you in order to describe the woefully inadequate service at…

Listing Problems

• First of all,
• Not only was there a hair in my wife’s soup, but the main course also arrived cold.
• On top of that…
• As if that was not enough…
• What is more, …
• In addition to this, …

Complaining Expressions

• The standard of the… was severely lacking.
• The… was not up to the expected standard.
• The… left a lot to be desired.
• The… failed to live up to our expectations/fell well short of our expectations.
• We were left bitterly disappointed by…
• The quality of the customer service we received was woefully inadequate.
• The… was an absolute disgrace/absolutely disgraceful (v.strong)
• Overall, our visit to your (restaurant) was an unmitigated disaster from start to finish.
• As a result of the …., we were forced to ….

Emphatic Language – Inversions & Cleft Sentences

• No sooner had we …. than ….
• What I found most disappointing was….
• So poor was the …. that ….
• At no time were we….
• Never before have I seen/experienced/etc.
• Had I know that ….., I would not have ….

Requesting Action

• It seems only fair that you should… (offer a full refund)
• I would appreciate it if you…
• I would be grateful if you…
• Should these demands not be met, I will be left with no choice but to take legal action.
• I expect to receive compensation to the tune of (€2000) for the…

Making Recommendations

• I strongly recommend that your organisation…
• It would be advisable to…
• I suggest re-evaluating your procedures regarding…
• Were your company to …., customer satisfaction would undoubtedly increase.
• I look forward to receiving your reply.
• I expect to receive a prompt reply to this letter.
• Yours faithfully,

CAE Formal Letter of Complaint

Just a quick note…

Before you use these materials… We’ve created a new podcast aimed at B2+ level English students and teachers alike. You can listen for free at our SoundCloud page below. We have released 5 episodes so far and you can download teacher’s notes to accompany them from our Facebook page or from this blog. All comments and feedback welcome! Give us a like and a share 😉

https://soundcloud.com/2tspod

https://www.facebook.com/2tspodcast/

This is a lesson plan designed to prepare students to tackle formal letter of complaint tasks that can come up in both parts of the CAE writing paper.

Here is the link to the first handout which contains an example of a formal letter of complaint on page 2. Page 3 has the task the students will complete, which is referred to in the prezi.

Here is the link to the prezi , and here is the handout that goes with it.

Enjoy! Please leave feedback if you use it in class.

Are you a learner at B1 English level (intermediate) ? This section offers writing practice to help you write simple connected text on familiar topics that are of personal interest. Texts include forum posts, reviews, messages, short essays and emails.   

Each lesson has a preparation task, a model text with writing tips and three tasks to check your understanding and to practise a variety of writing skills. Make a start today.

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