General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · complaint

Formal complaint letter regarding damaged household goods

You recently moved house and you used a removal company to help you move your belongings. However, some of your things were damaged in the move.

Write a letter to the manager of the removal company. In your letter:

give details of the move
describe the damage
say what you would like the manager to do

Write at least 150 words. You do not need to write any addresses. Begin your letter: Dear Sir/Madam,

Band 8 sample letter

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to express my dissatisfaction regarding the relocation services provided by your company on 12th October. My family and I moved from our apartment in Kensington to a new property in Richmond, and your team managed the transit of our belongings.

Upon unpacking, I was dismayed to discover that several items had sustained significant damage. Specifically, my solid oak dining table has a deep scratch across the surface, and a box labelled 'fragile' containing our wedding glassware arrived with the contents completely shattered. It appears that the items were not secured adequately during the transit, as the boxes were found shifted and crushed at the bottom of the van.

Given that I paid for your premium packing service, I find this level of negligence unacceptable. I have attached photographs of the damaged items and a copy of the original receipt for your reference. I would like to request a full refund for the packing service fee and reasonable compensation for the repair of the table and the replacement of the glassware. I look forward to receiving your response and a proposal for resolution within seven working days.

Yours faithfully,

Julian Thorne

195 words. Names and details are invented; write your own.

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response clearly addresses all three bullet points with a professional, consistent tone and precise vocabulary. The most common mistake for Band 6 candidates is failing to link the specific damages to the company's service or neglecting to provide a clear, actionable request for compensation.

Write to an organisation or someone you do not know: open with Dear Sir or Madam, close with Yours faithfully.
If you know the person's surname, use Dear Mr or Ms and close with Yours sincerely.
No contractions, no slang; polite indirect requests such as I would be grateful if you could.

Useful phrases from the letter

sustained: suffered or experienced a particular negative event
dismayed: feeling intense distress or disappointment
shattered: broken into many small pieces
negligence: failure to take proper care in doing something
compensation: money awarded to someone for loss or injury
resolution: a firm decision to solve a problem

Write your own and get a band

Answer this prompt in a timed General Training writing test and get a band for task achievement, coherence, vocabulary and grammar, with the sentences to fix.

Practise IELTS General writing

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Frequently asked questions

Is this letter formal or informal?

Formal. Write to an organisation or someone you do not know: open with Dear Sir or Madam, close with Yours faithfully.

How long should an IELTS General Training letter be?

At least 150 words, and 160 to 200 is the comfortable range. Spend about 20 minutes on it and leave 40 for Task 2, which carries twice the marks.