General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · complaint

Formal Complaint Regarding Incorrect Billing Address Delivery

Your telephone company made a mistake in sending your bill to the wrong address.

Write a letter to the account manager to complain. In your letter:

explain what problems this caused
what you would like them to do

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

Band 8 sample letter

Dear Account Manager,

I am writing to express my dissatisfaction regarding a recurring error concerning the delivery of my monthly telephone statements. Despite updating my records with your office last month, my latest invoice was sent to my previous address.

This oversight has caused significant inconvenience. Because the bill did not reach me, I missed the payment deadline, resulting in an automated late fee being applied to my account. Furthermore, I am concerned about data privacy, as my personal billing details, including call logs and residential information, were sent to individuals who are no longer associated with my account. This lapse in security is entirely unacceptable.

To rectify this situation, I request that you immediately waive the late payment penalty and ensure my account records are updated to reflect my current residence. Please confirm in writing that this correction has been processed to prevent any future occurrences. Additionally, I would appreciate a formal assurance that steps have been taken to secure my personal data.

I look forward to your prompt response regarding this matter.

Yours faithfully,

Jonathan Sterling

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

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response clearly addresses all bullet points with a professional tone and uses sophisticated, contextually appropriate vocabulary to express frustration. The most common mistake for Band 6 candidates is failing to link the billing error to specific, logical consequences like data privacy concerns or financial penalties.

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

oversight: an unintentional failure to notice or do something
recurring: happening or appearing again periodically
rectify: to put something right or correct a mistake
lapse: a temporary failure of concentration or proper conduct
waive: to refrain from insisting on a payment
assurance: a positive declaration intended to give confidence

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.