General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · complaint

Formal complaint to local council regarding dangerous dogs

You live in a house opposite a park. Every day a man brings large dogs to the park and lets them run free.

Write a letter to your local council complaining about the danger. In your letter:

say where the park is
say how often this happens
describe the man and the dogs

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

Band 8 sample letter

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to formally report a recurring safety issue at the Elmwood Community Park, located directly opposite my residence on High Street. The presence of unrestrained dogs in this public space has become a significant cause for concern among local residents.

This situation occurs daily, typically between 5:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. During these hours, a man consistently enters the park and removes the leashes from his animals, allowing them to roam freely across the children’s play area and the main footpath.

The individual is a tall man in his fifties, usually wearing a dark green parka. He is accompanied by three large Dobermans that appear untrained and aggressive. They frequently chase cyclists and bark aggressively at passers-by, leaving many of us feeling intimidated and unsafe while attempting to use the park facilities.

I trust the council will take immediate action to enforce the leash laws and ensure this area remains a safe environment for the community. I look forward to hearing how this matter will be resolved.

Yours faithfully,

Arthur Pendelton

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

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response clearly addresses all bullet points with specific, descriptive details while maintaining a consistently professional tone throughout. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to specify the location or the frequency, resulting in a vague complaint that does not provide enough actionable information for the council.

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

unrestrained: not kept under control and allowed to roam
recurring: happening repeatedly or happening at intervals
parka: a large, warm, waterproof jacket with a hood
intimidated: feeling frightened or nervous due to someone else
enforce: to ensure that a law or rule is obeyed
passers-by: people who happen to be walking past something

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.