General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · complaint

Formal letter of complaint regarding reduced train service

Train service in your area is reduced.

Write a letter to your train company. In your letter:

explain how it affects you
describe the situation
tell the train company 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 Customer Service Manager,

I am writing to express my profound dissatisfaction regarding the recent reduction in the frequency of the morning commuter services on the Northern Line.

Over the past fortnight, the schedule has been curtailed significantly, with the removal of the 7:15 am and 7:45 am departures from Oakwood Station. This has resulted in severe overcrowding on the remaining 8:15 am service, making it nearly impossible to board carriages comfortably or safely. The platform is consistently packed, and the lack of reliable transport has caused chaos for local residents who rely on these trains to reach their workplaces on time.

This disruption has profoundly impacted my professional life. As my office is located in the city centre, I am now frequently arriving late for critical morning meetings. This unreliability is jeopardising my performance reviews and causing unnecessary daily stress.

I request that you immediately reinstate the cancelled services to restore a functional timetable. Furthermore, I would appreciate a formal explanation regarding these changes and an assurance that service levels will return to normal by the start of next month.

I look forward to your prompt response.

Yours faithfully,

Jonathan Sterling

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

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response achieves full task coverage by addressing all bullet points with a coherent, professional tone and specific, relevant details. A common Band 6 error is failing to explain the personal impact clearly or using overly aggressive, informal language that undermines the formal nature of the complaint.

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

profound dissatisfaction: a very strong feeling of being unhappy
curtailed: reduced in extent or quantity
jeopardising: putting something into a situation of danger
reinstate: restore something to its former position or state
fortnight: a period of two weeks
functional: working correctly and in a useful way

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.