General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · complaint

Formal Letter to Bank Manager Regarding Fraudulent Charges

You have just received a credit card statement from your bank. The statement lists a number of expensive purchases that you are sure you did not make.

Write a letter to the bank manager. In your letter:

introduce yourself
explain that you did not buy the items listed
say what you would like the bank to do to fix the problem

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

Band 8 sample letter

Dear Mr. Henderson,

I am writing to formally dispute several transactions appearing on my credit card statement for the account ending in 4492, which I received yesterday. My name is Julian Thorne, and I have been a loyal customer of your branch for over a decade.

Upon reviewing the statement, I identified four unauthorized purchases totalling £840.00 made on 12 October at various high-end electronics retailers. I can confirm with absolute certainty that I did not make these purchases, nor was I in the vicinity of those stores on that date. My card has remained in my possession at all times, and I have not shared my PIN or online banking credentials with anyone.

I request that you immediately investigate these fraudulent charges and reverse them from my account balance. Furthermore, please cancel my current card and issue a replacement to prevent any further illicit activity. I would also appreciate a written confirmation once the investigation is underway and the charges have been temporarily frozen.

I look forward to your prompt response regarding this urgent matter.

Yours faithfully,

Julian Thorne

180 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 a Band 6 answer is failing to provide specific details about the transactions or neglecting to request a clear solution, such as card cancellation.

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

dispute: To formally disagree with or question a claim
unauthorized: Done without official permission or legal right
totalling: Amounting to a specific sum when added together
illicit: Forbidden by laws, rules, or current customs
prompt: Done without delay; acting in a timely manner
loyal customer: A client who consistently uses one specific company

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.