General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · complaint

Formal letter to council opposing sports center closure

Your local council is considering closing a sports and leisure center that it runs, in order to save money.

Write a letter to the local council. In your letter:

give details of how you and your friends or family use the center
explain why the sports and leisure center is important for the local community
describe the possible effects on local people if the centre closes

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

Band 8 sample letter

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to express my strong opposition to the proposed closure of the Riverside Sports and Leisure Centre. This facility is a cornerstone of our neighborhood, and its loss would be deeply felt by residents of all ages.

My family and I are regular users of the center; my children attend weekly swimming lessons every Saturday, while I utilize the gymnasium facilities three times a week. It has become an essential part of our routine, providing both physical health benefits and a space for social interaction.

Beyond personal use, the center serves as a vital hub for the wider community. It hosts affordable exercise classes for local seniors and provides a safe, supervised environment for teenagers to engage in team sports after school, effectively preventing anti-social behavior in the area.

Should the council proceed with this closure, the impact on public health would be significant. Many residents, particularly those on lower incomes, would lose their only accessible venue for affordable exercise. Furthermore, the loss of this communal space would undoubtedly weaken our local social fabric, leaving many isolated.

I urge you to reconsider this decision and explore alternative cost-saving measures.

Yours faithfully,

Jonathan Miller

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

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response clearly addresses all three bullet points with specific, personal examples while maintaining a consistent, persuasive formal tone throughout. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to link the closure to specific negative consequences for the community, often providing only vague or repetitive justifications.

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

cornerstone: An essential and fundamental part of something
utilize: To make practical and effective use of
vital hub: A central and very important place
anti-social behavior: Actions that harm or lack consideration for others
social fabric: The complex structure of relations between people
reconsider: To think about again in order to change

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.