General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · complaint

Formal letter to local council regarding rubbish collection

There is a problem with the rubbish collection in your neighborhood.

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

describe the problem with the rubbish collection
explain how it is affecting you and your neighbors
suggest a possible solution to the problem

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 serious concern regarding the inconsistent refuse collection services in the Oakwood residential area over the past month. For the last four weeks, the weekly scheduled pickups have been missed entirely on two occasions, and the remaining collections have occurred several days behind schedule.

This unreliability is causing significant distress. The accumulation of waste bags has led to an unpleasant odour permeating the neighbourhood, which is particularly distressing during the current warm spell. Furthermore, several residents have reported that the overflowing bins are attracting vermin, posing a genuine health risk to the families and elderly residents living on our street.

To resolve this, I propose that the council either reinstate the original reliable collection schedule or, at the very least, provide an automated notification system to alert residents of any unavoidable delays. Additionally, deploying an extra collection crew to clear the current backlog would immediately mitigate the health hazards we are currently facing.

I trust you will treat this matter with the urgency it requires and look forward to your prompt response regarding how you intend to rectify this situation.

Yours faithfully,

Jonathan Miller

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

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response fully addresses every bullet point with specific, logical details and maintains a consistently professional tone throughout. A common Band 6 error is failing to clearly explain the impact on neighbours, instead focusing solely on the writer's own frustration.

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

refuse: waste material that is thrown away regularly
permeating: spreading throughout an area or a space
vermin: wild animals that are believed to be harmful
mitigate: make something less severe, serious, or painful
backlog: an accumulation of uncompleted work or matters
rectify: put something right or correct a mistake

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.