General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · complaint

Letter to a furniture company regarding damaged goods

You recently bought a piece of furniture online for your home, but when it arrived, it was damaged.

Write a letter to the manager of the furniture company. In your letter:

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 dissatisfaction regarding an order I placed on your website on 12 October, which was delivered to my residence yesterday. The item in question is the ‘Nordic Oak’ bookshelf, referenced by order number #BK-99284.

Upon unpacking the flat-pack parcel, I discovered significant damage to the primary side panels. Specifically, the veneer on the left panel is badly chipped, and there is a noticeable crack running through the bottom shelf, rendering it structurally unsound and unsafe to support the weight of books. It appears these defects occurred due to inadequate protective packaging during transit.

Given that the item is unusable in its current state, I request that you arrange for a courier to collect the damaged unit at your earliest convenience. Furthermore, I would appreciate a full refund of the purchase price, including the delivery fee, credited back to my original payment method. Alternatively, if a replacement can be dispatched within three working days, I would be happy to accept that instead.

I look forward to your prompt resolution of this matter.

Yours faithfully,

Julian Thorne

184 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 coherent structure and a consistently formal, professional tone. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to provide a specific action (refund or replacement) or using overly aggressive language that undermines the formal tone.

Useful phrases from the letter

residence
a person's home or place of living
flat-pack
furniture sold in pieces to be assembled
veneer
a thin decorative covering for wood furniture
structurally unsound
not safe or strong enough to use
courier
a company or person that delivers parcels
dispatched
sent off to a destination for delivery

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.

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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.

What does the examiner look for?

A Band 8 response clearly addresses all three bullet points with a coherent structure and a consistently formal, professional tone. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to provide a specific action (refund or replacement) or using overly aggressive language that undermines the formal tone.

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