General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · other

Letter to college magazine suggesting cafeteria improvements

You eat at your college cafeteria every lunchtime. However, you think it needs some improvements.

Write a letter to the college magazine. In your letter:

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

Band 8 sample letter

Dear Editor,

I am a regular patron of the college cafeteria and am writing to share my thoughts regarding the current dining facilities.

I must commend the staff on the variety of hot meals provided. The daily selection of vegetarian curries and fresh salads is genuinely impressive, and the friendly service consistently makes the lunch hour a pleasant experience for students.

However, there are significant issues that hinder the overall experience. The seating area is frequently overcrowded, resulting in long queues that extend into the corridor. Furthermore, the ventilation system appears inadequate, as the room often becomes uncomfortably warm and permeated with cooking odours, which is particularly off-putting during the warmer months.

To address these concerns, I suggest installing additional industrial fans to improve air circulation. Additionally, implementing an online pre-ordering system could significantly reduce congestion at the payment counters, allowing students to collect their meals efficiently. I believe these minor adjustments would greatly enhance the cafeteria’s appeal.

Thank you for considering these suggestions to improve our shared campus facilities.

Yours faithfully,

James Sterling

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

Why this scores well

The response achieves Band 8 by addressing all three bullet points with specific, logical suggestions while maintaining a professional and constructive tone throughout. A common mistake for Band 6 candidates is failing to link the problems to specific, actionable solutions, often resulting in vague complaints without a clear focus on improvement.

Useful phrases from the letter

patron
A regular customer who supports a business establishment.
commend
To express formal praise for someone or something.
permeated
Spread throughout something, especially smells or liquids.
off-putting
Unpleasant or disconcerting, causing a loss of interest.
congestion
The state of being overcrowded or blocked up.
enhance
To intensify or increase the quality or value.

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?

The response achieves Band 8 by addressing all three bullet points with specific, logical suggestions while maintaining a professional and constructive tone throughout. A common mistake for Band 6 candidates is failing to link the problems to specific, actionable solutions, often resulting in vague complaints without a clear focus on improvement.

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