General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · complaint

Letter to College Magazine Suggesting Cafeteria Improvements

You eat in your college cafeteria everyday lunchtime. However, you think it needs some improvements.

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

explain what you like about the cafeteria
say what is wrong with it
suggest how it could be improved

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 our college cafeteria and am writing to express my views regarding the dining facilities currently available to the student body.

Undoubtedly, the cafeteria serves as a vital social hub for students. I particularly appreciate the diverse range of vegetarian options provided daily and the efficient, friendly nature of the catering staff, who manage the lunchtime rush with commendable professionalism. These elements certainly make it a convenient place to refuel between lectures.

However, there are noticeable issues that detract from the experience. The most pressing concern is the lack of seating capacity, which often forces students to eat standing up or in corridors. Furthermore, the ventilation system appears inadequate, as the dining area frequently becomes uncomfortably warm and permeated with cooking odours, making it an unpleasant environment for extended study or socialising.

To rectify this, I suggest installing additional tables in the underutilised foyer area to alleviate congestion. Additionally, upgrading the ventilation fans would significantly enhance air quality. Implementing these adjustments would transform the cafeteria into a more welcoming and functional space for all.

Thank you for considering these suggestions for the benefit of our college community.

Yours faithfully,

Jonathan Sterling

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

Why this scores well

This response achieves Band 8 by addressing all bullet points with specific, relevant suggestions and maintaining a consistently formal tone suitable for a magazine submission. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to provide concrete solutions, instead offering only vague complaints about the food quality.

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

patron: A regular customer who supports a specific establishment.
commendable: Deserving of praise for being high in quality.
detract: To diminish the worth or quality of something.
permeated: Spread throughout something, especially an unpleasant smell.
alleviate: To make a problem or suffering less severe.
underutilised: Not used to its full potential or capacity.

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.