General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · complaint

Letter to computer shop manager regarding unsatisfactory repair

You recently sent your computer to be repaired at a shop. However, you are not satisfied with the repair.

Write a letter to the manager of the shop. In your letter:

describe why your computer needed to be repaired
explain why you are not happy with the service
say what you would like the shop manager to do

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

Band 8 sample letter

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to express my profound dissatisfaction regarding the repair service performed on my MacBook Pro last week. My device was submitted to your branch on 12 October for a critical screen replacement after the display began flickering intermittently and eventually went completely black.

Upon collecting the machine yesterday, I was dismayed to find that the screen flickers even worse than before. Furthermore, the technician failed to secure the base casing properly, leaving a noticeable gap on the left side, and the internal cooling fan is now making a persistent grinding noise that was not present previously. It appears the device was handled with extreme carelessness.

I expect you to rectify these issues immediately by conducting a thorough repair at no additional cost. If the hardware cannot be restored to full working order within three working days, I request a full refund of the £250 service fee so that I may seek assistance from a certified service centre elsewhere.

I look forward to your prompt response regarding this matter.

Yours faithfully,

Jonathan Sterling

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

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response fully addresses all three bullet points with a clear, professional tone and logical paragraph structure. Common Band 6 errors include failing to provide specific details about the repair issues or using an inappropriate informal register.

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

profound dissatisfaction: a very strong feeling of being unhappy
intermittently: stopping and starting at irregular intervals
dismayed: feeling intense distress or disappointment
persistent: continuing to happen in a determined way
rectify: to put something right or correct it
certified: officially recognised as possessing certain qualifications

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.