General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · complaint

Letter to course provider regarding substandard accommodation issues

You are studying a short course in another country. Your accommodation was arranged by the course provider. There is a major problem with the accommodation.

Write a letter to the course provider. In your letter:

say what the problem is
describe the accommodation you thought you were getting
ask the provider to solve the problem

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

Band 8 sample letter

Dear Mr. Henderson,

I am writing to express my severe dissatisfaction regarding the living arrangements provided for my Intensive Marketing course in London.

Upon arrival, I discovered that the room is in a state of disrepair. The central heating is completely non-functional, leaving the room freezing at night, and there is a persistent leak in the ceiling directly above the desk. Furthermore, the shared bathroom facilities are unhygienic, with visible mould in the shower area, which is entirely unacceptable.

According to the course brochure, I was promised a modern, self-contained studio apartment with private en-suite facilities and reliable Wi-Fi. The reality is a cramped, shared room in a dilapidated building that lacks basic maintenance. This environment makes it impossible for me to study or rest effectively.

I request that you either arrange an immediate transfer to a property that meets the standards advertised or provide a significant partial refund so I may secure alternative housing myself. Please address this matter urgently, as my studies are being negatively impacted.

I look forward to your prompt response regarding this situation.

Yours faithfully,

Julian Thorne

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

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response clearly addresses all three bullet points with specific, relevant details while maintaining a consistently professional tone. The most common mistake for Band 6 candidates is failing to contrast the reality with the initial expectation, or becoming overly emotional rather than firm and professional.

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

severe dissatisfaction: a very strong feeling of being unhappy
state of disrepair: in a condition needing significant structural repairs
persistent: continuing to happen in an annoying way
unhygienic: dirty and likely to cause a disease
dilapidated: a building in a state of terrible decay
secure: to successfully obtain or get hold of something

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.