General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · complaint

Letter to Hotel Manager Regarding Poor Lunch Service

You recently organized an all-day meeting for your company, which took place in a local hotel. In their feedback, participants at the meeting said that they liked the hotel, but they were unhappy about the food that was served for lunch.

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

say what the participants liked about the hotel
explain why they were unhappy about the food
suggest what the manager should do to improve the food in the future

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 provide feedback regarding the all-day corporate meeting held at your hotel last Tuesday, the 14th of October.

On behalf of my colleagues, I would like to commend your staff on the excellent facilities provided. The conference room was well-equipped, the audio-visual technology functioned flawlessly, and the comfortable seating arrangement contributed significantly to a productive atmosphere. Many participants specifically mentioned how much they appreciated the professional and attentive service provided by your reception team throughout the day.

However, I must express our disappointment regarding the lunch service. While the variety appeared sufficient, the main courses were lukewarm and appeared to have been prepared well in advance. Furthermore, several attendees with dietary restrictions were not provided with the promised vegetarian alternatives, which caused considerable inconvenience during the break.

To improve future experiences, I suggest that your kitchen staff review their timing protocols to ensure hot food is served at the correct temperature. Additionally, implementing a clearer system for labeling dishes would help guests with specific dietary requirements identify suitable options immediately.

I trust you will take this feedback into account to enhance your catering standards.

Yours faithfully,

Jonathan Sterling

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

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response covers all bullet points with a professional tone and specific, relevant details that justify the complaint. The most common Band 6 mistake is failing to suggest actionable improvements, instead merely venting frustration without offering constructive feedback to the manager.

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

commend: To formally praise someone or something highly
flawlessly: In a way that is perfect without mistakes
lukewarm: Only slightly warm and not hot enough
inconvenience: A state of trouble or difficulty caused
protocols: The official set of rules for an activity
enhance: To improve the quality or value 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.