General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · complaint

Letter to insurance provider contesting premium increase

Your car insurance company has told you that they are going to increase the insurance amount you have to pay for your car each month. You are not happy about this.

Write a letter to the insurance company. In your letter:

why you are writing to them
why you think the insurance amount should not be increased
what you want them to do

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

Band 8 sample letter

Dear Customer Service Team,

I am writing to formally contest the recent notification regarding the monthly premium increase for my vehicle insurance policy, reference number AX-99281. Having reviewed the revised terms, I find this adjustment unjustified and would like to request a formal review of my account.

My primary objection stems from the fact that I have maintained a clean driving record for over a decade. During the five years I have been insured with your company, I have not filed a single claim, nor have I received any traffic violations. Furthermore, the market value of my vehicle has depreciated significantly over the last twelve months, which should logically lead to a reduction in coverage costs rather than an escalation.

Given these circumstances, I request that you reconsider this price hike and maintain my current monthly rate. Should you be unable to offer a more competitive premium, I will be left with no choice but to terminate my policy and seek coverage from an alternative provider. I look forward to your prompt response regarding this matter.

Yours faithfully,

Jonathan Sterling

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

Why this scores well

The response earns Band 8 by addressing all three bullet points with clear, logical arguments and maintaining a consistent, professional tone throughout. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to provide specific reasons for the objection, instead using vague language that does not effectively persuade the reader.

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

formally contest: To officially challenge or disagree with a decision
unjustified: Not supported by good or fair reasons
clean driving record: A history of having no traffic accidents or tickets
depreciated: Reduced in value over a period of time
price hike: An unexpected or sharp increase in cost
alternative provider: A different company offering similar services or products

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

On your phone? Get the BandLadder app.

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.