General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · complaint

Letter to Museum Manager Regarding Accessibility Issues

You took an elderly member of your family, who was not able to walk properly, to a museum and he/she faced a few problems.

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

say why you visited the museum
describe the problems you faced
suggest what can be done to avoid those problems

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 share my feedback regarding a recent visit to the City History Museum last Tuesday, which I attended with my grandfather. As he has significant mobility issues and relies on a walking frame, we visited your institution specifically to enjoy your new Victorian exhibition.

Regrettably, the experience was marred by several accessibility failures. Upon arrival, we found the main lift was out of service without any prior notice on your website. Consequently, my grandfather struggled to navigate the steep stairs at the entrance. Furthermore, the exhibition halls were excessively crowded, and the lack of seating areas meant he was unable to rest during the tour, eventually forcing us to abandon our visit prematurely.

To prevent these issues, I suggest ensuring that lift maintenance schedules are clearly communicated online. Additionally, installing foldable chairs throughout the galleries would greatly assist elderly visitors. Providing a designated priority lane for those with mobility aids would also significantly improve the visitor experience.

I hope my comments assist you in making the museum more inclusive for all guests. I look forward to hearing how you plan to address these concerns.

Yours sincerely,

Arthur Penhaligon

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

Why this scores well

This response earns a Band 8 by addressing all three bullet points with specific, logical suggestions and maintaining a professional, firm tone throughout. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to provide concrete suggestions for improvement, instead opting for vague complaints without offering solutions.

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

marred: spoiled or damaged the quality of something
mobility issues: difficulty in moving around or walking freely
regrettably: used to express sadness or disappointment about something
prematurely: happening before the proper or expected time
inclusive: containing or covering all the necessary parts
accessibility: the quality of being easy to reach or use

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.