General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · complaint

Letter to newspaper editor protesting park sale

There is a public park near where you live. You have heard that the local council wants to sell this park.

Write a letter to a local newspaper. In your letter:

introduce yourself
describe the importance of the park
say what action you will take if the council continues with its plan

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

Band 8 sample letter

Dear Editor,

I am a long-term resident of the Oakwood district and a frequent visitor to Greenleaf Park. I am writing to express my strong opposition to the local council’s recent proposal to sell this public land to property developers.

For many of us living in the surrounding apartments, this park serves as an essential green lung in an otherwise concrete-heavy neighbourhood. It is the only accessible space where families can gather, children can play safely, and elderly residents can enjoy daily exercise. Losing this area would fundamentally diminish the quality of life for hundreds of citizens who rely on it for their physical and mental well-being.

Should the council persist with this short-sighted plan, I intend to organise a formal petition among local residents and coordinate a public demonstration outside the town hall. Furthermore, I am prepared to contact our local member of parliament to ensure that community voices are prioritised over commercial interests.

I trust you will highlight this issue in your next edition to help us protect our heritage.

Yours faithfully,

Jonathan Sterling

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

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response clearly addresses all three bullet points with a consistent, sophisticated formal tone and well-developed arguments. The most common Band 6 error is failing to provide a specific, actionable plan, instead offering vague statements like 'I will be very upset'.

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

long-term resident: someone who has lived in an area for years
green lung: a park area that provides fresh air in cities
concrete-heavy: an area with too many buildings and no nature
fundamentally diminish: to significantly reduce the value or quality of something
short-sighted: lacking foresight or failing to consider future consequences
commercial interests: business goals that focus on making money

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.