General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · giving information

Letter to shop owner inquiring about electrical goods

You would like to buy some electrical goods at a shop in a nearby town.

Write a letter to the shop owner. In your letter:

if they have the things you want or if they can order them?
what are the prices?
and how long they can keep the goods for you?

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 inquire about the availability of several electrical appliances currently listed on your website. I am planning a trip to your town next weekend and would like to purchase a few items for my new home.

Could you please confirm if you currently have a Bosch Series 6 dishwasher and a Samsung 55-inch smart television in stock? If these particular models are unavailable at your store, would it be possible for you to order them in advance so that they are ready for collection by next Saturday?

Additionally, I would appreciate it if you could provide the current retail prices for these items, including any applicable taxes. Please let me know if there are any ongoing promotions or discounts that might apply to these specific products.

Finally, if you have these items available, could you please hold them for me until the end of the day on Saturday, 15th October? I would be grateful if you could confirm whether a deposit is required to secure the reservation.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours faithfully,

Arthur Pendelton

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

Why this scores well

This response achieves Band 8 by addressing all bullet points with specific, natural details while maintaining a consistently formal tone. A common mistake for Band 6 candidates is failing to ask about the duration for which the items can be held or including unnecessary personal information that detracts from the purpose of the letter.

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

inquire: to ask for information about something
availability: the state of being able to be bought
collection: the act of picking up purchased goods
applicable: relevant or appropriate for a specific situation
promotions: special offers designed to increase sales
secure: to fix or fasten something firmly in place

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.