General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · complaint

Letter to store manager regarding faulty television purchase

You bought a new television, but it stopped working after a week.

Write a letter to the store manager. In your letter:

describe the television you bought and when
explain what the problem is
state what action you would like the store to take

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 express my dissatisfaction regarding a Sony Bravia 55-inch LED television that I purchased from your High Street branch on 12 October. The transaction was completed under receipt number 88294.

Initially, the television performed well; however, after only one week of light usage, the screen began flickering intermittently. Within forty-eight hours, the device failed to power on entirely, despite my efforts to troubleshoot by checking the power cables and wall socket. It is deeply disappointing that a premium product should malfunction so soon after purchase.

Given that the item is clearly defective and remains well within the warranty period, I am requesting a full refund. I have already returned the television to its original packaging, including the remote control and instruction manual, and I am prepared to bring it back to the store at your earliest convenience.

I look forward to your prompt confirmation that this refund will be processed without further delay.

Yours faithfully,

Julian Thorne

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

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response fully addresses each bullet point with specific details while maintaining a consistently professional and firm tone. The most common mistake for Band 6 candidates is failing to mention specific purchase details or providing an unrealistic resolution, which undermines the task achievement.

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

dissatisfaction: a feeling of unhappiness with a specific situation
intermittently: happening at irregular intervals rather than continuously
malfunction: to fail to operate in the normal way
defective: imperfect or containing a fault or error
premium: of a higher quality or price than standard
troubleshoot: to solve serious problems for a particular system

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.