General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · complaint

Letter to store representative regarding incomplete camera package

You recently bought a camera while travelling overseas. When you got to your destination you discovered that some important items were missing from the box.

Write a letter to the local representative of the company. In your letter:

give details of the camera and where you bought it
explain what has happened
say what you want him/her to do about it

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 formally report an issue regarding a Sony Alpha A7R V camera I purchased at your flagship store in Tokyo on 15 October while travelling. The transaction reference for this purchase is #TYO-99823.

Upon arriving at my hotel later that evening, I opened the sealed box to familiarise myself with the equipment. To my dismay, I discovered that the battery charger and the proprietary USB-C cable were entirely absent from the packaging. Although the camera body and lens were present and appear undamaged, these missing accessories are essential for the device to function.

As I am currently residing in a country where this specific model is not yet available, I am unable to source these components locally. I request that you arrange for the missing items to be shipped to my current address at your earliest convenience. If this is not possible, I would appreciate a partial refund to cover the cost of purchasing these accessories from an alternative supplier.

I look forward to your prompt response regarding this matter.

Yours sincerely,

Jonathan Sterling

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

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response clearly addresses all three bullet points with specific details and maintains a consistently professional, formal tone throughout. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to provide a clear resolution or request for action, often resulting in an incomplete response to the prompt's requirements.

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

flagship store: The most important or largest shop owned by a company.
transaction reference: A unique code used to identify a specific purchase.
proprietary: Owned by a company and protected by a patent.
familiarise: To learn about something to become comfortable using it.
at your earliest convenience: As soon as it is easy or suitable for you.
source: To obtain or find a supply of something.

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.