General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · complaint

Formal Letter to Post Office Manager Regarding Missing Mail: IELTS formal letter sample

An IELTS General Training Writing Task 1 formal letter with a Band 8 sample answer, why it scores well and the phrases worth borrowing for your own letter writing.
  • 170 words
  • Formal letters
  • Complaint
  • 20 minutes
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The task

You recently sent some documents by post, but they did not arrive at the destination.

Write a letter to the post office manager. In your letter:

  • →give details of the situation
  • →describe the documents
  • →say what action you want the post office to take

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

Model answer

Band 8 sample letter

Band 8170 words. Names and details are invented; write your own.

Dear Mr. Henderson,

I am writing to report that a parcel I dispatched via your branch on 12 October has failed to reach its destination in Manchester. Despite the tracking information indicating that the package was processed, it has not been delivered to the recipient, and the current status remains unchanged.

The parcel contained sensitive legal documents, specifically my original university degree certificate and a signed property deed. These are irreplaceable items, and their loss has caused me significant distress, as they are urgently required for a time-sensitive visa application.

I would appreciate it if you could initiate a formal investigation into this matter immediately. Given the high importance of the contents, please provide an update on the parcel’s location within forty-eight hours. Furthermore, if the package has been lost due to internal mishandling, I request that you clarify the compensation procedure and the steps I must take to initiate a claim for the loss.

Thank you for your prompt assistance in resolving this distressing situation.

Yours faithfully,

Julian Thorne

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.

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Examiner's view

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response fully addresses all three bullet points with a professional, consistent tone and clear, logical paragraph structure. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to specify the exact contents of the documents or neglecting to ask for a specific resolution, resulting in a vague complaint.

  • →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.

6 phrases

Useful phrases from the letter

  • dispatched

    sent off to a destination for a purpose

  • irreplaceable

    impossible to replace if lost or damaged

  • time-sensitive

    requiring action within a specific limited period

  • initiate

    to cause a process or action to begin

  • mishandling

    managing or dealing with something ineffectively or unfairly

  • compensation

    money awarded to someone as recompense for loss

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 many words 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.

What does the examiner look for?+

A Band 8 response fully addresses all three bullet points with a professional, consistent tone and clear, logical paragraph structure. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to specify the exact contents of the documents or neglecting to ask for a specific resolution, resulting in a vague complaint.

Keep practising

More complaint letters

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