General Training Writing Task 1 · semi-formal · complaint

Letter to a landlord regarding damaged rental furniture: IELTS semi-formal letter sample

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

The task

You and your family are living in rented accommodation in an English- speaking country. You are not satisfied with the condition of some of the furniture.

Write a letter to the landlord. In your letter:

  • →introduce yourself
  • →explain what is wrong with the furniture
  • →say what action you would like the landlord 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 8185 words. Names and details are invented; write your own.

Dear Mr. Henderson,

I am writing to you as the current tenant of the apartment at 12 Oakwood Terrace, where I have been residing with my family for the past three months.

While we are enjoying the location, I must bring to your attention the poor condition of several furniture items provided in the lease agreement. The sofa in the living room has a significantly sagging frame, making it quite uncomfortable, and the dining chairs are noticeably wobbly, posing a potential safety risk to my young children. Furthermore, the wooden dresser in the master bedroom has a broken runner, which renders the drawers almost impossible to open or close smoothly.

Given these issues, I would appreciate it if you could arrange for a professional repair service to address these defects at your earliest convenience. Alternatively, if these items are beyond cost-effective restoration, I kindly request that they be replaced with functional alternatives. Please let me know when you might be able to schedule a visit to inspect these pieces yourself.

I look forward to hearing from you soon regarding this matter.

Yours sincerely,

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.

Write a letter, get a band free →

Examiner's view

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response clearly addresses all three bullet points with a coherent, professional tone and specific, relevant details. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to provide enough detail about the specific furniture problems or using an overly aggressive tone that lacks the expected semi-formal politeness.

  • →Write to someone you know but not closely, such as a manager, landlord or neighbour, using their title and surname.
  • →Polite and friendly at once: a few contractions are fine, slang is not. Close with Yours sincerely or Kind regards.
  • →State the purpose in the first two sentences; small talk costs words you need for the bullets.

6 phrases

Useful phrases from the letter

  • residing

    living in a particular place for some time

  • sagging

    sinking or bending down due to weight

  • wobbly

    unsteady and tending to move from side to side

  • renders

    causes something to be in a certain state

  • restoration

    the process of returning something to good condition

  • at your earliest convenience

    as soon as it is easy for you

Frequently asked questions

Is this letter formal or informal?+

Semi-formal. Write to someone you know but not closely, such as a manager, landlord or neighbour, using their title and surname.

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 clearly addresses all three bullet points with a coherent, professional tone and specific, relevant details. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to provide enough detail about the specific furniture problems or using an overly aggressive tone that lacks the expected semi-formal politeness.

Keep practising

More complaint letters

© 2026 BandLadder. Written and checked by the BandLadder team. You may quote or cite this page with credit to BandLadder and a link to it; republishing it in full needs our written permission. Content use policy

Write a letter, get a band free