IELTS Formal Letter: Letter to an electrical store inquiring about stock

The task

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

Write a letter to the shop. In your letter:

→ask if they have the things you want or whether they will be able to order them
→ask what the prices are
→how long they will be able to hold the goods for you

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

Model answer

Band 8 sample letter

Band 8188 words. Names and details are invented; write your own.

Dear Manager,

I am planning to visit your store in Reading next week and would like to check the availability of specific electrical items before making the journey. I am interested in purchasing a Bosch Series 4 washing machine and a Sage Barista Express coffee machine.

Could you please confirm if you currently have these models in stock at your branch? If they are unavailable, I would appreciate knowing if you are able to order them in for me and what the typical lead time would be for such a request.

Furthermore, please provide the current retail prices for both items. I am particularly interested in knowing if there are any ongoing promotional discounts or bundle offers available for these specific brands at the moment.

Finally, if I decide to proceed with the purchase, how long are you able to reserve these goods for me once they are confirmed as available? I would like to ensure that the items are held securely until I arrive on Thursday afternoon.

Thank you for your assistance with this enquiry. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours faithfully,

Jonathan Miller

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

This letter achieves Band 8 by addressing all bullet points clearly with a professional tone and appropriate vocabulary. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to include specific details or asking vague questions that do not demonstrate the candidate's ability to communicate complex information effectively.

→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

availability
the state of being able to be obtained
lead time
the time between starting and completing a process
retail prices
the price at which goods are sold directly
promotional discounts
temporary price reductions used to increase sales
enquiry
an act of asking for information
reserve
to keep something for a particular purpose

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?+

Keep practising

More giving information letters

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