IELTS Formal Letter: Letter to shop owner inquiring about electrical goods

The task

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

Write a letter to the shop owner. In your letter:

→if they have the things you want or if they can order them?
→what are the prices?
→and how long they can keep 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 8185 words. Names and details are invented; write your own.

Dear Mr. Henderson,

I am writing to inquire about the availability of several electrical appliances currently listed on your website. I am planning a trip to your town next weekend and would like to purchase a few items for my new home.

Could you please confirm if you currently have a Bosch Series 6 dishwasher and a Samsung 55-inch smart television in stock? If these particular models are unavailable at your store, would it be possible for you to order them in advance so that they are ready for collection by next Saturday?

Additionally, I would appreciate it if you could provide the current retail prices for these items, including any applicable taxes. Please let me know if there are any ongoing promotions or discounts that might apply to these specific products.

Finally, if you have these items available, could you please hold them for me until the end of the day on Saturday, 15th October? I would be grateful if you could confirm whether a deposit is required to secure the reservation.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours faithfully,

Arthur Pendelton

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 response achieves Band 8 by addressing all bullet points with specific, natural details while maintaining a consistently formal tone. A common mistake for Band 6 candidates is failing to ask about the duration for which the items can be held or including unnecessary personal information that detracts from the purpose of the letter.

→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

inquire
to ask for information about something
availability
the state of being able to be bought
collection
the act of picking up purchased goods
applicable
relevant or appropriate for a specific situation
promotions
special offers designed to increase sales
secure
to fix or fasten something firmly in place

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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