Use the greeting, sign-off and paragraph plan below for this formal letter, write it on a 20-minute timer, then compare it with a band-8 model letter.
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
You stayed in a hotel last weekend and your room was not clean when you arrived.
Write a letter to Mr Henderson, the hotel manager. In your letter
Write at least 150 words.
You do NOT need to write any addresses.
Begin your letter as follows:
Dear Mr Henderson,
GoPrep wrote this practice question in the style of the exam. It is not an official IELTS question.
A letter to a named person ends Yours sincerely, followed by your full name.
Spend the first few minutes planning, then write.
0 words of 150 minimum
Your answer stays on this page only. Copy it before you leave.
Write your own answer first, then compare: how it answers the exact question, what each paragraph does, and which phrases you could borrow.
Dear Mr Henderson,
I stayed at your hotel last weekend, in room 214, and I am writing to complain about the condition of the room when I arrived on Friday evening. I had been looking forward to a relaxing break, but I was disappointed from the moment I opened the door.
The carpet was covered in crumbs, the bathroom floor was wet, and the bed had not been changed, because I found long hairs on the pillows. There was also a strong smell of smoke, although I had booked a non-smoking room.
When I went to reception, the young man on duty simply said that the cleaners had left for the day and offered me a towel. He did not apologise, and I was moved to another room only after waiting more than an hour. By then, I had missed my dinner reservation.
I would therefore like a refund of at least half of the cost of my stay, which was 220 pounds, together with a written apology. I hope you will also look into how this happened.
Yours sincerely,
Omar Hassan
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| I would like to draw your attention to | make someone notice a problem |
| This is completely unacceptable. | state firmly that the situation is not good enough |
| I would be grateful if you could look into the matter. | politely ask someone to investigate |
| I expect a full refund / prompt resolution. | say clearly what you want to happen |
| I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience. | polite formal ending asking for a quick reply |
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