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 bought a laptop from an online shop, but it stopped working after two weeks.
Write a letter to the company's customer service manager. In your letter
Write at least 150 words.
You do NOT need to write any addresses.
Begin your letter as follows:
Dear Sir or Madam,
GoPrep wrote this practice question in the style of the exam. It is not an official IELTS question.
A letter that begins Dear Sir or Madam ends Yours faithfully, 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 Sir or Madam,
I am writing to complain about a laptop I bought from your website on 3 March, order number 48213. It worked perfectly at first, but two weeks later the screen began to flicker and then went completely black. Since then the computer has refused to start, even when connected to the charger.
I have already tried everything I could to solve the problem. I followed the troubleshooting guide on your website, updated the software and left the battery to charge overnight, but nothing changed. I also called your helpline twice and was told each time that someone would phone me back, but nobody has.
Because I need the laptop for my university studies, I would prefer a replacement or a full refund rather than a repair, which could take weeks. However, if a replacement is not available, I would accept a refund of the full price of 640 pounds.
Please confirm in writing how you intend to resolve this matter. I would be grateful for a reply within a week.
Yours faithfully,
Kamila Nurlanova
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with | say formally that you are unhappy about something |
| 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 look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience. | polite formal ending asking for a quick reply |
Answer random Part 1, 2 and 3 questions on an exam timer.
Average your four skill bands, rounded the way IELTS rounds them.
Compare an IELTS band with TOEFL, Duolingo and PTE scores and CEFR levels.
Look up the IELTS score a university asks for, with the source.