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 held a family celebration at a local restaurant, but the service was very poor.
Write a letter to the restaurant owner. 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 the service we received at your restaurant on Saturday evening, when my family gathered to celebrate my parents' fortieth wedding anniversary. We had booked a table for twelve two weeks in advance.
Unfortunately, almost everything went wrong. We waited forty minutes before anyone took our order, and the main courses arrived at different times, so some of us were finishing while others had not started. My father's dish was also cold, and when we pointed this out, the waiter was rude and simply walked away.
We were very disappointed because this was a special occasion that we had planned carefully. Instead of a relaxed, happy evening, we felt ignored and embarrassed in front of our guests, some of whom had travelled a long way. We had expected much better from a restaurant with such a good reputation.
I would like you to apologise to my family and refund at least half of the bill, which came to 280 pounds. I would also appreciate it if you could speak to your staff about this.
Yours faithfully,
Maria Santos
| 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 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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