You bought a new HD television last week. At first, it seemed to work perfectly but after a few hours a line appeared across the TV and the sound seemed a little strange. You cannot take the TV back to the shop so you have decided to write to them. Write a letter of complaint to the shop. In your letter: - give them the background information - describe the problem - ask them to resolve the issue
Sample Response
Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing to notify you of the problem I am having with the television that I purchased from your store on 29th March 2020. It was just fine when I checked it in the store but it started acting strangely and I am hoping you would send someone to check it. I bought a 48 inch Samsung HD Flat FH4003 TV from your showroom in Author Street, Leevart area, on 29th March 2020. The TV worked fine for the first few hours and then suddenly started erratic behaviours! I cannot bring it to your store to claim my warranty because my car is in the repairing shop and I have an important exam next week. A thin dark line appears on the screen and it goes away after a while. This happens every time I start the TV. The sound of the TV was superb at the beginning but it sounds strange now. People's voice has become robotic and I am sure it is not related to sound settings.
It is quite disappointing to have a faulty product, especially from a reputed brand. I would request you to send someone to my place and have the television checked. Afterwards, please provide me with a new one of the same model and make sure this one has no issue! Yours faithfully, David Crown
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Polite modal Original: I am hoping you would send Suggested revision: I hope you can send Why it matters: Can fits a current practical request; would is awkward after hoping.
- 2. Compound adjective Original: 48 inch Suggested revision: 48-inch Why it matters: Hyphenate a measurement used before a noun.
- 3. Wrong collocation Original: started erratic behaviours Suggested revision: started malfunctioning Why it matters: A television does not start behaviours.
- 4. Natural noun Original: repairing shop Suggested revision: repair shop Why it matters: Repair is the attributive noun used here.
- 5. Irrelevant detail Original: and I have an important exam next week Suggested revision: Delete Why it matters: The exam does not explain why the television cannot be returned.
- 6. Plural agreement Original: People's voice Suggested revision: People's voices Why it matters: The plural possessive requires a plural head noun.
- 7. Formal precision Original: superb at the beginning Suggested revision: clear at first Why it matters: This directly contrasts the original and current sound quality.
- 8. Missing article Original: related to sound settings Suggested revision: related to the sound settings Why it matters: The specific settings require the definite article.
- 9. Natural collocation Original: a reputed brand Suggested revision: a reputable brand Why it matters: Reputable is the usual adjective for a trusted brand.
- 10. Request form Original: I would request you Suggested revision: I would like to request that you Why it matters: This is the standard formal construction.
- 11. Count noun Original: has no issue Suggested revision: has no faults Why it matters: The plural noun is more natural for product defects.
- 12. Complaint purpose Original: notify you of the problem Suggested revision: complain about a problem Why it matters: This is the conventional purpose phrase for a complaint letter.
Suggested Rewrites
- I am hoping you would send I hope you can send
- 48 inch 48-inch
- started erratic behaviours started malfunctioning
- repairing shop repair shop
- and I have an important exam next week Delete
- People's voice People's voices
Why this response received Band 7.0
The letter fully explains the purchase, describes both faults and requests an appropriate inspection and replacement, so its practical purpose is consistently clear. Its main weaknesses are presentation and control: most of the letter is an unbroken paragraph, several expressions are non-standard, and exclamation marks make the complaint less professional. Use conventional letter layout and more measured formal language.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Detailed feedback by IELTS writing criterion after the annotated essay.
Task Achievement
All three bullet points are covered thoroughly with specific purchase details, symptoms and a clear requested remedy.
State the warranty or order reference and make the requested sequence—inspection, then replacement—even more explicit.
Coherence and Cohesion
The information follows a sensible sequence, but inadequate paragraphing and crowded opening and closing conventions reduce readability.
Use separate paragraphs for background, faults and requested action, with salutation and sign-off on separate lines.
Lexical Resource
The vocabulary communicates the complaint effectively, though several collocations are unnatural and some wording is too emotional.
Use standard complaint phrases such as malfunctioning, repair shop, under warranty, and fault.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A mix of simple and complex sentences is clear overall, but article, conditional, noun-form and punctuation errors recur.
Check would versus could, compound modifiers, count nouns and sentence boundaries.