You work at home and have a problem with a piece of equipment that you use for your job. Write a letter to the shop or company which supplied the equipment. In your letter: - describe the problem with the equipment - explain how this problem is affecting your work - say what you want the shop or company to do
Sample Response
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to complain about a defective laser printer that I purchased from your store - Tech Solutions, on 15th February this year. Unfortunately, the device has developed a serious issue that is disrupting my work.
The issue with the printer is that it frequently jams while printing multiple pages and often produces faded or streaked prints, despite using a brand-new toner cartridge. I have followed the troubleshooting steps provided in the manual, but the problem persists.
As I work from home as a freelance graphic designer, having a reliable printer is essential for my job. This malfunction has caused significant delays in completing my projects, leading to missed deadlines and dissatisfied clients.
Considering that the printer is still under warranty, I would appreciate it if you could either repair or replace the faulty unit at your earliest convenience. Please let me know how to proceed with the return or repair process.
I look forward to your prompt response.
Yours sincerely,
Leo Zhang
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Punctuate the store name Original: your store - Tech Solutions, Suggested revision: your store, Tech Solutions, Why it matters: Commas correctly set off the store name as an appositive.
- 2. Use formal date style Original: 15th Suggested revision: 15 Why it matters: Formal British English dates normally omit the ordinal ending.
- 3. Name equipment fault Original: issue Suggested revision: fault Why it matters: 'Fault' is more precise when describing defective equipment.
- 4. Specify print jobs Original: while printing multiple pages Suggested revision: during multi-page print jobs Why it matters: This describes the circumstances of the paper jams more precisely.
- 5. Remove reporting padding Original: provided in the manual Suggested revision: in the manual Why it matters: The manual itself contains the steps, so 'provided' is unnecessary.
- 6. Avoid repeated as Original: As I work from home as a freelance graphic designer Suggested revision: As a freelance graphic designer working from home Why it matters: This removes the repeated 'as' and keeps the work context clear.
- 7. State the urgency Original: at your earliest convenience Suggested revision: as soon as possible Why it matters: The missed deadlines make a prompt repair or replacement necessary.
- 8. Match the salutation Original: sincerely Suggested revision: faithfully Why it matters: A letter beginning 'Dear Sir or Madam' conventionally closes with 'Yours faithfully'.
- 9. Sentence rewrite Original: Please let me know how to proceed with the return or repair process. Suggested revision: Please let me know how to return the printer for inspection, repair, or replacement. Why it matters: This makes the requested next steps and possible warranty outcomes more specific.
Suggested Rewrites
- your store - Tech Solutions, your store, Tech Solutions,
- 15th 15
- issue fault
- while printing multiple pages during multi-page print jobs
- provided in the manual in the manual
- As I work from home as a freelance graphic designer As a freelance graphic designer working from home
Why this response received Band 8.0
The letter’s strongest feature is its complete, professional handling of the complaint: it identifies the faults precisely, explains their effect on freelance work, and requests an appropriate warranty remedy. Its main limitation is that some phrasing is slightly formulaic and the desired remedy could be prioritised more clearly. State whether repair or replacement is preferred and add a practical timeframe or collection detail to make the request even more actionable.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The letter fully covers all three bullet points with a clear complaint, relevant impact, and appropriate formal request.
Prioritise either repair or replacement and specify a practical response timeframe to make the requested action more precise.
Coherence and Cohesion
Information progresses logically through the fault, its consequences, and the requested remedy, with clear paragraphing and smooth links.
Make the transition from the work impact to the warranty request slightly more direct to sharpen the progression.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is precise and suitably formal, with effective phrases such as defective laser printer, troubleshooting steps, and under warranty.
Replace the few formulaic complaint phrases with more individually specific wording while maintaining the professional register.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of simple and complex structures is used accurately, with strong control of clauses and punctuation.
Refine the punctuation around the store name in the opening sentence for an even cleaner presentation.
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
You work at home and have a problem with a piece of equipment that you use for your job. Write a letter to the shop or company which supplied the equipment. In your letter:
- describe the problem with the equipment
- explain how this problem is affecting your work
- say what you want the shop or company to do
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.