Your company recently introduced a new staff uniform, but staff members are unhappy with it. Write a letter to your manager. In your letter: - explain why you think staff are unhappy with the uniform - describe what you want the new uniform to be like - give suggestions for handling the situation
Sample Response
Dear [Manager's Name]Dear Sir or Madam,
I am a senior executiveSenior Executive at our company, and I am writing this letter to comment onsay a few words about the new company's new uniform policyuniform code of our company which I do not think has been well receivedwhich, I do not think, is exactly appreciated by many of our company staff.
The problem is that the majority of the staff of our company think that the new uniform policya new uniform code is just a waste of time and money because it does not really help increase our productivity in any way. Besides, they are also saying in private that they are not willing to accept this new uniform code because they think that the colours of the uniformsdresses are too “generic” and do not quite reflectgo along with the prestige and reputation of our company.
So, now that we know why the staffstaffs are not ready to approve this new uniform code, the management can actually suggest a different colour code (could be more than just one colour as long as they are “unique”). Not only that but also the company can make an offer to pay for the making charges of the uniforms to make this new uniform proposal even more appealing to them.
I hope you will consider my opinion and suggestions.
Yours faithfully,
Jim McEnroe
Why this response received Band 7.0
The letter has a clear formal purpose, a logical structure, and relevant reasons for staff dissatisfaction, supported by workable management suggestions. The main limitation is that the desired replacement uniform is described almost entirely through colour, leaving that bullet point less fully developed. Priority should go to specifying practical features such as comfort, fabric, fit, and branding while tightening repetitive and occasionally awkward wording.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The response addresses all three bullet points in a suitable formal tone, though the description of the preferred new uniform is narrow and underdeveloped.
Explain the desired uniform in practical detail, including its fabric, comfort, fit, colours, and relationship to the company's image.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas are organised into clear functional paragraphs and progress logically from the problem to proposed action, although some repetition makes the movement less concise.
Reduce repeated references to “uniform code” and use a more direct transition from staff concerns to the proposed solution.
Lexical Resource
The response uses a sufficient range of formal and topic-specific vocabulary, but several choices are repetitive or imprecise, including “dresses” and “making charges.”
Use more precise workplace terms such as “uniforms,” “manufacturing cost,” and “professional appearance,” while avoiding unnecessary repetition.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Complex sentences are generally controlled and meaning remains clear, despite errors such as “the staffs” and some awkward clause construction.
Correct uncountable plural forms and revise bulky structures, especially the opening sentence and the “Not only that” construction, for cleaner accuracy.
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
Your company recently introduced a new staff uniform, but staff members are unhappy with it. Write a letter to your manager. In your letter:
- explain why you think staff are unhappy with the uniform
- describe what you want the new uniform to be like
- give suggestions for handling the situation
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.