Write a letter to the Mayor, the head of a municipal government, about a situation in which some adolescents let their dogs run wildly. In your letter: - describe how the adolescents let their dogs run wild - explain why this creates a dangerous situation - complain about the situation
Sample Response
Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing toI am writing this letter in order to drawbring your attention to an important issue currently affecting our neighbourhoodan important issue which our neighbourhood is currently facing. For some timeFor quite some time, we have noticed with great concernwe have been noticing with great concern that some boys aged about 12 to 15young boys of about 12 to 15 years of age from our area are allowing their dogs to run loosewildly in our neighbourhood. Initially, it was not a matter of greatbig concern, but graduallyslowly and slowly, this is becoming dangerous as the dogs are frequently coming into contact with community membersthe community members, which is not safe. In fact, the situation has become so dangerous and frighteningscary for some of our neighboursgood neighbours that they are even afraid to sometimes come out of their homescome out of their homes sometimes because of these freefreely-roaming dogs. Some of the members of our community have already talked to the parents of these boys, but, unfortunately, the situation has not improvednot exactly changed much in our favour. In view of this dangerous situation, which is prevailing in our neighbourhood, I would like you to please take some necessary steps to bring these adolescent boys and their dogs under control before some serious accidents take place. Yours faithfully, Jon Garson
Why this response received Band 7.0
The letter establishes a clear formal complaint, explains that the dogs roam freely, and conveys residents' fear and the need for municipal action. Its main limitation is that the danger is described repetitively and rather generally, while the entire response remains in one paragraph. Prioritise specific consequences and a clearer paragraph structure to make the request more persuasive.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The response covers all three bullet points in a suitable formal tone, with a clear complaint and a direct request for action.
Develop the danger with one or two concrete risks, such as attacks, traffic incidents, or harm to children, rather than repeating that it is unsafe.
Coherence and Cohesion
The complaint develops in a logical sequence, but one-paragraph presentation and repeated references to danger weaken the organisation.
Separate the description, consequences, previous attempts to resolve the problem, and requested action into distinct paragraphs.
Lexical Resource
The vocabulary is sufficiently varied and appropriate for a formal complaint, though repetition and several unnatural phrases reduce precision.
Replace expressions such as 'slowly and slowly', 'good neighbours', and 'changed much in our favour' with concise natural alternatives.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A range of complex sentences is handled accurately enough for clear communication, with only minor punctuation and phrasing lapses.
Streamline heavily modified sentences and remove unnecessary commas so the complaint reads more directly.
Write this task while it is fresh
Try the same task now. It helps you remember the feedback and write better next time.
IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
Write a letter to the Mayor, the head of a municipal government, about a situation in which some adolescents let their dogs run wildly. In your letter:
- describe how the adolescents let their dogs run wild
- explain why this creates a dangerous situation
- complain about the situation
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.