You recently bought a piece of equipment for your kitchen but it did not work. You phoned the shop but no action was taken. Write a letter to the shop manager. In your letter: - describe the problem with the equipment - explain what happened - when you phoned the shop - say what you would like the manager to do
Sample Response
Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing to express my deeputter disappointment regarding the food processorfood factory device that I purchased from your shop a few days ago. I was very excited to purchase this kitchen appliance but disappointed to find that it was poorly made and has a manufacturing flaw. I visited your shop on 4th November and purchased a brand new Philips food processorfactory that came with a two-year warrantycomes with two years warranty. However, to my surpriseto my sheer astonishment, when I unwrapped the box and tried to switch on the devicetried to run the device, it did not work. I thoroughly checked all the connections as the problem could have been aton my end but this was not the case. Immediately, I called the shop and complained about the faulty product. I also provided all the details that the personthe details the person on the other side of the phone requested. He assured me that a company representative would visit mewill be visiting me in a couple of days and would replace the productand replace the product. But this has never proved to be true. The order number is 8541203 and I am attaching a copy of my receipt. I urge you to immediately address the issue and replace the faulty product with a new onenew and fresh one. Yours faithfully, Mubashir Noorani
Why this response received Band 6.5
The letter covers the complaint thoroughly by describing the faulty appliance, recounting the unsuccessful phone contact, and asking for a replacement in an appropriately firm tone. Its main weakness is imprecise, occasionally unnatural wording combined with a single dense paragraph; use the correct product name and standard consumer-complaint language, separate the stages clearly, and state a precise remedy and deadline.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The letter describes the faulty kitchen equipment, explains the phone call and broken promise, and asks for replacement. It covers the task well, though the product name and requested remedy could be more precise.
Name the appliance accurately and state whether you want a replacement, repair, or refund by a specific date.
Coherence and Cohesion
The sequence is clear, but the response is one long paragraph and could be easier to follow with separate sections.
Use paragraphs for purchase details, fault description, phone complaint, and requested action.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is suitable for a complaint, but several phrases are unnatural, including food factory, sheer astonishment, and new and fresh one.
Use precise consumer-complaint wording such as food processor, faulty appliance, replacement, and under warranty.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Grammar is mostly clear, with some tense and verb-form errors, especially around reported promises and warranty phrasing.
Check tense after assured me that and use present perfect for unresolved problems.
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
You recently bought a piece of equipment for your kitchen but it did not work. You phoned the shop but no action was taken. Write a letter to the shop manager. In your letter:
- describe the problem with the equipment
- explain what happened
- when you phoned the shop
- say what you would like the manager to do
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.