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 Mr Bruce, Three days ago I purchased an LG smart television The location is repeated in the next sentence.from your store. I was excited when I bought it from your store but This sounds firm but measured.very disappointed to find that only after a few hours, the product malfunctioned. I am sure it was Defective is concise and appropriate.poorly produced and Was hoping is a conventional polite request.I am hoping you would send someone to my house to Inspect is precise in a complaint.check it and then replace it. The shorter phrase is clearer.In relation to the specifics of the order, I purchased a 54-inch LG smart HD TV from your Brand shop is less idiomatic.brand shop located in the Tandridge District on This is a standard formal-letter format.August 14th using my Visa credit card. The order number is 5874210 and I am attaching a copy of my receipt. The issue with the TV is that a black line appears across the TV screen. Though it disappears after a while, it Reappears is the usual choice.emerges again if the TV is on for a couple of hours. This is a smoother neutral connector.Moreover, the Distorted clearly identifies the symptom.sound quality is strange and This states what was tested.it has nothing to do with the audio settings. The TV is now unusable and The writer cannot confirm the cause before inspection.I’m sure this is a manufacturing flaw. This is more formal.As a solution, and because I really like the functionality of this television, I am hoping that you will agree to send someone to my house to check it and then replace it with a new one. Otherwise, I would like a full refund. Thank you for giving the matter your attention and I hope to Receive a reply is the natural collocation.hear your reply soon. Yours faithfully, Isabella Evelyn
Why this response received Band 8.0
The complaint is complete, specific, and professionally persuasive: it supplies purchase details, explains both faults, and requests inspection followed by replacement or refund. Organisation and tone are strong, with only minor repetition and a few expressions that could be more precise or courteous. Streamline the repeated request, avoid asserting a manufacturing defect as certain, and refine the closing for maximum professionalism.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
Every bullet point is fully developed with useful transaction details and a clear remedy.
Frame the suspected defect cautiously and specify a reasonable response timeframe.
Coherence and Cohesion
The information is logically sequenced and cohesive, though the requested remedy is repeated.
State the full remedy once in the final request paragraph.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is precise and suitably formal, with a few slightly blunt or repetitive phrases.
Use neutral complaint language such as appears to be defective and arrange an inspection.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of structures is accurate and easy to follow, with only minor stylistic refinements needed.
Prefer would in the initial request and keep long request sentences concise.
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
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
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.