You recently ordered a small item online but when it arrived, it was damaged. Write a letter to the company that sold you the item. In your letter: - give details about the order you made - explain what was wrong with the item - tell the company what you want them to do about it
Sample Response
Dear Sir or Madam, I am James Smith, a resident of Aurora, Illinois, have recently ordered a smartphone - Samsung Galaxy Note Edge, from your online shop. Unfortunately, when I unwrapped the phone, I found that the phone screen was broken and the stylus was missing. I am writing to notify you of the problem and to replace my product with a fresh one. I placed the order on 15th July 2025 from my home and my invoice number is SAI-25478ASNE. I used my VISA credit card to pay for the order. I was looking forward to receiving the phone and start using it but when the phone finally arrived two days later, it was not in the condition it should have been. The main screen was smashed, and I could not find the stylus in the box. This is quite unexpected and as a regular customer, I am disappointed with your service. Please inform me how can I replace the phone, as the warranty covers it, and get a fresh one as early as possible? Should I visit one of your retail shops? Thanks in advance for your cooperation and I would like you to take the necessary measure so that it does not repeat in the future. Yours faithfully, James Smith
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use possessive form Original: phone Suggested revision: phone's Why it matters: The possessive form clearly shows that the screen belongs to the phone.
- 2. Clarify your request Original: and to replace my product with a fresh one Suggested revision: and to request a replacement Why it matters: The company, rather than the writer, is being asked to replace the damaged phone.
- 3. Keep forms parallel Original: receiving the phone and start using it Suggested revision: receiving the phone and starting to use it Why it matters: The coordinated verbs after “looking forward to” should both use the -ing form.
- 4. Set off the phrase Original: unexpected and as a regular customer Suggested revision: unexpected and, as a regular customer, Why it matters: The parenthetical phrase needs commas on both sides.
- 5. Use indirect order Original: how can I replace the phone Suggested revision: how I can replace the phone Why it matters: An indirect question uses statement word order after “inform me.”
- 6. Choose natural wording Original: fresh Suggested revision: new Why it matters: “New one” is the natural expression for a replacement phone.
- 7. Use plural noun Original: measure Suggested revision: measures Why it matters: The fixed expression here normally uses the plural noun “measures.”
- 8. Use natural expression Original: so that it does not repeat in the future Suggested revision: so that this does not happen again Why it matters: An incident happens again; it does not itself “repeat” in this construction.
- 9. Describe opening accurately Original: when I unwrapped the phone Suggested revision: when I opened the package Why it matters: The package is opened or unwrapped before the phone's condition is inspected.
- 10. Use standard date form Original: 15th Suggested revision: 15 Why it matters: The cardinal date form is concise and standard in formal correspondence.
- 11. Reinforce order method Original: from my home Suggested revision: online Why it matters: “Online” gives relevant order information more directly than the writer's physical location.
- 12. Use standard brand case Original: VISA Suggested revision: Visa Why it matters: The card brand is conventionally written as “Visa” in running text.
Suggested Rewrites
- phone phone's
- and to replace my product with a fresh one and to request a replacement
- receiving the phone and start using it receiving the phone and starting to use it
- unexpected and as a regular customer unexpected and, as a regular customer,
- how can I replace the phone how I can replace the phone
- fresh new
Why this response received Band 7.0
The letter addresses every requested point with specific order details, a clear account of the damage, and an appropriately formal request for replacement. Its main limitation is recurring grammatical and collocational awkwardness, especially in complex sentences and indirect questions, although meaning remains clear throughout. The highest-priority improvement is to revise sentence structures and request language so the complaint sounds consistently natural and precise.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The purpose is immediately clear, all three bullet points are fully covered, and the formal tone is appropriate.
Make the requested remedy even more decisive by stating whether a replacement, refund, or another resolution is preferred.
Coherence and Cohesion
Information progresses logically from the order and damage to the requested action, with generally effective linking.
Separate the order details, problem, and requested resolution into distinct paragraphs to sharpen the letter's structure.
Lexical Resource
A sufficiently varied vocabulary conveys the complaint precisely, including relevant terms such as invoice, smashed, warranty, and retail shops.
Replace awkward collocations such as fresh one and take the necessary measure with more natural customer-service wording.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
The letter uses a range of simple and complex structures, but several errors in clause construction, verb forms, and question order reduce control.
Practise accurate complex sentences and indirect-question word order, such as Please inform me how I can replace the phone.
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
You recently ordered a small item online but when it arrived, it was damaged. Write a letter to the company that sold you the item. In your letter:
- give details about the order you made
- explain what was wrong with the item
- tell the company what you want them to do about it
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.