You were hurt in a minor accident inside a supermarket, and you wish to complain to the supermarket. Write a letter to the manager of the supermarket. In your letter: - say who you are - give details about the accident - suggest how the supermarket could prevent similar accidents
Sample Response
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to formally complain aboutexpress my concerns regarding a minor accident that occurredthat I was involved in at your supermarket,supermarket - Toronto GroceriesGrocerries, on 2020th October. My name is Olivia Belmont, and I am a regular customer at your Toronto City Center branch. I hopeI am hoping that you will take appropriateenough precautions to prevent such an accident in the future.
The incident occurred in the fresh produce section, where I slipped on a wet floor that had no warning signs. As a result, I fell and sustained minor injuries to my elbow and knee. A staff member assisted me, but I was disappointed by the lack of immediate medical attention or any follow-up regarding the incident.
To prevent such accidents in the future, I strongly recommend ensuring that spills are cleaned promptly and that clear warning signs are placed around hazardous areas. Additionally, regular safety inspections should be conducted to identify and address potential risks.
I trust that you will take this matter seriously and implement the necessary measures to ensure customer safety. I would appreciate a response regarding any actions taken.
Yours faithfully,
Olivia BelmontSophia Lane
Why this response received Band 8.0
The letter is highly focused, well organised, and appropriately formal, giving precise accident details and practical prevention measures. Language is varied and largely accurate, but the writer identifies herself as Olivia Belmont and signs as Sophia Lane, a conspicuous inconsistency that weakens the credibility of the complaint; there is also a spelling slip in the supermarket name. Keep personal details consistent and proofread proper nouns before submitting.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The complaint has a clear purpose, covers every requested point with specific detail, and maintains an appropriate formal tone, but the two different writer names create a notable credibility lapse.
Use the same name in the introduction and sign-off so the writer's identity is unambiguous.
Coherence and Cohesion
Purposeful paragraphs and well-managed linking create clear progression from the incident to recommendations and the requested response.
Retain this structure while making the opening slightly more concise to sharpen the progression further.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is precise and flexible for a formal safety complaint, with only a spelling error in ‘Grocerries’ and a slightly unnatural phrase about precautions.
Proofread proper nouns and replace ‘take enough precautions’ with a more idiomatic phrase such as ‘take appropriate precautions’.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of complex structures is used accurately, with only minor punctuation awkwardness that does not affect communication.
Use commas or dashes more cleanly when inserting the supermarket name and date into the opening sentence.
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
You were hurt in a minor accident inside a supermarket, and you wish to complain to the supermarket. Write a letter to the manager of the supermarket. In your letter:
- say who you are
- give details about the accident
- suggest how the supermarket could prevent similar accidents
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.