Below is a sample letter response to Task 1 of the General IELTS Writing Section. It is a formal letter, which can be identified in several ways:
- the tone, which is official, business-like and serious
- the use of Dear Sir / Madam
- the absence of contractions
- the use of formal expressions (I am writing in connection with…)
- the closing salutation ( “Yours faithfully” instead of the more informal “Yours sincerely” or “Best regards”)
GENERAL WRITING TASK 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
You recently stayed in a hotel in a large city. The weather was very unusual for the time of year and the heating / cooling system in the hotel was quite inadequate.
Write a letter to the manager of the hotel. In your letter:
- give details of what went wrong
- explain what you had to do to overcome the problem at the time
- say what action you would like the manager to take
You should write at least 150 words.
You do NOT need to write your own address.
Begin your letter as follows:
Dear __________
Dear Sir / Madam
I am writing in connection with my recent stay at the Four Seasons in London, England. Unfortunately, due to a malfunctioning heater in my room, I spent three miserable nights at your hotel from April 26 – 29, 2010.
When I arrived in London, there was an unexpected snowstorm. I understand it does not usually snow inApril; however, when I got to my room, there was no heat. After complaining, a technician was sent up, who informed me they had to install a new heating unit. When I asked to be moved to another room, I was told the hotel was completely booked. Unfortunately, each night after work I returned to discover the problem had not been rectified. Eventually, I spent three horribly uncomfortable nights, wearing my coat to bed, wearing socks around the room and ending up with a bad cold from the unheated room. I had no time to complain as I had to catch a flight home right after my conference.
I am shocked by this terrible service. This is not what anyone expects for $400 a night! To compensate me for this tremendous inconvenience, I ask that you refund my money right away and offer me a free, more comfortable stay in one of your finer suites in the future. If not, I am prepared to take my complaint to a higher authority.
I look forward to hearing from you at the earliest,
Yours faithfully,
Mr John McFee
(236 words)
