Writing a letter

Opening and closing a letter:

There are three types of letter that you may come across in this task:
§ Formal
§ Semi-formal
§ Informal
Each of these open and close in a different way

1. Formal Letter:
A formal letter will usually be to some kind of company; for example: bank, insurance company, airline,
etc. This means that you are writing to someone you do not know.
Opening the Letter:
Dear Sir,
Dear Madam,
Dear Sir/Madam,

Closing the Letter

Yours faithfully,
(name)

2. Semi-formal Letter
A semi-formal letter will usually be to someone you know, or at least you know their name, for example:
landlord, employer, librarian, doctor, etc.
Opening the Letter
To open the letter, you use the family or surname (not the first or full name). They differ depending on
whether it is to a man or a woman.
Example 1: To a man
Paul Jones = You know his name and it’s a man.
Dear Mr. Jones,
Example 2: To a woman
Julie Smith – You know it’s a woman but is she married or not?
Dear Miss Smith, = You know she is unmarried or single.
Dear Mrs. Smith, = You know she is married or a widow.
Dear Ms. Smith, = Neutral i.e. you don’t know if she’s married or not (best for IELTS as you will not know).
Closing the Letter:
Yours sincerely,
(name)
3. Informal
An informal letter is to someone you know every well, like a friend or family.
Opening the letter:
Dear John,
Dear Mary,

Closing the letter:

Best wishes,
Best regards,

Marking Criteria:
1. Task Achievement
The letter meets all the requirements of the task. The three points have been covered, each point has
been extended with further appropriate and relevant information, and the tone is consistent throughout
the letter.
2. Coherence and Cohesion
Paragraphing has been used appropriately, ideas have been organised logically, and cohesion within /
between sentences and paragraphs is appropriate.
3. Lexical Resource (Vocabulary)
Word forms and spellings are all correct. This includes the range vocabulary and the collocations used,
for example: upon returning, functioning properly, assured me, with a view to, company representative,
not acceptable to, etc.
4. Grammatical Range and Accuracy
This includes the use of tenses and the mix of complex and simple sentences, in addition to the control
of grammar and punctuation.
 Examples of IELTS Letters
(1)

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

Your car insurance company has told you that they are going to increase the amount you have
to pay in insurance for your car each month. You are not happy about this.
Write a letter to your insurance company. In your letter explain
1. Why you are writing to them
2. Why you think the insurance should not be increased
3. What you want them to do
You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Model Answer:
Dear Sir / Madam,
I am writing to you as I recently received a letter from you informing me that the insurance premium for
my car is going to increase from next month.
As you will be aware if you check my records, I have held my insurance with your company for nearly
seven years now. During this time, I have never had an accident and never had any reason to make a
claim on my insurance.
I understand that at times prices need to be increased. However, this increase you are suggesting will
result in a 20% increase in the amount I pay each month, a rate I feel is too much.
I would therefore like you to write back to me and explain why such an increase has been proposed. If
you are unable to justify it to my satisfaction, then I am afraid that I will have no other option but to
move my insurance to another company.
I look forward to hearing from you,
Yours faithfully,
Mr. Mahmoud Khan
(Words 169)
__________________________________________________________
Comments:
The answer clearly addresses all the bullet points from the question. The writer gives reasons why the letter is being
written and why the increase is considered unfair, and then goes on to explain what he wants the company to do to
resolve the situation.
The writer expands on his ideas by giving extra details. For example, he explains that he has had insurance for
seven years and never had an accident, and he also explains how the increase will affect him i.e. result in a 20% rise
in his payments. It is important when writing a letter to give extra information to support the letter whilst
remaining on topic.
The tone of the IELTS formal letter is well-controlled, with appropriate opening (Dear Sir / Madam) and closing
(Yours faithfully) phrases, and further phrases that ensure the formal letter still remains polite (I understand
that..., I’m afraid..., I look forward to hearing from you...) despite the fact that it is a letter of complaint.
There are some other good examples of phrases appropriate to a semi-formal or formal letter (As you will be
aware..., I would therefore like you to...).
 (2)

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

You want to sell your television. You think a friend of yours might like to buy it from you.
Write a letter to your friend. In your letter explain
1. Why you are selling the television
2. Describe the television
3. Suggest a date when your friend can come and see it
You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Model Answer
Dear Gary,
Hope you are doing well.
I’m doing fine, though my life is quite hectic at the moment because, as you know, I am moving abroad
and there is so much to do!
There are a few things that I can’t take with me because they are too big so I am seeing if any of my
friends would be interested in buying them. One of the things I do not want to take with me is my
television, and I thought you might like to buy it off me for a cheap price.
It’s a 32“ flat screen TV, and it’s a Sony model. It has a USB port so you can just plug in a thumb drive to
watch movies or listen to music. It has great stereo surround sound.
As you know, I’m leaving the country at the end of the month, which is only two weeks away. So if you
want to see it, it would be best to come on 20th or 21st. That will give me time to sell it elsewhere if you
are not interested.
Ok, I look forward to seeing you. Let me know if you can’t make it.
All the best,
John.
(202 Words)
________________________________________________
Comments
Overall it is a good answer meeting all the requirements.
The IELTS letter addresses the three key points in the task about the television – why it’s being sold (paragraphs 1
and 2), it’s description (paragraph 3), and some possible dates (paragraph 4).
It is clearly organized with each key point being addressed in a separate paragraph.
The tone is appropriate – informal as it is being sent to a friend (Hope you are doing well…, so much to do!..., All
the best...).
There is also evidence of the ability to use a mix of complex sentence structures correctly (though my life…,
because…, that I can’t…, if any of my friends…, which is only…, as you know…), and correct usage of modality
(can’t…, would…, might…, will…).
 (3)

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

You are expriencing financial problems and want to ask your landlord if you can pay your rent late.
Write a letter to your landlord. In your letter explain
1. Why you are writing to him
2. Why you cannot pay the rent
3. When you will pay the rent.
You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Model Answer:
Dear Mr Strickland,
I am writing to you to request that you allow me to pay my rent late this month.
I’ve been a tenant with you for a number of years now, and, as you know, I have always paid my rent on
time. However, I am having a few financial problems at the moment. Last month, I was made redundant
from my job because the company I work for is closing down. Because I have not worked at the
company for long, I have not received a redundancy payment, therefore leaving me short of money this
month.
I can assure you that I will be able to pay the rent on the 15th of next month. I have now found another
job, and they have kindly agreed to give me an advance on my wages, but they are unable to arrange
this until next week.
I hope this will be acceptable to you, but please contact me if it is a problem.
Yours sincerely,
John Streetham.
(167 Words)
____________________________________________
Comments:
The letter is well-structured as the writer makes it clear in the first sentence why the letter is being written, gives
further details of the problem in the first body paragraph, and then in the final paragraph sets out when payment
will be made.
The tone of the letter is appropriate as it is polite (I am writing to you to request..., I can assure you...., I apologise
for this problem..., please contact me if it is a problem... ).
The opening and closing of the letter are correct for a semi-formal letter to someone if you know their name (Dear
Mr Strickland..., Yours sincerely... ).
There are good examples of correct use of tenses, demonstrating that the writer has a very good working use of
grammar:
 Complaint Letter

This is a type of formal letter. You are given a situation that you wish to be resolved in some way.
Common examples are bad service at a hotel, shop, restaurant or other place or faulty goods you have
bought.
It is common to have to do these two things:
1. Explain the problem
2. Ask how it will be resolved / Suggest how you want it to be resolved

In the complaint letter, it is important to introduce yourself at the beginning.

Example:

You have bought a new camera but when you got it home you found it had some problems.
You returned the camera and spoke to the company representative a week ago but the
camera has still not been repaired.
Write a letter to the company. In your letter
• introduce yourself
• explain the situation
• say what action you would like the company to take

- It is essential that you address the three points you are given. If you do not, you will lose marks
for Task Achievement, and your band score may be reduced.
- You need to add some extra details to support the points.
- You don't necessarily have to write the same amount on each point.
- You should make sure you give plenty of detail for the second two points and write less on the
first point as there are limits to what you can say if you introduce yourself.
- You should write your letter in the same order as the bullet points.

Common Phrases for an IELTS Complaint Letter:

Reason for writing:
• I am writing in order to complain about
• I am writing to complain about
• I am writing regarding
• I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with

Introducing the complaint:

• Topic sentence stating the positive point. + However, + problem….
Examples:
• We thoroughly enjoyed the first week of the holiday. However, after that we experienced a
number of problems.
• I am (extremely) dissatified / dissapointed with the service / goods that I received / bought
because
First complaint:
• Firstly,
• First of all,
• The first problem is / was …
• My first complaint is …
• My first concern is …
• The first thing I would like to draw your attention to is …

Further complaints:
• Secondly,
• Also,
• In addition,
• In addition to this,
• Added to this,
• One more thing which is / was also unsatisfactory / unacceptable,
• Not only that but also
• To make matters worse,
• Furthermore

Mentioning negative consequences:

• I'm afraid that…
• Unfortunately,

Expressing Dissatisfaction:
• It is not acceptable to / that
• I am not at all pleased that
• I am disappointed because

Demanding action:
• I suggest that you replace the item
• I therefore suggest that I be given a full refund
• I would be grateful if my money was refunded
• I would be grateful if you could give me a full refund
• I would like to request that
• To resolve the problem, I would appreciate it if you could

Ending the letter:

• I look forward to hearing from you
• I look forward to receiving a full refund
• I look forward to receiving a replacement
• I look forward to receiving your explanation
• I look forward to your reply and a resolution to my problem

You will need to practice these to make sure you know how to fit them in correctly to your letter as they
may all vary slightly depending on the particular context.
(4)
Now, take a look at the model answer. Note some of the phrases above which are in bold.

You have bought a new camera but when you got it home you found it had some problems. You
returned the camera and spoke to the company representative a week ago but the camera has
still not been repaired.
Write a letter to the company. In your letter
• introduce yourself
• explain the situation
• say what action you would like the company to take
You do not need to write any addresses.

Dear Sir / Madam,

My name is Mark Roberts and I am writing to you regarding a Nokia camera that I bought at your
department store on Sunhill Road, Dewsbury, on the 5th September.
The camera seemed to work fine in the shop. However, upon returning home, it became clear that the
shutter mechanism was not functioning properly. In addition to this, there was a small scratch on the
lens.
I, therefore, returned to the shop the following day, on the 6th September, and spoke to a company
representative about the issue. I left the camera with the assistant and they assured me that they would
look into the problem with a view to repairing the camera and get back to me a few days later.
However, it has now been one week and when I contacted the shop again they said that the camera has
still not been fixed and they do not know how long it will be.
As I am sure you will understand, it is not acceptable to be waiting for such a long time for it to be
repaired. I would therefore like to request that I be given a full refund should I not receive the repaired
camera by the end of this week.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours faithfully
Mark Roberts