IELTS General Training Writing Task 1: Formal Complaint Letter — Model Answer
In the standardization meetings where examiners calibrate their marking, the "Formal Complaint" is often where candidates lose the 'Tone' marks under Task Achievement. Most students default to an emotional register—they sound angry. A Band 9 candidate, however, sounds professionally inconvenienced.
The question
You recently attended a two-day professional development seminar at a local hotel. However, you were very disappointed with the facilities and the quality of the presentations.
Write a letter to the seminar organizer. In your letter:
* Give details of the seminar you attended.
* Explain what the problems were with the facilities and the speakers.
* Suggest what the organizer should do to resolve the situation.
Model answer (opening excerpt)
Dear Seminar Organizer, [1]
The full Band 9 response, with paragraph-by-paragraph examiner notes, is part of Ted.Talks.DZ coaching.
Band-by-Band Breakdown: Lexical Range
| Element | Common Band 6 Version | Why This is Band 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Describing a problem | "The room was too hot and it was hard to hear the man." | "The venue’s climate control was dysfunctional, and the acoustic output was insufficient for the room’s capacity." |
| Describing the impact | "I didn't learn anything new at the meeting." | "The lack of intellectual rigor resulted in a failure to deliver the promised learning outcomes." |
| Asking for money | "Please give me some of my money back as soon as you can." | "I trust you will agree that a pro-rata refund is a fair reflection of the service deficit." |
More: all model answers · Task 2 structure guide
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