General Writing Task 1
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General Writing Sample Task 1 #72 – Complaint letter
Last Wednesday you flew from London to Vancouver. When you arrived home, you discovered that you had left your hand luggage on the plane.. Write a letter to the airline. In your letter, you should explain:: where and when you lost your bag what your bag looks like what its contents were Write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write any addresses. TIPS General Training Writing Task 1 should be written in the style appropriate to the task: if it is a letter to a friend, it should be written in a friendly, informal style; if it is a letter to a company or institution, it should be written in a formal style. The following are the basic features of formal style: All verbs forms must be written in full: do not write contractions such as can’t, don’t, etc. Do not use abbreviations such as info for information or ads for advertisements. Avoid using the active voice and the first person singular; in a formal letter you should write: ‘A copy of the receipt will be forwarded to you as soon as possible’ instead of ‘I will send you a copy of the receipt ASAP.’ Avoid using informal intensifiers such as really, so, absolutely; use extremely, highly, entirely, fully instead. …
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General Writing Sample Task 1 #73 – Complaint letter
You are a student at a language school in New Zealand studying Business English. Part of the course is a summer work placement programme. Unfortunately, you have just learnt from the school that this programme has now been cancelled. Write a letter to the School Principal. In your letter: state your reason for writing describe the problem and your concerns explain what you would like the Principal to do. Write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write any addresses. TIPS Useful language Purpose of letter I am writing to… suggest that… complain about… explain… invite you to… thank you for… apologise for… ask for your help with… apply for… give advice about… say how sorry I am about/that… Polite requests I would appreciate it if you would/could… I would be grateful if you would/could… Saying ‘No’ politely I’m afraid that… I’m sorry that… Ending I look forward to hearing from you soon. I hope to hear from you in the near future.
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General Writing Sample Task 1 #74 – Visiting a friend
You arranged to visit a friend in Canada but an important event at home now means that you must change the dates of the visit. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter: explain the important event apologise for the situation suggest a new arrangement Write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write any addresses. TIPS Plan Your Answer Step 1) Analyse the task Who will receive the letter? Organization or private individual Relationship Someone you… know well, …a little or …don’t know Style and tone Formal or Personal – Friendly or Neutral Step 2) Generate ideas Explain the important event tennis competition / great honour to play Apologise and give justification for cancellation (need to practise) Suggest alternatives can take time off later / can use same airline ticket Step 3) Think it through Language needed? for apologising / explaining / suggesting new arrangements Verb tenses present / past / present perfect / future Use of modals Can / Could you…? / Would it be possible…? Checking possibility Is it possible for you to… How to start? (informal) How are you? How to finish? Best wishes. / All the best. Remember to indicate the need …
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General Writing Sample Task 1 #75 – Saving a public park
There is a public park near where you live. You have heard that the local council wants to sell this park. Write a letter to a local newspaper. In your letter: introduce yourself describe the importance of the park say what action you will take if the council continues with its plan Write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write any addresses. TIPS Understanding the GT Writing Task 1 For General Training Writing Task 1, you will be asked to write a letter. The letter must be written in the correct style: informal (if you are writing to family or friends) semi-formal (if you are writing to a work colleague you know well) formal (if you are writing to a business or a local newspaper)
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General Writing Sample Task 1 #76 – Ending a tenancy agreement early
You paid a refundable deposit when you rented an apartment. You left the apartment in good condition but the Landlord won’t return your deposit. Write a letter to the landlord. In your letter explain why you are writing ask for the return of your deposit inform the landlord of possible legal action Write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write any addresses. Begin your letter as follows: Dear Mr Raju,
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General Writing Sample Task 1 #77 – Ending a tenancy agreement early
You are renting a flat from an agency. Your contract was for one year but you need to leave the flat two months early. Write a letter to the agency. In your letter introduce yourself ask to leave the flat before the contract finishes explain why you need to break the contract. Write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write any addresses. Begin your letter as follows: Dear Sir or Madam,
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General Writing Sample Task 1 #78 – Leave Letter
You are currently taking a course at a college but you will need to have a week off during this course. Write a letter to the college Principal. In the letter give details of your course explain why you need a week off say what you want the Principal to do. Write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write any addresses. Begin your letter as follows: Dear Sir or Madam, Tips Before the task Read the question below and identify the situation and the task. Underline the keywords in the task. Spend five minutes brainstorming details to include in your response. Decide which of these you will include in your letter. Decide how you will structure your letter and what you will include in each paragraph. Follow up Read through your letter to check spelling and grammar. Make sure you have written at least 150 words.
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General Writing Sample Task 1 #79 – Complaint Letter – Camera
You recently bought a camera while travelling overseas. When you got to your destination you discovered that some important items were missing from the box. Write a letter to the local representative of the company. In your letter give details of the camera and where you bought it explain what has happened say what you want him/her to do about it Write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write any addresses. Begin your letter as follows: Dear Sir or Madam, Tips IELTS Complaint Letter: Common Phrases These are some common phrases you can use in an IELTS complaint letter that will help you to get the right tone: 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….Example:We thoroughly enjoyed the first week of the holiday. However, after that we experienced a number of problems. I am (extremely) dissatisfied / disappointed with the service / goods that I received / bought because First complaint: Firstly First of all The first problem is …
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General Writing Sample Task 1 #80 – Complaint Letter – Shopping Complex
You have heard that a developer plans to build a shopping centre near your home. Write a letter to the council. In your letter say how you heard about the plan explain how you feel about it ask for more information about it Write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write any addresses. Begin your letter as follows: Dear Sir or Madam, Tips Salutation and endings examples Dear Sir, Dear Sirs Use only when you are writing a formal or official letter and you do not know the person you are writing to, or their name. sign off with Yours faithfully Dear Mr Smith, Dear Ms Tina, Dear Dr Aarav Use the tale with the family name when you are writing a formal letter to someone you know or whose name you have been given. Use this salutation for people you don’t know very well or where you need to show respect. sign off with Kind regards, Yours sincerely Dear Jerry, Dear Tom Use given names only with people you know quite well. In business this is sometimes acceptable, but if in doubt, use the family name. Always use given names when writing an informal letter …
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