General Training Task 1 · 182 words

A damaged desk lamp: a formal complaint

Cover all three letter requirements with a clear purpose, useful detail and a reasonable request.

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Study the method: Formal letters: develop every task point and make the request clear →

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Band 6 goal: Formal tone

Complete every task part clearly and organise the response so the reader can follow it. This is a study route, not an examiner score assigned to the answer. How IELTS Writing is assessed.

The question

You recently ordered an item online, but it arrived damaged. Write a letter to the company. Describe the item, explain the damage, and state what you would like the company to do.

The sample answer

Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing about a damaged desk lamp that I ordered from your online shop last week. It is the white adjustable model, and my order reference is BC2048. The parcel arrived yesterday afternoon, two days after the expected delivery date.

When I opened the box, I found that the base of the lamp was cracked and the joint connecting the arm to the shade was loose. As a result, the shade will not stay in position. The outer packaging was also torn along one side. I have kept the box and taken photographs of both the packaging and the damaged parts in case you need them.

I would like you to arrange a replacement and collect the damaged lamp at no additional cost. If the same model is unavailable, please let me know whether you can offer a full refund instead. I need the lamp for my study desk, so I would appreciate a reply within the next few working days.

Thank you for your assistance. I look forward to hearing from you. Yours faithfully, Alex Morgan

Formal tone

How the answer works

1. Greeting and purpose
The purpose and item are identified immediately. This invented order reference is part of the fictional letter, not a real transaction.
2. Describe the problem
Specific damage and its practical consequence are described. The supporting detail helps the company understand the complaint.
3. Request a resolution
The request is explicit and gives a fallback. Polite wording maintains a formal tone without weakening the request.
4. Close politely
The closing matches a formal letter to a recipient whose name is not known.

Apply the assessment criteria

Use these notes to match every requested point with its supporting detail. Then check how purpose, the requested action and consistent tone work together in a letter.

Compare a worked letter-coverage revision →

Vocabulary in context

Each phrase appears in the answer above. Learn how it works, not just a replacement word.

at no additional cost: Without asking the customer to pay any more.
Use this when specifying who should bear the cost of a proposed remedy.
I would appreciate a reply: A polite way of requesting a response.
Appreciate takes a noun here; avoid writing I would appreciate you to reply.
in case you need them: So they are available if they become necessary.
Them refers back to the photographs; keep the reference clear.

Now make it your own

Write a new letter about a damaged suitcase. Keep the same three functions, but change the details and the remedy to fit that product.

For a smaller practice step, use the explanation, knowledge check and self-review exercise in Write a letter with purpose and tone.

The practice link opens the original question, not a copy of this answer.

Open the writing workspace

A damaged desk lamp: a formal complaint

The question

The sample answer

Vocabulary in context

Now make it your own

More examples of this question type