IELTS General Training Task 1 — Formal Letter: a Band 9 sample
Updated 2 July 2026 · 2 min read · ieltspractice.app
A Band 9 formal letter keeps a consistent polite tone, covers all three bullet points clearly, and uses the correct opening and closing. Below is a full model answer to a complaint letter, followed by an examiner-style breakdown of why it scores 9.0 — and the phrases you can reuse.
The question
You recently bought a piece of electronic equipment, but it did not work properly. Write a letter to the shop manager. In your letter: explain what you bought and when; describe the problem; say what you would like the manager to do. Begin your letter "Dear Sir or Madam,".
Band 9.0 model answer
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with a laptop I purchased from your store on the 3rd of June, which has since developed a serious fault. The model was the SilverBook Pro, and as it was far from cheap, I expected it to be dependable.
Although the device worked perfectly for the first fortnight, it has begun to shut down without warning, often several times an hour, and the problem has grown steadily worse over the past week. During the most recent failure I lost a considerable amount of unsaved work, which caused me significant inconvenience ahead of an important deadline.
As the laptop is clearly faulty and remains under warranty, I would be grateful if you could either replace it with a working model or provide a full refund. I have retained the original receipt and the packaging, both of which I am happy to bring to the store at your convenience.
I trust this matter can be resolved without difficulty, and I would appreciate a response within seven days. I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours faithfully,
James Fernando
Why this scores Band 9.0
Task Achievement
All three bullet points are covered fully: what was bought and when, the exact problem, and a clear request. The purpose is stated in the first line and the polite, formal tone never slips.
Coherence and Cohesion
Each bullet point has its own paragraph, and the letter opens and closes correctly for a formal reader. Linking such as "Although" and "As" connects ideas smoothly.
Lexical Resource
Appropriately formal vocabulary is used naturally: dissatisfaction, faulty, under warranty, refund and inconvenience, without any slang or contractions.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A range of complex structures — a concessive clause, relative clauses and a conditional request — is handled accurately, with error-free sentences throughout.
Useful vocabulary
- dissatisfaction
- the feeling of being unhappy with something
- faulty
- not working correctly; broken
- under warranty
- still covered by a guarantee to repair or replace
- refund
- money paid back for a returned or faulty item
- inconvenience
- trouble or difficulty caused to someone
- at your convenience
- at a time that suits you (polite, formal phrase)
Frequently asked questions
How long should a General Training Task 1 letter be?
At least 150 words. Most strong answers are 160–200 words — enough to cover all three bullet points fully while keeping a consistent tone.
Which sign-off should a formal letter use?
Use "Yours faithfully" when you open with "Dear Sir or Madam". Use "Yours sincerely" only when you address the reader by name.
Is this a real IELTS question?
No. This is an original, IELTS-style task and answer written for practice. We never reproduce real exam materials.
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