A complaint letter in IELTS General Training Task 1 should explain what happened and tell the recipient what action you expect. Strong dissatisfaction alone does not make a letter effective. If the reader cannot tell what needs to be put right, even a grammatical demand remains weak.
You must fix this immediately sounds decisive. But should the shop repair the item, replace it, or refund the money? The short passage below focuses on that uncertainty.
LetsWords offers General Training Task 1 tasks, practice by criterion, and feedback on complete letters. It helps identify where the requested action is missing or an inaccurate construction weakens the request. You can focus on task fulfilment or write the whole letter.
What is the complaint-letter format?
In the official IELTS General Training format, Task 1 is a letter of at least 150 words based on a described situation. Consider the recipient and address the task’s points. The relevant task criterion is Task Achievement.
A complaint does not automatically require the most formal tone. A letter to an organisation’s manager differs from one to someone you know. Here, the recipient is a shop manager, so a calm business tone fits.
The shop delivered a table in the wrong size
You ordered a table, but the delivered model is larger than the one selected. Write to the shop manager to explain the mismatch, describe the inconvenience, and request a solution.
The table arrived on Monday and does not fit its intended space. You want the model in the size you ordered. That goal determines the request: name a replacement rather than a general demand to sort things out.
Distinguish the possible actions. A replacement means another item; a refund means returning the money. Both may fit different situations, but they are not interchangeable.
Why “fix this immediately” leaves the problem unresolved
Your service is terrible. You must fix this immediately.
What LetsWords feedback explains — Task Achievement. Fix this does not specify the solution. The manager cannot tell whether you want a replacement, repair, or refund. Identify how the delivery differs from the order and ask for a concrete action. Your service is terrible evaluates the shop generally without explaining the product problem.
The request after revision:
The table delivered on Monday is larger than the model I ordered. Could you arrange a replacement in the correct size?
The first sentence explains the problem; the second names the expected action. The recipient knows you want the table replaced with the correct size. The polite form has not weakened the request. Its content is much more specific.
Arrange a replacement describes organising that replacement. If the writer actually wants the money back, the noun and action must change. A correction should preserve the intention instead of choosing a familiar complaint formula automatically.
Notice larger than too. It identifies the particular difference from the order. Not good would not communicate what was unsuitable.
See what this feedback finds in your response.
A firm tone: facts carry more weight than accusations
Unhelpful: You ignored my order and sent whatever you wanted.
More precise: The delivered table does not match the dimensions stated in my order.
The first attributes an intention to the staff: ignoring the order. The task does not establish that. The second states a verifiable mismatch between the product and the order.
The revision improves both tone and content. You do not need to weaken the fact that the delivery was wrong. Remove the unsupported motive and state the problem clearly.
A formal complaint can be firm. The delivered item does not match my order is direct without an emotional adjective. Precision often has more force than aggression.
How much politeness does one request need?
Vague: I was wondering if perhaps there might be something you could do.
Clearer: Could you arrange a replacement in the correct size?
In the first version, the reader must decide what solution you want. Several softening phrases add no information and make the request harder to follow.
The second remains polite through Could you…? while naming the action. If timing matters, add an actual agreement or an appropriate deadline. Do not invent urgency automatically to intensify the complaint.
A clear request is not the same as an order. You can name the replacement, documents, or reply directly while keeping a respectful tone.
Replace does not work like send
Incorrect: I request you to replace me the table.
More natural: Could you replace the table with the model I ordered?
Replace me the table gives the verb an unsuitable object pattern. The revision names the item being replaced and what should take its place.
Other verbs use different constructions. Send me the correct model is possible, but replace does not attach the recipient in the same way. Learn the verb with its pattern.
I look forward to your reply can work near the end of the letter. On look forward to, you can check a sentence for free, including the form look forward to hearing from you.
Words that help specify a solution
| Word or expression | Meaning in a complaint |
|---|---|
| replacement | An item supplied in place of another |
| refund | Money returned |
| delivery | The delivery of the item |
| the item I ordered | The product in the original order |
| the correct size | The required dimensions or size |
| resolve the issue | Put the problem right; also name the action you want |
The table helps you select a meaning, but it cannot replace the situation’s details. Please resolve the issue still leaves open what solution you expect. If you want a replacement, state that.
You do not need every expression in one letter. A short passage benefits more from a precise noun and a clear verb than from the largest possible number of business terms.
Check whether the revision keeps your intention
Restate the request simply: “Please arrange a replacement in the size ordered.” If the English revision now asks for a refund or repair, the intention has changed.
Then check that the request addresses the problem. The wrong size explains the replacement; a complaint about delivery timing might require a different response. A memorised formula should not override the task.
You may also need deal with the issue. Practise a sentence for free on deal with. The expression says someone should address a problem, but if you specifically expect a replacement, you still need to name it.
Continue preparing in LetsWords
In LetsWords IELTS Writing Task 1, select a new letter situation with a different recipient and goal. The reference guide and checklist help before submission. Afterwards, feedback addresses whether the purpose is clear, the task points are covered, and the tone fits.
Apply the feedback in another attempt. The article on revising a response after feedback shows this process in more detail. For a letter, the aim is the same: retain the intended meaning and fix the specific issue.
A ready-made complaint formula cannot decide which action the next task needs. Practise that choice in LetsWords: write a letter or a passage focused on one criterion and receive an explanation of the inaccuracy still present. Start learning, choose your goal and level, and try the feedback before paying.