IELTS Formal Letter: Letter to local council regarding new shopping centre

The task

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: Dear ...,

Model answer

Band 8 sample letter

Band 8192 words. Names and details are invented; write your own.

Dear Members of the Planning Committee,

I am writing to express my concerns regarding the recently announced proposal to construct a large-scale shopping centre on the greenbelt land adjacent to my residence on Oakwood Avenue.

I first became aware of this development through a public notice posted on a lamp post at the end of my street last Tuesday. Subsequently, I read a brief summary of the project in the local weekly newspaper, which indicated that the site is currently being surveyed for construction.

To be frank, I am deeply troubled by this news. Our neighbourhood is a quiet residential area, and the introduction of a major commercial hub will inevitably lead to significant noise pollution and a surge in traffic congestion. I am particularly anxious about the potential loss of the local wildlife habitat that currently occupies that plot of land.

Could you please provide me with more detailed information regarding the project timeline and the specific measures intended to mitigate environmental impact? I would also appreciate knowing how residents can formally submit their feedback during the consultation phase.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours faithfully,

Jonathan Sterling

Write your own and get a band

Answer this prompt in a timed General Training writing test and get a band for task achievement, coherence, vocabulary and grammar, with the sentences to fix.

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Examiner's view

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response addresses all three bullet points with well-developed, coherent arguments and maintains a consistently professional tone throughout. A common Band 6 error is failing to ask for specific information, instead providing a generic rant about the building plans without requesting details.

→Write to an organisation or someone you do not know: open with Dear Sir or Madam, close with Yours faithfully.
→If you know the person's surname, use Dear Mr or Ms and close with Yours sincerely.
→No contractions, no slang; polite indirect requests such as I would be grateful if you could.

6 phrases

Useful phrases from the letter

adjacent
located next to or adjoining something else
large-scale
involving many people or a wide area
inevitably
in a way that cannot be avoided
mitigate
to make something less severe or serious
consultation phase
the period for gathering public opinions
residential
an area where people live in houses

Frequently asked questions

Is this letter formal or informal?+

Formal. Write to an organisation or someone you do not know: open with Dear Sir or Madam, close with Yours faithfully.

How many words should an IELTS General Training letter be?+

At least 150 words, and 160 to 200 is the comfortable range. Spend about 20 minutes on it and leave 40 for Task 2, which carries twice the marks.

What does the examiner look for?+

Keep practising

More giving information letters

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