IELTS Formal Letter: Letter to Online Retailer Regarding Incomplete Delivery

The task

You recently ordered something online. When the delivery came it was not complete.

Write a letter to the company. In your letter:

→explain what you ordered and what was missing from your delivery
→explain the importance of this delivery
→ask for a replacement item to be sent

Write at least 150 words. You do not need to write any addresses. Begin your letter: Dear ...,

Model answer

Band 8 sample letter

Band 8179 words. Names and details are invented; write your own.

Dear Customer Service Team,

I am writing to report an issue with order #98274, which arrived at my residence yesterday. I purchased a professional-grade kitchen knife set and a matching walnut storage block; however, upon opening the parcel, I discovered that the knife block was entirely missing from the package.

This delivery is particularly important as these items were intended as a wedding anniversary gift for my spouse this coming Saturday. I have already prepared a special dinner to celebrate the occasion, and the knife set is currently useless without the proper storage unit, which serves as a safety feature in our kitchen.

Given the urgency of the situation, I would appreciate it if you could dispatch the missing walnut storage block via express shipping immediately. Please confirm once this has been processed so that I can track its arrival before the weekend. I have attached a digital copy of the original invoice and a photograph of the contents I received for your reference.

I look forward to your prompt assistance in rectifying this matter.

Yours faithfully,

Jonathan Miller

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 clearly addresses all three bullet points with specific, relevant details while maintaining a professional and firm tone throughout. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to explain the importance of the item, often providing a generic reason or omitting the personal context entirely.

→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

professional-grade
of a quality suitable for use by experts
dispatch
to send off to a specific destination
rectifying
putting something right or correcting a mistake
residence
a person's home or place of living
urgency
importance requiring swift or immediate action
invoice
a list of goods sent with a statement

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

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