IELTS Complaint Letter: Tone, Structure and Sample Paragraphs

In an IELTS General Training complaint letter, make it easy for the recipient to understand the problem and the action you want. Address every bullet point, choose a tone that fits the relationship and include relevant details. Strong complaints are specific and controlled; they do not need angry language or complicated legal phrases.

Read the recipient and purpose together

A letter to a shop manager you have never met usually needs a formal tone. A complaint to someone you know may need a different register. Decide from the situation in the task rather than memorising one opening for every letter.

General Training Task 1 asks for a letter of at least 150 words. The prompt provides three points to cover. Use them as a planning checklist, but write the response as a connected letter. A separate postal address is not needed.

An original complaint-letter prompt

You bought a desk lamp from a local shop, but it stopped working after two days. Write to the shop manager. Describe what you bought, explain the problem and say what you would like the manager to do.

Plan one useful detail for each point. For the purchase, identify the lamp and purchase date. For the problem, explain what stopped working and how this affects you. For the request, choose a clear remedy such as a replacement. Keep the invented details consistent throughout the letter.

Write a direct opening

A possible opening is: “Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing about a desk lamp I purchased from your shop on 3 October, which stopped working after two days.” The recipient immediately knows the reason for the letter. A long introduction about your shopping habits would delay that purpose.

If the prompt supplies a recipient's name, use it appropriately. Match the closing to the opening: “Yours faithfully” is a conventional choice after “Dear Sir or Madam,” while “Yours sincerely” suits a named formal recipient. Consistent tone matters more than collecting ornate greetings.

Explain the problem without overloading the story

Try a short, concrete paragraph: “The lamp worked normally on the first evening, but the light began switching off the following day. It now fails to turn on, so I cannot use it for reading at my desk.” Each sentence adds information relevant to the complaint.

Avoid adding an unrelated argument with a neighbour or a detailed history of earlier purchases. Also avoid switching between “lamp,” “chair” and “computer” when adapting a memorised response. The small facts should form one coherent situation.

Ask for a specific next step

Compare “Please solve this problem” with “I would appreciate a replacement and would be grateful if you could let me know when I can bring the faulty lamp back.” The second request gives the manager something concrete to respond to while keeping a polite tone.

These passages are individual writing exercises, not a complete model letter. Combine your own opening, explanation and request into a response that meets the word requirement. Do not copy the sample sentences regardless of the task: a complaint about accommodation would need different details and possibly a different remedy.

Use a final coverage check

Mark the sentence that answers each prompt bullet. If one bullet has no clear answer, revise before focusing on synonyms. Then check dates, verb tenses and the consistency of the register. Continue with our General Training letter guide or the vocabulary practice routine.

Official reference: IELTS General Training Writing format. The lamp scenario and sample passages are original exercises.