Have you ever written a complaint letter?
Today’s episode is Part 3 of a 3-part series on tone in General Task 1 letters.
You can listen to these out of order.
We’ll share details about how the score is affected by the tone of your letter.
We’ll also provide a band 9 sample of a formal letter.
#1: Task Response Score
You must directly address each of the bullet points.
However, this alone is not enough!
You must also use an appropriate tone throughout the essay.
This is done with both vocabulary and phrasing.
#2: Cohesion Coherence score
For IELTS Task 1 and Task 2, you must use linking words.
This is vital for your Cohesion/Coherence score.
This is especially difficult because we don’t usually do this in emails or letters.
Whether you are writing a formal or informal letter, you must still link ideas.
However, the linking phrases you use will be more formal for letters to strangers.
- Consequently
- In addition
- Furthermore
- Nevertheless
- Alternatively
#3 Vocabulary
More formal vocabulary is needed for formal letters.
Avoid using slang and idioms, which are usually too informal for these letters.
Less common, more impressive words that are topic-specific will boost this score.
Task 1 sample question:
We’ll share a band 9 sample essay for the following question:
You recently stayed at a hotel while traveling, but you were dissatisfied with several aspects of your stay.
Write a letter to the hotel manager. In your letter:
- explain why you chose this hotel
- describe the problems you experienced during your stay
- say what action you expect the hotel to take
Band 9 Task 1 formal essay
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with a stay at your hotel from August 12-15 of this year. I chose your hotel primarily because of its convenient location and the positive reviews highlighting comfort and high service standards. Unfortunately, my experience did not reflect these claims.
**to express my dissatisfaction instead of more informal “to tell you about”
**did not reflect these claims instead of a phrasal verb like “it didn’t turn out this way”
To begin with, the room I was allocated was lackluster, with an air-conditioning unit that was not functioning properly. Consequently, the room was uncomfortably warm throughout my visit. In addition, the room was cramped and inadequately cleaned, with visible dust on the furniture and stained bedding. Despite raising these issues with the front desk, no action was taken.
**not functioning properly instead of “not working”
**inadequately instead of “badly” or “poorly”
**no action was taken instead of “no one did anything”
In light of these issues, I believe a partial refund would be appropriate. Alternatively, I would appreciate a formal apology along with a discount on a future stay as compensation for the inconvenience caused. I trust that you will take this matter seriously and address these shortcomings to prevent similar complaints in the future. I look forward to your prompt response.
**I believe a partial refund would be appropriate instead of “I want a partial refund”
**I would appreciate a formal apology instead of “I want an apology”
**I trust that you will instead of “I want you to”
**address these shortcomings instead of “do what I asked”
Sincerely,
(Name)
Check out the rest of the series!
Don’t miss part 1 and part 2 of this series.
All together, this series provides details for every type of essay.
You can find them at these links:
IE 1550: Terrific Tone for IELTS Essays Part 1: Informal Letters
IE 1554: Terrific Tone for IELTS Essays Part 2: Semiformal Letters
Takeaway
To score 7 or higher on IELTS Task 1, your tone must be appropriate and consistent.
Today’s episode teaches you how to write a formal essay.
This series provides info for every type of tone you could need.
For all the strategies you need on IELTS, sign up for 3 Keys IELTS.
