Formal Letter · Complaining About an Automated Job Rejection
A complete IELTS General Training Writing Task 1 question with a model answer of 217 words, plus a breakdown of the sentence structures, cohesive devices and vocabulary that answer uses. Write your own version first, then compare.
Written by Manish Sharma · CELTA and DELTA qualified · 8 years teaching IELTS
Score my answer to this questionThe question
You have 20 minutes. Write at least 150 words.
You recently applied for a job and received an automated rejection email within minutes of submitting your application. You believe your application was not properly reviewed. Write a letter to the HR director of the company. In your letter: - Give details of the position you applied for and when - Explain why you believe the decision was not made fairly - Say what you would like the company to do about your application Write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write any addresses. Begin your letter as follows: Dear Mr Hassan,
How to approach it
- 01Use 'Dear Mr Hassan' and 'Yours sincerely' because the recipient is named
- 02Cover all three bullet points in clear, separate paragraphs
- 03Anchor your complaint with concrete details: the job reference, date, and reply time
- 04Make the unfairness argument specific rather than emotional — link your CV to the criteria
- 05Be firm but professional — avoid sarcasm or threats
- 06Close with a clear, reasonable request for human review
Model answer
217 words in 7 paragraphs. Read it after you have written your own, not before: the point of a model answer is to show you what you missed, and you cannot miss anything you have not attempted.
Dear Mr Hassan,
I am writing to raise a serious concern about an automated rejection I received in response to a job application I submitted last week, and to request that my application be reviewed properly by a human member of your team.
On 6 May I applied for the position of Senior Data Analyst (reference SDA-2025-118) advertised on your company's careers portal. Less than four minutes after I clicked 'submit', I received an email informing me that I had not been selected for the next stage. Given the speed of the response, it is clear that an algorithm, rather than a person, rejected my application.
I believe this is unfair for two reasons. Firstly, I meet every requirement in the job description, including ten years of relevant experience and the specific certifications listed. Secondly, automated screening tools have repeatedly been shown to filter out strong candidates whose CV phrasing does not match expected keywords, and my application uses industry-standard language rather than the exact words on your advert.
I would be grateful if a senior member of your team could review my application personally and confirm whether I will be considered for an interview. I would also welcome any feedback on how the role was scored.
I look forward to your response.
Yours sincerely, Diego Fernandez
What this answer actually does
Measured from the text above, and compared against the other 31 answers of the same type in this library. These are counts, not band scores: they describe what the writing does, which is the part you can copy.
7 fewer than the median answer for this task type
4 words at the shortest, 43 at the longest
1 more than the median answer for this task type
carry a subordinate or relative clause
Sentence rhythm
Sentences average 19.7 words and vary by 11.5 words either side of that, running from 4 words to 43. Variation is the point. Grammatical Range and Accuracy rewards a mix of simple and complex sentences, and an answer where every sentence is the same length reads as flat no matter how correct it is. 5 of the 11 sentences here carry a subordinate or relative clause.
The cohesive devices it uses
3 in total, spread across 1 different functions. Range matters more than count: an answer that opens every paragraph with a sequencer signals its structure but never signals a relationship between ideas, and Coherence and Cohesion is marked on both.
secondly, firstly, next
Vocabulary and repetition
Ignoring grammar words, 78 per cent of the content words in this answer are distinct, and 70 per cent appear exactly once. Lexical Resource is where repetition costs the most marks, and the usual cause is not a small vocabulary but reaching for the same noun every time the topic is named.
The longest run of words copied straight from the question is 3 words. Examiners discount wording lifted from the question, so a short run here is the right outcome: the answer restates the topic in its own words rather than borrowing the question's.
What you are marked on
All four criteria carry equal weight, and your Writing band is their average rounded to the nearest half band.
Task Achievement
Address all three bullet points with specific detail and a clear, reasonable request.
Coherence & Cohesion
Use a clear paragraph per bullet with formal layout and effective linking.
Lexical Resource
Use precise formal vocabulary for recruitment, complaint, and polite request.
Grammatical Range & Accuracy
Use accurate past tenses, passives, and modal verbs throughout.
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