Formal Letter · Refund Request for Defective Appliance
A complete IELTS General Training Writing Task 1 question with a model answer of 206 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 bought an expensive kitchen appliance from a large electronics shop. After only a short period of use, the appliance has stopped working properly. Write a letter to the manager of the shop. In your letter: - Describe the appliance and when you bought it - Explain what is wrong with it - Say what you would like the shop to do about it Write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write any addresses. Begin your letter as follows: Dear Sir or Madam,
How to approach it
- 01Use 'Dear Sir or Madam' to open and 'Yours faithfully' to close — never mix registers
- 02State your purpose in the first sentence and reference specific dates and product details
- 03Be firm and factual rather than emotional — formal complaints rely on evidence
- 04Mention enclosed documents (receipts, warranty) to strengthen your case
- 05Specify the exact action you want (refund, replacement, repair) and a reasonable timeframe
- 06Cover all three bullet points clearly, ideally one per paragraph
Model answer
206 words in 6 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 Sir or Madam,
I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with a kitchen appliance I purchased from your Camden branch on 12 March 2026 and to request a full refund under the terms of the Consumer Rights Act.
The item in question is a Brevita Pro 9000 stand mixer, priced at £429, and supplied with a two-year manufacturer's warranty. The original receipt and warranty card are enclosed for your reference, along with the transaction number 8842-CMD-0312.
Unfortunately, after only six weeks of light domestic use, the mixer has developed a serious fault. The motor now emits a loud grinding noise within thirty seconds of being switched on, and the lowest two speed settings have ceased to function altogether. On two occasions, smoke has been visible around the base of the unit, which I consider a clear safety hazard.
In view of the very short period of use and the potential danger involved, I would not feel comfortable accepting a repair. I would therefore be grateful if you could arrange a full refund of £429 within fourteen days. I am happy to return the appliance to the store at a time convenient to your staff and look forward to your prompt response.
Yours faithfully, Daniel Okafor
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.
18 fewer than the median answer for this task type
4 words at the shortest, 39 at the longest
1 fewer than the median answer for this task type
carry a subordinate or relative clause
Sentence rhythm
Sentences average 20.6 words and vary by 8.4 words either side of that, running from 4 words to 39. 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. 2 of the 10 sentences here carry a subordinate or relative clause.
The cohesive devices it uses
1 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.
therefore
Vocabulary and repetition
Ignoring grammar words, 87 per cent of the content words in this answer are distinct, and 78 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 4 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
Cover all three bullet points with relevant detail
Coherence & Cohesion
Clear paragraphing and logical progression of the complaint
Lexical Resource
Formal register and precise complaint vocabulary
Grammatical Range & Accuracy
Accurate complex structures including conditional and modal forms
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