Letter

Band 6+: You recently purchased a new smartphone from an online retailer, but it arrived with several defects and malfunctions. Write a letter to the online retailer to complain about the defective smartphone. You should include details about: - the specific defects and malfunctions you experienced with the phone - how you attempted to resolve the issues - what action you expect the retailer to take to rectify the situation.

See all user-written answers on this topic

Skyrocket your IELTS band score by 1-2 points in under a month with our premium plan!

Note: Both the topic and the answer were created by one of our users.

Dear Sir and Madam,

On June 22nd 2025, I purchased a smartphone through your official online shop and unfortunately, I noticed severals defects and malfunctions during setup.

Upon arrival, the shipping box is damaged with quite a number of dents all over. Altough, the smartphone itself looks perfectly fine, but the problem came after I turned on the power button. When I tried to open the music app to check on the quality of the speaker, it started to make a subtle noises similar to screech.

I have checked under a flashlight to see whether the speaker slot has been dirtied but I failed to determine which part causes the issue. I have attached a video to further support my claim and since I am not an expert when it comes to this type mechanism so I wish for your assistance in fixing this issue.

Yours faithfully,

Joanna Sinclair

Word Count: 149

Check Your Answer On This Topic?

Check My Answer

Generate A Band-9 Sample Answer?

Generate A Sample

Overall Band Score

(+/- 0.5)

Vocabulary Complexity:
B2 - Upper Intermediate
Opt for even more advanced words when appropriate.

Grammar Mistakes: N/A

Vocabulary Repetition:
No noticeable repetition! Great job!

Task Response

The letter addresses the task by detailing the defects and malfunctions experienced with the smartphone and requesting assistance. However, it could be improved by explicitly stating the desired action from the retailer, such as a replacement or refund. Adding more detail about attempts to resolve the issues, beyond checking the speaker slot, would also strengthen the response. The letter falls short of the required 150 words.

Coherence & Cohesion

The letter is generally well-organized and the message is clear. However, some sentences could be linked more smoothly to improve the flow. Consider using a wider range of cohesive devices to enhance the connection between ideas. For example, in the second paragraph, you could add a sentence that summarizes the condition of the phone upon arrival before detailing the specific issues.

Lexical Resource

The vocabulary used is appropriate for the task. To further enhance your lexical resource, try incorporating more specific and varied vocabulary related to technical issues and customer service. For instance, instead of 'quite a number of dents all over,' you could use 'multiple significant dents.' Also, consider using synonyms to avoid repetition.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy

The letter contains a number of grammatical errors. For example, 'severals defects' should be 'several defects,' and 'the shipping box is damaged' should be 'the shipping box was damaged' to maintain consistent tense. Also, 'this type mechanism' should be 'this type of mechanism'. Pay close attention to subject-verb agreement, correct article usage, and tense consistency to improve grammatical accuracy.

You have recently gone to live in a new city. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter: explain why you have moved tell about the city invite your friend to come and visit you

Dear Aisha, How are you doing? Last I heard from you was when you were in Italy for your interior designing internship. Today , I am writing to let you know that I have moved to Vapi. Remember the business manager position I applied for at an international company in Vapi? I landed the job […]

Band 9

See All

Check Your Answer On This Topic?

Generate A Band-9 Sample Answer?

Overall Band Score

Task Response

Coherence & Cohesion

Lexical Resource

Grammatical Range & Accuracy

Other Topics:

You have recently gone to live in a new city. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter: explain why you have moved tell about the city invite your friend to come and visit you

Write a letter to the building manager. In your letter: describe the problems you are facing explain how these issues are affecting you ask the manager to take action You should write at least 150 words. Begin your letter as follows: Dear Sir or Madam,

Check Your Answer On This Topic?

Generate A Band-9 Sample Answer?

Overall Band Score

Task Response

Coherence & Cohesion

Lexical Resource

Grammatical Range & Accuracy

Other Topics:

Plans & Pricing

Free

Premium