How to write an IELTS formal letter
6 min read · Updated 7 October 2026
A formal letter is for someone you don't know: a company, a council, a hotel, a manager you have never met. Complaints, requests and job or volunteer applications are the most common. The task usually tells you to begin "Dear Sir or Madam".
The format
- Greeting: Dear Sir or Madam,
- Sign-off: Yours faithfully,
- Name: your full name, on the line below.
If you know the person's name ("Dear Ms Okoro"), sign off with "Yours sincerely" instead. "Yours faithfully" only goes with "Dear Sir or Madam".
No addresses, no date, no subject line: the task says you don't need them.
The plan
- Purpose: "I am writing to complain about…", "I am writing to apply for…", "I am writing to ask for your help in…"
- Bullet 1, with a specific detail: a date, an order number, a place.
- Bullet 2, with a reason or a result.
- Bullet 3, usually the action you want, as a polite request.
- Closing line: "I look forward to your reply."
What makes the language formal
| Instead of | Write |
|---|---|
| I want you to… | I would like you to… / I would be grateful if you could… |
| Can you… | Could you… / Would it be possible to… |
| ASAP | as soon as possible / within seven days |
| I'm, can't, don't | I am, cannot, do not |
| really bad | unacceptable / extremely disappointing |
| Thanks | Thank you for your assistance. |
Formal does not mean complicated. Clear, polite, complete sentences with no contractions or slang are enough. A complaint can be firm without being rude: say what went wrong and what you want, with a deadline.
Formal letters often end with a request and a deadline: "I would therefore like you to send a replacement within the next seven days." It answers the "say what you want" bullet precisely.
A model letter
See the full complaint about a late, damaged delivery, with its plan and notes on all four criteria. There are also models for asking the council to make a crossing safer, applying to volunteer at a clinic and asking a hotel to return a lost item.
Common mistakes
- "Yours sincerely" after "Dear Sir or Madam". Use "Yours faithfully".
- Contractions (I'm, don't) and slang (stuff, guys, awesome).
- Emotional language in a complaint. "I am extremely disappointed" works; "This is a joke" does not.
- A vague request. "Please do something" leaves the third bullet half covered. Say exactly what you want.
Check your letter
Write a formal letter to one of the tasks above, or paste your own task into the letter checker. It checks that your greeting and sign-off match, that every bullet point is covered, and that the tone stays formal throughout.
Check your letter
Paste any letter task and your letter. Get a band, with every bullet point, your tone and the format checked.