In the IELTS General Training Writing Task 1, you’ll be asked to write a letter in response to a practical, everyday situation. This could be a complaint, a request, or, as in today’s example, a letter of suggestion to a public body. The tone can range from formal to informal, depending on the situation, but writing to an unknown recipient at a local council requires a formal approach: polite, respectful, and clearly structured.
In this post, we’ll look at a sample letter suggesting improvements to a local swimming pool, followed by a clear breakdown of why it works — using the IELTS marking criteria as a guide.
The Question
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. Write at least 150 words.
You regularly use a public swimming pool in your area, but you feel the facility could be improved.
Write a letter to the local council. In your letter:
describe what you currently enjoy about the swimming pool
explain what improvements you think should be made
suggest how these changes would benefit the local community
Write at least 150 words.
You do NOT need to write any addresses.
Begin your letter as follows:
Dear …………… ,
Understanding the Question
This is a formal letter where you are writing to a public body to suggest changes to a local facility. The key to answering such questions is addressing all three bullet points clearly. Missing any part will affect your Task Achievement score.
Since you do not know the name of the person you are writing to, start with Dear Sir or Madam and sign off with Yours faithfully. Maintain a polite and constructive tone throughout — this is a suggestion, not a complaint, so the language should be positive and forward-looking. A variable tone will also damage your score. This would, for example, mean that you should not switch between praising the facility and aggressively criticising its shortcomings.
Ensure your letter is at least 150 words to meet the requirements. A longer letter will not lose marks (although you will be losing time for checking mistakes), but a shorter letter is likely to lose marks.
How to Structure Your Answer
A clear structure will help your writing feel natural and easy to follow. Here is a suggested outline:
Opening: Purpose of the Letter
Begin by stating the reason for writing and briefly establishing your connection to the facility. This gives the reader immediate context and credibility.
Paragraph Two: What You Enjoy About the Facility
Highlight the positive aspects of the swimming pool. This shows that your letter is balanced and constructive rather than purely critical, and it establishes goodwill before moving on to suggestions.
Paragraph Three: Suggested Improvements
Identify the specific areas that could be improved. Be clear and precise — vague suggestions are less convincing and will weaken your Task Achievement score.
Paragraph Four: Benefits to the Community
Explain how the proposed changes would have a positive impact on the wider community. Link your suggestions to a broader outcome and close with a polite offer to discuss the matter further.
Key Tips for Writing a Formal Letter of Suggestion
Stay Constructive, Not Critical: A letter of suggestion should feel positive and forward-looking. Acknowledge what works well before proposing changes — this makes your suggestions more persuasive and keeps your tone consistent.
Follow the Question’s Structure: Address all bullet points in the task: describe what you enjoy, explain what could improve, and suggest how the community would benefit. Missing any part may lower your score.
Stay Within the Word Count: Aim for 155–180 words. This demonstrates precision and ensures you fully answer the task without being too brief or overly detailed.
Use Clear Paragraphing: Organise your letter into logical sections for clarity. Typically, an IELTS Task 1 letter will have around three to four paragraphs plus an opening and closing line.
Model Answer
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to suggest several improvements to the Riverside Public Swimming Pool, which I have used regularly for the past three years.
The pool is a valuable facility for residents of all ages. The staff are welcoming, the opening hours are convenient, and the pool itself is well maintained. It is clear that the council takes its upkeep seriously, and I am grateful for that.
However, I believe a few changes would make the facility even more appealing. The changing rooms are in need of modernisation, as several of the lockers are broken and the showers frequently run cold. In addition, the pool area would benefit from clearer signage to separate lanes for different swimming speeds.
These improvements would encourage more residents to use the pool, particularly families with young children and older adults who may currently find the facilities uncomfortable. A more welcoming environment could also help promote healthier lifestyles across the community.
I would be happy to discuss these suggestions further if it would be helpful.
Yours faithfully,
Rebecca Shaw
Why This Letter Works
✅ Task Achievement
This letter fully addresses all three bullet points. The writer describes what they enjoy about the pool (welcoming staff, convenient hours, good maintenance), identifies specific improvements (modernising the changing rooms, fixing lockers, improving lane signage), and explains the broader community benefits (attracting families and older adults, promoting healthier lifestyles). The purpose of the letter is clear throughout, and the tone is constructive and appropriately formal — it praises what works before suggesting what could be better.
✅ Coherence and Cohesion
The letter is organised into clear, purposeful paragraphs. Each one serves a distinct function — opening, positives, suggestions, and community impact. Ideas are logically connected using smooth linking phrases such as “However, I believe…”, “In addition…”, and “It is clear that…”. These cohesive devices guide the reader through the letter without disrupting its natural rhythm.
✅ Lexical Resource
The vocabulary is varied, precise, and well-suited to the context. Expressions such as “in need of modernisation”, “takes its upkeep seriously”, “even more appealing”, and “promote healthier lifestyles” show that the writer can use natural collocations and formal register effectively. The language is appropriate throughout — professional without being overly stiff — and avoids repetition by using a range of terms to describe improvement and benefit.
✅ Grammatical Range and Accuracy
There is a good mix of sentence types, including relative clauses (“which I have used regularly…”), conditionals (“if it would be helpful”), and complex noun phrases (“families with young children and older adults who may currently find the facilities uncomfortable”). The writing is clean, with no grammatical errors, and punctuation is used correctly to support meaning and flow. The consistent use of formal modals such as “would” and “could” reinforces the polite, suggestive tone of the letter.
Practice Makes Perfect
Writing formal letters can be challenging, but with regular practice, you’ll improve your ability to stay on topic and meet the IELTS requirements. Try writing your own response to this question, then compare it to the model answer above.
If you’d like feedback on your writing, book a lesson with us today.
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