You have noticed you were overcharged on your most recent phone bill. Write a letter to the billing department of your phone company.
A full IELTS General Training Writing Task 1 letter about an error on a phone bill at Band 6.0, 7.0 and 8.5, with the structure, register and language it needs, and why each version scores what it does.
The question
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
You have noticed you were overcharged on your most recent phone bill. Write a letter to the billing department of your phone company.
In your letter,
explain which bill you are referring to and what the error is
explain why you believe you have been overcharged
say what you would like the company to do
You do not need to write your own address. Begin your letter as follows:
Dear Sir or Madam,
Write at least 150 words.
What this letter needs
A billing complaint lives or dies on numbers, so the letter needs the account number, the amount charged and the amount expected to be completely unambiguous from the first paragraph. The harder skill is explaining why the charge looks wrong in one or two sentences without guessing at causes the writer cannot actually know, and closing with a precise, checkable correction rather than a vague request to 'fix it'.
Structure
Salutation — Dear Sir or Madam, — a billing department has no single named contact, so keep the fully formal, nameless opening.
Opening — Identify the exact bill (account number, billing period) and state the error in the same sentence, so the department can locate your account immediately.
Body 1 — Give the specific figures — what you were charged versus what you expected — so the error is provable, not just asserted.
Body 2 — Explain briefly why you believe the charge is wrong, giving the department a reason to agree with you quickly.
Body 3 — State the exact correction you want — a refund of the difference, or a corrected bill — and by when.
Closing — Ask for written confirmation once corrected, then sign off formally.
Model answers
Band 6.0 model answer
169 words
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing about my phone bill for July, account number 4487213, because I believe I have been charged too much this month.
My bill shows a total of 78 dollars, but according to my plan, I should only pay 45 dollars each month. This is an extra 33 dollars that I do not understand. My bill has been the same amount every month for the past two years, so this sudden increase came as a surprise.
I checked my plan details online, and I am still on the same monthly plan I signed up for last year, so I do not think anything has changed on my side. I also did not make any extra calls or use extra data this month.
I would like this mistake to be corrected and the extra 33 dollars to be refunded to my account. Please could you also send me a corrected bill showing the right amount.
I look forward to your reply.
Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
Why this is Band 6.0
States the figures plainly: 'My bill shows a total of 78 dollars, but according to my plan, I should only pay 45 dollars'
Simple justification: 'I do not think anything has changed on my side'
The request is clear but basic: 'I would like this mistake to be corrected and the extra 33 dollars to be refunded'
Accurate but plain throughout, with no attempt at more formal connectors
Band 7.0 model answer
175 words
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing regarding my phone bill for July, account number 4487213, as I believe I have been overcharged this month.
The bill shows a total of 78 dollars, whereas my monthly plan should cost 45 dollars, meaning I have apparently been charged an additional 33 dollars that I am unable to account for.
Having checked my account online, I can confirm that I remain on the same plan I signed up for last year, and I made no additional calls or used any extra data during this billing period. My bill has remained the same amount for the past two years, which makes this sudden increase all the more difficult to explain. I can therefore see no reasonable explanation for the increase.
I would be grateful if this error could be corrected and the extra 33 dollars refunded promptly to my account. I would also appreciate a corrected bill showing the accurate amount for July.
Please could you confirm in writing once this has been resolved.
Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
Why this is Band 7.0
'meaning I have apparently been charged an additional 33 dollars that I am unable to account for' shows controlled, formal complex sentence structure
'I can therefore see no reasonable explanation for the increase' uses a formal, logical connector accurately
'I would be grateful if this error could be corrected' is a controlled, polite formal request
Ends with a precise, professional closing instruction: 'Please could you confirm in writing once this has been resolved'
Band 8.5 model answer
196 words
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing regarding my phone bill for July, account number 4487213, which appears to include a charge I am unable to account for.
The bill totals 78 dollars, whereas my monthly plan should amount to no more than 45 dollars — a discrepancy of 33 dollars for which I can find no explanation. Having checked my account online, I can confirm that I remain on the same plan I signed up for last year and made no additional calls, nor used any extra data, during this billing period. My bill has remained identical for the past two years, which makes a sudden, unexplained rise of this size all the more difficult to account for.
Given this, I can only assume the charge is the result of an administrative error rather than any change on my part.
I would be grateful if the amount could be corrected and the difference of 33 dollars refunded to my account, along with a revised bill reflecting the accurate figure for July.
I would appreciate written confirmation once this has been resolved, and I trust the matter can be dealt with promptly.
Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
Why this is Band 8.5
'a discrepancy of 33 dollars for which I can find no explanation' uses a flexible relative clause with no strain
'I can only assume the charge is the result of an administrative error rather than any change on my part' is precisely hedged, native-level phrasing
The letter states figures with complete precision while never sounding accusatory, showing perfectly judged register
'I trust the matter can be dealt with promptly' closes with natural, idiomatic formality rather than a stock phrase
Model answers written and reviewed by The English All-in-One IELTS team. They are teaching models showing what each band looks like, not real candidate scripts.
This is a formal letter question. The answers above show you what each band looks like when it is finished. What they cannot show you is how to get there from a blank page in twenty minutes.
That is what our Writing Study Library is for: the structure we teach for this exact question type, the paragraph pattern that goes with it, and the sentence openers for each stage — so the letter is planned before you start writing rather than assembled as you go.
Answers checked here may be published on this page, without your name, to help other learners. Nothing else about you is stored.
Common questions
Do I need to know exactly why I was overcharged?
No — state what you can check, such as your plan cost versus the bill, and let the company investigate the cause; guessing at reasons you can't confirm weakens the letter.
Should I include my account number?
Yes, in the opening sentence — it is exactly the kind of specific detail that makes a billing complaint easy to act on quickly.
Is it rude to ask for written confirmation?
No, it's a normal, sensible request in this context, and phrasing it politely ('Please could you confirm in writing') keeps it well within formal register.
What if I'm not sure the company made a mistake?
Frame it as your belief rather than a certainty ('I believe I have been overcharged') — this is accurate, appropriately hedged, and still clearly asks for a correction.
