You have a problem with your membership at a gym you belong to. Write a letter to the gym manager, who you know personally.
This letter has to report two separate problems clearly enough that a busy manager can act on both without needing to ask follow-up questions.
The question
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
You have a problem with your membership at a gym you belong to. Write a letter to the gym manager, who you know personally.
In your letter,
explain what the problem is
give details of what has happened, including relevant dates
say what you would like the manager to do about it
You do not need to write your own address. Begin your letter as follows:
Dear Mr Okafor,
Write at least 150 words.
What this letter needs
The tricky part of this scenario is covering two distinct issues, a billing error and an access problem, without the letter turning into a disorganised list. It needs enough specific detail (dates, amounts, number of attempts) to sound credible and urgent, while keeping a polite, controlled tone throughout, since this is someone the writer has an ongoing relationship with, not an anonymous complaints department.
Structure
Salutation — Dear Mr/Ms [Surname], — the gym manager you deal with personally, not a generic customer-service address.
Opening — State that you are writing about a problem with your membership so the purpose is obvious immediately.
Body 1 — Describe the billing error clearly, with the exact amount and dates involved.
Body 2 — Describe the access or card problem separately, including how many times you have tried and reported it.
Body 3 — State exactly what you want done — a refund and a working replacement card — and give a reasonable timeframe.
Closing — Close politely but firmly, referencing your history as a member to reinforce that this is out of character for the gym.
Model answers
Band 6.0 model answer
164 words
Dear Mr Okafor,
I am writing to tell you about a problem with my membership at Riverside Fitness. I have been a member for over a year, and I have never had any issues before, but this month two things have gone wrong.
First, I noticed that my monthly fee of £45 was taken from my account twice, on the 1st and the 3rd of this month. Second, my new membership card stopped working at the entrance gate about a week ago, and I have not been able to get into the gym since then, even though I tried three times.
I called the front desk twice about the card, but nobody could fix it, and I still have not received a refund for the extra payment.
Could you please look into both problems for me? I would like the extra £45 to be refunded, and I would also like a new card that works properly as soon as possible.
Yours sincerely, [Your Name]
Why this is Band 6.0
Covers both problems but treats them as a simple list: 'First, ... Second, ...' with little linking language between them.
Vocabulary is plain and repeats basic verbs like 'stopped working' and 'could not fix it'.
Sentences are short and mostly separate, e.g. 'I called the front desk twice about the card, but nobody could fix it, and I still have not received a refund for the extra payment' is one of the few joined sentences.
The request at the end is clear but basic: 'I would like the extra £45 to be refunded.'
Band 7.0 model answer
178 words
Dear Mr Okafor,
I am writing to raise two issues with my membership at Riverside Fitness that have come up over the past week. I have been a member for more than a year without any problems, so I was surprised when both of these occurred at once.
Firstly, my monthly membership fee of £45 was charged to my account twice, on the 1st and 3rd of this month, which I only noticed when checking my bank statement. Secondly, my new membership card has stopped working at the entrance gate; I have tried using it on three separate occasions over the last week, and each time I have been turned away at reception instead.
I have already contacted the front desk twice regarding the card issue, but the problem has not been resolved, and the duplicate payment has not yet been refunded either.
I would appreciate it if you could arrange for the extra £45 to be returned to my account and for a working replacement card to be issued as soon as possible.
Yours sincerely, [Your Name]
Why this is Band 7.0
Content fully covered and logically ordered with clear signposting: 'Firstly, ... Secondly, ...'
Uses less common vocabulary accurately, such as 'duplicate payment' and 'turned away at reception'.
Mixes sentence types, e.g. the semicolon in 'the entrance gate; I have tried using it on three separate occasions' shows controlled complex punctuation.
Register stays consistently polite but firm, e.g. 'I would appreciate it if you could arrange...' rather than a blunt demand.
Band 8.5 model answer
192 words
Dear Mr Okafor,
I am writing to flag two separate issues with my membership at Riverside Fitness that have cropped up within the space of a week, neither of which I have encountered in the year or so I have been a member here.
The first is a billing error: my monthly fee of £45 was debited from my account twice, on the 1st and 3rd of this month, something I only spotted when reconciling my bank statement. The second, more pressing issue is that my new membership card has simply stopped working at the entrance gate. I have attempted to use it on three occasions over the past week, only to be turned away at reception each time and told, rather unhelpfully, that the system could not recognise the card.
I have already raised the access problem with your front-desk staff twice, without any real resolution, and the duplicate charge remains unrefunded to date.
I would be grateful if you could arrange a refund of the extra £45 and issue a replacement card that actually functions, ideally before the weekend, as I have missed several sessions already.
Yours sincerely, [Your Name]
Why this is Band 8.5
Content covered with precision and appropriate emphasis — the access problem, the more pressing issue, gets noticeably more development than the billing error.
Idiomatic, natural phrasing such as 'cropped up within the space of a week' and 'told, rather unhelpfully, that the system could not recognise the card.'
Flexible complex grammar, e.g. the long opening sentence uses a relative clause ('neither of which I have encountered...') with no strain.
Precise vocabulary with no padding: 'reconciling', 'billing error' and 'unrefunded to date' are all used accurately and naturally.
Closing line is specific and firm without being rude: 'ideally before the weekend, as I have missed several sessions already.'
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 semi-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 include exact figures like the membership fee amount?
Yes — specific numbers such as 'my monthly fee of £45' make the complaint concrete and easy to act on, and IELTS examiners also reward the accurate, natural use of figures within a sentence.
How do I cover two separate problems without the letter feeling disorganised?
Give each issue its own paragraph, use a clear signpost like 'Firstly' and 'Secondly', and keep the request for each (refund, replacement card) distinct at the end rather than mixed together.
Is it too much to mention how long I've been a loyal customer?
No — one line referencing your history, like being 'a member for more than a year without any problems', is useful evidence that this is out of the ordinary, as long as it doesn't turn into an extended complaint about being a valued customer.
How firm can the tone be with someone I know personally, like the gym manager?
You can be direct about the facts and what you want done without being rude — the letter should sound frustrated but reasonable, for example asking the manager to 'please look into both problems' rather than making accusations.
