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General Training Task 1 — complaint letter: Restaurant placing tables on pavement. This page gives the exam question and a band 9 model answer, with the tone, opening and closing lines that suit the letter. Aim for at least 150 words in about 20 minutes.
A restaurant in your local area has placed many tables and chairs on the pavement outside, causing inconvenience to people
using the street. Write a letter to the restaurant manager.
In the letter, you should include:
• Explain what problems this situation has caused
• Suggest what the restaurant should do instead
• Say what action you will take if the problem is not resolved
| Letter type | Complaint |
| Tone | Formal |
| Opening | Dear Sir or Madam, |
| Closing | Yours faithfully, |
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to formally express my concern regarding the placement of outdoor seating on the public pavement outside your restaurant on Maple Street, a situation that has caused considerable inconvenience to local residents and pedestrians over the past several weeks.
The tables and chairs currently occupy nearly the full width of the pavement, forcing people with pushchairs, wheelchairs, and shopping trolleys to step onto the road to pass. This is especially dangerous during evening service hours when visibility is reduced, and several neighbours have already complained about near-misses with passing vehicles.
I would suggest relocating the majority of your outdoor seating to the private terrace at the rear of the premises, or alternatively reducing the number of pavement tables and leaving a clear passage of at least 1.5 metres for pedestrians. If this issue is not resolved within the next fortnight, I intend to submit a formal complaint to the local council's licensing department, as I believe the current arrangement may contravene pavement use regulations.
Yours faithfully,
Strategy
Classic formal complaint with an escalation warning (bullet 3). The three-part structure maps perfectly: problem → solution →
consequence. Keep firm but professional throughout.
Common trap
Bullet 3 requires a REAL escalation (local council, authority, legal action) — not just "I will complain again."
Vague threats weaken Task Achievement.
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