IGCSE Practice: Formal Letter

In the Language Class, we did a couple of mocks as to be prepared for the IGCSE exams. We paracticed different ways and methods of writing as to be fully able to develop any kind of writing the examiners could ask us to write. Here I leave you an example of a formal letter we wrote.

Imagine you are Elsie Clinch. Write a letter of complaint to the tour company. 
In your letter you should:

• Describe the tour bus and the route
• Give your impressions on the driver and the office staff
• Recommend some actions the company should take to improve the experience

Base your letter on what you have read in the Passage A. Adress all three bullet points. Be careful to use your own words. 

Begin your letter: ´Dear Sir or Madam,

                             I was recently a passenger on one of your tours...´

Up to 15 marks are available for the content of your answer, and up to 5 marks to the quality of your writing.

Dear Sir,

I was recently a passenger on one of your tours. With no intention to offend, I write to you in order to show my concern as regards many failures I could find while my trip took place.

Since the beginning we had a couple of problems. We were called into the company´s office at a time that was way much earlier than what we were told. Nevertheless, none of the passeners complained as we were all so eager to begin with the dreamed tour you presented in your brochure. However, when we arrived nobody showed up or appeared to meet us. We waited for several minutes, until the clerk finally took us to the garage where the minibuses are kept. In my personal opinion, and seeing it now from a different perspective, the unisterested attitude the employee showed towards us was a sign of a bad beginning. He showed no interest or cordiality towards us. This portrayed lack of professionalism.What is more, when we got to the rusty buses, which by the way, were not up to my expectations, and finally met the driver; we got to know a conscious unexperienced driver who gave the impression of having been obliged to direct the tour. He was dressed up on flip-flops and eat the whole journey. He never talked to the passengers, and whenever he did, he displayed a stuborn, bad tempered mood that, in my opinion, made most of us feel uncomfortable or irritated. Furthermore, except for the clerk and the bus driver, there was not a single representative from the company in order to tell us about the sudden changes that continued appearing.

After having many drawbacks as regards the lack of security measures on the bus, for which the driver answered with a desquilifying tone and making reference to an existant law; the journey started. From the moment we got onto the bus we faced up with two-hundred kilometre trip none of the passengers knew before.Nevertheless, as a captivating scenery was promised, there were not many complaints. However, there was not such scenery. The landscape was based on a plain monotonous bush view that was nothing like what they had promised. The route was almost empty just like the surroundings which were sometimes covered with a matching but dissapearing route. We were obliged to listen to the driver´s choice of music, during the whole trip. When the big moment of the breath-taking mountain appeared, we were again disappointed by a couple of rocky foothills with no biodiversity and lack of interest. Besides, unequipped driver did not give a sense of security. 

Concluding, in my opinion, the trip was nothing like what they had presented. There was lack of management from the company. I recommend next time you have more communication with passengers, as regards the state of the buses and changes from the original plan in order to improve future traveller´s experiences. What is more, it would be a really good option, and I fully suggest that you show and teach the employees ways in which they can make the trip a more pleasant and educational experience. 

I hope you take my recommendations.
Greetings,

                                                                                                                                          Elsie Clinch 

Landscape were the passengers arrived

Bus were the passengers travelled all along the tour