IB English A Lang & Lit Letter: Example + Try It Yourself Notes

Annotated Example: Letter

1. Formal salutation and recipient identification: The letter opens with "Dear Chair of the Community Services Committee," targeting a precise, named authority. Addressing a specific title rather than "Dear Sir/Madam" signals that the writer has researched the correct recipient, lending immediate credibility to the complaint.
2. Clear purpose statement in the opening paragraph: The first paragraph states, "I am writing to formally object to the proposed closure of Birchwood Public Library, which serves over 4,000 residents each month." Placing the complaint on record immediately, anchored in verifiable data, avoids vague or emotionally driven openings.
3. Sequenced body paragraphs with distinct arguments: Each body paragraph addresses one concern: the impact on elderly residents, the loss of free internet access for low-income households, and the removal of the only after-school study space in the area. Ordering arguments from most concrete to most emotive builds pressure progressively and is harder to dismiss.
4. Formal closing with a specific, actionable demand: The letter closes with "I urge the Committee to reconsider this decision and to arrange a public consultation before any closure proceeds," followed by "Yours faithfully" and the writer's full name. The closing demand is polite but unambiguous, reinforcing the formal register sustained throughout.

Examiner Commentary

1. Formal register: The writer sustains a consistently formal register through precise vocabulary ("formally object", "proposed closure"), avoidance of contractions, and impersonal constructions that prioritise argument over personal emotion. This register is essential in complaint letters because it signals that the writer expects a professional, institutional response.