Y10W06PA - A Formal Legal Complaint Letter

This week you wrote a formal legal complaint letter. Now you'll read another student's letter and judge how strong it is. Working through how assessors evaluate formal professional writing sharpens your ability to apply the same lens to your own work.

Part 1

The Assessor Scorecard for

Transactional – Formal Letter

A strong transactional piece achieves its purpose by matching tone, structure and language precisely to its audience and function. Assessors evaluate whether the piece fulfils its purpose for the reader it addresses.

Ideas & Content

Relevant specificity — content chosen precisely for this purpose and this audience. No irrelevant material. No omissions of key information.

  • Relevant specificity: selects only the content the purpose and audience genuinely need.

Structure & Cohesion

Clear, purposeful organisation — each section handling a distinct function. A logical sequence the reader can follow. No sections that overlap or drift.

  • Purposeful sections: gives each section a clear function in a logical sequence.

Audience & Purpose

Calibrated precisely for its specific reader. Tone, register and level of formality matching what the audience expects. Nothing too casual or too stiff for the occasion.

  • Register and tone: must be precisely matched to what the specific audience expects.

Language Choices

Precise, appropriate language that signals command of the form. No informal or imprecise expressions. Word choices that hold credibility with professional audiences.

  • Formal precision: uses appropriate wording that builds credibility in the transactional context.

Conventions

Accurate spelling, grammar and punctuation, as expected in transactional documents. Correct formatting — appropriate headers, sign-offs and structural markers. Conventions applied consistently throughout.

  • Document accuracy: combines correct mechanics with the formatting markers the form requires.

Part 2

Today’s Marking Targets

Task in one sentence

Write a formal letter setting out the relevant facts clearly, stating the legal basis for the complaint accurately, and specifying the outcome Ms Hartley is seeking — firm without being aggressive.

Let’s Focus

Three strands matter most this week: Audience & Purpose, Language Choices and Conventions. The calibration of tone and purpose for a formal legal audience decides whether the letter is taken seriously as a professional communication. The precision of language decides whether the legal facts and basis are communicated accurately. The accuracy of conventions decides whether the letter has professional credibility.

Audience & Purpose

Strong writing this week shows Audience & Purpose applied consistently — not just in isolated moments. Assessors look for calibration that serves this task: a tone that is firm without being aggressive and signals that formal action will follow.

What markers scan for

  • Audience & Purpose applied consistently throughout — not only in isolated moments.
  • The specific task and topic visibly shaping how the strand is demonstrated.

Score Bands

  • Basic

    Audience & Purpose is present but applied inconsistently or only at a surface level.

  • Strong

    Audience & Purpose is applied consistently, with genuine understanding of what this task requires.

  • Excellent

    Audience & Purpose is applied with sustained precision throughout, shaped by the specific demands of this task.

Language Choices

Strong writing this week shows Language Choices applied consistently — not just in isolated moments. Assessors look for precise language that serves this task: accurate legal terms that communicate the facts and the basis for the complaint clearly.

What markers scan for

  • Language Choices applied consistently throughout — not only in isolated moments.
  • The specific task and topic visibly shaping how the strand is demonstrated.

Score Bands

  • Basic

    Language Choices is present but applied inconsistently or only at a surface level.

  • Strong

    Language Choices is applied consistently, with genuine understanding of what this task requires.

  • Excellent

    Language Choices is applied with sustained precision throughout, shaped by the specific demands of this task.

Conventions

Strong writing this week shows Conventions applied consistently — not just in isolated moments. Assessors look for accuracy that serves this task: correct letter formatting, spelling and grammar that give the complaint professional credibility.

What markers scan for

  • Conventions applied consistently throughout — not only in isolated moments.
  • The specific task and topic visibly shaping how the strand is demonstrated.

Score Bands

  • Basic

    Conventions is present but applied inconsistently or only at a surface level.

  • Strong

    Conventions is applied consistently, with genuine understanding of what this task requires.

  • Excellent

    Conventions is applied with sustained precision throughout, shaped by the specific demands of this task.

Now read · Student sample

A Formal Legal Complaint Letter

Year 10 sample · \~250 words

Student sample for assessment

Written by a Year 10 student in Townsville, Queensland, Australia.

Ms A. Hartley 14 Greenleaf Avenue Townsville QLD 4810

15 April 2026 The Manager Urban Living Rentals PO Box 441 Townsville QLD 4810 Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing on behalf of my client, Ms Andrea Hartley, to formally notify you of a breach of the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 (Qld) and to request a specific remedy within the timeframe required under that Act. Ms Hartley has been a tenant at the above address since 14 March 2024. On 22 February 2026, she formally notified your agency in writing that the hot water system at the property had ceased functioning. As of the date of this letter, more than six weeks have elapsed and no repair has been carried out, nor has any explanation been provided. Under section 185 of the Act, a lessor is required to ensure that rental premises are maintained in good repair. The failure to restore the hot water service within a reasonable period constitutes a breach of this obligation. Ms Hartley is seeking the following remedy: that the hot water system be repaired or replaced within seven days of the date of this letter. If the matter is not resolved within this period, Ms Hartley reserves the right to apply to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal for an urgent order requiring repair, and to seek compensation for the costs she has incurred in obtaining alternative arrangements during this period. We trust that your agency will give this matter the attention it requires. Please direct all correspondence to the address below. Yours sincerely, [Student name] On behalf of Ms Andrea Hartley