You travelled by plane last week and your suitcase was lost. You have still heard nothing from the airline company. Write to the airline. In your letter: - explain what happened - describe your suitcase and say what was in it - ask what the airline is going to do about it
Sample Response
Dear Sir or Madam, I took a flight from the Narita International Airport, Tokyo to the Heathrow Airport, London on 14th November with your airlines. Unfortunately, my suitcase did not come out after the flight. Although I have explained this to the in-charge officer at the Luggage Claim Office at the Heathrow Airport, I have not heard anything from them. My suitcase is a blue Samsonite and was approximately 12 X 98 centimetres in diameter. One side of it has some small scratches and a heart-shaped sticker was placed on the other side. My initials "PB" are also written on both sides. The suitcase contains a few books, clothes and a copy of my thesis, which I need for a conference on 27th November. So I would highly appreciate it if you could give me a prompt reply at your earliest convenience. My flight number was NF 1452, and my Luggage Claim Number is 02547. Yours faithfully, Paul Burrell
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Remove airport article Original: the Narita International Airport Suggested revision: Narita International Airport Why it matters: This proper airport name does not require the definite article.
- 2. Use singular airline Original: airlines Suggested revision: airline Why it matters: The letter addresses one airline company, so the singular form is required.
- 3. Use baggage terminology Original: did not come out after the flight Suggested revision: did not arrive at baggage reclaim Why it matters: This phrase describes missing checked baggage more precisely.
- 4. Correct role phrase Original: in-charge officer Suggested revision: officer in charge Why it matters: Officer in charge is the standard word order for this role.
- 5. Clarify pronoun reference Original: heard anything from them Suggested revision: heard anything from the airline Why it matters: Naming the airline removes uncertainty about whether them refers to the officer or the company.
- 6. Use consistent description Original: was placed on the other side Suggested revision: is attached to the other side Why it matters: The present tense and attached naturally describe an identifying feature the suitcase still has.
- 7. Use normal capitalization Original: Luggage Claim Number Suggested revision: luggage claim number Why it matters: This common noun phrase should not be capitalized within the sentence.
- 8. Correct destination phrase Original: to the Heathrow Airport, London Suggested revision: to Heathrow Airport in London Why it matters: The airport name takes no article, and in correctly introduces the city.
- 9. Use formal date style Original: 14th Suggested revision: 14 Why it matters: The cardinal-number form is standard in formal correspondence.
- 10. Use reporting tense Original: Although I have explained this Suggested revision: Although I reported this Why it matters: The simple past matches the completed report made after the flight.
- 11. Use standard office term Original: Luggage Claim Office Suggested revision: baggage claim office Why it matters: This is the conventional term for the airport service area.
- 12. Remove airport article Original: at the Heathrow Airport Suggested revision: at Heathrow Airport Why it matters: This proper airport name does not require the definite article.
Suggested Rewrites
- the Narita International Airport Narita International Airport
- airlines airline
- did not come out after the flight did not arrive at baggage reclaim
- in-charge officer officer in charge
- heard anything from them heard anything from the airline
- was placed on the other side is attached to the other side
Why this response received Band 6.5
The letter gives specific flight information and a clear description of the suitcase and its important contents, maintaining an appropriately formal tone. The central weakness is that it asks only for a prompt reply rather than directly asking what the airline will do to locate or return the luggage. State the required action explicitly and organise the incident, description, and request into separate paragraphs.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The incident and suitcase details are well covered, but the requested airline action is only implied through a request for a reply.
Ask directly how the airline will trace and return the suitcase and when the writer can expect an update.
Coherence and Cohesion
The information follows a sensible sequence, but presenting the entire letter as one block weakens the clarity of its functional sections.
Use separate paragraphs for the loss, the suitcase and contents, and the requested action, with the flight references near the opening.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is adequate and sometimes specific, but awkward choices such as “your airlines,” “in-charge officer,” and “did not come out” reduce naturalness.
Use standard travel-service terms such as “your airline,” “baggage-claim officer,” and “did not arrive on the carousel.”
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
The letter uses several complex structures successfully, though article, tense, punctuation, and measurement constructions are not consistently controlled.
Proofread tense sequencing and noun phrases, especially the report to the officer and the suitcase dimensions.
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
You travelled by plane last week and your suitcase was lost. You have still heard nothing from the airline company. Write to the airline. In your letter:
- explain what happened
- describe your suitcase and say what was in it
- ask what the airline is going to do about it
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.