You have received a letter from your bank, asking you to acknowledge receipt of a new bank card. However, the card was missing from the envelope. Write a letter to the bank's head office. In your letter: - explain why you are writing - express concern about the missing card - ask them what they intend to do
Sample Response
Dear Mr. Aquino, I am writing in connection with your letter asking me to acknowledge receipt of the new bank card. Upon checking, the envelope was opened and the card is missing. I am worried about the possibility that the card is in the possession of other people and will be use for fraudulent transactions. If that happens, that will put me in unfavorable and inconvenient situation. In addition, the old card already expired and I am waiting for the new one since I am leaving the country for a Singapore trip next week. I am planning to use it when I am there and I am very disappointed with what happened. In this regard, would you please provide the necessary action(s) to be taken by your office to ensure that the card will not be use for illegal purposes? Also, would it be possible to replace the card immediately so that I can use it on my incoming trip? I am hoping to hear from you. Yours sincerely, JN
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use state adjective Original: opened Suggested revision: open Why it matters: Use the adjective “open” to describe the envelope's condition when you checked it.
- 2. Use past participle Original: use Suggested revision: used Why it matters: The passive construction after “will be” requires the past participle “used.”
- 3. Add an article Original: put me in unfavorable and inconvenient situation Suggested revision: put me in an unfavorable and inconvenient situation Why it matters: A singular countable noun such as “situation” needs an article here.
- 4. Use present perfect Original: the old card already expired Suggested revision: the old card has already expired Why it matters: Use the present perfect for a past expiry that affects the current situation.
- 5. Natural destination phrase Original: for a Singapore trip Suggested revision: for a trip to Singapore Why it matters: “A trip to Singapore” is the more natural way to express the destination.
- 6. Name the problem Original: what happened Suggested revision: the card's disappearance Why it matters: Naming the missing card directly makes the complaint more precise.
- 7. Make request direct Original: provide the necessary action(s) to be taken by your office Suggested revision: explain what action your office will take Why it matters: A direct request clearly addresses the prompt's requirement to ask what the bank intends to do.
- 8. Correct passive form Original: use Suggested revision: used Why it matters: The passive construction requires “used” after “will not be.”
- 9. Use correct adjective Original: incoming Suggested revision: upcoming Why it matters: “Upcoming” describes a trip that will happen soon, whereas “incoming” is unsuitable here.
- 10. Keep past tense Original: is Suggested revision: was Why it matters: Use the past tense to match the description of what you found when you opened the envelope.
- 11. Make concern concise Original: the possibility that the card is in the possession of other people Suggested revision: the possibility that someone else has the card Why it matters: This wording expresses the security concern more directly and naturally.
- 12. Clarify the reference Original: If that happens, that will Suggested revision: If the card is misused, it will Why it matters: Naming the event and using “it” removes the vague repeated reference to “that.”
Suggested Rewrites
- opened open
- use used
- put me in unfavorable and inconvenient situation put me in an unfavorable and inconvenient situation
- the old card already expired the old card has already expired
- for a Singapore trip for a trip to Singapore
- what happened the card's disappearance
Why this response received Band 6.5
The letter clearly explains the missing card, communicates genuine concern about possible fraud, and requests both protective action and a replacement in an appropriately formal manner. Its main limitation is recurring grammatical and collocational inaccuracy, particularly around verb forms, articles, and travel-related wording, although meaning remains clear. Prioritise proofreading for passive forms and natural formal phrasing so the otherwise complete message sounds more controlled and professional.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The purpose is clear, all three bullet points are covered, and the formal tone is generally suitable for the bank.
Make the requested action more direct by explicitly asking the bank to cancel the missing card and confirm the replacement arrangements.
Coherence and Cohesion
The information progresses logically from the missing card to its risks, the travel context, and the requested remedies.
Use clear paragraph breaks to separate the purpose, concerns, and requests, while reducing repeated linking phrases.
Lexical Resource
The letter uses relevant formal vocabulary, but several collocations and word forms sound unnatural or imprecise.
Replace awkward phrases with natural choices such as 'used for fraudulent transactions' and 'upcoming trip.'
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A useful range of simple and complex structures conveys the message clearly, despite recurring errors in passive forms, tense, and articles.
Proofread verb phrases and noun phrases carefully, especially 'will be used,' 'has already expired,' and 'an unfavourable situation.'
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
You have received a letter from your bank, asking you to acknowledge receipt of a new bank card. However, the card was missing from the envelope. Write a letter to the bank's head office. In your letter:
- explain why you are writing
- express concern about the missing card
- ask them what they intend to do
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.