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 Sir / Madam
I am writing in connection with a missing or stolen debit card from your bank. This is an urgent matter as the bank card could prove dangerous in the hands of the wrong person.
Just yesterday, I received a letter from your bank’s head office. It stated that my new bank card was enclosed and asked me to acknowledge receipt. However, when the envelope arrived in my mailbox, it was in a tattered state. More importantly, the debit card which was supposed to be included, was missing. I checked and rechecked around the mailbox, but found nothing. I am concerned that someone has gone through my mail and possibly stolen the card.
For this reason I request that you cancel the existing debit card immediately. The debit card in question is related to my account number 64729401 at your Bay and Bloor branch. After it has been cancelled, please arrange to send me a new one, as I need to travel overseas next week and will need to carry the new bank card with me.
Thank you kindly in advance,
Yours faithfully,
Ms Brenda Holster
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Correct the salutation Original: Dear Sir / Madam Suggested revision: Dear Sir or Madam, Why it matters: This is the conventional wording and punctuation for a formal salutation to an unknown recipient.
- 2. Clarify the problem Original: a missing or stolen debit card from your bank Suggested revision: a debit card missing from your bank's envelope Why it matters: The revision states the known problem precisely without presenting theft as established fact.
- 3. Use precise wording Original: could prove dangerous Suggested revision: could be misused Why it matters: Misused states the specific risk posed by a missing bank card.
- 4. Remove incorrect comma Original: included, was Suggested revision: included was Why it matters: A comma must not separate the subject's relative clause from its main verb.
- 5. Use natural phrasing Original: checked and rechecked around the mailbox Suggested revision: searched thoroughly around the mailbox Why it matters: Searched thoroughly is the natural expression for looking carefully in the surrounding area.
- 6. Add introductory comma Original: For this reason I request Suggested revision: For this reason, I request Why it matters: A comma clearly separates the introductory linking phrase from the main clause.
- 7. Identify the card Original: existing Suggested revision: missing Why it matters: Missing identifies the card more precisely than existing in this request.
- 8. Improve the collocation Original: related Suggested revision: linked Why it matters: A bank card is naturally described as being linked to an account.
- 9. Refine the closing Original: Thank you kindly in advance, Suggested revision: Thank you in advance. Why it matters: A full stop completes this sentence cleanly before the formal sign-off.
- 10. Request confirmation Suggested revision: Ask the bank to confirm what action it will take and when you can expect the replacement card. Why it matters: This would address the instruction to ask what the bank intends to do more explicitly.
Suggested Rewrites
- Dear Sir / Madam Dear Sir or Madam,
- a missing or stolen debit card from your bank a debit card missing from your bank's envelope
- could prove dangerous could be misused
- included, was included was
- checked and rechecked around the mailbox searched thoroughly around the mailbox
- For this reason I request For this reason, I request
Why this response received Band 8.0
The letter is highly effective: it establishes the urgent purpose immediately, explains the circumstances and risk in detail, and requests clear remedial action in an appropriately formal register. Its main limitation is minor punctuation imprecision, particularly an unnecessary comma separating the subject from its verb. The highest-priority improvement is careful final proofreading so these rare slips do not interrupt an otherwise polished response.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The response fully addresses the missing card, the associated security concern, and the action expected from the bank in a consistently appropriate formal tone.
Phrase the final request as a direct request for confirmation of the bank’s intended steps to mirror the third bullet even more explicitly.
Coherence and Cohesion
The information is organised in a clear progression from purpose and evidence to concern and requested action, with natural paragraphing and referencing.
For maximum concision, avoid repeating ‘debit card’ where a clear pronoun or ‘replacement card’ would maintain the reference.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is wide, precise, and well suited to a formal banking complaint, with expressions such as ‘acknowledge receipt’ and ‘in a tattered state’ used effectively.
Refine the slightly awkward phrase ‘related to my account number’ to the more natural ‘linked to my account.’
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Complex sentences are varied and accurately controlled, while the few punctuation slips have no effect on clarity.
Remove the comma between the relative-clause subject and verb in ‘the debit card which was supposed to be included, was missing.’
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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.