You recently sent some documents by post, but they did not arrive at the destination. Write a letter to the post office manager. In your letter: - give details of the situation - describe the documents - say what action you want the post office to take
Sample Response
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing this letter to enquire about a postal mail, containing some important documents, which I sent about 16 days ago. Since it is yet to reach its destination, I am hoping that you would help me locate and retrieve it.
With regards to the mail, I sent it on Monday, last 24th October, and it was supposed to arrive at its destination within 5 working days. But, unfortunately, 12 working days have already passed, and the recipient is yet to receive the documents. Of course, a few days ago, I contacted your office and provided them with the mail tracking number, but all they could say at that time was that the mail was picked up the very next day from your post office and had already reached its final destination.
The documents included the original birth certificate, a filled-up form, and name correction documentation of my younger brother, without which he can not get his international passport renewed on time.
So, if you please have someone contact the concerned personnel in the post office at the other end, where the mail is supposed to arrive, to retrieve the documents at the earliest, I will really appreciate it.
Yours faithfully,
David Gregory
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Remove redundant wording Original: writing this letter Suggested revision: writing Why it matters: In a letter, ‘this letter’ is already understood.
- 2. Use countable mail term Original: a postal mail Suggested revision: an item of mail Why it matters: ‘Mail’ is uncountable, so one posted package or envelope is ‘an item of mail’.
- 3. Remove unnecessary commas Original: , containing some important documents, Suggested revision: containing some important documents Why it matters: This defining participial phrase identifies the item and should not be set off by commas.
- 4. Write small number fully Original: 16 Suggested revision: sixteen Why it matters: Numbers below one hundred are commonly written in words in formal letters.
- 5. Use present perfect Original: is Suggested revision: has Why it matters: The present perfect describes a delivery that remains incomplete up to now.
- 6. Use direct polite request Original: I am hoping that you would help Suggested revision: I hope you will help Why it matters: The simple present and future form is clearer for a current request.
- 7. Request the right action Original: retrieve Suggested revision: deliver Why it matters: The stated goal is delivery to the recipient rather than return to the sender.
- 8. Use fixed expression Original: With regards to the mail Suggested revision: With regard to the item Why it matters: The formal expression is ‘with regard to’, without a plural ‘regards’.
- 9. Format the date clearly Original: Monday, last 24th October Suggested revision: Monday, 24 October Why it matters: ‘Last’ is unnecessary before a fully specified date, and formal dates usually omit the ordinal suffix.
- 10. Write number in words Original: 5 Suggested revision: five Why it matters: A small number is conventionally written in words in continuous formal prose.
- 11. Use formal contrast Original: But, unfortunately, Suggested revision: However, Why it matters: ‘However’ introduces the contrast more smoothly and avoids the awkward comma after ‘But’.
- 12. Use present perfect Original: is Suggested revision: has Why it matters: The present perfect is required for a situation continuing to the present.
Suggested Rewrites
- writing this letter writing
- a postal mail an item of mail
- , containing some important documents, containing some important documents
- 16 sixteen
- is has
- I am hoping that you would help I hope you will help
Why this response received Band 7.0
The letter fully addresses the delayed delivery, identifies the documents and their urgency, and requests a specific investigation in an appropriately formal tone. Its strongest feature is the detailed chronology, while the main weakness is occasional awkward wording and a confusing statement that the item had reached its final destination even though it remained missing. Prioritise clarifying the tracking discrepancy and expressing the requested action in a shorter, more direct sentence.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Detailed feedback by IELTS writing criterion after the annotated essay.
Task Achievement
The purpose is clear, all three bullet points are fully developed, and the formal tone is appropriate, although the reported tracking status creates slight confusion.
Explicitly explain that tracking shows delivery to the destination office but the recipient has not received the envelope, then request an urgent trace.
Coherence and Cohesion
The information is logically ordered and appropriately paragraphed, with clear progression from the problem to the contents and requested action.
Tighten the long second paragraph and use fewer conversational transitions such as ‘Of course’ and ‘So’.
Lexical Resource
The response uses a good range of postal and administrative vocabulary, but several expressions are awkward or nonstandard despite clear meaning.
Prefer natural phrases such as ‘an envelope containing documents’, ‘regarding the item’, ‘completed form’, and ‘staff at the destination office’.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Complex sentences convey detailed information, but article, punctuation, reference, and conditional-structure errors recur without obstructing communication.
Simplify the final conditional request and check forms such as ‘on 24 October’, ‘the original birth certificate’, and ‘I would appreciate it’.
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
You recently sent some documents by post, but they did not arrive at the destination. Write a letter to the post office manager. In your letter:
- give details of the situation
- describe the documents
- say what action you want the post office to take
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.