Your car insurance company has told you that they are going to increase the insurance amount you have to pay for your car each month. You are not happy about this. Write a letter to the insurance company. In your letter explain: - why you are writing to them - why you think the insurance amount should not be increased - what you want them to do
Sample Response
Dear Sir or Madam, Yesterday I received a letter from your company regarding a decision to increase the monthly car insurance premium by 15% effective from next month. I, however, feel that the decision is one-sided and contradicts the interests of your customers. I am hoping that you would reconsider and keep the premium unchanged. I have been managing both my car and life insurance with your company for the last 15 years. I even updated the car insurance policy at the end of last year when I sold my old car and purchased a new one. As per my findings, I am already paying a bit higher for my car insurance and that is why a further increase in the monthly premium is unjustified. I have always paid the premium in due time and you can check that from your database. My car insurance policy number is 2510236-254/1. Since I am not willing to pay an exorbitant amount for my insurance but want to manage it with your company, I am hoping that you would reconsider your decision of raising the monthly amount. Otherwise, I would be forced to move my policy to another company. I really appreciate your time and would like to get a reply from you soon. Yours faithfully, Jonathan Stuart
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Clarify effective date Original: premium by 15% effective from next month Suggested revision: premium by 15%, effective next month Why it matters: The comma makes it clear that the effective date applies to the increase.
- 2. Correct verb choice Original: contradicts Suggested revision: disregards Why it matters: A decision can disregard customers’ interests, while “contradicts” does not collocate naturally with “interests”.
- 3. Use direct request Original: I am hoping that you would reconsider and keep Suggested revision: I hope that you will reconsider and keep Why it matters: The revised verb forms make this formal request more direct and grammatically natural.
- 4. Use insurance collocation Original: managing both my car and life insurance with Suggested revision: holding both my car and life insurance policies with Why it matters: People hold insurance policies with a company rather than manage insurance with it.
- 5. Add possessive determiner Original: the Suggested revision: my Why it matters: The possessive determiner clearly identifies the policy as the writer’s.
- 6. Use natural phrasing Original: As per my findings Suggested revision: According to my research Why it matters: This phrase is more natural and specific in a formal complaint.
- 7. Complete comparison Original: paying a bit higher for my car insurance Suggested revision: paying a slightly higher premium for my car insurance Why it matters: “Higher” needs a noun such as “premium” to state clearly what is greater.
- 8. Correct time phrase Original: paid the premium in due time Suggested revision: paid the premium on time Why it matters: “On time” is the standard expression for payments made by the deadline.
- 9. Use policy collocation Original: manage it with your company Suggested revision: keep my policy with your company Why it matters: This wording clearly expresses the intention to retain the insurance policy with the same provider.
- 10. Organise request stages Suggested revision: Separate the opening request, supporting reasons, policy details, consequence, and closing into distinct letter paragraphs. Why it matters: Paragraph divisions would make the complaint and requested response easier to follow.
Suggested Rewrites
- premium by 15% effective from next month premium by 15%, effective next month
- contradicts disregards
- I am hoping that you would reconsider and keep I hope that you will reconsider and keep
- managing both my car and life insurance with holding both my car and life insurance policies with
- the my
- As per my findings According to my research
Why this response received Band 7.5
The response communicates its purpose immediately and supports the request with relevant policy history, payment conduct, and a clear preferred outcome. The main weakness is that some reasons and requests are repeated, and several otherwise sophisticated phrases are not fully idiomatic. Prioritise a tighter paragraph structure and more natural collocations so the argument remains firm, precise, and professionally persuasive throughout.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The letter fully covers the reason for writing, the case against the increase, and the requested action in an appropriately formal and persuasive tone.
Strengthen the case further by stating a specific comparison or policy basis for the claim that the existing premium is already high.
Coherence and Cohesion
Information follows a clear sequence and the reasoning is easy to follow, though the single-paragraph presentation and repeated requests reduce cohesion slightly.
Group the purpose, supporting reasons, and requested resolution into separate paragraphs and remove repeated statements about reconsidering the increase.
Lexical Resource
The vocabulary is varied and suitably formal, with effective terms such as 'premium', 'unjustified', and 'exorbitant', but several collocations are awkward.
Replace phrases such as 'managing insurance', 'paying a bit higher', and 'in due time' with more idiomatic alternatives.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of simple and complex structures is used with strong control, and the few awkward constructions do not impede meaning.
Refine clause construction and modality in phrases such as 'I am hoping that you would reconsider' to achieve more consistently natural accuracy.
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
Your car insurance company has told you that they are going to increase the insurance amount you have to pay for your car each month. You are not happy about this. Write a letter to the insurance company. In your letter explain:
- why you are writing to them
- why you think the insurance amount should not be increased
- what you want them to do
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.