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 Kuala Lumpur to Melbourne on 16th March on Royal Dutch Airlines and lost my suitcase. I am writing to get an update regarding this and hoping you would help me locate the lost luggage. My flight number was MH 1685 and the seat number was 12B. The plane departed the Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 9.30 pm and after I arrived at Melbourne Airport, I noticed that my suitcase was lost. I could not recover it after searching for more than two hours. Although I have explained this to Mr Johnson, who was in charge of the luggage claim office and promised to give me a call within the next 24 hours, I am yet to receive an update. My luggage claim number is 00269 and I am attaching a copy of it. The suitcase that I lost is a dark brown leather suitcase with a black handle. It contains some clothes, souvenirs for friends, a couple of magazines, a novel and a business proposal which I need for a presentation I am going to conduct on 30th March. I would really appreciate it if you could look into the matter and update me on the whereabouts of the suitcase. I really need this urgently and can pick it up from your office once you confirm its possession. Thank you for giving the matter your attention and I hope to hear your reply soon. Yours Faithfully, Andrew Harris
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Clarify the subject Original: get an update regarding this Suggested revision: request an update on my suitcase Why it matters: The revision identifies exactly what information the writer is requesting.
- 2. Fix coordinated verb Original: and hoping you would help Suggested revision: and hope you can help Why it matters: The coordinated clause needs a finite verb matching I am writing.
- 3. Use possessive determiner Original: the Suggested revision: my Why it matters: The writer is identifying their own assigned seat.
- 4. Add the preposition Original: the Suggested revision: from Why it matters: Depart requires from before the place of departure, and the airport name does not need the here.
- 5. Describe missing luggage Original: noticed that my suitcase was lost Suggested revision: discovered that my suitcase was missing Why it matters: Missing accurately describes luggage that did not arrive on the carousel.
- 6. Clarify the effort Original: recover it after searching Suggested revision: find it despite searching Why it matters: Despite correctly shows that the search did not produce the suitcase.
- 7. Use simple past Original: have explained this to Mr Johnson Suggested revision: reported this to Mr Johnson Why it matters: The simple past suits the completed report, and reported is the precise verb.
- 8. Use standard term Original: luggage claim office Suggested revision: baggage-claim office Why it matters: Baggage claim is the standard term for the airport service area.
- 9. Use present perfect Original: am Suggested revision: have Why it matters: The present perfect naturally describes an update that has not arrived up to now.
- 10. Identify the attachment Original: copy of it Suggested revision: copy of the claim receipt Why it matters: Naming the document helps the airline understand what has been attached.
- 11. Remove repetition Original: The suitcase that I lost Suggested revision: My missing suitcase Why it matters: The concise phrase avoids repeating lost and suitcase in the same clause.
- 12. Correct the collocation Original: presentation I am going to conduct Suggested revision: presentation I am due to give Why it matters: English uses give a presentation rather than conduct a presentation.
Suggested Rewrites
- get an update regarding this request an update on my suitcase
- and hoping you would help and hope you can help
- the my
- the from
- noticed that my suitcase was lost discovered that my suitcase was missing
- recover it after searching find it despite searching
Why this response received Band 7.5
The letter achieves its formal purpose very effectively, providing precise flight and claim details, a clear suitcase description, a useful inventory, and a direct request for action. The business proposal and presentation deadline establish convincing urgency. Its main limitations are minor language refinements, including repeated wording around the lost suitcase and a few awkward phrases; prioritise a concise request for the airline’s tracing, recovery, and delivery plan.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
All bullet points are fully developed with specific, relevant details and an appropriately firm but polite formal tone.
Ask explicitly for the tracing status, expected recovery timeline, and delivery arrangements to make the requested action even more precise.
Coherence and Cohesion
The account progresses logically from the flight and earlier report to the suitcase description, urgent contents, and requested response.
Use separate paragraphs for the incident, luggage description, and action requested, while reducing repeated mentions of the suitcase being lost.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is precise and suitably formal, though a few phrases such as ‘confirm its possession’ and ‘hear your reply’ are unnatural.
Use ‘confirm that it has been found’, ‘arrange delivery’, ‘trace the baggage’, and ‘hear from you’.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Complex structures are generally accurate and easy to follow, with occasional coordination, article, and clause-attachment issues.
Revise the opening coordination and the sentence about Mr Johnson so each action has an unambiguous subject.
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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.