You missed a flight due to a problem at the airport. Write a letter to the airline. In your letter: - describe what happened that caused you to miss the flight - explain how missing your flight affected you make it clear - what you would like the airline to do
Sample Response
Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing to inform you that I could not get on the flight from Dublin to Tokyo on 21st March due to mismanagement at the airport. I would like you to rectify the issue and arrange my next flight for 24th March. I booked my flight with your airline two weeks ago and was scheduled to fly to Tokyo from Dublin airport at 2100 hours on 21st March 2025. I reached the airport three hours prior to my schedule and checked in my luggage. When I was ready to take my flight, an airport security personnel approached me and asked me to follow him to the security room for interrogation. I was quite baffled by the sudden inquest and tried to be as helpful as possible. However, the damage has already been made. I missed my flight when I was cleared and due to this, I could not attend an important meeting at our Tokyo office. I notified my employer immediately and they asked me to take the next flight, which was not available until 24th March. I would like you to rectify this unexpected investigation within your jurisdiction and book my flight on 24th March without imposing any new ticket price on me. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Yours faithfully, Evan Piera
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Make the request precise Original: arrange my next flight for 24th March Suggested revision: rebook me on a flight departing on 24th March Why it matters: This states the requested airline action more precisely.
- 2. Capitalise the name Original: airport Suggested revision: Airport Why it matters: Both words should be capitalised as the proper name of the airport.
- 3. Use the right phrase Original: three hours prior to my schedule Suggested revision: three hours before my scheduled departure Why it matters: “Prior to my schedule” does not naturally express time before a flight.
- 4. Use a countable noun Original: personnel Suggested revision: officer Why it matters: “Personnel” is a collective noun and cannot refer to one person with “an”.
- 5. Choose the correct noun Original: inquest Suggested revision: questioning Why it matters: An “inquest” is a formal judicial inquiry, not routine security questioning.
- 6. Use the fixed phrase Original: the damage has already been made Suggested revision: the damage had already been done Why it matters: English uses “damage had been done” for a harmful result completed by that past point.
- 7. Clarify the sequence Original: when Suggested revision: before Why it matters: The flight was missed before the security clearance was completed, not when it occurred.
- 8. Request a feasible action Original: rectify this unexpected investigation within your jurisdiction Suggested revision: investigate how this incident was handled Why it matters: The airline can investigate the handling of the incident but cannot undo the security investigation.
- 9. Use concise wording Original: without imposing any new ticket price on me Suggested revision: at no additional cost to me Why it matters: This is a clearer and more natural way to request a free rebooking.
- 10. Use formal wording Original: get on the flight Suggested revision: board the flight Why it matters: “Board” is the concise, formal verb used for entering an aircraft.
- 11. Describe the cause Original: due to mismanagement at the airport Suggested revision: because of a problem during airport security checks Why it matters: This is more specific and less accusatory while matching the incident later described.
- 12. Use natural wording Original: rectify Suggested revision: resolve Why it matters: “Resolve an issue” is the natural collocation in a formal complaint.
Suggested Rewrites
- arrange my next flight for 24th March rebook me on a flight departing on 24th March
- airport Airport
- three hours prior to my schedule three hours before my scheduled departure
- personnel officer
- inquest questioning
- the damage has already been made the damage had already been done
Why this response received Band 7.0
The letter clearly explains the security delay, its effect on an important meeting, and the requested rebooking, while maintaining an appropriately formal tone. Its main weakness is imprecise wording around responsibility and remedy: an airline cannot necessarily rectify an airport-security investigation, and several collocations sound unnatural. Prioritise requesting a fee-free replacement booking and reimbursement clearly, then separate the incident, consequences and requested action into distinct paragraphs.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The purpose is clear and all three bullet points receive specific, relevant development in a consistently formal register.
Frame the remedy within the airline's control by requesting a fee-free rebooking and any appropriate compensation rather than asking it to rectify the security investigation.
Coherence and Cohesion
The incident, consequence and request progress logically, but the single-paragraph format and repetition of the date and verb "rectify" reduce cohesion.
Create separate paragraphs for the flight details, the disruption and the requested resolution, stating the preferred new date once.
Lexical Resource
There is sufficient range for a formal complaint, but expressions such as "sudden inquest," "damage has already been made" and "new ticket price" are imprecise.
Use standard complaint-letter collocations such as "security questioning," "the delay caused me to miss" and "without an additional fare."
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Complex sentences are generally controlled and meaning remains clear, with occasional errors in tense, articles and noun agreement.
Correct forms such as "a security officer," "the damage had already been done" and "after I was cleared," while keeping the narrative consistently in the past.
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
You missed a flight due to a problem at the airport. Write a letter to the airline. In your letter:
- describe what happened that caused you to miss the flight
- explain how missing your flight affected you make it clear
- what you would like the airline to do
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.