On a recent holiday, you lost a valuable item. Fortunately, you have travel insurance to cover the cost of anything lost. Write a letter to the manager of your insurance company. In your letter: - describe the item you lost - explain how you lost it - tell the insurance company what you would like them to do
Sample Response
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to formally claim compensation for an item that I lost during my recent holiday, as covered under policy number 123456my travel insurance policy. I am hoping that you will process my claimhelp me get my insurance coverage.
The lost item is a Rolex Submariner wristwatch with a stainless steel bracelet and a black dial, valued at approximately £7,500 according to the attached receiptvalued at approximately £7,500. It was a gift from my father and has great sentimental valueholds immense sentimental value.
Regarding the circumstances of the lossIn relation to the circumstances of the loss, I misplaced the watch while staying at the Grand Horizon Hotel in Barcelona on 1212th February. I distinctly remember placing it on the bedside table before leaving for dinner. Upon my return, however, it was missingnowhere to be found. Despite reporting the matter to the hotel management and the local authorities, my efforts to recover it were unsuccessful.
Given that my policy covers lost or stolen valuables, I would appreciate it if you could process my claim as soon as possibleat the earliest opportunity. and photographs of the watchI have attached a copy of my insurance policy, the original purchase receipt, and the police report for your reference. Please let me knowPlease inform me if any additional documentation is required.
I look forward to your prompt response.
Yours faithfully,
Joseph Linwood
Why this response received Band 8.0
This is a highly effective insurance claim: it fully explains the watch, the circumstances of its loss, and the requested action in a clear formal structure, supported by relevant documentation. Its main limitation is occasional generic or slightly awkward wording; the highest-priority improvement is to include the policy or claim reference at the outset and use precise phrasing such as “process my claim”.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The letter fully covers the lost item, the circumstances of the loss, and the requested insurance action. It is formal, detailed, and includes useful supporting documentation.
Add the policy number or claim reference near the opening to make the request more administratively complete.
Coherence and Cohesion
The response is clearly paragraphed and progresses from claim purpose to item description, loss details, requested processing, and closing. Cohesion is smooth and controlled.
Tighten the opening by combining the broad claim statement with the policy details.
Lexical Resource
The vocabulary is precise and appropriate for an insurance claim, including “compensation”, “policy”, “valued at”, and “additional documentation”. Minor phrases such as “help me get my insurance coverage” are less natural.
Replace generic wording with exact insurance terms such as “process my claim”.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
The grammar is accurate with a good range of complex and formal structures. Minor date-style and phrasing refinements would make it more polished.
Use a consistent formal date style and avoid slightly awkward support-verb phrases.
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
On a recent holiday, you lost a valuable item. Fortunately, you have travel insurance to cover the cost of anything lost. Write a letter to the manager of your insurance company. In your letter:
- describe the item you lost
- explain how you lost it
- tell the insurance company what you would like them to do
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.