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Writing Samples
Band 8

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, Explain.Academic writing task What Did You Lose? How You Lost It? What Do You Want the Insurance Company to Do?

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Dear
sir
Capitalize the proper name
Sir
show examples
 or madam I am writing to formally report a lost item from my recent holiday in Dubai and to request compensation under my travel insurance policy. My policy number is TR-99482-A. During my trip, I lost my Canon EOS R6 Mark II Mirrorless Camera, which was fitted with a 24-105mm lens. It is black, has a few minor scratches on the bottom plate, and holds significant value. The camera was inside a grey padded carrying case
along with
Linking Words
 two spare batteries. I discovered the item was missing on the evening of June 15, 2026, upon returning to my accommodation from a desert safari tour. I suspect the bag slipped out of my backpack
while
Linking Words
 I was disembarking from the tour bus. I immediately notified the tour operator and the hotel's front desk, but the bag was not recovered. As my travel insurance covers the full replacement cost of lost equipment, I would like to initiate a claim. I have attached the original purchase receipt,
along with
Linking Words
 the official police report filed on June 16, 2026, for your reference. Please provide me with the necessary claim forms and guide me through the reimbursement procedure. Thank you for your prompt assistance with
this
Linking Words
 matter. Yours faithfully, Salieu Barrie.

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task response
Task response: You answer all parts well. To get a higher score, you can add one short line about the cost of the item.
task response
Task response: Your tone is formal and clear. Keep this style in the whole letter.
coherence and cohesion
Coherence and cohesion: Your ideas are in a good order. Each part is easy to follow.
coherence and cohesion
Coherence and cohesion: You can use one or two more linking words like 'first', 'then', or 'after that' if you want.
task response
Task response: You clearly say what you lost, how you lost it, and what you want the company to do.
task response
Task response: The details about the camera and the report make your letter strong and full.
coherence and cohesion
Coherence and cohesion: The letter has a clear start, middle, and end.
coherence and cohesion
Coherence and cohesion: Each paragraph has one main idea, so the letter is easy to read.
Structure your letter

A letter needs to be written using a proper format, including the following:

  • A greeting (Dear sir/madam, Dear John, Dear Mr. Smith)
  • The main body (consisting of paragraphs for each part of the letter)
  • A closing (Yours sincerely, Yours faithfully, Best wishes, Kind regards, Love)

When writing a letter as part of the IELTS General Training Writing Task 1, it is important to include the bullet points presented to you in the question.

All three bullet points need to be presented. And remember that some bullet points contain more than one element. So, make sure to watch for ‘and’ and plurals.

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Topic Vocabulary:
  • valuable possession
  • insurance claim
  • misplace
  • irreplaceable
  • receipt
  • policyholder
  • reimbursement
  • coverage
  • claim number
  • deductible
  • documentation
  • authenticate
  • liability
  • premium
  • accidental loss
  • indemnity
  • beneficiary
  • contact details
  • substantiate
  • correspondence
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